World Thinking Day - Traditions and Activities

Traditions and Activities

Every year on 22 February, Rangers from Mona Burgin's Unit in Auckland, New Zealand set off before dawn, while it is still dark, and they climb to the top of Mount Eden. There they set up their little campfire and a flag-staff, and as the sun rises over the sea they raise the Guide World Flag, they sing the World Song, and they speak of some of the people and the countries they are Thinking about - and so they start "The Big Think" which then travels all the way round the world.

On the nearest weekend to World Thinking Day, Girl Guides and Girl Scouts from across the world come together on ScoutLink to chat with each other and celebrate their Founders. Others are involved with Thinking Day on the Air (TDOTA) using amateur radio, similar to the Jamboree-On-The-Air of the Scout movement.

Some World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts member organizations use it as an opportunity to do projects with their 'twin' organization, such as Canada and Dominica .

One tradition is that every Scout or Guide, ex-Scout or ex-Guide, places a candle in their window that night at dusk:- "This is my little Guiding Light, I'm going to let it shine."

It is also a tradition to send letters or postcards to other Scout and Guides before Thinking Day. In 2009, 2010,2011, 2012 and 2013 a postcard campaign was organized by the Ring deutscher Pfadfinderverbände, Ring Deutscher Pfadfinderinnenverbände, Lëtzebuerger Guiden a Scouten, Swiss Guide and Scout Movement, Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Liechtensteins and Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs.