Happy World Thinking Day!
The Theme for 2016 is Connect, so I believe it’s also time to “Connect” with our past! As we forward our donations to the World Thinking Day Fund (in Canada, donations are made to the Canadian World Friendship Fund) here is a letter about the early days of the tradition of collecting pennies for Thinking Day.
A Letter From the World Chief Guide
(in The Council Fire. WAGGGS: London, January 1934, pp 71)
Dear Guides and Girl Scouts,
Time goes by so quickly that it is hard to believe that a whole year has passed since I last wrote a letter to you all to talk about a plan for February 22nd, which is, as you know, the date chosen as our special “Thinking Day” within our Movement.
I am writing this letter now to ask if you remember at all about that suggestion I sent you last year with regard to commemorating “Thinking Day” in a special way.
This way was suggested to us by a Guider in Belgium, and the plan was for any Guide or Girl Scout who liked to subscribe a penny towards a fund for helping the World Bureau in carrying out its work for the whole World Sisterhood.
As you know, the Guide Movement is spreading further and wider each year, and whilst you see your own company growing in numbers in a small way, bit by bit, you can also picture to yourself that this is happening in towns and villages in many countries throughout the length and breadth of the world.
And so our family is growing bigger and bigger, and though we cannot all meet together because of living in so many different lands, yet we are all joined together in mind and in heart, through having pledged ourselves to stick to the same Promise and Laws, and to be friends and helpers to each other whenever we can.
Well, the World Bureau, which acts as the kind connecting link that helps to keep us all in close touch with each other, naturally has a good many expenses, and last year many Guides and Girl Scouts helped most willingly to support this office by giving their pennies to the Thinking Day Fund. when the great day came.
They showed that they were not content with thinking only, but wanted to do some thanking as well, for the joy and fun that has come to them through Guiding and Girl Scouting.
And so, if you think you would like once again to send a little special thank-offering to help the World Association in its task, just talk it over with your captain, and then she can send in any gifts from you and your friends to: The World Bureau…
My kindest thoughts and good wishes to you,
Olave Baden-Powell, World Chief Guide
Girl Guide History Tidbits 