World Thinking Day
22 February 2006
Forty million young people use communication space technology!Scouts and Guides worldwide are forefront users of 21st Century Technology/Space science spin off technologies.World scouting and guiding are as strong and dynamic as ever in the 7 to 26 year age band and are soon to celebrate their first centenary in 2007 and 2008 respectively.
Always ready to grasp innovation and new opportunities, world scouting and guiding have been significant actors at all levels of local, community, national, international and global levels.
Scouting was born of an idea in the UK by Lord Baden Powell and formalized as a movement for young boys in 1907 and for young girls - who demanded to be allowed to join - in 1908 by Olive Baden Powell the wife of Lord Baden Powell. The movement rapidly became popular with young people around the world.
At an early international guide/girl scout conference in 1926, it was decided that every year guides and girl scouts should have a special day dedicated to thinking about the lives of all guides and girl scouts around the world. February 22 was chosen as Thinking Day as it was the mutual birthday of both Lord and Lady Baden Powell.
Later in 1932 at the 7th World Conference the Belgian delegation proposed a more particular 'birthday' celebration. On this day girls should openly express their fellowship and appreciation in messages and a small donation to help sister guides in difficult circumstances around the world. It was traditional to give the price of a loaf of bread. Over the years celebrations have been held messages sent in all manner of ways around the world.
In 1999 the 30th World Conference in Ireland recognized the wider global qualities of guiding and changed the name of Thinking Day to World Thinking Day.
2006 sees the first Guide 'World Thinking Day of the Air' (TDOTA) when all members of the movement from the youngest to the oldest will be able to talk to each other via satellite, internet and amateur radio. This will be an annual event every third weekend in February.
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Jota is held every third weekend in October. You can listen to a station in Canada receiving a message from the WOSM Secretary General in Geneva:
http://home.hetnet.nl/~richard.middelkoop/HB9S/hb9s.htm
Many Guides and Scouts use this opportunity to earn awards in fields such as communication/technology/space, as well as demonstrating their continued involvement in citizenship responsibilities. Space technologies truly allow young people to reach out to one another across the remotest and most difficult and impoverished of regions around the globe. Space allows young people to truly become a united family.
ESA Science Technology send warmest Thinking Day wishes to all guide and girl scout members across Europe and around the world and is delighted that space technologies help the whole of the wider global community in so many different ways.