part 2!
me with my old sash, about 2 years ago!
Download the World Thinking Day Activity Pack 2012 and complete the following steps to earn the WTD badge.
STEP 1: GET ACTIVE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
Complete 2 activities from each of the sections (one of which must be a fundraising activity):
- Reduce the use of fossil fuels (pg. 27-30)
- Save resources in and around your home (pg. 31-36)
- Switch to sustainable energy solutions (pg. 37-43)
Complete 1 activity from the Speak out section (pg. 44-47)
STEP 2: MAKE YOUR ACTIONS COUNT
Share your actions and stories with other Girl Guides and Girl Scouts and help WAGGGS reach their target of 201,200 actions by August 31, 2012. Log your actions on the World Thinking Day activities map.
STEP 3: SUPPORT YOUR INTERNATIONAL SISTERS IN GUIDING
Donate proceeds from your fundraising activity to one of the following:
Your donation will help support Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in the five focus countries to have a long-term, practical and beneficial impact on the communities in which they live.
STEP 4: GET YOUR WTD BADGE
Order your WTD badges from the WAGGGS online shop.
If you have chosen Canada as your World Thinking Day country then check out Facts About Girl Guiding in Canada.
The Ground Breaking Ceremony of the Proposed 4-Storey Building at Ating Tahanan National Program and Training Center Baguio City was held on February 18, 2012.
The event was graced by members of the National Executive Committee headed by National President Dr. Salud A. Bagalso, National Real Properties and Buildings Committee, Senior Staff and other guests from Northern Luzon Region and Councils. The building was designed by EDCE Builders, Inc. with Arch. Enrico T. Coronel as the principal architect.
How Are You Celebrating World Thinking Day?
- Organise or take part in an environmental activity and tell us about it – why not pick a fun activity from the World Thinking Day activity pack and log your activities on our interactive map?
- Tweet #GirlsSaveOurPlanet on 22 Feb 2012
- Donate to the World Thinking Day Fund to help develop Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting around the world.
- Think about how you could raise money on World Thinking Day to help sustain the Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting Movement. Try out our fundraising ideas, or ask people to donate small amounts through our Facebook page.
- Contribute tothe Rio+20 consultation. Help ensure the voice of girls and young women are heard at Rio+20, the UN’s conference on sustainable development.
- Learn more about our focus countries Guyana, Japan, Ivory Coast, Russia and Tunisia by reading our webpages about them.
The World Thinking Day event at Inza R. Wood Middle School in Wilsonville February 22 took students for a trip around the world! Each troop studied the culture, foods, traditions and children of a different country then shared them with other troops. Wood was a colorful mix of costumes, flags, games and food - all representing various regions around the globe. The girls rotated through the assortment of tables playing games tasting, touching and reading about other cultures in a fun-filled night of learning and celebrating diversity. My daughter’s troop, 894, showed off Mexico! They celebrated games the of the country by playing pin the tail on the donkey and they handed out freshly made Mexican tortillas. Our family had just returned from a trip to Mexico so we had pesos, brochures, maps and a Mexican blanket to add to the colorful display.
Girl Scout Troop 1424 hosted this event for their Girl Scout Bronze Award, the highest award that can be bestowed on girls at the Junior program age level. Junior Girl Scouts, either individually or together, utilize their leadership skills on a project that makes a positive impact on their community. Troop 1424’s leaders are Miriam Rasmussen, and Shelley Goff.
Scouting and Guiding in Sweden
Guiding and Scouting have been an active and respected part of Swedish society for almost a hundred years. Every third person of Sweden’s nine millions citizens is or has been a guide or scout! Today there are over 100 000 Girl Guides and Boy Scouts in Sweden.
Outdoor life is essential for guides and scouts in Sweden and many activities take place in our beautiful nature. But outdoor life and our other activities are only methods to reach the goal of the Swedish Guide and Scout movement: to develop young people socially, intellectually, spiritually and physically.
Another prominent feature of Swedish Guiding and Scouting is the long tradition of boys and girls working together. As early as 1960, the Boy Scout Association and the Girl Guide Association were united into one organisation. Today the terms Girl Guide and Boy Scout are no longer in use. Everyone is just called scouts.
In Sweden today there are five scout associations:
The Swedish Guide and Scout Association (SSF)
The Guide and Scout Organization of the Mission Covenant Youth of Sweden (SMU-scout)
The Swedish YMCA-YWCA Guide and Scout Association
The Temperance Guide and Scout Association (NSF)
The Salvation Army Guide and Scout Association (FA)
Having scout associations with different profiles makes it easier for the Swedish Guide and Scout Movement to reach out to specific groups of people in society. Although the associations differ some in their interests, they organise many events together.
HAPPY WORLD THINKING DAY!!
Tomorrow, we launch the biggest cause in Girl Scout history.
Tomorrow, we launch the biggest cause in Girl Scout history. Join us as we livestream our kickoff event, from 11am to 12:30pm EST, at www.livestream.com/girlscouts. We can’t tell you more until then, but we’d love to have you join us!
Addressing Falsehoods About Girl Scouts
Dear Girl Scout Members, Leaders, Families and Other Friends,
You may have heard or seen some untrue, negative messaging lately concerning Girl Scouts. As we all know, our annual Cookie Program is a time when our name, organization and work tend to become top of mind in our communities. Because of this, it appears there are some groups or causes that feel threatened by our mission, and are seizing this as an opportunity to make us the target of an organized negative propaganda campaign.
Specifically, it seems there is a resurgence of misinformation and disinformation making the rounds on certain websites, blogs and social media sites that falsely allege Girls Scouts is in partnership with, and provides funding to, Planned Parenthood. To clarify and address these issues as truthfully as we can, our council wants to share the facts with you through some straightforward Questions and Answers.
Q: Does Girl Scouts have a relationship or partnership with Planned Parenthood?
A: No. Neither Girl Scouts of the USA nor Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana has a relationship or partnership with Planned Parenthood.
Q: Is Girl Scout cookie money used to fund Planned Parenthood?
A: No. It’s important for everyone to know that nearly 100% of the proceeds from the sales of our Girl Scout Cookies stays in your local market where it is used to fund programs for girls. As a nonprofit organization Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana uses the funds we raise for our own mission. We do not provide any funding to Planned Parenthood.
Q: What is Girl Scouts’ position regarding human sexuality, birth control, abortion?
A: Girl Scouts of the USA and Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana do not take a position or develop materials on these issues. We feel our role is to help girls develop self-confidence and good decision-making skills that will help them make wise choices in all areas of their lives. Parents or guardians make all decisions regarding program participation that may be of a sensitive nature. Consistent with that approach, our volunteer leaders are instructed to get written parental permission for any locally planned program that could be considered sensitive.
Q: Did GSUSA distribute a Planned Parenthood brochure at a U.N. event?
A: No, they did not. In 2010 GSUSA took part in the 54th Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations. Our organization’s participation in that conference was the subject of numerous internet stories and blogs that were factually inaccurate and troubling. Girl Scouts had no knowledge of the brochure in question and played no role in distributing it.
Q. Does Girl Scouting support families of faith?
A: Yes. Girl Scouting supports girls from all backgrounds and beliefs. While we are a secular organization that refrains from teaching religious or spiritual beliefs or practices, we believe the motivating force in Girl Scouting is a spiritual one. We greatly value our longstanding partnerships with religious organizations across many faiths that share the values of the Girl Scout Promise and Law. We encourage girls to develop connections to their own spiritual and religious beliefs by earning recognitions provided by their faith communities and by earning the new My Promise, My Faith pin, which helps a girl deepen the connection between the Girl Scout Law and her faith. We support the right of faith leaders to verify that programming delivered to girls in their places of worship is consistent with their faith’s teachings.
Q: Why bother to respond to false statements and rumors? Why not just ignore them?
A: Initially, we saw a limited number of these unfounded attacks appear last year. When they began to resurface recently, our strategy was to monitor them and be prepared to respond quickly with the facts to any and all who contacted us directly with concerns. We wanted to give this misinformation no validation by disseminating it through our own channels as this is often the very thing this type of attack aims for. Based on feedback from our staff, key volunteers, supporters and community partners, and in the interest of best serving our girls, we feel it is necessary to take a more proactive approach to address these untruths.
Q: Who is spreading this false information, and why are they doing this?
A: It is hard to pinpoint the exact groups or persons responsible, or to understand what their motives could be. We have seen some messaging that was sent out with appeals for donations. Others appeared to be connected with certain political agendas. Regrettably, in today’s world of instant communications and 24/7 news cycle, untruths or half-truths can be spread quickly and anonymously when people do not stop to use critical thinking and ask whether the information being sent rings true or makes sense.
Q: What else will Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana be doing to address this issue?
A: You may be seeing and hearing more about this in the coming weeks. We will undertake somed planned media and community outreach initiatives to address this smear campaign. Our role is not to engage in debates or arguments with those who have some personal agenda or other reason for attacking Girl Scouts and the work we do. Rather, it is to keep you and the communities we serve informed as we seek to address any developments that stand to hamper the important work we do together for our girls.
Q: What should I do, as a Girl Scout member, leader, family member or supporter if I hear or see this type of untrue, negative information?
A: First and foremost, speak the truth as you know it from your personal experience with Girl Scouting. Be willing to question the information and what source it’s coming from. Encourage others to do the same. Given the opportunity to interact with girls of an appropriate age, you may also want to use this situation as a teachable moment to have a discussion with them about the value and importance of critical thinking.
Please know that you may contact us anytime you need further clarification, or for our official position statements that are for public use. These statements can be shared with anyone who has concerns or questions about what we do or where we stand.
Our position statements can be located online at GSK Position Statements.
The actual website address for this link is also provided below:
http://www.gskentuckiana.org/News-Center/Position-Statements.aspx
Source: phonelines
