Ceremonies

Values of Life

We did this ceremony at our annual Community Investiture/Rededication Ceremony in honor of Juliette Gordon Low's birthday. We had a birthday cake with seven candles on it. The Seniors in our Community performed this ceremony. One lite the candles while the other one read the seven values. The values are as follows:

1. Wisdom - Wisdom does not necessarily mean superior knowledge. It means putting to the right use the knowledge one possesses.
2. Courage - Courage is not the quality that enables people to meet danger without fear, it is being able to meet danger in spite of one's fear.
3. Charity - Charity is not limited to donations to people less fortunate. It is acceptance of others even when you do not understand them.
4. Justice - Justice is the practice of dealing fairly with others without prejudice or regard to race, color,or creed.
5. Faith - Faith is the conviction that something unproved by physical science is true.A good example is when an eight year old said "Faith is when you turn on the light switch, you know the light will come on."
6. Hope - Hope means to expect with confidence. Always hope for better things to come. A person without hope is of little help to herself or to her community.
7. Love - There are many kinds of love - love of family, love of home, love of fellow humans, love of God and love of country. All of these loves are necessary for a full life.

After the candles were lit, we recited the Promise and sang "Happy Birthday" to Juliette Gordon Low. Then the Senior Girl Scout blew out the candles.

Thinking Day

My Brownie troop held 3x5 cards with the letters that spelld out "Thinking Day" and as I said each letter they turned the card over to show everyone the letter. Then I read what each letter meant. Afer the ceremony I pinned the girls that had not received their World Trefoil Pin. Meanings are as follows:

T -- Thinking Day is celebrated February 22nd. This is the birthday of Lady and Lord Baden-Powell, who organized and did so much for scouting.

H -- He, Lord Baden-Powell, founded Boy Scouting in 1907. At a boy rally in 1909, girls appeared, who were most interested in the movement. They wanted in too.

I -- In 1909, as a result of the Boy Scout rally, Lord Baden-Powell founded the Girl Guides of England, out of this grew our own Girl Scouts.

N -- Nothing went very smoothly at first, small companies were formed who did mostly Boy Scout drills and badges. In 1912 the girls had their own handbook.

K -- Knowing little about Girl Guiding, Princess Mary did have interest and inspected companies on different occasions. She gave many gifts of money to help Girl Guides really get on their feet.

I -- International Council was founded in 1928. This helped bind the Guides closer together. In wars they have done quite a good many things. Their biggest aid was in hospitals and telegraph offices.

N -- No one can ever forget Juliette Low, who founded our Girl Scouts here in America in 1912. She had lived in England and had received her interest there. She was a good friend of Lord and Lady Baden-Powell.

G -- Great was this organization started in Savannah, Georgia, Mrs. Lo's main wish, at first, was to have an International Conference in the United States. In May, 1926, Camp Macy, in New York, twenty-six different countries had this conference.


D -- Day by day this movement, started by Lord Baden-Powell, has increased, not only in size, but also in its activities. Even though girls form different countries do not wear the same color or style uniform, their interest and activities are very similar.

A -- And let us remember that the word "Friendship" means much to all, and "International Friendship" means even more.

Y -- You are a part of this , so let us join hands in a friendship cirlce with wishes for all that is good for all Girl Scouts and Girl Guides the world over.

Leader's Speech

I will do my best:
To be honest about my girls abilities and fair to their talents.
To be friendly and helpful because my girls deserve the best.
To be considerate and caring even when things don't work out.
To be courageous and strong because my girls need me.
To be responsible for what I say and do because others are depending on me.
To respect myself and others, after all, I am a Girl Scout.
To respect authority, even the girls'.
To use resources wisely by not wasting the potential in each girl I work with.
To make the world a better place by sharing my best and not sharing when necessary.
To be a sister to every Girl Scout and care for each Girl Scout family.

Then the leaders said the Girl Scout Promise.

Dedication to Juliette Gordon Low

Senior: Juliette Gordon Low knew well that time flies swiftly, today is soon tomorrow, and all of our tomorrows lie in the hands of our youth. Her gift to youth was Girl Scouting. Her dream, a tree fo fellowship grwon from a tiny seed. She knew the seed would ripen. The tree grew nourished by faith, watered by service, and tended by love.

Leader: Lights first candle

Senior: This candle is for the founder of Girl Scouting in the United States, Juliette Gordon Low. We watch the glowing flame with grateful thoughts of Girl Scouts here and abroad who have put their friendship to a special test and found it true.

Leader: Lights second candle

Senior: This candle is for the founder of all Guiding and Scouting, Lord Baden-Powell. We light the candles of friendship. These are wymbols of our pledge as Girl Scouts of friendship to all the world, and a special friendship to Girl SCouts everywhere. The flames are small, but burn steady and bright. We light them with the thoughts of friendship glowing steady and bright. We light them with the thoughts of friendship glowing steadily and brightly in our hearts.

Leader: Lights third candle

Senior: This candle is for all Girl Scouts and Girl Guides wherever they may be tonight.

Leader: Lights fourth candle

Senior: This candle is for service to our country.

Leader: Lights fifth candle

Senior: This candle is for the hope of peace in every land.

Leader: Lights sixth candle

Senior: This candle says "Good luck to all who are away from home."

Leader: Lights seventh candle

Senior: This candle is for the Girl Scout Law.

Leader: Lights eighth candle

Senior: This candle is for the Promise we make as Girl Scouts. Let us now sing "Happy Birthday" to Juliette Gordon Low.

Leader: Blow out candles

Senior: We quench the flame of our candles, but the flame of friendship still glows in our hearts. May we always be true and helpful friends to each other and to all mankind.

Thinking Day Ceremony 1999

Horseshoe formation. Ten girls have candles and a card with what they are to say. Scouts light the next candle with theirs after they read their line.

Leader: Today is Thinking Day, the joint birthday of our founders, the late Lord Baden-Powell and his wife our World Chief Guide. On this day Guides and Scouts everywhere gather to think of their Sister Guides and Scouts throughout the world, and send them greetings. In our international family we are bound together by the unseen chain of our three fold Promise and aw. Let us now bring in the Law in the words of other countries. This is the first law from Sweden. (Light the first candle.)

1st Scout: A girl guide speaks the truth and keeps her word

Leader: The second law comes from Finland

2nd Scout: A guide is loyal and respects the convictions of others

Leader: The third law comes from Argentina

3rd Scout: A Guide serves and helps other people without 3expecting reward or praise

Leader: The fourth law comes from Norway

4th Scout: A Guide is friendly to all and a good comrade

Leader: The fifth law comes from Australia

5th Scout: The Girl Guide is grateful and courteous

Leader: The sixth law comes from Austria

6th Scout: A Guide sees God in nature and therefore protects plants and animals

Leader: The 7th law comes from Haiti

7th Scout: A Guide obeys without question and does nothing in halves

Leader: The eighth law comes from Belguim

8th Scout: The Guide is always good-tempered

Leader: The ninth law comes from Italy

9th Scout: A Guide is hardworking and thrifty, and takes care of other people's property

Leader: The tenth law comes from Luxembourg

10th Scout: A Guide has self-respect

Leader: These are the laws. We try hard to keep them so that the spirit of guiding may bring light into the world, even as our candles bring light into the room. While each part of the law is followed, the flame of the Girl Scout spirit will never die.

Pin the girls who need their World Trefoil Pin and then have the girls blow out the candles.

Bridging Ceremony

All brownies sit in a circle on one side of the bridge

Leader of Ceremony: You've been in Brownies and you've earned your wings of sunlight gold. You're ready now for Junior Scouts new adventures you've been told. Please stand and recite the Girl Scout Promise.

Brownies Recite Promise

Leader of Ceremony:

B - means to BE prepared for any new surprises
R - must mean you're READY now when the unexpected rises
O - you're flying OUT of the ring that has held you close so long
W - means that you've won your WINGS and you'll be greeted with a song
N - means NO ONE can deny how much we really care
I - is for the INTEREST shown by leaders everywhere
E - is for the ENERGY and EVERY little thing - you've put them all together and made this BROWNIE RING

Leader of Ceremony: Everyone please recite the Girl Scout Promise

All scouts recite the Promise

Leader of Ceremony: Everyone please recite the Girl Scout Law

All scouts recite the Law

Leader of Ceremony: Brownies please form a line. In these envelopes I have your Brownie wings, your Bridging patch, and your Dabbler badge that you earned this weekend. Good luck to you in Juniors.

Brownie leader gives each girl their envelope and shakes their hands with the Girl Scout sign. A Junior Girl Scout comes forward and takes the Brownie by the hand and walks them over the bridge where a Junior leader greets them. The Junior leader pins each new Junior Scout with their tab and shakes their hand with the Girl Scout sign.

Junior Girl Scouts read together:

J - could mean your're JUST the one we've needed all these days
U - is for the UPS and downs - you'll have them along life's way
N - just means we won't say NO to religion, creed or race
I - means INTERNATIONAL - Girl Guides in a far off place
O - is for the OPEN hearts and hands we extend to you
R - means that we REALLY want you to try to like us too

Junior Leader: Juniors, you'll be for three short years. Make the most of each day that goes by. Be cheerful and helpful and do a good turn, And greet each Girl Scout with a "HI".

Junior leader pins the new Juniors with their tabs.

Leader of Ceremony: Bridging Juniors please step forward. In this envelope I have your Bridging patch and your Dabbler badge that you earned this weekend. I also have here a candle to be used in your Cadette Girl Scout ceremonies. Good luck to you in Cadettes.

Leader of Ceremony gives each girl their envelope and their candle. Leader also shakes their hand with the Girl Scout Sign.

Cadette Leader: In this, the year of "growing up" new obligations must be met. You're ready now to cross the bridge and soon you'll be a Cadette. You make the same promise, but new plans will be made, your uniform changes and you'll be glad you stayed.

All Cadettes read:

C - stands for a CHALLENGE, CHEERFULNESS, and CARE
A - means you're ALWAYS so ANXIOUS to share
D - means DEVELOPING the talents God gave
E - is for EAGERNESS and EXCITEMENT you crave!
T - means be THRIFTY - be THANKFUL - stand TALL!
T - means be TRUTHFUL and be TRUSTWORTHY above all!
E - stands for EVERY little thing you do But more than all these - to your own self be true!

Each Junior girl crosses the bridge and is greeted by the Cadette leader with a handshake with the Girl Scout sign.

Leader of Ceremony: Let us all now join in and sing "Make New Friends" three times. Once for our new Juniors, once for our new Cadettes, and once for all the leaders and scouts that are here today.

Sing "Make New Friends".

Leader of Ceremony: Let us now join in our Friendship Circle and make our wishes.

Campfire Wishes

You will need one twig and 1 ziploc baggie. Each person brings a twig to the campfire. Holding the twig in her hand each girl makes a silent wish and one at a time, adds their twig to the fire. At the end of the program, when the fire is out and completely cool, each person receives a baggie of ashes to take with her to the next campfire she attends. At that time, ashes are added to the fire, keeping their dream alive.

Thinking Day Ceremony 2000

We made a World Trefoil Pin out of blue and gold felt. One Junior held the felt pin while another Junior read the following.

The blue background is for the sky that is above us.
The gold rim is for the sun that shines on all of us.
The trefoil is the sign of Girl Scouting and Girl Guiding all over the world.
The gold star on the right represents the laws that guide us all.
The gold star on the left represents the Promise that everyone gives.
The compass needle in the center, guarded by the two stars, represents a guide pointing the way.
The flame below represents love for humankind, which always burns brightly.