World Pin Ceremony
Thinking Day, February 22nd
It can be very meaningful to give the girls' their World Pin (the blue/gold one) in conjuction with World Thinking Day - February 22nd. Here's a ceremony to to learn about the pin, and you build it with felt. It's better to use the "old" style of graphic, easier to make out of felt.
This is the old style of World Pin. Here's the pin in felt.
Flannel board
Blue flannel cut into one large circle, two stars, one compass needle
Yellow flannel cut into one large trefoil (leaves only), one large circle band (to go around blue circle), and one stem (with flames at the base). You may wish to be more elaborate by adding a flag ceremony and/or candlelighting ceremony.
There are several ways you may want to do this ceremony, which is written with questions and answers. You might want to divide your troop into groups of three, one girl to ask the question, one to give the answer, and one to place the symbol on the board; or you may use groups of two, one to read the questions and the other to read the answer and place the symbol on the board. As in any ceremony, do what is most comfortable for your troop situation.
Q: What is the World Association pin?
A: It is the pin of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. It is a symbol that has deep meaning for all Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. The symbol also appears on the WAGGGS flag. We are going to construct such a pin. As we do, let us consider very carefully the reason for its color and design. Then we will know how deep a feeling of international friendship it can inspire in us.
Q: Why is the World Association pin blue? (Put up blue background.)
A: The field of bright blue in our pin symbolizes the sky above us all throughout the wide, wide world. We thus carry out the words of Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scout movement, who asked us to "Aim high, look wide."
Q: Why do we have a trefoil in the World Association pin? (Put up trefoil.)
A: On the background of blue, we place a gold trefoil because Girl Guides and Girl Scouts everywhere make a three-part Promise.
There are two stars on the World Association pin.
Q: What does the left star stand for? (Place blue star on trefoil's left.)
A: We place on start at the left - the side of the heart. This star stands for the pledge that all Girl Guides and Girl Scouts try, on their honor, to keep - their Promise.
Q: What does the other star stand for? (Place star on other side.)
A: On the right side, the side of the ready and helping hand, we place the star which stand for our Girl Guide/Girl Scout code of conduct - the Girl Guide/Girl Scout Law.
Q: What does the pointer mean on our World Association pin? (Place blue compass needle in center of trefoil.)
A: We place a compass needle in the center of the gold trefoil, between the safeguards of the Promise and the Law, to serve as a guide pointing the way to the right course in life.
Q: What does the base of the trefoil mean? (place base on board.)
A: At the base of the fold trefoil we place the flame. Its burning stands for the love of human kind and is the true flame of international friendship that burns I all our hearts. May this flame encircle the world with goodwill.
Q: What does the gold circle stand for? (Place gold circle around the blue field.)
A: This gold band surrounding our pin symbolizes the sun that shines on children all over the world.
Let us all, Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the world, keep the meaning of the World Association pin as our inspiration in all that we do.
Back to home page.
I am not affiliated with the Girl Scouts of America or any other scouting or guiding organization.