A GROUP of Ashton-under-Lyne girls donned their Thinking caps to mark a special anniversary with a sleepover.
Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Rangers and Leaders from Ashton Division gathered at the town’s Albion Church on Saturday, February 21 to mark 100 years of World Thinking Day.
And after the youngest members, the Rainbows, took part in crafts and activities to celebrate the occasion, about 100 Brownies, Guides and Rangers joined together for a division-wide sleepover, filling the church with laughter, singing and the spirit of guiding.
Throughout the evening, the girls enjoyed a range of craft activities and came together to sing traditional campfire favourites including Alice the Camel and Someone’s in the Kitchen with Dinah.
They also learned more about the meaning and history of World Thinking Day, Girl Guides and Girl Scouts have been marking this special day since 1926, and why it remains such an important date in the guiding calendar.
World Thinking Day takes place every year on February 22 and is a celebration of 10 million girls worldwide.
The tradition began when delegates from Guide and Girl Scout organisations met in the USA for the fourth World Conference and decided to create a special day for girls to reflect on being part of an international movement and to think about others around the world.
The date of February 22 was chosen because it was the joint birthday of Robert and Olave Baden-Powell, who were both instrumental in establishing and shaping guiding in its early years.
At the seventh World Conference in 1932, a Belgian delegate suggested that as birthdays are traditionally linked with gifts, girls could mark the day by raising funds to support guiding worldwide.
In response, Olave Baden-Powell wrote to members asking them to donate just a penny – enough at the time to buy a loaf of bread – to help fund guiding around the world. This became the World Thinking Day Fund.
In 1999, at the 30th World Conference in Dublin, the name was officially changed to World Thinking Day to reflect the truly global nature of the celebration.
Each year features a theme encouraging members to reflect on issues affecting girls and their global community, with 2026’s being “Our Friendship” while previous themes have focused on poverty, gender inequality, environmental sustainability and access to education.
Leaders from Ashton Division said the event was a wonderful way to celebrate a century of international friendship, giving girls of all ages the opportunity to learn about the movement’s history while making memories of their own.
For more information about joining Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Rangers, or getting involved volunteering, visit: www.girlguiding.org.uk/information-for-parents/register-a-child/.