World Thinking Day is celebrated annually on 22 February 

World Thinking Day is celebrated annually on 22 February 

World Thinking Day is a celebration of ten million girls worldwide that has taken place on every 22 February since 1926. It remains a day for all Guides and Girl Scouts to think of each other and celebrate their sisters all around the world.

In 1926, delegates from guide and girl scout organisations across the world met in the USA for the 4th world conference. They decided to create a day for Guides and Girl Scouts to celebrate being part of an international movement. Delegates chose to hold the first celebration on the joint birthday of Lord Baden-Powell, founder of the scout and guide movement, and his wife Olave, who served as World Chief Guide. And so, ‘thinking day’ was born.

At the 7th world conference in 1932, a Belgian delegate highlighted that birthdays typically involved gifts, and perhaps girls could show their thanks on thinking day by raising funds for the organisation. In response, Olave Baden-Powell wrote a letter to all Guides and Girl Scouts asking them to donate just a penny – enough to buy a loaf of bread in those days – to help fund guiding around the world. This is now known as the World Thinking Day Fund.

The name of the day was changed to ‘World Thinking Day’ at the 30th world conference in Dublin in 1999 when delegates chose a new name to more clearly emphasise the global nature of the celebration.

World Thinking Day themes
The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts chooses a theme for each World Thinking Day and proposes related activities. Themes include:

• 2005: “Think about food”
• 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
• 2008: “Think about water”
• 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: “Environment”: 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”
• 2016: “Connect”
• 2017: “Grow”
• 2018: “Impact”
• 2019: “Leadership”
• 2020: “Living Threads”
• 2021: “Stand Together for Peace”
• 2022: “Our World, Our Equal Future: The environment and gender equality”
• 2023: “Our World, Our Thriving Future: The environment and global poverty”
• 2024: “Our World, Our Peaceful Future: The environment, peace and security”