Girl Guides Ontario - Girl Guides Ontario - Advancement Ceremony Ideas - Guides

Advancement Ceremony Ideas - Guides

Flower Advancement Ceremony

Materials needed

• One bouquet for each girl advancing with seven different flowers (type of flowers will be dictated by season and price)
• White lily, sunflower, fern, baby’s breath, red rose, white carnation, forget-me-nots
• Ribbon

The seven flowers are each representative of a Guide law and an appropriate referral to the Guide Law should be used. For example,

• The first Guiding Law challenges us to be honest and trustworthy. “Take this white lily as a symbol of purity, and may we always strive to be honest to ourselves and others.”
• The second Guiding Law challenges us to use our resources wisely. “Take this yellow sunflower as a reminder that our resources are as precious as gold and should never be wasted.”
• The third Guiding Law challenges us to respect myself and others “Take this fern to remind us never to be green with envy of anyone else. Love one another as we love ourselves.”
• The fourth Guiding Law challenges us to recognize and use my talents and abilities. “Take this baby’s breath as a reminder that we develop talents and abilities throughout our whole lifetime. May we always be accepting to learn new things about ourselves, like when we were children.”
• The fifth Guiding Law challenges us to protect our common environment. “Take this red rose as a reminder of the beauty of our earth. No flower is more beautiful than the red rose.”
• The sixth Guiding Law challenges us to live with courage and strength. “Take this white carnation as a symbol of strength. The carnation lasts the longest of all the flowers in a bouquet. May we draw strength from it.”
• The last Guiding Law challenges us to share in the sisterhood of Guiding. “Take these forget-me-nots (or any other flower that comes collectively) to remind us of all our Guiding Sisters, those we know and those that are yet to come.”

Finish off by tying each girl’s bouquet with a lovely blue and green ribbon, or the colour of the branch to where they are advancing.

Lady Baden Powell Award & Advancement Ceremony - submitted by Melanie Tucker

Materials needed

• Shoe box to look like a suitcase
• Notebook
• Compass
• Mirror
• Timepiece (egg timer)
• Award for each girl

Each girl receives a premade shoebox, decorated to look like a suitcase with the letters LJ on it prior to the beginning of the ceremony. (This ceremony can also be used for any other award the girls are receiving.)

“These [number of girls] young ladies tonight will be presented with their Lady Baden Powell Award. They have worked hard all year to complete the necessary badges, program work and Guiding principles to achieve this. Lady Baden Powell was a woman of conviction and purpose. She was a lover of travel; actually meeting her future husband, Lord Baden-Powell on a cruise ship. She always carried with her suitcase of precious belongings, which had LJ (standing for Long Journey) inscribed upon it. As these girls receive their precious gifts tonight, they can place them in their own suitcase as they leave us and prepare for their own long journey. We are very confident that their journey into their futures will be filled with purpose and fun.

• You completed your Discovering Challenge in your community, which gave you the opportunity to pass on your knowledge to others. Take this notebook on your journey with you so that you may continue to share your knowledge with others in your lives.
• You completed your Discovering Challenges for the Outdoors which taught you about the earth around you and gave you the opportunity to experience the outdoors and all it has to offer with your peers. Take this compass on your journey so that if you stray from your path you ca always find your way.
• You completed your Discovering Challenges for the Horizons, which taught you about your likes, dislikes and feelings and that whatever they may be they are yours alone. Take this mirror to remind you that you should never be afraid to just be yourself and that there will always be people that love and cherish you, just because you’re YOU!
• You completed your Discovering Challenges for the Future which taught you to look forward and not backward; and to be ready and willing to try new things. Take this timepiece to remind you that time should always be treasured, and to live every moment fully.

We have treasured your time with us in Guides. We look forward to a new FUTURE on the HORIZON for you. Continue to love the OUTDOORS and CHALLENGE yourself. Be a role model for your COMMUNITY. Enjoy your L.J (long journey).

Girls would then receive their pins and close with an appropriate song and taps. An appropriate song might be the Happy Wanderer.

True Treasures

Materials needed

• Treasure chest for each girl (shoebox decorated)
• Fake jewels – blue sapphire, amber, diamonds, pearls, aquamarine, red ruby, opalOptional – string, glue, construction paper

Start the ceremony with the following words:

“True treasures in life

Is not silver and gold

More precious than jewels

Are the values we hold.”

Present the following to the girls with these words:

• You each promised to be honest and trustworthy as true blue as the sapphire.
• You promised to use your resources wisely, protect the future as amber protects the past.
• You promised to respect yourself and others, valuing yourself and others like precious diamonds.
• You promised to recognize and use your talents and abilities like pearls of wisdom.
• You promised to protect our common environment, like the sky and water as pure as aquamarine.
• You promised to live with courage and strength, ready to solve problems, hard like this dark red ruby.
• You promised to share in the sisterhood of Guiding, as full of loving light as the glowing opal.

You then mention to the girls the ways they have learned these valuable treasures of Guiding.  The girls then would then advance up to their next branch.

Options:

You can have the girls do one of the following options:

• Put beads of the same colour mentioned above onto a necklace
• Make a crown for the girls advancing and let them put on the jewels
•  Form the jewels into a Trefoil

“Repeat After Me” Advancement Song (to the tune of “The Littlest Worm”)

Girls are seated by branch, facing the audience.  Leaders lead the repeat after me song, girls echo it back.  There are pauses in the song when girls are pinned and advanced to the next branch.