Bridging Ceremony Tips for Girl Scout Leaders

In Girl Scouting, “Bridging” is the term used to describe the process of advancing from one level to another. It is a time to celebrate the accomplishments of a Girl Scout; she has earned Journey awards, completed badges and participated in community service and Troop outings. The Bridging Ceremony should be an exciting time for a Girl Scout, so make the celebration fun and memorable. And, include the girls in the planning process.

Things Girl Scout Leaders Might Want to Include in a Bridging Ceremony:

• An opening Flag Ceremony is a good way to honor our country.
• Say the Girl Scout Promise
• Incorporate the Girl Scout Law in the ceremony in some way.  When I was a girl, our leader had each girl in the Troop say a line of the Girl Scout Law and tell the audience what that line meant to us.
• Don’t just invite family and friends; invite older Girl Scouts to welcome the younger girls into the next level of Girl Scouting.
• Present girls with their membership star, bridging certificate and bridging patch, as well as the other recognition they may have earned this year.
• Does your Girl Scout Troop have a favorite song or poem? Include it if it has meaning to your Troop.
• End with a friendship circle; it is a good reminder that friendship is continuous, especially in Girl Scouting.

If you still need a guide to help you plan your bridging ceremony, try using the “Ceremony Planner” created by GSUSA. And remember, as long as the girls have a fun and memorable time, the ceremony is a success.

Top Cookie Sellers Recption

Last night was an exciting night for those Girl Scouts who sold 500 boxes or more of Girl Scout Cookies.  Donna Ceravolo and the Entrepreneurial Programs staff at GSNC hosted a dessert reception at Seasons 52 in Garden City, New York.  All Girl Scouts in attendance received specialty patches representing their sales of 500 or more boxes. The girls who sold over 1000 boxes will be going on a twilight dinner cruise of New York harbor.  The girls who sold over 2000 boxes also received a tablet computer for their efforts. At the end of the presentation, girls and their family members were treated to an assortment of desserts from the restaurant.

1000 Plus Cookie Sellers Include:

1.  Ayazhia L. – 2411 boxes
2. Isabella I. – 2402 boxes
3. Lauren L. – 2372 boxes
4. Mikaela S. – 2084 boxes
5. Tara P. – 2000 boxes
6. Symone S. – 1563 boxes
7. Leesa J. – 1402 boxes
8. Faith G. – 1099 boxes
9. Kayla J. – 1060 boxes
10. Jacqueline H. – 1038 boxes
11. Krista B. – 1028 boxes
12. Emma G. – 1008 boxes

** Please note that this is a corrected version of this post. Changes were made to the prize listings.

Operation Cookie and The Confidence Girls Gain from Participating

Operation Cookie Send-off #2

Last week, those Girl Scouts who sold at least 100 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies for Operation Cookie celebrated at the Marine Base on Stewart Avenue in Garden City with a special send-off of Cookies going to local New York National Guard and Military Reserve units (those who helped during Super Storm Sandy). 

We were greeted by Sergeant Moreno and other members of the team at the Marine Base.  She told the girls about the work that goes on at that location.  We were joined by representatives from our Operation Cookie partners, DHL Global, who assisted in sending Cookies to other locations.  (We could not have Operation Cookie without DHL!) Hooray for DHL!

A BIG HOORAY and THANK YOU to the many Girl Scouts who go the extra miles to make Operation Cookie a major feature of their own Cookie Program efforts! Some girls ask customers to just add one more box for the soldiers when they take orders or at their booth sales.  Others have special collection boxes and signs at their booth sales. 

Here is a great example of how one troop reaches their goal. Working with their local parish, Troop 1099 sets aside a Sunday to collect money for Operation Cookie.   The girls each say a few words to the congregation at the services, and then they wait by the doors to accept donations.  This year, they collected over $2800 for Operation Cookie… enough to send 700+ boxes of Girl Scout Cookies to the military.  Parents from the Troop told me how much they have seen their own girls grow and learn from this work; the girls have improved their public speaking, and more importantly they have felt the spirit of generosity from the parish and have come to feel that they are the conduit for something very important . 

Wouldn't it be amazing if all of our houses of worship allowed the Girl Scouts in their community the same opportunity each year? To make a pitch and just wait at the doors to collect the generosity that flows from us here at home to the men and women who are serving our country through military service.   

It all begins with an ASK ...  

 Are you courageous and confident enough to ask your priest, pastor or rabbi to allow you the opportunity?

Click to view photos from the Operation Cookie Sendoff Event 2 >>

It Must Be Springtime ... Signing the Cookie Checks

Here I am Signing Some "Cookie Checks"

This past Friday and Monday I spent several hours signing the checks that go to our Girl Scout Troops as their proceeds for participation in the Girl Scout Cookie Program.  Each check gets signed by two real people -- not a machine.  By my best guesstimate, I signed about 450 checks ... I write a personal note on the checks that I sign that are in excess of $600 ...  But since I don't sign every check,  there are some of the larger checks that do not get a note from me.  (Sorry!)   ...  There is really nothing magical about $600, it was just the threshold that I chose for my notes.

I enjoy signing the "Cookie Checks" for many reasons ... Most importantly these checks are the tangible reward to our Troops for all the learning and earning that they accomplished during their participation in this year's Girl Scout Cookie Program.  I enjoy signing the checks in the afternoon when the sun pours into my office and it is toasty warm.  Signing my name over and over gives me the opportunity to practice my penmanship; I like having a legible signature, even if I do have a name that people often find unusual to pronounce.  Sometimes, one of our other Council officers join me and we sign checks together; then there is banter, discussion and a little laughter.  It is good to be able to laugh at work, and not all jobs afford that kind of camaraderie.  We take fun seriously at the Girl Scouts -- for the girls and the adults!

I know that every check -- and every Troop, and each girl in a Troop -- has a Girl Scout Cookie story to tell.  I'd love to hear your Cookie stories ... girls and volunteers.  Leave a comment below or call or email me and tell me what you learned, how you set and met your goals, about the people you met selling Girl Scout Cookies, and how you and your Troop will be putting the money from those Cookie Checks to work.  -- We'll share your stories in this space, or in future Girl Scout venues.

Email ceravolo@gsnc.org or phone 516-741-2550, ext. 200