In 1926, delegates from around the globe met in the USA and agreed that 22 February would be known from then onward as a special day for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts all over the world.Feb 22nd, World Thinking Day.
Camp Edith Macy – now called Edith Macy Conference Center – in New
York state, USA, was the venue for the fourth World Conference of the
Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting Movement in 1926.
A special day
Conference attendees agreed that year that there should be a special
annual day when Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the world think of
each other and express their thanks and appreciation for our
international Movement. This was called Thinking Day.
The delegates chose 22 February as the date for Thinking Day because
it was the birthday of both Lord Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scout
Movement, and his wife Olave, who was World Chief Guide.
http://www.worldthinkingday.org/en/about/History
Lord Robert Baden-Powell, Founder of Scouting and World Chief Scout, died in Kenya on 8 January 1941 at the age of 83. Soldiers and Scouts escorted the coffin to a simple grave at Nyeri, within sight of Mount Kenya.
This message to all Scouts was found among his papers after he died.
Dear Scouts,
If you have ever seen the play Peter Pan you will remember how the pirate chief was always making his dying speech because he was afraid that possibly when the time came for him to die he might not have time to get it off his chest. It is much the same with me, and so, although I am not at this moment dying, I shall be doing so one of these days and I want to send you a parting word of goodbye.
Remember, it is the last you will ever hear from me, so think it over.
I have had a most happy life and I want each one of you to have as happy a life too.
I believe that God put us in this jolly world to be happy and enjoy life. Happiness doesn’t come from being rich, nor merely from being successful in your career, nor by self-indulgence. One step towards happiness is to make yourself healthy and strong while you are a boy, so that you can be useful and so can enjoy life when you are a man.
Nature study will show you how full of beautiful and wonderful things God has made the world for you to enjoy. Be contented with what you have got and make the best of it. Look on the bright side of things instead of the gloomy one.
But the real way to get happiness is by giving out happiness to other people. Try and leave this world a little better than you found it and when your turn comes to die, you can die happy in feeling that at any rate you have not wasted your time but have done your best. ‘Be Prepared’ in this way, to live happy and to die happy – stick to your Scout promise always – even after you have ceased to be a boy – and God help you to do it.
Your Friend,
Baden-Powell
