World Flag flying in Ballarat

On Monday February 22nd February, the Ballarat City Council will acknowledge Thinking Day by flying our World Flag in Sturt Street in front to the Town Hall.

If you get a chance, drive past on your way to or from school, or your way to our Thinking Day activity.  This is a special opportunity to see our Guiding flag flown in a public location to celebrate Thinking Day, the joint birthdays of our Founders : Robert and Olave Baden-Powell.

Our World Flag is one of the ‘Symbols of the Movement’ of Guiding – also known as the Links of Unity.  It is flown at the World Centres, the World Bureau, gatherings of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) and by all Member Organisations.

Each component of the flag has a symbolic meaning.  Before the World Flag was updated in 1991 it simply displayed a  trefoil on a blue background. The golden trefoil still remains the focal point today and is itself a unifying symbol of WAGGGS:

• The 3 leaves represent the three-fold Promise
• The base of the stalk represents the flame of the love of humanity
• The vein pointing upwards through the centre of the Trefoil represents the compass needle pointing the way
• The 2 stars represent the Promise and Law

The newer elements of the World Flag are:

• A white blaze in the bottom right-hand corner representing WAGGGS’ commitment to peace.
• 3  golden blocks symbolising the three-fold Promise.