Girl Scout Ceremonies

With the start of the new Girl Scout year upon us, you may be asking yourself “what is a Girl Scout ceremony, and why are they important?” Girl Scout ceremonies are used to recognize accomplishments, special events, or to signify the beginning or end of a meeting. It is a way to express ideals of the Girl Scout movement, friendship, patriotism, and service. There are two ceremonies in particular that you may already be accustomed to, but let’s touch base on them anyway. 

Opening and closing ceremonies take place at every Girl Scout meeting. They signify an official beginning and end to a meeting and therefore provide structure, which is especially helpful and important for the Daisy, Brownie, and Junior Level Girl Scouts. 

A typical opening ceremony is concise and simple. A flag ceremony and reciting of the Girl Scout Promise and Law are usually always included. You can also include reciting a poem, or singing a song to the opening ceremony to make it feel more your own. It’s important that all girls have a chance to participate, or help plan an opening ceremony.

A closing ceremony is a way to conclude your meeting and provides girls the chance to settle down and say goodbye. Allow enough time for cleanup after activities to still have time for this component. To close the meeting, you can sing a song, recite a poem, or talk about a topic, but the most important aspect is the Friendship Circle. Representing the unbroken chain of friendship among Girl Scouts and Girl Guides around the world, the Friendship Circle involves Girl Scouts standing in a circle, crossing their right arms over their left, and clasping hands with their friends on both sides. Everyone then makes a silent wish as a friendship squeeze is passed from hand to hand around the circle.

Ceremonies are an important aspect of the Girl Scout experience! To learn more about opening and closing ceremonies, and all of the other wonderful ceremonies visit the “168 Traditions and Ceremonies” course in your gsLearn account.