WAGGGS: Make Girls Heard this Fall!

WAGGGS Make Girls Heard Campaign – November & December
This year the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) is asking members across the world to take action to ”Make girls heard” as part of its “Stop the violence. Speak out for girls’ rights”campaign. Every day, from 25 November 2011 to 10 December 2011, WAGGGS will feature different actions being taken by Girl Guides and Girl Scouts globally to “Stop the violence and speak out for girls’ rights.” You can learn more by downloading resources from, or listening to a webinar at, the WAGGGS’ Web site, www.wagggsworld.org. Girls and adults can also share their own thoughts and feelings and message of support at the WAGGGS Web site.

Girl Scout Seniors working on the Mission: Sisterhood Leadership Journey (It’s Your Story – Tell It!) and Girl Scout Brownies working on the A World of Girls  Leadership Journey (It’s Your Story-Tell It!) will find this campaign a resource that links them with sister Guides and Girl Scouts around the world.  All of the “It’s Your Story-Tell-It!” Journey books focus on building confidence and positive self- image in girls, which can help empower girls to avoid or leave unhealthy relationships. Another great resource is WAGGGS’ 2011 World Thinking Day Activity Pack, girls worldwide say, “empowering girls will change our world,” with activities for girls ages five to 18; you’ll find it athttp://www.worldthinkingday.org/en/grab/20868/1/WTDActivityPack2011.pdf.

UNICEF has a workshop module for “Our Right to Be Protected from Violence;” it is geared towards 12- to 18-year olds, but has some useful tips on treating violence as a Sensitive Issue that leaders of all age groups should find useful. You can read or download the module athttp://www.unicef.org/lac/Our_20Right_20to_20be_20Protected_20from_20Violence.pdf

New volunteers sometimes want to know, “What is that blue pin with the gold clover leaf on it? Why do we wear it?  What does it mean?”

It’s the pin of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, sometimes called the World Trefoil pin. The World Association (also known by its acronym, WAGGGS) is an umbrella association that links the 145 countries that have Girl Guides or Girl Scouts – including Girl Scouts of the USA. Wearing the World Trefoil pin reminds us we are part of an international movement – a big family with sisters in many lands. Through WAGGGS, ten million Girl Scouts and Guides worldwide have a voice in places such as the United Nations, environmental conferences, and other world gatherings that affect the lives of girls and women. An easy way to get to know the World Association and the work it does, and learn about its member countries, is to go to www.wagggsworld.org, its official Web site, with English, Spanish and French versions.

Girl Scouts in the USA, from Daisy to Adult, wear the World Trefoil pin above their Girl Scout membership pin, either on a tab or on the left side of their blouse. The blue and gold colors stand for the sun and sky over all the children of the world. The World Trefoil itself is the symbol for WAGGGS:

·         the three leaves of the trefoil stand for the three parts of the Guide and Girl Scout Promise created by Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting and Guiding

·         the two stars stand for the Promise and Law we live by

·         the “vein” is a compass needle; Girl Scouting and Guiding show us the way or keep us on the right path the same way a compass needle does

·         the little “flame” below the vein is a symbol for the flame of the love of humankind – of all people

The circle around the trefoil stands for our circle of friendships around the world – an open circle, ready to welcome new friends. When we end a meeting with a Friendship Circle, this is the circle we’re talking about!

Attached is a WAGGGS Fact Sheet and International Centenary (Centennial) information sheet, in both English and Spanish. If you have questions, call or e-mail the Girl Scout Helpline, 770-702-9411 orHelpline@gsgatl.org.