I had planned for months and was so excited for our Bridging Ceremony.  We had rented out a hall at one of our local parks and I did soooo much research on Bridging, Re-Dedication and Investiture Ceremonies.  Not to mention I racked my brain with fun things to do for the girls and their families.  My co-leader had just had a baby girl and I needed to make this as easy for her as possible so I jumped in.

I kept seeing where the rainbow was the thing to do for a bridging ceremony that’s all it took…..everything rainbow!!

I knew from the get go I would need something at the tables to occupy the younger siblings most my girls had them LOL!  I used Oriental Trading company for a lot of the decorations and what nots.  Lets just say I am glad I didn’t trade in the Edge for my Sonata back then or this couldn’t have happened.

I found rainbow crayons and I made little rainbow crayon holders and printed out free girl scout coloring pages from anywhere I could. I just Googled free girl scout coloring pages and BOOM there they were.

I also made for the tables lollipop flowers in a pot I used more felt and ribbon and SO wish I got better pictures!

Added grass

then the lollipops!

Now since this was our first investiture, re-dedication and bridging ceremony I will add this to my post ….. full disclosure I was clueless how to do the actual ceremony part.  I read every blog, book and article on what other troops did.  That’s when I saw that we could do a Scouts own for this and well I won’t sugar coat it it was awful…..we had the brownies fly up to junior and walk over this bridge we borrowed from our service unit and sang the friendship song.  We called names out and pinned the re-dedication girls handed out patches and well…..took pictures and it literally lasted one hour and 15 minutes and that was with the families eating and talking.  It was horrible.  I blame myself and this year that will not happen, simple decorations and food more on the ceremony.  But I did do a kick butt job on the decorations and take home goodies (-: !

Here are a few shots of the short and just plain not put together ceremony…I even made these for the girls to hold….it made no sense what so ever Oh I can not wait to redeem myself this year LOL

I had them all read a line from a poem that part worked out pretty well! (the socks with that dress on my daughter NOT so much)

Here is the poem :

I Am A Girl Scout
I am sunshine...the sparkle of merriment in the eyes of my youth.
I am a doorway out of the commonplace into a new, exciting experience.
I am a purpose-for-life, which will make the later years of the girls I love rewarding.
I am noise... and a silence with warmth in it.
I am laughter...and a quiet revolution, which seeks the comfort of a listener.
I am energy and a touch of living service.
I am youth and the slowly emerging habits that make matured experience worthy
I am the today and tomorrow that is being shaped.
I am habits, ideals, ways of living, confirmed attitudes in the souls of youth.
I am the giver of gifts that fall not away, that time will not quench, that riches will not deceive.
I am a home to which a heart can unfold.
I am a force that holds you near to each other no matter how different people are.
I am a spirit that forever sings within your heart.
I am love - deep, sincere, devoted love.
I am part of you - for though your feet may pass my door, in my memory you will live eternally.

I am a Girl Scout.

(Author Unknown)

Now back to what I did do well !

I wanted a photo booth so I made all the props and My co-leader at the time Abby hung all the streamers on the wall for a back drop. I didn’t get a good angle HECK I didn’t get any pictures but this and one other.  I had my now co-leaders husband act as photographer and I begged but only got a few from the parents.

My little ginger headed Brownie was quite fond of the mustache (-:

I also bought from oriental trading these key chains all the kids who came could make for their parents my daughters was a little less of a rainbow and more like a colorful chain LOL ~

My neighbors husband who had a daughter in the troop at the time made the cake I saw one on pinterest I loved and this cake genius made it even as his step daughter was too sick to be there!   (as for the had been in the troop yes this is a late post and sadly 4 of the girls dropped out and yes I have taken it hard )-:  but we have more coming!)

And because we are Girl Scouts when we realized we didn;t have a knife to cut the cake our GS Mom Jennifer used dental floss!

The parents all signed up to bring the food which was great or we would have just had cake at this point we spend the troop funds on the rental of the center so we needed to save for anything else we wanted to do this year (like  COSI).

I covered big cans in felt and added a rainbow touch for the forks and spoons to be held

And I knew that I wanted the girls to have a rainbow colored candy bar so I tried my best! Not as awesome as the ones I have seen but as long as they got the candy I don’t think the girls even noticed.

I even had little bags printed up for them to take their loot! (- ;

My now co-leader Erin made this awesome poster that the girls all signed too!

The girls had fun I do believe and our next one is just around the corner so planning begins…….NOW!