How to Plan Investiture and Rededication Ceremonies

 Tips from Investiture and Re-dedication Podcast Episode with Troop Leader Rose Cunanan

Ceremonies are a wonderful opportunity for Girl Scouts to celebrate special moments and accomplishments throughout the year and express themselves in so many ways! Investiture and Re-dedication Ceremonies typically occur most in the beginning of a new Girl Scout year.

Investiture ceremonies welcomes new members into the Girl Scout family for the first time. So, if you have a brand new troop, an investiture ceremony should be held to officially welcome them into the movement. Anytime thereafter, if new members join your troop, you would host an investiture for them as well.

An investiture ceremony itself doesn’t need to be formal or elaborate; in fact, it has only three requirements. New members must:

• Recite the Girl Scout Promise, either individually or as a group.

• Receive the appropriate membership pin—the Girl Scout Daisy pin, Girl Scout Brownie  pin, or Traditional Membership pin, depending on the girls in your troop.

• Be verbally welcomed into your troop and to Girl Scouting. You may choose to give the welcome to new members yourself, or returning girls might want to collectively give the welcome.
Re-dedication ceremonies are an opportunity for Girl Scouts, their families, and volunteers to renew their commitment to the Girl Scout Promise and Law. If your troop has already been invested, consider hosting a re-dedication as a chance to remind them of why they promise to live by the Girl Scout Law!
Check out the following tips on how to plan these ceremonies from a GSNC Multi-Level troop leader, Rose Cunanan.

• Discuss with your troop what they want the ceremony to look like! All ceremonies, just like troop meetings, should be planned by them! With that said, be sure to always utilize your strong network of support. Reach out to parents to help you and your troop with logistics.

• Ceremony Location: Use your resources wisely, like a true Girl Scout. If you can keep the ceremony in your regular troop meeting location, do it! If you need more space, look to your community to see if there is a space that already has tables and chairs. This will help save your troop funds.

• Decorations: Discuss what everyone can DIY from home and repurpose as decorations. Get that crafty parent and Girl Scouts on it!

• Food/beverages: Your troop wants to offer food to their ceremony guests? Consider asking the parents to bring a dish and make it a pot-luck!

• Music: Does your troop have a favorite playlist or song? Play it at the ceremony! They could even come up with their own original song to sing. If your ceremony location already has speakers to play the music, great. If not, see if someone can bring a wireless speaker or laptop.

• Ceremony Outlines/Scripts: Troop leaders and girls can use scripts to help them brush up on their public speaking skills! Connect with your Service Unit or contact GSNC staff.

• Connect with your Girl Scout sisters: Invite other Girl Scouts to your ceremony! They can help to MC the ceremony and cheer on the other girls while celebrating.

For additional questions about Girl Scout ceremonies, email customercare@gsnc.org.
Listen to the Volunteer Connections podcast for more resources and advice, to help make your Girl Scout experience the best it can be!