Juniors & Daises take their places on one side of bridge (Juniors in back); Brownies on the other side of bridge, wearing their wings. The “Brownie Pond,” a mirror surrounded by greenery or flowers, lies on the ground in front of them.

Service Unit Manager or School Liaison: Welcome to our _______ Service Unit Bridging Ceremony & Bronze Award presentation. I am __[school]_____ School Liaison ___[name]____. In almost all countries & cultures there are ceremonies to mark important events in life—days of celebration, sad days, joyous days, days on which a special commitment is made, days that mark an achievement. Girl Scouts, too, have ceremonies to mark important events & significant days. We will open with a traditional Flag Ceremony, then we will begin our bridging, from one level to the next, starting with Daisies.

 

FLAG CALLER:

Would you all please stand for the presentation of the flag

Girl Scouts attention

Color Guard attention

Color Guard advance

Color Guard post the colors

Please join me in saying the Pledge of Allegiance; “I pledge allegiance…”

Color Guard salute the colors

Please join me in saying the Girl Scout Promise

Color Guard dismissed

Daisy Bridging:

DAISY LEADER:  Introduce self (name/title). Today we are celebrating our year together as Daisy Girl Scouts. We remember all the fun, laughter & good times we have shared together. We would like to share with you _____________ [girls sing a song or recite a poem]

DAISY LEADER #2: Introduce self (name/title). Girls, now you are ready to become Brownie Girl Scouts. May you find many new friends & even more fun next year. Soon you will cross the bridge to meet your new Brownie Girl Scout sisters. You will each receive your one-year membership star & Brownie Girl Scout pin.

BROWNIE LEADER: Introduce self (name/title).  Just like in the age-old Brownie story found in our handbook, we will pretend to be deep in the woods. The mirror on the floor turns into a beautiful pond. We can almost hear the Wise Old Owl!

“Cross your little fingers, stand upon your toes.

That’s a little bit of magic every Brownie knows.

Now we all are standing in a forest glade.

Listen very carefully, see the magic made.”

Daisies step forward.

 

BROWNIE LEADER: “Who comes to the Brownie woods?”

DAISIES: “We do!”

BROWNIE LEADER: “What do you want?”

DAISIES: “We want to be Brownie Girl Scouts.”

Daisy Leader calls each girl by name & guides her to the bridge, one at a time. Girl walks across & is greeted by a Brownie, who walks her to the pond. 1^st Brownie leader turns her around in a circle while saying, (all girls join in) “Twist me & turn me & show me the elf, I looked in the water & saw…”

 

NEW BROWNIE GIRL SCOUT: “Myself!”

2^nd Brownie Leader puts a ribbon around each girls’ neck, with her Brownie Girl Scout pin & welcomes the girl into the troop with a Girl Scout handshake, saying,  “Welcome to Brownie Girl Scouts!” This is repeated for each new girl. Brownie escort walks her to line of Brownies, at rear.

BROWNIE LEADER:

“Uncross your little fingers!

Down from off your toes!

Then the magic goes away, everybody knows.”

Please join me in welcoming our newest Brownie Girl Scouts. [applause]

Brownie Fly-up

BROWNIE LEADER: We will now have our Brownie Fly-up Ceremony. Since these 3^rdgrade Brownies first stood at the Magic Pool (in 1^st grade, or whenever they joined Brownies), they have been exploring the world of Brownie Girl Scouting by participating in many Girl Scout activities. Today they will “fly up” to Junior Girl Scouts as we repeat the traditional saying, “Now it’s time to say goodbye, Break the ring & out you fly!” We have given you Brownie Wings so that you may fly to bigger things.

BROWNIE LEADER #2: In 1914, Brownie Girl Scouts in the U.S. was modeled after the Brownies of England, who were named after a clever fairy who did good deeds. The Brownie wings are also from the English, & symbolize that a girl has completed the Brownie Girl Scout level & is ready to “fly up” to Junior Girl Scouts with her fairy wings. The Brownie wings patch that they receive today is worn on the uniforms of those Junior Girl Scouts who completed the Brownie Girl Scout level. [optional: Our troop has also earned the Bridge to Junior Girl Scouts award (rainbow patch) by learning about Junior Girl Scouts over the last month.]

LIAISON: As they leave the Brownie Ring, cross the bridge, & are welcomed into Junior Girl Scouts, they will each receive their Girl Scout membership pin, which is worn by all levels from Junior to Adult. They will also receive their membership star for completing another year of Girl Scouting. Girls, “Keep this star shining, by night & day, with good Girl Scout deeds along the way.”

 

BROWNIE LEADER: Brownies, before you leave, please share [song or poem]

JUNIORS:      “Hello there. Who are you all dressed in brown,

With such cheerful smiles & not one frown?”
BROWNIES: “We are the Brownies & we like to have fun.

Junior Girl Scouts we’d like to become.”
JUNIORS:      “By what right do you ask?”
BROWNIES: “By the right of our wings.” [Point to wings]
JUNIORS:      “We welcome you to Juniors. Please cross the bridge one at a time.”

§  One at a time, girls are called by name to center of Brownie Circle. The Brownie group, holding hands, says, “Now it’s time to say goodbye; break the ring & out you fly!”

§  The 2 girls closest to the bridge let go of their hands & let the bridging girl walk across the bridge to Junior side. She’s greeted by a Junior with a GS handshake, saying,“Welcome to Juniors.”

§  The leader then puts a ribbon around each girls’ neck, with her GS pin, Bridge to Juniors award, & Brownie wings. The girl then joins the group of Juniors.

§  Continue with all girls, until only the new Daisy members are left in the Brownie Ring.

 

JUNIOR SCOUTS:
“Welcome to Junior Girl Scouts
you’re a Brownie nevermore.
We’ll have lots of fun & lots of games
as we teach you Girl Scout lore.
WELCOME BROWNIES!”  [applause]

Juniors Bridging to Cadettes

JUNIOR LEADER: As Junior Girl Scouts these last 2 years, you have explored the arts & culture, science, nature & sports. You have developed leadership skills & followed the Girl Scout signs in many directions & beyond, to the challenge of Cadette Girl Scouting. The Cadette Journey program awaits you, where you can earn charms as well as badges. And you can work toward your next big goal: the Girl Scout Silver Award, the 2^nd highest award in Girl Scouting.

JUNIOR LEADER #2:
“As we said ‘Welcome to you’; we have to say a good-bye too
The time has come for you to cross; the Cadette’s gain is the Juniors’ loss”

The girls will be presented with the ‘Bridging to Cadettes’ award, which they earned recently by learning about Cadette Girl Scouts. Girls, before you cross the bridge, please share the Junior poem you wrote.

Junior leader stands at end of the bridge, calls each girl by name, & says good-bye to 5^thgraders as they start across the bridge. Cadettes meet them at the other end of bridge, welcome them with a GS handshake, & take them to their horseshoe.

CADETTE: There are so many worlds yet to explore! There is the world of yourself… partly known, but still full of mysteries & surprises. There is the world of other people… like you & unlike you, girls & boys, men & women, little children. There is the world of laughter & beauty, & work, & growing up to be a woman.

LIAISON: Please join me in welcoming our newest Cadette Girl Scouts. [applause]  The progression from one level to the next in Girl Scouts continues from kindergarten through high school, growing in responsibility with each year. We’d like to share a poem that reflects this growth.

CADETTES: Read poem, “The Path of Girl Scouting”

JUNIOR LEADER: Special thanks to members of Cadette troop ___, led by _____, for helping us with our ceremony & meeting with us earlier to teach us about Cadette Girl Scouts. Our newest group of Cadettes would like to close with a song.

ALL NEW CADETTES sing “Girl Scouts Together”

 

ALL GIRLS sing “Make New Friends”

LIAISON: Parents & friends, thank you very much for showing your daughter your support & encouragement in Girl Scouting. They appreciate you coming to share this important milestone on their Girl Scout journey. We look forward to another great year at ______ School. Please join us for refreshments outside.

Each troop provides cookies, punch and napkins, in potluck fashion.

The Path of Girl Scouting

Reader 1:

At five, & all ready for fun, a Daisy Girl Scout, just waiting to run.

As a Daisy, she is starting to grow. She’s doing things & always on the go.

At six, a little girl is all ready to be, a Brownie Girl Scout, a bright penny to see.

Reader 2:

As a Brownie, her life is just chock-full of fun. She’s busy & eager – forever on the run.

How to plan – what to do about most anything, Comes from ideas shared in the Brownie Ring.

She learns how to grow. As she explores the world, bit by bit.

Toward growing in heart, the foundation was laid, on the day by the pool where her promise was made.

‘Til the day she was ready without any doubt, to take the next step — to become a Junior Girl Scout.

Reader 3:

By the Promise & Law she now strives to live. A little more of herself she’s learning to give.

The patrol system, & so much more to learn: a new world of proficiency badges to earn.

During the years of Juniors, you grow & grow, in so many ways & soon you will know

That you now are ready to take the next step — To cross a new bridge & become a Cadette.

Reader 1:

As a Cadette, she starts a journey, exploring the world, its wonders to see.

Careers to choose, decisions to make, choices of opportunities she can take.

She goes about her merry way, her Silver received, she awaits the day,

When across the bridge she once again goes, as upward to Seniors she continues to grow.

Reader 2:

A Senior Scout, as leader she trains, to share with others what she has gained

She strives to decide which path she will take: Will it be scouting, college, or a job she will take?

And then across the bridge she will go, with a wealth of information that she’ll need to know

As off to the world of Adult Scouting she goes.

Reader 3:

As an adult, she’ll have the chance, to give back what she took without a second glance,

She’ll return to the younger Scouts she will meet,

The love, understanding, trust, & respect, that as a child she deemed a treat.