This 2021 Girl Scout bridging guide will help leaders of all levels safely bridge their troops from one level to the next.
Updated March 2022
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It has been quite a year, hasn’t it? Thirteen months ago, I wrote this post about what leaders could do to help their troops during the start of the Coronavirus pandemic. As a country, we were still in shock at the drastic changes that turned our lives upside down.
Thanks to people being vaccinated, life is slowly returning to a semblance of normalcy. Last year, leaders waited to bridge their troops as it was not physically possible to do it in the spring. Creative souls figured out drop-off or drive-by ceremonies, and others skipped the whole thing. It was one of the many things children lost during, what one magazine writer called, the lost year.
With troops being able to meet in person again, leaders can now plan a Girl Scout bridging ceremony. This year’s ceremonies will look different than the ones in the past, with everyone’s safety being front and center.
Every Council has its own rules and regulations about where you can meet and how many people can be in attendance. Meeting in your backyard is different than meeting in the park or some other public place. In my opinion, having parents present is the most important aspect of planning your ceremony, as they, too, have missed out on so much this past year. Attending events for their daughter is something they lost as well. I would not get hung up on finding a place with a bridge if you can only have large groups outdoors in a public space. Make your own “bridge“, like my former co-leader and I did years ago.
Here are a few safety guidelines to follow when planning your 2021 Girl Scout bridging ceremony.
Safety Guidelines
Wearing a Mask
Wearing a mask is essential when gathering. The girls wear them in school, and I can assure you that your Council demands that the girls wear them when meeting. Anyone who refuses to wear a mask, even if they are vaccinated, may not attend the bridging ceremony. Put that masks are required in the bridging invitation.
One way to commemorate this year’s pandemic bridging is to order troop personalized masks. These can be worn at future meetings, as mask wearing is still going to be something that we do for a while.
The mask above is customizable. You can add a photo of your troop or simply write “Troop #####”. To customize, use the dropdown menu on the word “Select” under the five photos. There, you can choose how many you need. The click on the yellow “Customize” button on the right. Add an image if you want, or simply choose your font, color and text.
Keeping Everyone Socially Distant
Your co-leader and you will need to figure out how to sit everyone based on how many people are attending. You can ask families to bring their own lawn chairs to sit on that will be assigned its own pod. Many leaders, when having met in person, used Dollar Store table coverings to mark each girl’s space. Using this method, write each family name in Sharpie in one corner so everyone knows where to go (you can then reuse the plastic coverings, if you wish, to make a Sit Upon and teach sewing skills). Buy as many different colors as you can so it has the rainbow theme that is associated with bridging. Beforehand, let each family know what color to look for when they arrive.
No Food or Drink
In the past, leaders like myself hosted a party after the ceremony. Everyone brought in something and it was a way to celebrate the girls’ accomplishments and talk about how time has flown. No, food and drink can be served at this year’s celebration. Instead, you can create a bag of individually wrapped rainbow goodies for the girls to take away at the end of the ceremony. Here is how to do it.
Create the Tablescape
Without overdoing it, you can create a beautiful tablescape to hold the gift bag of goodies.
Available on Amazon in a 12 Pack
Stuff these bags with colorful tissue paper.
Available on Amazon in an 8 Pack
These seal for the ultimate surprise at the end of your ceremony.
Place the goody bags on the tablecloth for each girl to pick up at the end of the ceremony.
Items for the Goody Bags
What you put inside the goody bag depends on different factors. What level is your troop? How many girls are in your troop? Are there any allergies or dietary restrictions? Do you want consumable gifts or something that is a keepsake or a combination of both?
Non-Consumable Items
A troop photo in a picture frame
A book about Juliette Gordon Low (there are several, depending on the girls’ reading level and age)
Here Come the Brownies (an older book series for girls bridging from Daisies to Brownies)
Consumable Items
Unlike years past, all food items must be individually packaged for safety reasons. Here are some cute items to place in the bag.
Group Photo
This year, the group photo needs to be a socially distant one with masks on. If you are doing a Girl Scout scrapbook with your troop, this will be one memorable photo.
In my next blog post, I will share resources and ceremony guides for each level.
Are you bridging with your troop this spring? If so, what safety guidelines are you following?
