| |
| Grade Level Tips |
| Calendar |
| Product Sales |
| Service Projects |
| Ceremonies |
| Roster |
| Meeting Minutes |
| Forms |
| In the News |
| World Thinking Day |
| FAQs |
| CEREMONIES |
Scroll down to see it all, or go directly to Basic Flag Ceremony commands, Investiture & Rededication Ceremonies, Bridging Ceremonies, Graces, Poems, Juliette Low Ceremonies, Closing Ceremonies, or ideas for World Thinking Day (or any time), including a Water ceremony, and Trefoil & Pin Ceremonies. Let us know if you have ceremony ideas to share, and what else could help you on this webpage. Completing another year, learning & growing are worthy of celebration also. Many leaders give out membership stars at the end of the year - although it can be done at any time after 1 October of a new year. One way to do this is to call each girl in turn, present the membership star and repeat: “Keep this star bright by night and day, Do Girl Scout good turns along your way.” Basic Flag CeremonyFor our troop, we wrote out just the commands on a big index card for the "caller" to hold. When they were younger, it also had ("Wait") after a few commands so the troop had time to stand or the colorguard had time to post the colors, and the phrases "I pledge ..." so the caller knew it was her job to start the pledge, promise and song. Commands for an Opening Flag Ceremony: From GSUSA's page on Flag Ceremonies. (That page also has information on handling the American flag.)
Commands for a Retiring the Flag:
Will be found or created and posted upon request. Some ideas from Carol Lee Spages
Retiring the Flag See Closing Flag Ceremony Commands. Taps : There are many versions that use the same tune.Day is done, gone the sun, From the lake, from the hills, from the sky; All is well, safely rest, God is nigh. Fading light, dims the sight, And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright. From afar, drawing nigh, falls the night. Sun has set, shadows come, Time has fled, Girl Scouts go off to bed. Always true to the Promise we have said. Actions for Taps: Day is done, (put right arm out, palm up) gone the sun (put left arm out, palm up) From the lakes, (raise hands slightly) from the hills, (raise hands higher) from the sky. (raise hands higher) All is well, (put right hand on left arm between shoulder & elbow) safely rest, (put left hand on right arm between shoulder & elbow) God is nigh (put head down on arms) Taps (Day) - *Daylight version approved by Lady Baden-Powell, World Chief Guide. Appeared first in "The Guide" magazine, April 11, 1952. *Thanks and Praise, For our days 'Neath the sun, 'Neath the stars, 'Neath the sky. As we go, This we know God is nigh. Juliette Taps Composed by a Girl Scout Training Group at Macy Center. Melody used by permission of Widener University, Chester Pennsylvania. On this day, We have come From the North, From the South, East and West. All your dreams Will live on, Juliette. Friendship Squeeze One of the simplest and best loved closings is the friendship squeeze. According to National's glossary, the Friendship squeeze is "only" the squeeze. I always see it done with everyone in a circle, arms crossed right over left. Once the girls are in a circle, before the squeeze starts, the leader has time to say a few words about the meeting, remind the girls of upcoming events, the need to get permission slips signed, or any homework for the next meeting. Some troops like to do a song while they are in a circle. Some leaders have found, that especially for the youngest, it helps to have them put their right foot in the circle as the squeeze passes them. (Then the squeeze can not get "lost".) When the squeeze has made it all around the circle, the girls are automatically dismissed. Some troops like to keep their hands clasped and turn out of the circle before releasing hands. A classic ending is saying "Good night Scouts!". Graces Let our hearts be filled with kindness, Our minds be calm and light May thanks arise within us For all we share tonight. Bless Our Food (Tune: Make New Friends) Bless our food We share with friends today. Grant us peace and love along the way. Do Wah Diddy Grace Tune: Do Wah Diddy (There she goes just a walkin' down the street.) Thank you Lord for the food that we receive, Singing doo wa diddy diddy dum diddy doo. Thanks to Thee for bread and butter and the meat(*), Singing doo wa diddy diddy dum diddy doo. Looks good . . . . . ( echo Looks Good ) Tastes Fine . . . . . ( echo Tastes Fine ) Looks good, Tastes fine And we praise God all the time! Singing doo wa diddy diddy dum diddy doo. * - Using "sweet" instead of "meat" makes this a more inclusive grace. Alt: last line: "and we'll praise you all the time" Girl Scout Mambo Thanks to Tamralyn, Troop 689, Vermont A little bit of breakfast on my plate, A little bit of dinner, don't be late, A little bit of gorp while we're on our hike, A little bit of s'mores by firelight, A little bit of brown bears on my stick, A little bit of pudding, not too thick, A little bit of ice cream in the can, We thank you, Lord, and say Amen. God Has Created A New Day by Marie Gaudette who thought of spider webs as the “silver”, grass as “green” and sun as the “gold”. This grace is for a sparkling morning. Thanks are for the gift of the day not gifts in general. God has created a new day, Silver and green and gold; Live, that the sunset may find us Worthy his(*) gift to behold. * - Singing “this gift” makes this a more inclusive grace. BOOM BOOM TA-RA-RA (Tune: Roll Out The Barrel) Give thanks for good friends, We have a barrel of fun. Give thanks for good food, We won't waste one single crumb. Boom Boom Ta-ra-ra! Sing out a song of good cheer. Now's the time for us to give thanks, The food and friendship's here! Lollipop Grace (tune: "This Old Man Came Rolling Home") We give thanks for a hundred things. For the flowers that bloom and the birds that sing. For the sun that shines and the rain that drops. For ice cream and rainbows and lollipops. Sangam Grace (Sangam, 1991, Start with everyone standing) Bless This house, Bless this food Help us use it for Thy good. Actions: Bless This House: Start with hands together in prayer position, take apart and upwards as if to bless the house. Bless this food: Hands together, then apart and down to bless the food. Help us: Right hand out toward neighbor Use it: Left hand out and placed in neighbor’s right For Thy good: all raise hands, held together, upward. We Gather (Tune: "My Bonnie" by H. J. Fuller, 1881) We gather to ask for your blessing We gather to thank you in prayer Please bless all this food we are sharing And keep us in your tender care. Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Grace Tune: Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah by Allie Wrubel, 1945 Zip a dee do dah, Zip a dee ay, We are grateful for your blessings today. We've plenty to eat, to drink and to share, We sit at your table and see love everywhere. non-sung graces Silent Grace (Usually done silently, using only the hand motions) May the Great Spirit in the sky (point up and make circles with your arm) Protect you in the future (point forward) As in the past (point back) With much (hit fists together) Great (spread arms out) Love (cross arms over heart) Native AMerican Thanks The eagle give thanks for the mountians. (arms like wings, then become mountain peaks) The fish give thanks for the sea. (hands together like swimming fish, then wave motion) We give thanks for our blessings, (arms raised in front like receiving something being passed down from a height) And for what we're about to receive. (arms lowering, hands like they are holding something) Investiture and Rededication Ceremonies from Sept 2010 PGS meeting: Adapted darkened room ceremony Setting: Room is dark except for 3 (or 13 if also use law) lit candles. Leader: We should know our Promise & our Law. We have recited it many times over the years. We may have questioned its importance in our life or forgotten its value. What would the world be like if we stopped serving God and our country? (blow out one candle) if we stopped helping people in need? (Blows out one candle) if we stopped living by the Girl Scout Law? (blows out one candle) Pause. If we choose this path, our world becomes very dark. Pause There are sentences also (online elsewhere) for each of the 10 parts of the law. I will TRY. I cannot succeed if I do not try. although I may not always succeed, I will grow with each new experience as I put into practice the Promise and Law. (Re-light first candle) Who else wants to renew their Promise and rededicate ourselves to Scouting for the coming year?
On my honor, I will try to serve God & my country, *
Our SU has a physical bridge which can be used. Reserve it for your ceremony with Mary L. Bridging ceremonies are often combined with "Court of Awards". Many troops give out the membership star at bridging ceremonies - although it can be given out at any time during the year.
Click to see a Briding Poem.
It says Girls 11- 17 so it should be updated with Girl Scout Cadettes, Seniors & Ambassadors if possible.
Members stand holding hands in a circle with girls eligible for fly-up standing in center. As the poem is said, one girl at a time leaves the circle, crosses the bridge and is received into Girl Scouting Juniors.
More ideas to follow. There are bridging awards for every level. To earn them, requirements must be completed before moving to the next level. Girls can move to a new level without earning the bridging award. The only exception is for Ambassadors in 2008: Incoming 11th & 12th graders are registered as Ambassadors starting on 1 October 2008, before their bridging award requirements have been released. Ambassadors can retroactively earn the award in 2009. Court of Awards Ceremony
My Girl Scout Pin by Carol Lee Spages
I have a circle of friends that spans the world around.
The World Trefoil Pin Poem, author unknown This is the World Trefoil Pin!Wear it proudly! The aims of Girl Scouting, It proclaims loudly! Reflecting the gold Of heaven's sun In God's blue sky Above everyone. The shape of the trefoil Our Promise shows, The three distinct parts That each Girl Scout knows. The stars are our goals The Promise and the Law, Girl Scouts' way of life Shine without flaw. The vein of the leaf Our compass true Pointing the way For me and you. The base of the stalk Is love's pure flame Girl Scouts the world over With but one aim - LOVE ONE ANOTHER! Whatever her creed, Her race or her color Her name or need. This is the World Trefoil Pin We proudly wear Symbol of Girl Scouting Everywhere! "Silent" Ceremony (available at 4/2008 SU Meeting) Some troops do this a second time after a year or a few years has passed – to see if their troop has changed and to see how the Law applies to their lives. Supplies: 10 bowls or plates, a container of beans or other counters (at least 10 for each participant), a copy of the Law cut into 10 pieces. Label each empty container with one part of the Law Directions: Pick up 10 or so beans. Walk along and read each part of the Law. As you read, decide if you have lived it. If so, put a bean in the bowl (or on the plate). If you have not lived that part of the Law, leave a bean outside the container for “not yet”.
Presenting Membership Stars
This is based on Barrington, NH Junior Troop #565’s Trefoil Thinking Day ceremony. You can use it for World Thinking Day, Juliette Lowe’s birthday, or when awarding the WAGGGS pin. Normally, I would have everyone make a horseshoe, but we will do this where we are. Learn Girl Scouts Together or use a song you know for the closing. Adapted by RJH. “We are honoring the Trefoil today. The trefoil is the symbol of Girl Scouting and Girl Guiding around the world.” [ Words for 12 readers follow. You can use 1-5, 6 – 12 or all 12. You may want to check the length of the descriptions, depending on the age of your girls & who will be reading them (esp. “R” #7). Best would be to have the girls come up with their own words for each letter of T-R-E-F-O-I-L to read in the ceremony. For the youngest girls, they could hold up the letters as you read the text, or they could bring up and tape parts of the trefoil on a blue card as you read what each part represents. ] “No matter where we go in our world, we will always have the vision of Girl Scouting to guide us. Let’s sing the first verse of Girl Scouts Together to close the ceremony.” 1. The World Trefoil holds a lot of meaning. The blue is for the sky we all enjoy, and the gold represents the sun shining over all the children of the world. 2. The border shows we are a worldwide and growing movement where more Girl Guides and Girl Scouts are always welcome. The three leaves stand for the three parts of the Promise. 3. The stem of the trefoil is shaped like a flame. It represents the flame that burns in the heart of every Girl Scout, the love of humanity. 4. The line in the middle of the trefoil is a compass needle, pointing our way in the world. 5. The two stars stand for the Promise, and the Law. Now we will tell you what TREFOIL means to us. 6. (Hold up T) T is for trefoil. T is also for traditions. We celebrate Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of Girl Scouting in the USA, on her birthday, October 31st. We honor Lord and Lady Baden Powell on their birthday, which is also World Thinking Day. 7. (Hold up R) R is for rewarding, receiving a badge for your hard work. R is for respectful. A Girl Scout respects other Girl Scouts, her Leaders, her family, people the whole world around. R is for using resources wisely, and responsibility. When we do things wrong we are honest and admit it. We are responsible when we bring snack each week. We are responsible when we watch out for other people. 8. (Holds up E) E is for exciting. We do some exciting things in Girl Scouts. It is also for equality, enjoyable, enthusiasm, experiences, and excellence. 9. (Holds up F) F is for friends, faith, fairness . . . AND FUN! 10. (Hold up O) O is for opportunities, optimism, and overcoming obstacles. In Girl Scouting, the opportunities are endless, and we prepare for those opportunities by overcoming obstacles in our own lives. 11. (Holds up I) I is for interesting, invigorating, important, international, imagination, inspiration, interactive. 12. (Holds up L) L is for loving, learning, loyal. A Girl Scout is a loving member of the community; she is always learning; and she is loyal to self, family, friends, community, and her country. World-wide Water Ceremony (performed at 2/2008 SU Meeting) Based on suggestions in All of the Water in the World provided by the South African Water Research Commission, as of 1/27/2008. The WAGGGS theme for WTD 2008 is ‘Think about water’, focusing on water’s importance to health and on the issues of access to clean water and water conservation. How can you celebrate and explore the issue of water?
5 gallons: This is about enough water to keep 4 adults alive for a day. A leaky tap or toilet wastes more than this in an hour. If you brush your teeth for 2 minutes & leave the water running, you waste more than this. This is the water in an average 70 pound person. 60 – 80% of our bodies are made up of water. 70 – 75% of the earth is covered with water. Imagine this [5 gallons] is all of the water in the world. [Pour out 4 cups of water.] This is all the water not in the oceans. [Remove 2 cups, 2 remain.] This is all the water that is available to drink (from rivers, streams & underground). |
|
COUNCIL PROGRAM GUIDE
Current GSNNJ LINK is online at gsnnj.org by Girl Scout levels with some updates. Next LINK Program Guide expected in AUgust. |