Normally, our Girl Scout Bridging ceremony is an excuse for a party! I love it as the one chance a year that we can generally get every Scout in my troop, plus a parent or two for each of them, in the same place at the same time to celebrate. We have a group photo, a potluck meal, and ample time to sit around in lawn chairs and gossip while the kids do their own kid things.
That did not happen this year.
Our traditional Bridging ceremony wouldn't work as-is during a pandemic, and the kids were uncertain what they wanted to do to replace it, so when I suggested that maybe we'd want to tack our Bridging onto a camping trip that we were planning, they agreed.
And that's what we did!
Overall, five of my Girl Scout troop of 13 Bridged to the next level this year, including both of my own kids.
Syd, who in her three years as a Cadette earned the Summit Award, sold over 2,600 boxes of Girl Scout cookies, completed her Silver Award TAP, challenged her fear of heights, and volunteered for both the community and the Girl Scout organization, is now a Senior Girl Scout.
Will, who in her two years as a Senior Girl Scout also earned the Summit Award, sold over 2,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies, volunteered far and wide, figured out what she wants to do for her Gold Award, and challenged herself to earn a huge number of badges in a wide variety of fields, is now an Ambassador Girl Scout. The next time she Bridges, it will be to become an adult member.
It's a privilege to watch my own kids grow up in company with the other amazing young women in my troop. It's an honor to be allowed to mentor kids through challenges, and a joy to watch them persevere, succeed, give their time and energy in service to others, work to learn something new, or just be happy together. I'm as excited for our next adventures as any of them ever are, and I'm particularly excited for our most imminent next adventure--we're going to earn the Space Science badges, and as part of that?
Two words: MODEL ROCKETS.
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