World Thinking Day - the birthday of our founders Lord and Lady Baden-Powell - is celebrate by Girl Guides and Girls Scouts all around the world. We think of friends and raise money to support projects across the globe.
The 22nd of February is always a special day at Sangam and this year was no exception. Participants were up bright and early getting the final resources together for their upcoming activities with the guides and scouts, staff were making sure all was in place for the ceremony and I was draping myself with my WAGGGS sari for the very first time.
By 9am 450 Scouts and Guides for the local Pune area were on the campsite in formation ready for flag break. After the short ceremony that focused on the World Thinking Day theme for 2012: environmental sustainability, the Guides and Scouts broke up into groups and shared activities with our participants. Some were in full costume and danced traditional dances, others did yoga and some played games. It was a very colourful site. Our participants shared activities from their home countries and the cultural sharing element of the day had participants excited as the saw the reality of the international family that we belong to in action.
After sharing some Indian snacks and a short awards ceremony the Guides and Scouts headed to school for the rest of the day and our participants chatted excitedly about their experiences.
In the evening members of our local guide unit the Nevedita guides, local friends and some day visitors joined us for a candlelit ceremony around the swimming pool based on friendship and the World Thinking Day theme. We moved to the Thinking Day courtyard where the almond tree was decorated with cards and World Thinking Day messages from across the globe. We renewed our Guide/Girl Scout promise in our own language and sang ‘We Change the World’. We streamed both parts of the ceremony live on the internet and Girl Scouts and Guides joined us from across the world. A fitting end to day that encapsulated the true spirit of Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting across the globe.
If you would like to join us at Sangam for World Thinking Day 2013 we still have space available in our Thinking Day event between February 18th and 27th. The World Thinking Day theme for 2013 is based on two of the WAGGGS global action themes ‘girls worldwide say: together we can save children’s lives and every mothers life is precious’. The event is open to all ages and the cost is 550 GBP. Come and have the experience of a life time as you share with local Guides and Scouts and live with your global family at Sangam.
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