World Thinking Day, formerly Thinking Day, is celebrated annually on 22 February by all Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. It is also celebrated by Scout and Guide organisations around the world. It is a day when they think about their "sisters" (and "brothers") in all the countries of the world, the meaning of Guiding, and its global impact.
Most recently, World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts has selected an important international issue as the theme for each year's World Thinking Day, and selected a focus country from each of their five world regions. Girl Guides and Girl Scouts use these as an opportunity to study and appreciate other countries and cultures, and equally increase awareness and sensitivity on global concerns. Donations are collected for the Thinking Day Fund, which supports projects to help Girl Guides and Scouts around the world.
22 February was chosen as it was the birthday of Scouting and Guiding founder Lord Robert Baden-Powell and of Lady Olave Baden-Powell, his wife and World Chief Guide. Other Scouts celebrate it as B.-P. Day or Founders' Day.
In 1926, at the Fourth Girl Scout International Conference, held at Girl Scouts of the United States’s Camp Edith Macy (presently the Edith Macy Conference Center), the conference delegates highlighted the need for a special international day when Girl Guides and Girl Scouts would think about the worldwide spread of Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting, and of all the Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the world, giving them, their "sisters", thanks and appreciation.
It was decided by the delegates that this day would be 22 February, the birthday of both Lord Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scout movement, and Lady Olave Baden-Powell, his wife and the World Chief Guide.
In 1999, at the 30th World Conference, held in Ireland, the name was changed from "Thinking Day" to "World Thinking Day", to emphasize the global aspect of this special day.
At the Seventh World Conference in Poland, a Belgian delegate suggested that the girls' appreciation and friendship should not only be shown by the exchange of wishes, but also through presents, which are after all typical of birthdays, in the form of a voluntary contribution to the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.
In her first letter about the World Thinking Day Fund Lady Baden-Powell, the World Chief Guide, asked the Girl Guides and Girl Scouts to donate "a penny for your thoughts," in order to support the Movement. The amount raised was £520 12s 6d in 1933, and rose to £35,346 in 1971. The World Thinking Day Fund is used to help more girls and young women around the world by spreading the Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting programme.
The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts chooses a theme for each World Thinking Day and proposes related activities. Themes include:
2006: "Think about, talk about and do something about adolescent health issues"; often shortened to Think about adolescent health
2007: "Discover your potential by taking the lead, growing friendships, and speaking out"; often shortened to Discover your potential
2009: UN Millennium Development Goal 6: "Stop the spread of AIDS, malaria and other diseases"; often shortened to Stop the spread of diseases
2010: UN Millennium Development Goal 1: Girls worldwide say "Together we can end extreme poverty and hunger".
2011: UN Millennium Development Goal 3: Girls worldwide say "Empowering girls will change our world".
2012: UN Millennium Development Goal 7: Girls worldwide say “We can save our planet”.
2013: UN Millennium Development Goal 4: "Reduce child mortality" and UN Millennium Development Goal 5:"Improve maternal health"
2014: UN Millennium Development Goal 2: "Providing universal access to primary education"
2015: UN Millennium Development Goal 8: "Developing partnerships for global development"