Girl Guides float, Edinburgh 1979 (trainsandstuff)
World Thinking Day
Feb 22
Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day
Today's Musings, History & Folklore
"Our way is clear as we march on,
And see! Our flag on high, Is never furled throughout the world,
For hope shall never die!"
~ The Girl Guides and Girl Scouts World Song
Also known as World Thinking Day, February 22nd is the birthday of both Scouting and Guiding founder Lord Robert Baden-Powell and of Lady Olave Baden-Powell, his wife and World Chief Guide. Interestingly, Ysobel Stewart of Scottish Country Dance fame was a Girl Guide Commissioner, and one of her motivations for collecting and publishing the dances was to teach the young women in the Guides.
The Trefoil Badge
Also known as World Thinking Day, February 22nd is the birthday of both Scouting and Guiding founder Lord Robert Baden-Powell and of Lady Olave Baden-Powell, his wife and World Chief Guide.
This day is celebrated annually by all Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.
The preservation and popularity of Scottish Country Dancing owes much to Mrs. Ysobel Stewart of Fasnacloich and Miss Jean Milligan, who combined forces to form the Scottish Country Dance Society.
Interestingly, one of the original motivations of Ysobel Stewart, who was a Girl Guide Commissioner, was to collect and publish the Scottish dances she had enjoyed throughout her life to teach to the young women in the Guides.
Mrs. Stewart approached Patersons, a Glasgow publisher to publish her book. Meanwhile, Miss Jean Milligan, a lecturer in physical education was teaching Scottish Country Dancing to her students at Jordanhill College in Glasgow. The publisher brought the women together and they formed the Scottish Country Dance Society on 26th November 1923. The goal of the SCDS was to publish dances and to support the revival of SCD. King George VI conferred the royal status to the Society in 1951.
The Trefoil, used on the World Badge of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, is the unifying symbol of Scouts and Guides all over the world.
The golden Trefoil symbol on its bright blue background, represents the sun shining over all the children of the world; the three leaves represent the three-fold Promise as originally laid down by the Founder; the base of the stalk represents the flame of the love of humanity; the vein pointing upwards through the centre of the Trefoil is the compass needle pointing the way; and the two stars represent the Promise and Law.
For more on the trefoil symbols and their modern incarnations and meanings, click the vintage Canadian girl guide below.
