PROPS: a "nest"; "wings" for each bridging Girl Scout; bridge; balloons and awards.

NEST: Paint a big nest on a tree branch on one long side of a cardboard refrigerator box. Make it big enough to cover the entire cardboard piece. Brace the "nest" on the ends so it will stand up (a triangle of 2x4's works great).

WINGS: Have each girl in the Troop create her own "wings" by choosing what kind of bird she would like to be. Wings are worn across the back of each girl, covering the back of their arms, and extending about 6" beyond their fingertips. To wear the wings, the girls put their arms through the loops of tape or straps that are attached to the underside of the wings.

-Cut a basic wing outline out of heavy paper. Wings should be about 4 to 6 feet long. (We made our wings about 56"x14")

-Each girl paints both sides of her own wings like real birds wings or design their own.

-After paint is dry, cover underside of the wings with clear contact paper. This adds strength to the wings and keeps paint from rubbing off on clothing (this side will be on the girls' back.)

-Make handle/loops- two pieces of heavy duty tape, one 15" and one 9". Center shorter piece on longer tape sticky side together. Attach loops on the underside (contact paper side) of each set of wings, at about where the mid-upper arm and wrist will be. At the ceremony, girls can re-tape loops over their arms.

-At ceremony, tape top of "wings" to the center back of girls' G.S. vests to hold up wings.

CEREMONY: All girls duck down behind the "nest" and one-by-one pop-up, say their letter lines, and pop down again. (Each girl in our Troop wrote their own - your girls may want to write their own)

J- is for jumpy, happy kids who play with friends.

U- is for united- that our Troop stays together to play games and have fun.

N- is for nature that we share and care for

I- is for important interests that make us more alike than different.

O- is for overnights that are exciting and super-cali-fragil-istic-exbe-ali-docious!

R- is for respect for myself and others, and the world around me.

S- is for songs we enjoy and love to sing.

ALL GIRLS STAND TOGETHER AND SAY: "Together we make JUNIORS! We're ready to cross the bridge to more exciting adventures!"

GIRLS FORM A BROWNIE RING BEHIND THE NEST

LEADER READS:

Three years have passed since you first stood

By the magic pool and learned you could

Do lots of things in a Girl Scout was

And truly live by the words you say.

Five Girl Scout Worlds have become yours

Well-Being, People, Out-of Doors

The worlds of Today, Tomorrow, and the Arts

Have broadened your sights and brought new starts.

In commitment to promises and showing your respect

Satisfaction from working together is what you expect.

So Brownie Girl Scouts fly on and find

That Junior Girl Scouts are true and kind.

Now we give you Brownie wings,

That you may fly to bigger things!

ALL BRIDGING GIRLS AND LEADERS SAY TOGETHER: "Now it's time to say goodbye. Break the ring and out you fly."

-First girl is GENTLY pushed out of the "nest" by the second girl, then goes across the bridge and is met by one of her Leaders and a Junior Girl Scout who help her take off her wings and Brownie G.S. vest, and put on her Junior G.S. vest.

-Leader hands her a balloon with her badges attached or inside and gives her the Girl Scout handshake.

-Each girl does the same. The last girl in the nest can be pushed out by the narrating leader OR she can "trip" out of the nest herself (the girl had a lot of fun doing her "trip" at our ceremony).

NEW JUNIOR GIRL SCOUTS STAND TOGETHER IN FRON OF THE STAGE.

LEADER CLOSES CEREMONY BY SAYING: "Please congratulate and welcome Junior Girl Scout Troop ______."