North Idaho Girl Scouts visit countries as part of ‘World Thinking Day’

COEUR d’ALENE — Each year, for the past 11, Jacque Duncan has taken part in “World Thinking Day.”

Saturday was her final one as a Girl Scout.

“I’ve been doing this since I was a little girl,” the 18-year-old said as she stood in the Jacklin Building at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds, colorful chaos going on all around as “Catch a Wave” by the Beach Boys blared from speakers.

World Thinking Day, Duncan said, has opened doors to countries like Uganda, Egypt and Cambodia, places she hopes to visit one day.

And what did she learn about Cambodia, the country she and her troop presented to the crowd of some 300 scouts, leaders, parents and siblings?

She pondered a moment, then smiled when she remembered that in Cambodia, they eat tarantulas on kebabs.

“Because of Thinking Day, I’ve learned more about those countries,” Duncan said. “It helps see what’s out there. I think it brings culture into Coeur d’Alene, in a sense.”

Girl Scouts from throughout North Idaho came together at the fairgrounds for the annual event that saw them present facts, figures, food and fun things about countries they selected, as well as dressing for the part.

As each Scout took her turn to make the rounds to those countries, she had her passport stamped and for a dime, sampled common cuisines of those countries. There was a trading of trinkets, too, as they saw new worlds without leaving Idaho.

It included an opening ceremony with Color Guard, a parade of countries, a photo booth, and closed with a friendship circle and singing of “Make New Friends.”

Monica Thulon, Girl Scouts service unit manager for Coeur d’Alene, said it’s a day of learning and leadership as parents stayed back and let Girl Scouts run the show. But it was also a day of fundraising and charity as every donated dime was destined for the Kootenai Humane Society.

The girls, kindergarten to high school, also get an international view, some for the first time.

“They get to see that Girl Scouts is everywhere, they’re part of a big sisterhood,” Thulon said.

Organizer Jackie Livingston, Post Falls Girl Scout manager, loves that World Thinking Day brings so many Girl Scouts together for a day of spirit and friendship.

“It’s basically the Girl Scout way,” she said.

Jordan Cord, 12, presented the country of Jordan to her young colleagues.

Asked what she learned about Jordan, she said: “If you sit in the water in the Dead Sea you can actually float, much better than anywhere else. You don’t even have to do anything. You can just sit there and you will rise to the top, which I think is really interesting.”

Margarita McCormick, 7, of Coeur d’Alene, was joined by her little sister, Annalisa, at the photo booth as they made the rounds with their mom, Nicole McCormick.

“The girls are having so much fun learning about the different countries and trying different food,” she said.

Margarita smiled when asked about her favorite part of the day.

“A lot of food,” she said.