Here is a leader’s guide for your Girl Scout Daisy to Brownie bridging ceremony.
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Congratulations! Your first grade troop is ready for their Girl Scout Daisy to Brownie bridging ceremony. If you have never planned a bridging ceremony before, this blog post will tell you everything you need to know from start to finish.
What are the Requirements for a Girl Scout Daisy to Bridge to Brownie?
There are no requirements for bridging. Girls automatically bridge when they move up a grade. The girls do not even have to earn all of the petals.
What are the Requirements to Earn the Bridge to Brownie Award?
According to the official GSUSA Bridging Guide (which can be found here):
To earn the Bridge to Brownie Award, complete one activity from the two bridging steps: Pass It On! and Look Ahead!
These steps can be found in the bridging guide on page 6.
When Do I Have My Girl Scout Daisy to Brownie Bridging Ceremony?
Many leaders wonder if there is a specific time for their Girl Scout Daisy to Brownie bridging ceremony. There is not right or wrong answer; the right time is what works best for your troop.
For example, if you take the summers off from meeting, then bridging as your last meeting of the year makes sense. You start the new scouting year as your next level Or you can have your first meeting of the scouting year as your bridging ceremony.
If you are a leader who meets in the summer, then you may want to bridge in the spring and start earning badges for the next level in the summer.
No matter what time of you decide to bridge, give the families enough notice so they can attend. It is best to have your Girl Scout Daisy to Brownie bridging ceremony during your regular meeting time, as this 60-90 minute time slot is already carved into the family’s schedule.
Who Buys the Uniforms the Bridging Ceremony?
Once you have established the time and date of the bridging ceremony, then you need to decide who is going to buy the vest or sash, pins and patches…will it be the parents or the troop? I am firmly believe that troop funds should not be used to buy these items. Time and again, I have read in Girl Scout forums and Facebook groups how leaders buy all the uniforms and badges, only to have a girl not return in the fall. Your troop has now lost this money, which could have been used for earning Brownie Badges or taking a field trip.
Parents need skin in the game because they do not value free. Unless your troop is in a low socio-economic area and families are unable to buy the uniform, parents need to be responsible for this cost.
The KISS Strategy for Your Girl Scout Daisy to Brownie Bridging Ceremony
Let me start by sharing what the KISS strategy is.
Keep
It
Simple
Sister
The girls in your troop are easy to please.
They are six and seven years old. This is not a wedding, Bat Mitzvah, 50th anniversary party, or college graduation party. Please do not drive yourself crazy spending hours on Pinterest planning the perfect event. Your Daisy to Brownie bridging ceremony will be about 15 minutes tops. Your audience (aka, parents and siblings) will appreciate the shorter ceremony and the girls will be so happy about the celebration after crossing the bridge.
In another blog post, I will share how to easily plan the party.
Resources for Your Girl Scout Daisy to Brownie Bridging Ceremony
Keeping with the KISS strategy, your co-leader and you do not need to write your own ceremony. I am going to provide you with several resources that are already done for you.
- Girl Scouts of the USA Bridging Ceremony Guide
- Girl Scout of Northern California
- PB Works
- Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore
- Girl Scouts Central Illinois How to Plan a Bridging Ceremony Guide
- Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska
- Daisy to Brownie Bridging Poem
Girl Scout Daisy to Brownie Bridging Certificate
You will want to hand your girls a certificate for their Girl Scout scrapbook.
Available on TpT
Girl Scout Daisy to Brownie Bridging Ceremonies
Here is what some other troops did when they bridged.
