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Basic facts about international Scouting

• When we join the Girl Scouts, we become members of a worldwide movement guided by the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
• The Founder of all Scouting, Lord Robert Baden-Powell, set forth the principles on which the Scout and Guide movements all over the world are based.
• Juliette Low brought Scouting from England to the girls in the United States. The first troop was organized in her native Savannah, Georgia on March 12, 1912.
• The Juliette Low World Friendship Fund is a memorial fund established to foster friendship amoung young people of many countries
• Girl Scouts and Girl Guides around the world have many common bonds:

  Promise and Law

  spoken in different languages and with slight variations in different countries, but esssentially the same

  Program

  with the same objectives: to develop girls in the areas of character, skill, health and service to others

  Patrol System

  as a way of work

  Membership open to all

  regardless of race, creed, color or national origin

  Symbols

  the trefoil, the uniform, the salute, the World Association pin, the motto

  Thinking Day

  February 22, the birthday of Lord and Lady Baden-Powell, a day when members all over the world think of each other and of what Guiding and Girl Scouting mean.

  World Centers

  Our Chalet in Adelboden, Switzerland; Pax Lodge in London, England; Our Cabaņa in Cuernavaca, Mexico; Sangam in Poona, India

Thinking Day History We have 3 versions of Thinking Day History for you to look at. Obviously, they all have the same basic information, but vary in the amount of details given. It is very interesting to see what pieces of history are contained in all 3 documents, while presenting a slightly different viewpoint. A short, condensed version of Thinking Day can be viewed by clicking here. The full, official version, as documented at the Girl Scouts of the USA website, can be viewed by clicking here. Another version, with additional details can be viewed by clicking here.

Vignettes from Early Times From different WAGGGS countries come descriptive and interesting insights into the variations of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.

The Norwegian Legend of the Friendship Knot
This knot is woven in friendship true
and Interlaced with memories too
of friendship found and shared by two
the ties time and smiles can't undo.

The friendship knot as we know it, is known by other names: the Japanese Crown Knot and the Success Knot. Knots are ageless and this knot has been tied since ancient times by Asians for ornamental purposes. The ageless lore of knots has been a subject of devoted study by the Japanese and since early times, ornamental knotting has been employed for ceremonial purposes.

At first, it might perhaps seem strange that this knot, the Japanese Crown or Success Knot, has found its way, across thousands of miles, to us. In reality, it isn't really so strange at all, for friendship knows no barriers. This knot is also aptly named, for is it not so that on'es crowning success is friendship?
Courtesy of The Sea Urchin, South Shore Girl Scout Council, Inc., Suffolk County, Long Island, New York.

Click here for directions for making the Friendship Knot.

The Story of the Sunbeams Some Brownies of South Africa are called Sunbeams. Here is their special story.

Activities A fruit salad game, a map game, an action skit and some paper-type activities that can be used to see how much Thinking Day information the girls (or leaders!) have retained.

Ceremonies Ceremonies, suitable for celebrating Thinking Day: a Thinking Day Candlelight ceremony, a World Association pin ceremony and a "Fruit Salad" ceremony (we kid you not!). There is also a link for making a felt/flannel board of the World Association pin to be used in conjunction with the ceremonies. In addition, there is sample Thinking Day ceremony agenda that was used sucessfully by one of our leaders.

CountDown to Thinking Day Click on the link for guidelines and suggested activities to construct an "advent"-type calendar: each day has a window, which is lifted and underneath, is an activity to be completed. Daisy leaders will need to simplify many of the activities or use activities from the Daisy Girl Scouts Leaders Guide.

Help your troop to gather the materials necessary for making the calendar. They might use crayons, markers, paints or other materials of their choice. You can also help the girls decide what type of art work and designs they want to use to represent Thinking Day. Once the troop completes the calendar, you can plan to help your troop with the activities.

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