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Girl Scout Brownie

Investiture Ceremony Sampler

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SAMPLE GIRL SCOUT BROWNIE INVESTITURES

Girl Scouts of all ages are officially welcomed into the Girl Scout and Girl Guide family at a special ceremony, called an investiture, where

they make the Girl Scout Promise and are invested with the symbols of Girl Scout membership – the Girl Scout and World Trefoil pins. Many

traditions have grown up around the investiture ceremony, but there is no “one right way” for girls to be invested, as long as each girl has a

chance to make her Promise and receive her pins.

Typically, every Girl Scout ceremony has three parts:

the opening, which begins the ceremony

the main part, which is the reason for having the ceremony, or the focus of the ceremony

the closing, which ends the ceremony.

Some of the resources girls might choose from as they plan the parts

of their ceremony are songs; music (recorded or performed live); poems, stories, essays and other readings; girls‟ own thoughts; flag

ceremonies; skits and short plays; campfires; candle-lighting.

Here are some sample “fun” openings for Brownie ceremonies from a Brownie Guider (leader) in the UK:

1: A simple marching dance to 'Entry of the Gladiators' brass music

(think circus) with pompoms. They also come in with cards spelling out “Brownies” and each pair says something to match their letter: We are

Brownies and we are brave', 'We are Brownies and we are brave and reliable', 'We are Brownies and we are brave, reliable, and observant'

and so on, to the last pair who say 'We are Brownies and we are

brave, reliable, observant, wide-awake, nice to know, industrious, enthusiastic and sensible'. (Your Brownies could use their own words,

in·ves·ti·ture (noun) 1. The action of formally investing a person with honors or rank.

2. A ceremony at which honors or rank are formally conferred on a particular person.

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of course.) They finish with a cheer-leader type spelling out of the

letters (“Give me a „B‟!”) and a cheer.

2: Another thing the girls love is a marching sequence going round in a spiral and then unwinding, while they repeat after me a chant I've

made up - loads of verses, like 'We're Brownie Guides and we're so cool, best at home and best in school' with a chorus of 'Sound off - one

two, sound off -three four- bring it on down - 1, 2, 3,4,1,2 - little skip here – 3, 4.' like USA army marching. For the last chorus we whisper

it, then absolutely holler it, which always makes the parents jump and t h e Brownie's giggle.

MAGIC POND INVESTITURES

Version One: A very traditional investiture that uses “The Brownie Story” (on pages 18-21 of the Brownie Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting) as the basis of the ceremony. Girls may choose an opening and

closing for the ceremony, or the adult volunteers may simply welcome

family and friends before the “magic” begins.

Props Needed: Brownie Girl Scout “pond” (can be constructed from a piece of cardboard covered with foil or Mylar and bordered with real or

artificial greenery, or from a mirror bordered with real or artificial greenery.) If you’re lucky enough to have one nearby, use a real pond!

You will also need Girl Scout Brownie and World Trefoil Pins for each new member. They can be placed on the floor or a tray by the pond.

Lay pond on the floor in the middle of the ceremony area. If desired,

new members can be sent outside with the assistant leader. If new girls stay in the room, they should be on one side of the pond and the

returning Brownies should be on the other. All stand or sit around the “pond” and then the leader says the magic words:

Ceremony:

Leader:

“Cross your little fingers, stand upon your toes

That’s a bit of magic every Brownie knows. Now we all are standing in a forest glade;

Listen very carefully, see the magic made.”

If the new Brownies have been sent outside, the girls knock on the door.

Leader: “Who comes to the Brownie woods?” Brownies-to-be: “We do”

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Leader: “What do you want?”

Brownies-to-be: “We want to be Girl Scout Brownies”

The leader may ask why, and the girls may give their own reasons

(prepare girls before the ceremony if you plan on asking!) Then they enter and gather around the pond. At this point you may have a

simple dramatization of the Brownie Story by the older Brownies, or the leader may tell or read the story to the girls.

Leader: Who comes first (or next) to the Magic Pond?

Leader: (Reads girls names, one by one, alphabetically) Leader: Turns girls, one by one, while saying:

“Twist me and turn me and show me the elf. I looked in the water and saw ” *

Girl: Myself!

When every new Brownie has “twisted and turned”, the leader says:

”Uncross your little fingers, down from off your toes Then the magic goes away, everybody knows.”

“Now we are back in our real world, and for you to become a real Girl Scout Brownie, you must make your Girl Scout Promise.” [Makes Girl

Scout sign.] “Please make the Girl Scout sign and join me in making

your Promise. „On my honor…‟” After girls make their Promise, the leaders pin on World Trefoil and Brownie Pins and give girls the Girl

Scout handshake and welcomes them to Girl Scouting.

Close with refreshments or snacks.

If ALL the Brownie parents want to purchase the Brownie beanie for their daughters, the beanie can be placed on the new Brownie’s head

at this point. If only some girls have the beanie, they simply wear it with their uniform.

BROWNIE STORY IN RHYMING VERSE

Girls can “dress up” and act out their parts if they choose!

Traditionally, Brownies without a speaking role become trees in the forest where Mary and Betty visit Mrs. Owl and the magic pond,

If this will be the main part of your ceremony, troop volunteers

welcome family and friends and set the stage for the Brownie Story.

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Scene I (at home)

Grandma: (speaking to children)

Oh, me, oh, my, I've worked so hard

To clean this house all day - I think that you should help a bit,

But all you do is play.

Father:

I've chopped the wood and swept the walk

The cows and pigs are fed, My poor old back is aching and

My legs feel like they're dead!

Grandma:

Some folks I know had all the luck;

A brownie used to come And wash the dishes, sweep the floor,

And pick up every crumb.

Father:

I wish we had a brownie so That we could rest a bit. Where could we find one?

OH--the wise old owl--that's it!

Scene II (the wood) Mary:

Oh! Here's the tree in which the owl

Has built her little nest

I hope that she'll be wise and not Say no to my request.

Betty:

Oh, Mrs. Owl, please help me

For you're so very wise; I want to find some brownies

To take home as a surprise.

Mary and Betty: We play all day and do not help

At home a little bit.

We haven't any time to spare

From play, I must admit.

Owl: To-whit, to-whoo, there’s no reason

You had to to roam;

For there are brownies living with

Your Grandma in your home.

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Mary: How can that be?

Why they have never shown themselves at all!

Please tell me - are they fat or thin,

And are they short or tall?

Betty: Please tell me how to find them

I will do just what you say If I could help my Grandma I would thank you every day.

Owl:

Go to the lake-the moon is bright And turn three times around Then

gaze into the pool and there A

brownie will be found.

But first you say some magic words Before you start to look

And there they are - you'll find them

Written in that open book.

Mary and Betty: Twist me and turn me,

And show me the elf-

I looked in the water and saw ."

Owl:

To-whit, to-whoo, I'm really such

A very wise old bird Do what I've told you, then you'll find

The missing magic word!

Scene III (another part of the wood) Mary and Betty:

Well, here I am - I'll say the verse

While looking in the pool

And I shall see the Brownie

Gazing up through the waters cool.

"Twist me and turn me and show me the elf, I looked in the water and saw… MYSELF.”

Mary:

Let’s go home and make a plan

To surprise our father and dear old Grand.

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Betty:

They’ll think the brownies are back to stay!

And we know they’ll never go away.

Mary and Betty: Brownies we are and Brownies we'll stay, Keeping our Promise in every way.

Leader:

We hope you now understand where the name Brownies comes from. When we make our Girl Scout Promise we go through the woods and

to the magic pond, where we say the same rhyme that Betty did.

She calls the names of the new Brownies one by one; they come to the magic pond, say the twist-me-and-turn-me rhyme, then face their

leaders, make the Girl Scout sign and make their Promise. The leaders

present the World Trefoil and Girl Scout Brownie pins, give the Girl Scout handshake, and one-by-one the girls form a half circle behind

the pond. When all the girls have been invested, they close by singing “The Brownie Smile Song” or other troop favorite.

BROWNIE GOLD TRAIL/WALK

This is fun to do outdoors on a real trail, but can be done indoors with

the room decorated to resemble woods with a “golden” trail marking the way to the Brownie Woods. In the woods is a wise old owl (picture

or stuffed toy) in a tree. The trail may be made of construction paper, cardboard, or crepe paper. Be creative!

Girls to be invested proceed down the “path” accompanied by other

members of the troop, girls from a sister troop, or the leader may lead the girls. At each “obstacle”, girls tell about Brownie Girl Scouting,

earning their way to the Brownie Woods. The leader or experienced girls may help with the answer.

Girl Scout Member or Troop Leader:

”Come along and take my hand We’ll follow the path to Brownie Land

To find the woods, well walk the golden mile But first, sing a song about a Brownie smile.”

(Girls sing “The Brownie Smile Song”)

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[Obstacle may be a chair to climb over, etc.]

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Girl Scout member or leader: ”Becoming a Brownie is a special thing We do our business in a Girl Scout Brownie ”

(New girls answer “Ring”)

[Obstacle should resemble a door - strips hung from the ceiling will

work.]

Girl Scout member or leader:

”This is the door to the Brownie woods Knock, then answer the way you should.”

(new girls “knock” on the door) Leader: “Who comes to the Brownie woods?”

Brownies-to-be: “We do” Leader: “What do you want?”

Brownies-to-be: “We want to be Girl Scout Brownies”

Leader: “Then enter the magic woods.”

New girls enter the woods. Leaders take each girl to the pond, one by one. All Brownies in the woods repeat as she is twisted:

“Twist me and turn me and show me the elf I looked in the water and saw ”

Girl: “Myself!”

Leader: “Now is the time your Promise to make;

But first give me the Sign and Shake.”

All new girls give the leader the Girl Scout Sign and handshake.

The new Girl Scouts say the Girl Scout Promise together. Leader pins the girls‟ Brownie pins on upside down and says:

”Now you are a Brownie Girl Scout; With your first good deed, turn your pin about.”

[When they have done their first “good turn” they may pin their pin on right-side-up.)]

Leader: “The magic is over, our ceremony ends; Time to leave this forest and join our friends.”

Refreshments or snacks end the meeting.

“GONE FISHING” INVESTITURE OR BRIDGING CEREMONY

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Ahead of time: Girls make paper trees and flowers along a “river

bank”. For each girl to be invested, girls make a paper-plate fish tail and two fins. They make a large fishing rod, with string and an extra-

large cardboard hook. A fish net and a great big fisherman hat with lures would add to the fun! You could use crepe paper and streamers

in several shades of blue and green for your “river.”

1. Girls already in the troop hold the streamers to form the stream or river. They can go across as well as side to side. The girls

wave the streamers to make waves. In a new troop, older Girl

Scouts or parent helpers could make the waves. 2. A fishtail is attached to the back of each girl to be invested, and

a fin to each arm. Each girl is then put in the river to swim. Other girls can be fish too, if your unit is large.

3. Each new Girl Scout is "hooked" by the troop leader at the top of

the stream, who listens to her Promise, pins her, and puts her back in the water. This continues until everyone being invested

has been "hooked", said her Promise and been pinned. 4. Girls end their investiture with a song – “Brownie Smile Song,”

“Where’re You Make a Promise,” “Make New Friends,” etc.

Additional Ideas: Have a blue punch, goldfish crackers and other theme related food. This adds to the fun!

“T HE NORTHWIND” INVESTITURE

This is a great ceremony if you hold off on your investiture until

December! Or, adapt it to fall leaves blowing in the wind, for an earlier ceremony.

Ahead of time: Girls make paper snowflakes and snowmen to

decorate your meeting place. They make snowflake headgear for everyone in the troop except returning members of the troop who will

be playing the part of the North Wind.

1. All girls being invested are wearing their snowflake head gear; they are “snowflakes.” They are dressed in white or in their

Brownie uniform with white streamers tucked into their pants, belts, etc.

2. The North Wind blows (i.e. your helpers howling, whistling and

floating through the room.). 3. The Brownie “snowflakes” are scattered, they move around the

room as if blown by the wind.

4. One helper catches one of the new girls and brings her to the troop leader who, after listening to her Promise, pins her.

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5. The North Wind blows again and the snowflake rejoins the

storm. The next helper catches another “snowflake” and the process repeats itself until they are all finished.

Additional Ideas: Have a frosty white punch, make snowflake

invites for your special guests. “Wandering Wind” is a good themed song.

BROWNIE INVESTITURE FOR ONE OR TWO GIRLS

- from Vicky White, Brownie Guider, UK

At the end of troop meeting, the Brownies all stand in a “horseshoe” formation. Parents are sitting in the “gap” and the troop leaders stand

at the top of the semi-circle.

A leader briefly tells the Brownie story (mainly for the benefit of

the parents).

An “experienced” Brownie buddy takes the hand of the Brownie about to make her Promise, and leads her to the troop leader.

Experienced Brownie: "This is ......... and she wants to be a Brownie"

Troop Leader: "Will you please take her to the magic pond."

The experienced Brownie then leads the new Brownie in and out of the other Brownies‟ arms (as in „Go in and out the windows') - their arms are like the

trees in the forest.

In the center of the horse-shoe there is either a large mirror or a piece of

cardboard covered in foil to resemble a pond. For effect you can also make grass, flowers etc.

The troop leader, the new Brownie, and her buddy meet at the pond. While

the new Brownie is turned by her experienced friend, the troop says: "Twist me and turn me and show me the elf. I looked in the water, and saw....."

New Brownie (leaning over to see her face in the pond): "Myself!"

She then turns to the leader, who asks her…

Leader: "Do you know the meaning of the Girl Scout Promise?

New Brownie: "Yes"

Leader: "You know that when you make a promise you must keep it?"

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New Brownie: "Yes"

Leader: "Are you ready to make your Promise as a Girl Scout Brownie?"

New Brownie: "Yes"

The Brownie makes the Girl Scout Sign then makes her Promise. The leader pins on her membership pins, and welcomes her to Girl Scouting with the Girl

Scout Handshake. She might say something privately to the girl, along the lines of, "I trust you to keep that promise at home, school, etc. – something personal to that girl.

The Brownie then turns around to face the troop and the Leader says, "......

is now a member of troop -------" and every-one applauds. The new Brownie and her buddy re-join the horseshoe for “Taps” or other closing song.

”I AM A BROWNIE GIRL SCOUT” REDEDICATION CEREMONY

Opening: Sing “Brownie Smile Song” or other Girl Scout song.

Girls line up, with cards turned inward or on the floor. They “flip” or hold up card as they speak.

Leader: “Brownies are Girl Scouts who are in the second and third

grades. They have their own Brownie vest or sash and a special Brownie pin, but they are GIRL SCOUTS!”

Girl #1 G is for Girl - that’s why we are here

Girl #

2

I is for Interest - without that we wouldn’t care

Girl #3 R is for Ready - to work, help, and play

Girl #4 L is for Living - the Girl Scout way

Girl #5

S is for Seeking - to learn, to explore

Girl #6 C is for Country - well do our share and more

Girl #7 O is for Obligation - to live up to the Promise we’ve

made

Girl #

8

U is for Unity - together, one for all

Girl #9 T is for Trust - without that, we’d all fall

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All: I am a Girl Scout Brownie!

Girl 10: I have a Promise. It has three parts. Girl Scouts and Girl

Guides all over the world are sisters and friends in this Promise.

All: Repeat the Girl Scout Promise – Option: Sing “Whenever You Make A Promise” or “On My Honor” or other appropriate song as chosen by

girls.

Girl 11: I have a Law. I try to live by it every day, at home, at school, with my friends and at play.

All: Repeat the Girl Scout Law

Girl 12: I have a motto - “Be Prepared”. This means that I can be

depended upon to help whenever I am needed. I want to be ready to help.

Girl 13: I have a slogan - “Do a good Girl Scout turn daily”. I will try

to help other people every day.

Girl 14: I have a Sign. I make the Girl Scout Sign whenever I say the Girl Scout Promise. The three fingers stand for the three parts of the

Promise. I stand [or sit, for girls with a disability] straight and tall when I make the Girl Scout Sign. This reminds me to think straight

and to realize my duty as a citizen. I give the Girl Scout sign and Left Handshake to other Girl Scouts and Girl Guides because it is the sign

of friendship.

Girl 15: I have a uniform and am proud to wear it. My uniform shows I am part of a big family of Girl Scouts and Girl Guides all around the

world. When I wear my uniform, it helps me remember to live by the Girl Scout Law.

All: Sing “On My Honor” or “She Wears A G for Generosity”

SAMPLE WORLD TREFOIL PIN PRESENTATION

Leader #1: “We are happy to present to each of you the World Trefoil pin. This pin tells everyone that you are a member of the largest

organization for girls in the world: the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. You may wear this pin whether you are in uniform or

not. Fasten it just above your Girl Scout Brownie pin.

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Leader #2: “When you wear this pin, you are saying that you are a

friend to all Girl Guides and Girl Scouts wherever they might be around the world.

“Now we will hear what the colors and symbols of the pin mean.”

Girl #1: “The color blue stands for the sky which is over us all, and

the yellow-gold color stands for the sun which shines on Girl Scouts and Guides everywhere.”

Girl #2: “The Trefoil is the symbol of Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting in

all countries; its three leaves represent the three parts of our Promise. The two stars represent the Promise and the Law.”

Girl #3: “The vein of the leaf in the middle of the Trefoil represents a

compass needle, which guides us to go the right way.”

Girl #4: “The stem of the Trefoil is shaped like a flame. This stands

for the love of all people and the flame of friendship -- the friendship of all Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the world.”

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