Peninsula Girl Guides young and old marked World Thinking Day last month by learning about the struggles of girls and young women worldwide who are unable to access education.
The event, held Feb. 17 at White Rock’s Star of the Sea Hall, drew 150 girls and women aged five to 75 to learn about the importance of education and the right of every girl to learn and achieve her full potential, organizers say.
Attendees included members of the Trefoil Guild – senior women who have been in Guiding for decades, since they were young girls themselves.
“In many cases they have been in guiding for 50 or 60 years,” leader Helen Samson said. “It creates a really strong guiding bond across many generations.”
World Thinking Day (Feb. 22) is observed by Girl Guides and Girl Scouts worldwide. It is the joint birthday of Guiding founders Lord and Lady Baden-Powell.
The theme for 2014 – “education opens doors for all girls and boys” – was inspired by the United Nations Millennium Goals.
Samson said girls who attended the local event each brought a toonie to donate to the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, which funds projects aimed at improving the lives of young women around the world.