Using "Passports" at Thinking Day / International Events

Last year whilst living in Ireland I was asked to organize an International Evening during February.

A couple of weeks beforehand, I took photos of each of the girls in the Unit (maybe not possible with 150!) and made up Irish Girl Guide Passports for each Guide.

I then copied the promise badge of ten different countries (out of 'Trefoil Around the World' book), colored them and put some double sided sticky tape on the back of each badge. I made enough copies of each country for each girl in the unit. These were to represent the passport stamp. I then set up ten activities, each from a different country. Once the Guide had completed a particular activity, she stuck that country's promise badge into her passport.

Contributed by:
Rebecca Saint (Kestrel)
Guide Guider, Anglesey, Wales, UK

*********************

There are pictures of the Promise Badges (Membership Pins) of each WAGGGS country on the official WAGGGS web site - http://www.wagggsworld.org

Contributed by:
Liz Watts
Former Brownie Guider & County Hillwalking Adviser, England
Tres Condados Girl Scout Council, California, USA

We use "passports" at our Thinking Day event, but we have someone who brings a Polaroid camera and the girls can get their pictures taken (for $1) to be included in the passport. All of the countries have their own page (or portion of a page, depending on how large it is), and each country has a rubber stamp they use to stamp the passports. When we had Italy, I bought a stamp of a bunch of grapes, and for Australia, a koala.

Each troop could have a booth selling food or crafts from their chosen country. Girls bought tickets and those were used to buy things. All proceeds were donated to the Juliette Low World Friendship Fund.

We had a parade of countries, and each troop was asked to make a flag to carry in the procession. Each troop also had the option of doing a song, dance, skit, or other presentation for the assembly of parents. The last one my troop went to had over 300 girls in attendance (plus the families). The first one was much smaller, probably only about 125 girls or so (our Service Unit really grew!).

Contributed by:
Sue Moore

Ideas for making flag stickers to use in the passports after a girl has 'visited' a country.

I made up flag stickers of all the countries represented at our Thinking Day event (I was in charge). They were printed on address labels and cut apart. We used them instead of a stamp inside the girl's passports.

Contributed by:
Donna
Girl Scout Leader, Florida, USA

*********************

Many card/calendar/poster programs (Printshop, Printmaster) have graphics for flags of the countries. Ask someone with a color printer to run them off on address label stickers. (30 per page)  You can paste three flags on one sticker.  Take an exacto knife or razor blade and score between the graphics.  We did this last year but used the map of the country.  It helps to write the name of the country, also. Beats $1.79 per sheet of different countries that I found at the store!

Contributed by:
Thelma

*********************

If you have access to someone with Print Shop III, it includes flags of many countries.  You could make labels with 4 or 5 flags on them and cut them apart.

Contributed by:
Maureen Pimley

*********************

I always have luck at the local teachers/school supply shop. We did an International Brownie/Daisy day a few years back and found tons of country stickers there.

Contributed by:
Alex
Midland, MI

For more ideas on using passports, take a look at International Theme Crowd Mixer from the Themes section of The GuideZone, and International Theme Stamps from the Crafts section of The GuideZone.

Do you have any other ideas for activities? Contact The GuideZone Team with your comments or suggestions!

[ Return to International Events Index ] [ Return to International Information and Activities Index ] [ Return to The GuideZone Main Index ]

This page last updated January 12th, 2000