Super Troop | One Girl Scout Tradition | Ceremonies

Super Troop

Super Troop Highlight

Four Badges or Other Earned Awards One Girl Scout Tradition

What’s in a Girl Scout ceremony?

Celebrations acknowledge an accomplishment, a holiday, or any special occasion. They’re often planned by adults for kids to enjoy, but in Girl Scouts, we use our girl-led approach to get the girls involved in the planning. When the girls help plan their own celebrations, they get invested in making it a success. Watch them organize something unique or even unusual! Ceremonies can be reverent or wacky, brief or lengthy, predictable or uncommon! The ceremony is a chance to have fun, make a good memory, and acknowledge the girls’ growth in their Girl Scout journey.

Parts of a Ceremony

Think of building a ceremony in three parts:

a. The Opening can be used to welcome guests, tell the purpose of the ceremony, and set the mood for the occasion; it might be quiet, festive, or solemn.

b. The Main Part of the ceremony focuses on the reason you are gathering people together. This part might include singing, reading poems, performing skits, or sharing candle lighting.

c. The Closing may summarize the ceremony. It might include forming a friendship circle, saying good-bye or thank you to special guests, or singing a closing song.

Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes Celebrations and Ceremonies

Elements of a Ceremony

The most exciting ceremonies have all the elements of a good story. Think of your favorite book or movie it probably includes the same things you’ll need to put together a memorable ceremony.

Purpose. The purpose of a ceremony is its main idea. Maybe you want to welcome new members to your troop or group, or maybe you want to celebrate the end of a Girl Scout year. State the ceremony’s purpose in the opening after you welcome your guests.

Mood and Atmosphere. Mood and atmosphere establish the tone of the ceremony. Would you like to be serious, reflective, lighthearted, or funny? Mood is the way you affect your audience during the ceremony. You can help create a mood with music, decorations, and candlelight.

Characters. The personalities of each girl taking part in the ceremony contribute to the nature of the ceremony. Every participant plays an important role. Each girl should have the chance to express herself during the ceremony.

Setting. A ceremony’s location and the time it is held can make a big difference in your event. The setting needs to comfortably fit your group’s size and the activities you’ve planned. It should also contribute to the mood and atmosphere you are hoping to set.

Theme. The theme of a ceremony focuses on the purpose and how the purpose is developed. You can carry out a theme through your choice of readings, drama, humor, and songs. The invitations, refreshments, and decorations along with all the other elements will reflect your theme.

From the Girls’ Guide to Girl Scout Cadettes Handbook.

Traditional Girl Scout Ceremonies

Girls can create a ceremony for whatever occasion they wish to honor! Here’s a few special occasions in Girl Scouts that are often celebrated with a ceremony. Explain these to the girls.

An investiture ceremony welcomes someone into Girl Scouting for the first time.

A bridging ceremony is held when you “cross the bridge” to the next level in Girl Scouting.

A rededication ceremony is held at special times, such as when you want to renew your Girl Scout Promise and review what the Girl Scout Law means to you.

A Court of Awards ceremony is where you receive awards and recognitions you’ve earned. A Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award ceremony might be part of a Court of Awards, as a special honor for girls who’ve earned one of Girl Scouting’s highest awards.

A flag ceremony honors the American flag as the symbol of our country and all the hopes, dreams, and people who make it up.

A Scout’s Own is a special ceremony created around a theme. It might take place indoors or outdoors, during a group meeting, at camp, or during any gathering with other Girl Scouts. The Scout’s Own is your chance to create a meaningful celebration around a theme that matters to you. You can share poetry, songs, skits, and ideas; you decide what fits the occasion, and design a creative experience to inspire yourself and others.

Mix and Match Chart

If you need a little help planning your ceremony, this chart might give you some ideas! Here’s an example of how you can brainstorm options in these five categories and mix and match to build your unique ceremony.

Setting Opening Middle Closing Refreshments

Park Flag ceremony Skit

Mall Greeting from volunteers and girls Poetry or stories

Playground Thought for the day

Living room Form a circle

Backyard or patio Song or dance

Present membership pins

Present Take Action project or artwork

Personal thought

Find Ideas for Ceremonies and Celebrations

Moment of silence Tea and cookies

Final moment of sharing Fruit salad, cheese, crackers

Light or put out candles Sandwiches and juice

Girl Scout motto or slogan Pizza

Special reading S’mores

We love to celebrate what we’ve learned and what we’ve accomplished in Girl Scouts. Every day can be a special occasion! Girl Scout badge and Journey materials give celebration suggestions.

• Host Traditional Girl Scout Ceremonies like bridging, Scout’s Own, or investiture.

• Girl Scout Holidays like Founder’s Day, Girl Scout’s Birthday, or World Thinking Day.

• Milestones in the life of a girl like birthdays, anniversaries, the last day of school.

• Flag Ceremonies on any day, but especially Memorial Day, Flag Day, or Veteran’s Day.

• Advocacy Causes and days like Earth Day, National Voter Registration Day, or National Child Health Day.

• Cultural Diversity Connections like Juneteenth, National Hispanic Month, or Chinese New Year. Search your favorite Girl Scout websites and social media platforms for examples of scripts and activities.

The Mix and Match Chart is from the Girls’ Guide to Girl Scout Juniors Handbook.

Planning Our Ceremony

Help girls complete this list to build their own ceremony.