Bridging to Junior

Junior Girl Scouts can take part in cool new experiences like going on an overnight at a science museum, attending a baseball game, visiting a wildlife preserve, making a robot, or trying new sports like archery. They can earn Journey awards, leadership awards, and the Girl Scout Bronze Award. To earn the Bridge to Junior Award, complete one bridging activity from the two bridging steps: Pass It On! and Look Ahead! These steps can be found in the handbook section of the Brownie Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting. All Brownie Girl Scouts who become Junior Girl Scouts “fly up.” Girl Scout Wings should be given to each Brownie when they bridge to Junior Girl Scouts.

Bridging Step One: Pass It On!

Do one or more of the following or create your own:

• Teach a group of Daisy Girl Scouts a favorite song, game, or craft from a Brownie Journey.
• Have girls talk to Daisies about their favorite Brownie memories. Tell the Daisies what they have to look forward to. Show them what skills girls learned as Brownies or pictures of favorite trips.
• Help Daisies create and decorate small message books. Pass the books around and write messages to the Daisies, telling them what makes them special or what they can look forward to as Brownies. Make sure each Daisy writes her name on the cover of her book!
• Have girls share what they have learned about becoming Junior Girl Scouts and why they are excited to “fly up”.

Bridging Step Two: Look Ahead!

Spend some time with Junior Girl Scouts. Do one or more of the following or create your own:

• Ask Junior Girl Scouts what activities they loved doing as Juniors and why. Ask them to share their favorite memories of working as a team. See if they are willing to teach a favorite game or special Girl Scout activity. If any of the girls were also Brownie Girl Scouts, ask them how being a Junior was different from being a Brownie.
• Talk to one or more Junior Girl Scouts who earned their Bronze Award. Wow! That is a big accomplishment. How did they choose their project? Who was on their team? What did they learn? What hints or tips can they share?
• Attend a council event for Juniors in the spring before fourth grade.

Plan a Ceremony: Wings to Fly

Celebrate earning the Bridge to Junior Award with a favorite ceremony from your Brownie Journey—or make up a new one. Then proudly add bridging patches to sashes or vests! For more ideas, talk to other troops or go online. If girls are working online, remember to sign the Girl Scout Internet Safety Pledge.

• Flag or opening ceremony
• Recite Girl Scout Promise and Law
• Activity (see instructions/script)
• Present certificates and other awards
• Ending ceremony

Supplies:
A large piece of cardboard for tree/nest; wings for each girl (cardboard, material, tape, etc.); paint, markers, general craft supplies; and a bridge, stepping stones, or arch.

Preparation:

• Have the troop come up with their own words to describe the letters of the word “Junior.”
• Invite a Junior Girl Scout troop or other helpers to assist during the bridging ceremony. Inform them of the time and date of the ceremony and confirm their attendance. Send them a copy of the script.
• Make a tree and nest: The design is up to the troop. Some groups have painted a big nest on a tree branch on one long side of a cardboard refrigerator box and braced the “nest” on the ends so it will stand up using a triangle of 2x4s. Others have built a bowl-like nest on the ground.
• Make wings:
  • Draw an outline of a bird wing on heavy paper or cardboard. Wings should be about 4 to 6 feet long.
  • Have each girl paint both sides of her wings.
  • After the paint is dry, cover the underside of the wings (the side facing the girls’ back) with clear contact paper. This adds strength to the wings and keeps paint from rubbing off on clothing.
  • Make handles (loop around arms) or straps (like a backpack) so girls can hold the wings.
• Ask girls to write down definitions of each letter of “Junior” (see sample).
• Make sure Junior Girl Scout vests are ready.
• Practice before the event (with your guests if possible).

Formation:
All the girls duck down behind the “nest” and one-by-one pop-up, say their letter lines, and pop down again.

Instructions/Script

Co-leader: Today we are bridging from Brownie Girl Scouts to Junior Girl Scouts. In Girl Scouting that is called “flying up”. Let’s listen to the girls as they describe what they think Junior Girl Scouts are.

Bridging girls:
J is for ______.
U is for ______.
N is for ______.
I is for ______.
O is for ______.
R is for ______.

All the girls stand together and say: We are ready to fly up and become Junior Girl Scouts!

Girls form a Brownie Ring behind the nest.

Co-leader: Two years have passed since you first stood, By the magic pond and learned you could, Do lots of things in a Girl Scout way, And truly live by the words you say. So Brownie Girl Scouts fly up and find, That Junior Girl Scouts are true and kind. And so we give you Brownie wings, That you may fly to bigger things!
All: Now it is time to say goodbye. Break the ring and out you fly.

First girl is GENTLY pushed out of the nest by the second girl, then goes across the bridge and is met by one of her co-leaders and a Junior Girl Scout or parent who help her take off her wings and Brownie Girl Scout vest, and put on her Junior Girl Scout vest. The last girl in the nest can be pushed out by a co-leader OR she can “trip” out of the nest herself. Bridging girls stand together in front of the nest.

Co-leader: Please welcome Junior Girl Scout Troop ____!