Submitted by Nicole DeCrette
Mountain Communities
Steamboat Springs
On Sunday, September 9, 2018, the Girl Scouts of the Mountain Communities region in Routt County (Steamboat Springs) celebrated together and held their bridging ceremony at a lovely local park on a gorgeous fall day. In addition to the expected traditions of the event, we added a personal touch we’d like to share inspired by the new Girl Scout anthem “Watch Me Shine.” Our girls ranged in age from six through adult and we wanted to find a way to both come together and feel unified as Girl Scouts, yet acknowledge and honor the contributions of each girl publicly. Just before the ceremony, we asked each troop leader to take a strip of paper and in green marker write down words that describe the personality and contributions of each girl. When the girls were called up to bridge, the leader would share what she wrote with everyone present– from moms and dads to grandparents and community members. As they walked across the bridge to move up in rank, they added their link to create a chain. Wow! We saw a lot of smiles from our girls – shining with pride! It gave families a way to see their girls’ unique and beautiful attributes take center stage. While simple to do, and required little extra time or money, this symbolic gesture was the thing that everyone spoke of after the ceremony was over. We will hold onto that chain and perhaps start a new tradition adding onto it as the amazing young women of Girl Scouts in Colorado continue to shine and make a difference in our communities.
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