Thinking Day

Greetings,

The Girl Scout’s Thinking Day was first created in 1926 at the fourth Girl Guide/Girl Scout International Conference held at Girl Scouts of the USA's Camp Edith Macy (now called Edith Macy Conference Center). Conference attendees decided that there should be a special day for Girl Scouts and Girl Guides from around the world to "think" of each other and give thanks and appreciation to their "sister" Girl Scouts. The delegates chose February 22 as the date for Thinking Day because it was the mutual birthday of Lord Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scout movement, and his wife, Olave, who served as World Chief Guide.

In 1932, at the seventh World Conference, held in Poland, a Belgian delegate suggested that since birthdays usually involve presents, girls could show their appreciation and friendship on Thinking Day not only by extending warm wishes but by offering a voluntary contribution to the World Association. This is how the World Association's Thinking Day Fund began. The fund helps offer Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting to more girls and young women worldwide. Girl Scouts of the USA, through its Juliette Low World Friendship Fund contributes to the World Thinking Day Fund.

To emphasize the global aspect of Thinking Day, members at the 30th World Conference, held in Ireland in 1999, changed the name from Thinking Day to World Thinking Day.

I think it is very good that some people have agreed that there is a need to deliberately set time aside to think about other people and the problems which they have and which we all share.  Our life together in this modern society would be greatly improved if we all actually engaged our brains in thinking about the problems which confront us.  Not automated responses to the same old clichés, but actually thinking through the various options for a problem and thinking together with others about solutions which will work. 

In Isaiah we hear the Lord say: Come, let us think this over.  Let’s talk together and settle these problems.  Though your sins, your personal and corporate disobedience and refusal to walk in my way, are as scarlet, if you come and reason together with me, those sins can be washed whiter than snow.  If you are willing to come to your senses and obey, you will eat the good things of the earth.  But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword of your own evil.

In our governments, in our communities, in our neighborhoods, in our own families, we need to think together, reason together, and come to and agreement before and with God as to how we will turn from the ways of self and evil and turn to the Way of being kind to one another, of caring for one another, of blessing one another, and of loving one another.  If we do, we will all feast at the table together.  If we do not, we will be devoured by our own evil.

The Girl Scouts had their Thinking Day on February 22.  We need to have a lot of Thinking Days, starting now.

Yours & His,

DED