Every year, Girl Scouts around the world honor the memory of our
founder, Juliette Gordon Low, on her birthday, October 31st. Some
troops choose to celebrate the whole month, while others plan special
events on or near the actual day of her birth, which is also known as
Founder’s Day. (And also happens to be Halloween, how fun is
that?)
One of the amazing things about Juliette Gordon Low’s birthday is
that every troop has their own special way of celebrating this
amazing woman! Nowadays, not everyone throws a party—many Girl Scouts
use it as a day to give service to others and to participate in
community events. Here are some fun ways your troop can
celebrate Juliette Gordon Low’s birthday!
Host a Birthday Party Troop Supply Drive
Create a wish list of needed troop supplies – this can include
scissors, glue, paper or even a first aid supplies. Share the list
with troop families and ask every girl to bring one or more of the
items as a gift to the troop in honor Juliette Gordon Low’s birthday.
Gently used items are welcomed too!
Create a Special Troop Tradition
Design and create a troop t-shirt or hair accessory (cute
Daisy hair clips) which the girls can wear to troop meetings and
outings. Then, whenever someone asks the girls about their shirt or
hair clip, not only can they say they made it themselves, but they can
also share their Girl Scout story by telling them why they made them!
Sing
Girl Scout Songs and Play Games
Make SWAPS
Make SWAPS of Juliette’s
Pearls to remind girls of the personal sacrifices she made to
ensure Girl Scouts continued to grow. Make plans to meet up with a
fellow Girl Scout friend, your troop, and maybe even your sister
troop, and enjoy some time together and present your SWAPS!
Stand on your head!
Did you know that one of Juliette’s special skills was standing
on her head? She stood on her head every year on her birthday to
prove she could still do it! She also celebrated her nieces’ and
nephews’ birthdays by standing on her head. Rumor has it that once she
even stood on her head in the boardroom of the National Headquarters
to show off the new Girl Scout shoes.
Create a pop-up Girl Scout museum
Collect vintage Girl Scout items from family and friends who were
former Girl Scouts. At the party, enjoy looking through old handbooks,
picking out favorite badges on the old sashes and trying on vintage
uniform pieces.
With the beginning of the membership year upon us, it's a great time
to hold an Investiture and/or Rededication ceremony!
An investiture is the welcoming of new members, both girls and
adults, into Girl Scouts for the first time. Girls receive their Girl
Scout, Girl Scout Brownie, or Girl Scout Daisy pin at this time.
Rededication is the opportunity for girls and adults to renew
their commitment to the Girl Scout Promise and Law. You can choose to
do them as one or two separate ceremonies.
These ceremonies are a great way to start the new Girl Scout year
with the focus being on the Promise and Law. Holding these ceremonies
are also a great way to help girls learn to plan and affirm their
belief in the Girl Scout Promise and Law.
There are many ways to hold an Investiture and/or Rededication
ceremony. Have the girls take time to search for some more creative
ways to celebrate – check out our Investiture/Rededication Ceremonies Pinterest
board. The more involvement the girls have, the better the
experience! That follows in all things in Girl Scouting!
Daisy Petal (Flower) Investiture
On a large piece of white poster board, tape or glue a large daisy
center of yellow construction paper. Write your troop number in the
center. Make petals of white construction paper for each girl in the troop.
On each petal write a different girls name from your troop. Begin
the ceremony with a simple flag ceremony have girls bring up flag and
say the “Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag” followed by the singing of
a song about America any one the girls know.
Call each girl by name to come and add her petal to the flower. As
each girl comes forward to attach her petal to the center, welcome her
to Girl Scout Daisy Troop #____ with the Girl Scout handshake and her
Beginning Certificate. If a new girl joins at a later date, her petal
may be added.
Variation – use real daisies or silk daisies and have the girls
place them in a flower container with the troop number on it.
Girl Scout Brownie Pond Investiture
GORP (Granola Oats Raisins and Peanuts) Rededication
