Monday
World Thinking Day
at locations throughout Western Washington
Who: All Girl Scouts
What is World Thinking Day?
Since 1926, World Thinking Day, celebrated annually on February 22, has given Girl Scouts the opportunity to celebrate their “sister” Girl Guides around the globe, and is a reminder that Girl Scouts of the USA is part of a global community—one of 144 countries in the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS). Through this connection, girls can begin to bridge cultural differences, transcend borders and spread goodwill and friendship.
The theme for World Thinking Day 2009 was girls worldwide say "we can stop the spread of AIDS, malaria and other diseases." Girls voted and selected Costa Rica, Fiji, Ireland, Jordan and Kenya to represent the five regions of World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS)—Western Hemisphere, Asia/Pacific, Europe, the Arab region and Africa.
Troops throughout Western Washington celebrated the 2009 theme in a variety of ways.
- A group of 5th and 6th graders from Troop 8535 at Hilltop Elementary School were taught about the impact of HIV/AIDS through a unique activity involving Hershey’s kisses. Melissa Winkler, program manager for Girl Scouting in the School Day, asked her troop what they already knew about AIDS and had a brief discussion about the facts of the disease. Then, in an effort to show how the disease can be transmitted, every girl got a bag of Hershey’s kisses. They handed the kisses to each other, and wrote down the names of the people they received the chocolates from. They were then asked to check the bottom of their bags. Those who had a star represented someone with AIDS. The girls were then asked who had received a kiss from someone with the star. They were all amazed to learn how fast the disease can actually spread, and the fact that some received candy from a person who received it from the carrier made it more real.
- Troop 50118 from Maple Leaf chose to focus on MSRA, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus. The troop had a board with questions for girls to answer. The table visitors could guess the answers, or the girls would walk them through the questions and answers. Visitors were then given a nail brush (provided by Public Health Seattle & King County) and/or a refrigerator magnet made by the troop, called “Girl Scouts Handful of Health.” Printed on the card were 5 things people could do to stay healthy and remain protected from MRSA: Diet, Exercise, Hydration, Rest and Hand Washing.
- On Tuesday, February 24, more than two dozen West Seattle Girl Scouts put together AIDS and malaria fighting kits to send overseas. Kits, which cost $30 each, included malaria-fighting mosquito netting. Girl Scouts all across West Seattle have been chipping in to buy the materials needed for the packets, and local businesses and organizations were also expected to contribute.
Events for this year on an international theme included:
Troop 48504 is hosting a Thinking Day Celebration at Thurgood Marshall Elementary on February 11. There was a flag ceremony, followed by presentations, and then "traveling" to different countries.
Several troops from Service Unit 540 put together presentations to showcase a country. Each of these troops also hosted a booth at the event where travelers could stop by, learn about their country, sample food from their country and get a stamp in their passport. There was also a flag naming contest. Several flags were posted around the cafeteria, and travelers were invited to guess as many as they could. The traveler with the most correct guesses won a door prize!
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