Guiding is full of traditions and celebrations! In Episode 6, we discuss enrollment and advancement ceremonies and what some of our own celebrations looked like when we were girls. Taryn and I also get into a discussion about healthy living and what that means in today's world. Tying into that, this week's feature on SWAGGYK is a sports superstar: Venus Williams. Lastly, in the spirit of guiding traditions, we have chosen Make New Friends as our campfire song.
Enrollment and Advancement
During our research, we found that there was not a lot of information circulating the internet about what exactly enrollment and advancement ceremonies are. There are, however, plenty of blogs and websites with recommendations for ceremony ideas, themes, and resources if you are looking to plan your own!
For those who aren't involved or are new to Guiding, enrollment is a special ceremony in which girls who are new to the branch or organization are officially enrolled into the branch and organization. Enrollment usually occurs after the girls have attended a minimum of two to three meetings, in order to ensure her commitment to the unit and organization. Advancement is another celebratory event during which girls in their final year of a branch are welcomed by older girls to move up to the next branch. This ceremony typically takes place near or at the end of the Guiding year (April - June, depending on how long your unit runs).
In the younger branches, such as Sparks and Brownies, there are many traditions associated with enrollment and advancement ceremonies. For example, Brownie ceremonies often include "props", such as the owl, toadstool, and pond/mirror. While owl and toadstool are standard props for regular Brownie meetings, the pond/mirror is particular to Brownie advancement ceremonies. The mirror symbolizes reflection and growth in a younger girl (Spark) who is ready to become a Brownie. As for Sparks, many of the elements of this branch (such as the gems and rainbow), come from Crystal's New Friend, a story often told at Spark enrollment ceremonies.
If you are interested in these stories, you can download Crystal's New Friend or The Brownie Story.
Healthy Living
When it comes to healthy living, it's about more than just eating good foods and exercising. In today's world, healthy living includes a strong focus on mental health, stress, coping, and relationships, as well as discussions about concussions, female health, and the awareness of a variety of conditions and causes.
Taryn and I talk about how teens are pushed to extremes when it comes to balancing between academics, extra curricular activities, family obligations, social time, and resting. The Girl Guide program in Canada reflects this shift in the types of activities and challenges it offers.
Venus Williams: She Was a Girl Guide, You Know?
Venus is an inspiration to so many young girls and women, and it's easy to see why. With 5 Olympic medals and 49 singles titles, she is known around the world as a tennis legend. She has broken records and smashed ceilings, however, it wasn't done as easily as we make it sound. Venus encountered many obstacles on her journey to success, including various confrontations with racism, numerous injuries, and her diagnosis of Sjögrens Syndrome. But all of that only proved to make Venus stronger, coming back to win titles and climb back up the rankings.
There's no doubt that Venus Williams is a superstar on the tennis court, but did you know that she is a star off the court as well? In addition to her long list of sporting achievements and awards, Venus is also the CEO of her own interior design firm, V Starr Interiors, and has her own fashion line, EleVen. She is also responsible for getting equal prize pay for women in tennis tournaments. WHOO, that is what feminism looks like!
On top of all of that, Venus was also a Girl Scout. During the 100th Anniversary celebration of GS, Venus spoke at an event where she encouraged women and girls to try new things, learn from their mistakes, and always be a leader.
"What helps you stay motivated is doing something that you love ... something that when you wake up in the morning, you want to be better at." - Venus Williams
Campfire: Make New Friends
This classic girl guide and scout song has its origin in a poem from Welsh composer, Joseph Parry. It is thought that New Friends Old Friends was adapted into a more child-friendly song, although there is no clear record of the date or credit for the song.
Often sung in a round, Make New Friends very much carries the same sentiment as the poem.
You'll notice that although the lines are different, they hold the same sentiment as the song interpreted for younger minds. In fact, there are also many, many verses of the song that have been added over the years. If you're curious, you can take a look at them.
As for Joseph Parry, he was a miner and ironworker by trade during his early life in Pennsylvania. It wasn't until he later returned to the United Kingdom when his work reflected his passions, studying and teaching music.
If you haven't done so already, listen to Episode 6: You're Invited to our Enrollment. You can also catch up on all of our previous episodes, either right here on our website or on your favourite podcast app (Spotify, Apple, Google, Anchor, etc.). They are a great way to spend an hour or so of your day, especially since most of you are stuck at home! Share it with your friends and family too, so that they may also learn what Guiding is all about.
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Wishing you all peace and good health,
Taryn & Marissa