For a girl who is already a Girl Scout, bridging is the special ceremony in which she officially goes from one level to the next. This can be from Daisies to Brownies all the way through Ambassadors to Adults. In a multi-age troop only some girls will be ready to bridge, or an entire troop can bridge at the same time. Neighboring troops may also choose to come together to put on a larger event. Most troops choose to bridge at the end of the Girl Scout year. This way, the ceremony is the culminating event for not only that year, but that level, and girls can proudly share what they have learned with family and friends. It can be on a special day set aside, or incorporated into the final troop meeting of the year.
In preparation for bridging, girls and leaders should review their Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting. In it, there is a designated section explaining the specific things girls must do to get ready for their adventure to the next level. These activities often include talking to older girls about their experiences, earning a badge from the next level and other ways to explore the exciting opportunities that will be open to them as they go one level higher. While leaders can work with their girls to start planning their bridging ceremony while they are still participating in regular activities, girls must complete all requirements prior to bridging.
The most important thing to remember is that this should be a girl-led celebration. The girls should be actively engaged in designing what their ceremony will look like, and it should reflect their personalities and interests. To help guide them, leaders may want to prompt girls with a general outline of common bridging elements. These can include: – This could be a flag ceremony and a reciting of the Girl Scout Promise. Leaders can ask the girls what they think would be a good way to welcome guests and set the tone for their ceremony.
– A great opportunity for girls to share something they learned, a favorite Girl Scout memory from their current level, or what a select line of the Girl Scout Law means to them. It could be through song or dance, or reciting a poem they wrote together. Taking turns lighting candles as each girl speaks is a classic way to add a layer of formality to this ceremony. – This is where girls symbolically travel from one level to the next.
Girls often walk over a bridge, under an archway, or some other creative way to show girls traveling from one side to another. A leader should greet each girl with the Girl Scout Handshake (shake with the left hand and make the Girl Scout sign with the right) once she reaches the other side. – How do the girls want to wrap-up their time in their former level? They may want to pass the squeeze around a Friendship Circle. If there’s something that the troop usually does to close their meetings or events, they may want to share a troop tradition with a bigger audience. – What creative snack ideas do the girls have? Can they come up with a treat that incorporates the colors of the two levels? 1