Girl Scouts from 19 troops representing 16 public and private schools convened at Potomac United Methodist Church Feb. 25 to celebrate World Thinking Day 2006. The troops comprise Service Unit 33-3, based in Potomac Village and include more than 400 girls.
Thinking Day was started in 1926 as an opportunity for Girl Scouts and Girl Guides to think of their counterparts all over the world. It is celebrated on or around Feb. 22, the mutual birthday of Lord and Lady Baden-Powell, founders of the Scouting movement.
"It is a time when Girl Scouts and Girl Guides all over the world think of each other and appreciate the sisterhood they share," Service Unit Manager Holly Hand said in an e-mail. "I'm always so happy to see this event come to fruition, because not only does it help the girls think of themselves as members of a world-wide organization ... but it is a tangible reminder of the value of our service unit as a way to pull together local troops."
Troops performed short songs, dances, skits and readings that explained foreign cultures. Members of Brownie Troop 5951 performed an Irish jig while Troop 5952 acted out a typical Scout meeting in Sweden. Other troops gave presentations on Egypt, Iran, Venezuela, India, Japan, Denmark, Russia and other countries.
After the presentations, Scouts visited activity tables collecting “swaps,” ornaments made by counterparts in other troops, and tasting international sweets. They carried "passports," which they could have stamped as they visited each country.