GSNNJ Media Girls in Action

WORLD THINKING DAY IN KINNELON

By GSNNJ Media Girl Madeline 

World Thinking Day is celebrated annually on February 22 by the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), along with the Girl Scouts of the USA and other WAGGGS member organizations. It has been celebrated around the world since 1926 and this year’s theme was what it means to be a peacebuilder.

For the past 15 years, Kinnelon has held a Thinking Day “international festival” where countries from all over the world are highlighted. It is a well-loved event where troops pick a country and set-up a table with cultural information, including items like pictures, food, crafts and games. Troops then move around from country to country learning all kinds of interesting and fun facts. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kinnelon held their annual Thinking Day International Fair virtually via Zoom on Thursday, February 26 and was successful in keeping this tradition alive. Troops got creative and presented their country with videos, slideshows, photos, recipes and crafts. The countries visited were Ecuador, Greece, Trinidad and Tobago, the Netherlands, and Italy. (You can check out some facts I learned about scouting in these countries below.)

In addition to this event, throughout the month of February, Kinnelon Girl Scouts had the opportunity to participate in “Monday Madness,” an idea that Kinnelon Service Unit Manager and Troop Leader, Regan Sharkey came up with. Every Monday is dedicated to a different level of Girl Scouts and troops can earn badges and awards through a Zoom meeting since many troops can’t meet due to COVID-19. It is a way to keep troops engaged during the pandemic.

In February, “Monday Madness” was dedicated to the Thinking Day peacebuilding theme and troops worked on the requirements. Kinnelon Girl Scout made pinwheels for peace, discussed respecting other people’s feelings, and learned about Malala Yousafzai and Wangari Maathain, two women who made a difference in the world. Each week the girls had different ideas on what they wanted to do. Regan Sharkey said, “It was great seeing the girls take the lead and think about ways they wanted to change the world and knowing that they could make an impact in their community.”

In the end, the girls worked together on a Peacebuilding Pledge. I asked Regan Sharkey a few questions about World Thinking Day. Check out what she had to say!

Why is World Thinking Day one of your favorite Girl Scout events?

Thinking day is one of my favorite Girl Scout holidays because of the history behind it. When my daughters were in Girl Scouts, I went with their troops down to Savannah, Georgia to visit the birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low, and I also earned a lot about the Baden-Powell, founder of Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, (Robert Baden-Powell’s birthday falls on February 22). The Girl Scout program does a great job in teaching girls how to look to the future and lead. I think it’s important to also look back into our history and look outward to the many girls around the globe who share in our mission.

What type of activities did you do for “Monday Madness” around World Thinking Day?

“Monday Madness” was a lot of fun in February! I downloaded the booklets for the different levels and picked activities from each of the steps. I tried to show the girls what the difference was between “peacemaking” and “peace building.“ For example, ending an argument between two people by screaming at them to be quiet will stop the conflict, but will do nothing to build harmony between them and truly resolve the issue. 

Check out some fun facts from the countries we visited in Kinnelon

Thank you to Troops 95064, 97814, 98076, 97618, and Juliettes, Carley and Lauren D. for teaching Kinnelon Girl Scouts about scouting in other countries. They shared some great information with us at our virtual World Thinking Day event. Inspired after watching these presentations, I checked out some web sites to read more and picked some fun facts to share with you! Thank you again to these troops.

Ecuador

• The Asociacion Nacional de Guias Scouts del Ecuador is the national Guiding organization.
• It was founded in 1919 and is a girls-only organization.
• It  was not until 1952 that an association was established with the help of a WAGGG’S Travelling Commissioner for the Western Hemisphere.
• The association is divided in four branches according to age: Alitas-ages 7 to 10, Juniors, ages 11 to 13, Cadetes, ages 14-16, Guias Mayores, ages 16 to 18.

Trinidad and Tobago

• Girl Scouts are called Girl Guides.
• They were founded in 1914 and are a girls-only organization.
• It is the largest organization in Trinidad and Tobago for girls and young women.
• According to their website, their mission is to develop females through diversified training and experience by providing opportunities for empowerment enabling them to become responsible citizens of the world.

Greece

• Guiding in Greece started in 1932 and became a member of the World Association Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 1933.
• It was revived in 1945 after a period of inactivity during the Second World War and the movement has since spread throughout the country and the Greek Girl Guides Association is now the largest youth organization in Greece. 
• The organization allows both girls and boys to join.
• There are four age-groups in their program. Asteria-Stars (age 5 to 7), Poulia-Birds (ages 7 to 11), Odigoi-Guides (ages 11 to 14) and Megaloi Odigoi/Naftodigoi-Rangers/Sea Rangers (ages 14 to 17).
• Groups of Girl Guides go to the camps where refugees coming from war torn countries and stay and distribute food and aid. They also work with children to help them feel safe.

Netherlands

• The first Guide groups appeared in the Netherlands in 1911.
• In 1916, six of these groups formed Het Nederlandse Meisjes Gilde, which in 1928 was a founder Member of World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. 
• The official patron of scouting is Queen Maxima, the wife of the Dutch King, Willem Alexander.
• The Association changed its name to Het Nederlandse Padvindsters Gilde in 1933.
• During World War II all Scouting movements were not allowed and officially dissolved but after the end of the war Scouting became very popular.
• In 1973, all the separate scouting organizations merged into Scouting Nederland.

Italy

• Girl Scouting has been in Italy for as long as it has been in the United States. Both groups celebrated their 100^th anniversary in 2012.
• Girl Scouting was suppressed during the 1920s and did not start again until 1944.
• There are 2 scouting groups: Corpo Nazionale Giovani Esploratori ed Esploratrici Italiani (CNGEI) (National Corps of Italian Boy Scouts and Girl Guides) and Associazione Guide e Scouts Cattolici Italiani (AGESCI) (Association of Catholic Guides and Scouts of Italy).

Web sites

• http://www.girlguidesttorg
•  www.wikipedia.org
• www.wagggs.org
• www.useresourceswisely.com