(FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—Houston, February 19, 2001) Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council (GSSJC) will commemorate Thinking Day, the birthday of Lord and Lady Olave Baden-Powell, founders of the modern Scouting movement, on Thursday, February 22,2001 at the GSSJC Office, 3110 Southwest Freeway, with a special international celebration from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon Low met Lord Powell on a trip to Europe in the early 1900s and adapted his programs for American girls.

Thinking Day originated at the 4^th International Conference of the World Association of Girl Scouts and Girl Guides (WAGGGS) held in the United States in 1926. Today, through the Juliette Gordon Low World Friendship Fund, Girl Scouts and Girl Guides around the globe can donate to the WAGGGS Thinking Day Fund, established in 1927 as a memorial to Low’s vision of bringing girls together across world borders.

Each Girl Scout attending the event will be encouraged to donate a penny for each inch of her height, each year of her age, or any other amount. Troops from around the city will present their donations during the event’s opening ceremony, at which GSSJC Board Chair Jean Lieder will preside. Traditionally, in preparation for Thinking Day, Girl Scouts learn a song or get a pen pal from another country. They also sample foods from their adopted countries.

Each troop booth at the event will showcase a different world culture. Several countries from each of the five WAGGGS regions (Africa, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Western Hemisphere and the Middle East) will be represented, including booths featuring Japan, Australia, and Indonesia. "This event encourages girls to learn about a culture other than their own," says GSSJC Program Manager Kathy Elliot. "We suggest that the girls give from their own money, so that they learn about the need for international compassion and understanding," she adds.

GSSJC Pluralism Statement
Embracing and promoting pluralism is an integral part of every activity and plan of Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council, not disconnected or separate projects. Only individuals willing to accept and be educated about the basic tenet that Girl Scouting is for all girls may serve in volunteer leadership or staff positions.