Bridging Ceremonies
Moving On to New Adventures

Bridging is an important transition in a Girl Scout's life. It's a defining moment when a girl becomes aware of her achievements and is ready for new adventures and responsibilities. Celebrating this change should be fun, personalized, and memorable for everyone involved. And most of all, it should be designed by the girls in true partnership with adults.

Bridging ceremonies usually take place at the beginning or end of the Girl Scout year and can have three parts:

• Opening: guests are welcomed and the tone is set
• Main Section: the ceremony is explained and the girls celebrate moving from one level to the next
• Closing: girls can participate in friendship circles and thank their guests

Each of the ceremony's parts offers plenty of room for the girls' creativity and individuality. And whether the ceremony includes an actual bridge or a symbolic one, or if it includes props like candles, flowers, or flags, it should always focus on paying tribute to the girls as they move forward.

Honoring Change

During bridging ceremonies, girls are honored for their progression and growth. At each level, Girl Scout resources like Ceremonies in Girl Scouting provide information on bridging activities and ceremonies. Girls can work with volunteers to create bridging ceremonies that mark milestones as they move into the next level. Many councils honor graduating Girl Scouts with a special ceremony for "bridging" to adult Girl Scouts.

Easing the Transition

In addition to the ceremony itself, there are other ways you can help your Girl Scout's move on to the next level. Volunteers can help girls work through bridging activities as outlined in bridging awards information.

When bridging, a volunteer can make a decision about moving up with her troop/group to the next level, or whether her bridging girls will move into another group. The service unit or council can help with this decision and make sure that proper training and materials are provided.

Ceremonies in Girl Scouting is a great resource for bridging. It includes a ceremony planner (PDF, 11KB) and highlights sample age-appropriate ceremonies for all occasions.