The Dance of Girl Scouting
Bronze, Silver and Gold Award Ceremony

  
 

 
 

Please stand for the presentation of the colors

Welcome and thank you for coming today to honor our _____ (year) Bronze, Silver and Gold Award recipients as well as our 10 year pin recipients and graduating seniors. This year we have __ Gold Award recipients, __ Silver Award recipients, __ Bronze Award recipients, __ Ten Year pin recipients and __ graduating seniors to honor. 

Today we gather to celebrate the dance of Girl Scouting. We honor those that have earned our highest award, the Gold, as well as those that have reached milestones along the way. Progressing through Girl Scouting is a lot like learning to dance. There are a series of steps that start out slowly and get progressively more difficult as each girl progresses at her own pace, and to her own rhythm. The girls start out wobbly and uncertain in their movements and grow into graceful young women full of confidence in the exacting steps they take, and the decisions they make. They move from watching, imitating and learning to creating their own unique steps and leading others.  Each level of Girl Scouting presents a new set of steps to learn, and time to master them before moving on to the next level. Even the tiniest Daisy and Brownie Girl Scouts contribute much to the dance of Girl Scouting, as their steps are the foundation of what in time, becomes a wonderfully choreographed production, a Senior Girl Scout.   

The hanging dancers on the wall represent the 3 levels of awards that girls may earn in Girl Scouting, the Bronze, the Silver and the Gold. Hanging in between the dancers you see 4 stars which represent the goals of the Girl Scout program, Become, Belong, Believe and Build. The green represents BECOME involving a girl’s own potential, self worth, sense of responsibility and personal growth. Every girl is a star in the dance of Girl Scouting. The blue star represents BELONG involving a girl’s ability to relate to, understand and respect the people around her, despite their many different ways of dancing.  The yellow represents BELIEVE and the values that each girl brings with her and develops as she dances through Girl Scouts, always pointed in the right direction. The red star represents BUILD, the core of the Girl Scouting program, service to community and others. Each girl learns to give back to society through her own unique skills and abilities.

Now we have a brief video presentation to share with you that shows who our award recipients are and what they have done to earn the highest awards in Girl Scouting.
(Show video presentation, dim the lights) OPTIONAL

We will now light a candle for each of the levels of Girl Scouting, pausing to honor those who have earned the awards along the way.

  1. We light a candle tied with a yellow ribbon to represent the youngest level of scouting the Daisy Girl Scouts. This is the very first level that introduces girls to the fun and friendship of Girl Scouting. Here girls take their first basic, unsure steps in the dance of Girl Scouts. They start slowly, but are eager to learn and will quickly imitate the very first steps that are shown to them.
     
  1. We light a candle tied with a brown ribbon to represent Brownie Girl Scouts. In this level of Girl Scouting girls begin to reach out beyond their family to explore new horizons, try new things and meet new people. Their dance steps are more steady now, they will learn by watching others, and will tend to dance in a group, rather than individually. The freestyle movements of Daisy Scouts have become more refined now. There are many fast turns and falls but the dance of Girl Scouting is beginning to expand for these girls.
     
  1. We light a candle tied with a green ribbon for Junior Girl Scouts. At this level of Girl Scouting, the girls seek opportunities to demonstrate their skills and gain recognition. They learn to plan, give service to others and take on more responsibility. They are learning even more steps in the dance of Girl Scouting. The rhythm of their movements is becoming smoother as they take on more difficult steps each day. While they still watch the steps their neighbor takes, they are beginning to see there is a lot more out there that just might interest them individually. They are learning to express themselves in new & creative ways.
     
  1. We light a candle tied with a bronze ribbon for the Bronze Award. This relatively new award is the highest level to be achieved by a Junior Girl Scouts. To receive this award a girl must earn two badges, complete the Girl Scout signs, Earn the Junior Aide Patch or Leadership award, and plan and carry out a Bronze Award project of at least 15 hours. All of these girls have completed their projects as a group production and in doing so have learned a little more about themselves, the world around them, and the impact they can have on others. Each of our girls tonight will receive her pin, a certificate, a CD of the video presentation, and a pin and corsage for her leader. We honor these girls’ accomplishments in earning the Bronze Award while hoping that each one will continue the dance of Girl Scouting and reach for the Silver Award. 

As your troop number is called please come forward with your leaders to receive your bronze award.

 Congratulations to all our Bronze Award Recipients for ____ (year).  

  1. We light a candle tied with a light blue ribbon for Cadette Girl Scouts. As they enter this level, they are preteens, as they leave they are full fledged teenagers. Their social circle is constantly enlarging. These girls begin to make their own decisions, explore careers, travel, plan their own activities and try out their new leadership skills, while helping younger Girl Scouts and giving back to their communities. Not only have they become quite accomplished in their dance steps, but they are now able to take on leading roles in teaching the steps to younger girls. Their confidence is beginning to blossom and they easily try out and learn new steps to improve their dance. They learn over time to use their talent and creativity to choreograph their own show.
     
  1. We light a candle tied with a silver ribbon for the Silver Award. This award is the highest award that can be earned by a Cadette Girl Scout.  It is a symbol of accomplishments in Girl Scouting and the community. These girls have earned 3 Interest Project Awards that relate to their project and have earned the Dreams to Reality Award, which is all about careers. They earned the Cadette Leadership Award which requires 25 hours of leadership and they completed the five parts of the Cadette Challenge Pin. Each girl was then required to design, plan and carry out a minimum of 30 hour Silver Award project. Many of these girls have completed their projects on their own. They are more confident in their abilities, and have learned the steps necessary to put on a production on their own. They know their actions can have a great impact on the community. They are shining stars in the dance of Girl Scouting. They have learned to dance to their own beat and lead those that follow them. We honor these girls’ accomplishments in earning the Silver Award while hoping that each one will continue the dance of Girl Scouting and reach for the Gold Award. 

        As your name is called, please come forward with your leader and parents to receive the
        Silver Award.

       Call each girl forward individually while telling about her project. Girl receives pin, CD,
       and certificate, 1st girl pins leader and leader receives corsage.

       Congratulations to all our Silver Award Recipients for ____ (year) 

  1. We light a candle tied with a white ribbon for those who have earned the 10 Year Pin. For those who started as Daisy Girl Scouts, they may have completed 10 years before they begin the next level of Senior Girl Scouts. Some girls joined Girl Scouts later, or progressed further before earning this pin, but all of these girls have given a decade of their time, a majority of their young lives, to learning the dance of Girl Scouting.   

        Will the following girls please come forward to receive the 10 Year Pin:

        (call up each girl alone and give each her  pin, and certificate) 

  1. We light a candle tied with a dark blue ribbon as we move up to Senior Girl Scouts. These girls have entered the final level of Girl Scouting on the girl level. Adventure, travel, and meeting new people, and exploring places they have never been have been balanced with expanded leadership skills, new levels of responsibility and a deep interest in community service. These girls have accepted the challenge to look wider still. By the time these girls complete Senior Girl Scouting they are ready to take on full leading roles, and be contributing members of the adult community. These girls have tried all the steps in the dance of Girl Scouting and have chosen the ones that are right for them. They are confident in their steps and always willing to help someone else learn the dance of Girl Scouting. Their movements are graceful and stately. They move at a fast tempo without pause. By the time they have completed Senior Girl Scouts they have added their own creative twist to their steps and have truly made it their own unique dance.
     
  1. We now light a candle tied with a gold ribbon for the Girl Scout Gold Award. This is the highest award that a Girl Scout may earn. Each of our Gold Award recipients tonight has earned 4 Interest Project Awards that related to her Gold Award Project. Each has earned the Career Exploration Pin and the Senior Leadership Award which requires 30 hours of leadership. She has completed the five parts of the Senior Girl Scout Challenge. Finally each girl was required to design, plan and implement a minimum of 50 hour Gold Award Project that meets an expressed need in the community, and will have a lasting impact on society. These girls have not only mastered the dance of Girl Scouting, but have left their mark on it, and on their communities. The dance will be forever changed, as they have been part of it and added their own special style to it. They have learned the steps and have in the process created a few new ones that are uniquely their own. They are confident in the steps they take and able to handle any challenge that comes their way as they leave childhood and enter adulthood and a whole new set of dances. These young women have learned to balance their leading roles in multiple productions, while moving at an imposing speed towards the future. We honor these girls’ accomplishments in earning the Gold Award while hoping that each one will continue the dance of Girl Scouting and become Adult Girl Scouts. For the dance of Girl Scouting never ends, but begins a new opening show every year with new leaders teaching the steps. All of our girls have all done an outstanding job and are truly prima ballerinas in our eyes. We are proud to now present our Gold Award recipients of ____ (year).

        As your name is called please come forward with your leader and your parents.

        Call each girl forward individually to receive the award while giving a description of their
        project. Girls receive pins, a CD,  and certificates and pin their mothers. Leaders receive a
       floral corsage  from the 1st girl in her troop.  

       Parents and leader are seated and girl may give a brief 2 minute speech.
       After all girls have been presented their awards:

Will all the Gold Award recipients please come to the front of the room to accept the Gold Award Challenge.

(all girls line up across the front of the room, FACING the audience)

CHALLENGE:

We challenge each of our girls tonight to accept this award in the spirit in which it is given. Know that with this award comes responsibility. You each enter a covenant of esteemed women who are regarded with honor and respect. We challenge you to live worthy of this honor by living by the Girl Scout Promise and Law in all you do. Receiving the Gold Award is not just one celebratory moment, but a lifetime commitment. Girls please give the Girl Scout sign and repeat after me: (read one part at a time and have all girls repeat together)

I affirm my dedication, to live by the Girl Scout Promise and Law. I understand my obligation, to live with honor, and to lead by example, because the highest award of Girl Scouting, has been entrusted to me. I will do my best, to support other Girl Scouts, on their road to Gold, and to give back to Girl Scouting, what is has been given to me. I will respect others, and live worthy of respect, as one forever bound, to the ideals of Girl Scouting.

Girls May be seated. 

  1. Last, but not least we light a candle tied with a dark green ribbon for the Adult Girl Scouts. These are the volunteers that hold the Girl Scouting program together. Many were never Girl Scouts as a girl, but have chosen to give their time to this worthwhile program. Many others came up the ranks as young girls and have made the choice to teach the dance of Girl Scouting Scouting to another generation of girls. We have __ girls who are graduating from high school this year and will have the choice to continue the dance in a leading role and give back to Girl Scouts what has been given to them. We hope each one will decide to continue on as an adult Girl Scout in some capacity.  These girls are about to enter a whole new dance production, the dance of life, and with the skills they have learned in the dance of Girl Scouting, we know they will be successful in any step they try. Will the following girls please come forward.  

        Read the names, high school, and plans for college. Give a graduation certificate and pin
        as they come up.

        Please stand for the retrieval of the colors.

Will all our award recipients please come forward now. Let’s please have a round of applause for the for ____ (year). Congratulations!
 
Thank you for coming.

Kathy Little 2003
Music "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Womack

 

  
 

"I Hope You Dance"

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed,
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance....I hope you dance.

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances but they're worth takin',
Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth makin',
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to sellin' out reconsider,
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder
where those years have gone.)

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

Dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance..
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder
where those years have gone)

LEE ANN WOMACK
Written by Mark D. Sanders & Tia Sillers
©2000 MCA

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