CANDLE CEREMONIES- Candlelighting Ceremonies are very traditional in Girl Scouting. When used as part of an Investiture or Rededication Ceremony, the candles represent parts of the Promise and Law. Candlelighting Ceremonies can also be done with the candles representing other things as well. The limit is only the girls' imagination. If a ceremony of this type is desired for younger girls, an alternate solution would be to use flashlights with colored tissue paper covering the lights instead of different colors of candles. This also works when the facility you are using does not allow open flames (such as many schools).
JULIETTE LOW’S CANDLE CEREMONY
This can be used at most ceremonies, but it is preferred to be performed at Troop camping, bridging, court of awards, encampments, or Investiture/Rededication.
Candle for each girl
water bucket (with water in it)
Long ago a special ceremony was formed. Juliette Low wanted her original girls to carry a special spark with them as their Scout group broke up. Some from the troop were moving away, working to help their families or wanted to help a group of girls a little younger than themselves. But whatever their reasons, Juliette knew no other group would ever quite be the same. As the girls stood in a circle holding candles (they had made), Juliette knew what spark it was that she wanted to pass on.
She lit her candle and spoke.
"With this candle I give you each something very special to pass on. As I light the candle on my right I ask each of you to light the candle to your right and pass it on. I want you to carry this thought with you wherever you go. This is the ETERNAL FLAME for Girl Scouts. Each of you after having a lit candle before you will repeat the Girl Scout Promise with me, then pause and recall a few of the things we have done together as a group. I will hold my candle up and as I do so you will all raise yours and we will blow them out together. Before we separate from out circle, I want to ask you to keep this candle as a very special candle. It is not to be used for any purpose but passing on the ETERNAL FLAME. You may use it in other Girl Scout ceremonies such as camps, encampments, campfires, bridging or court of awards ceremonies. I'm glad we were able to start a special tradition based on our ETERNAL FLAME."
It is very effective if most of the lights are turned off (with just enough background mood light for reading the passage)
TWELVE COLOR CANDLELIGHTING CEREMONY
(RAINBOW CANDLELIGHTING CEREMONY)
Find one candle in each of the following colors (or tie a ribbon of each color to white candles). As each girl lights her candle one at a time she says what the color stands for:
· Silver stands for morning, the beginning of a new day, when each day presents a new challenge.
- Yellow stands for Daisy Low, the beginning of Girl Scouts.
- Pink stands for the girls in Girl Scouting.
- White stands for the purity in every Girl Scout's heart.
- Gold stands for the trefoil pin, which reminds us of our Girl Scout promise.
- Purple stands for courage to stand up for what we believe.
- Turquoise stands for water, which sustains life and gives us pleasure.
- Brown stands for the earth on which we live.
- Green stands for all plant life, which beautifies the earth.
- Red stands for fire, which glows for warmth and friendship.
- Blue stands for our sky under which we are all united by our Girl Scout ideals.
- Orange stands for the sunset, which signifies the closing of another Girl Scout day.
Materials: six assorted shaped, colored candles. The more mismatched the better. one tall, multicolored (if possible) candle in the center. A green taper candle for every participant.
GS in charge lights the tall candle in the middle: "Stars that shine together form a galaxy. Flowers that grow together create a garden. Buildings that stand together begin a city. People who work together make a difference. This is what valuing differences is all about."
1st Scout - (lights the first small candle) "I light this candle in friendship for all of the people who are older or younger, taller or smaller, richer or poorer than I."
2nd Scout - (lights the second small candle) "I light this candle in friendship or all people who worship differently than I."
3rd Scout - (lights the third small candle) "I light this candle in friendship for all people of a different nationality or ethnicity than I."
4th Scout - (lights the fourth small candle) "I light this candle in friendship for all people who are of a different color than I."
5th Scout - (lights the fifth small candle) "I light this candle in friendship for all people who come from other countries than I."
6th Scout - (lights the sixth small candle) "I light this candle in friendship for all people who don't run, walk, see, hear, or learn the same as I."
Girl Scout in charge lights her green taper from the tall middle candle and says "I light this candle for me, for I am unique and special." She then walks to the beginning of the horseshoe and the first girl lights her candle from the GS in charge and recites the line. The second girl lights her candle and recites, and so forth around the horseshoe.
"Watch the flames closely please. Notice the light from each candle is the same as the others even though the outside of each is different. So, too, are all of us in the world. We wear different clothes, speak different languages, follow different religions or beliefs, like different foods, and sing different songs. And yet, we all belong to the same human race. Inside we are all the same. We all wish to be recognized, we all wish to be called by name, we all wish to be loved, we all wish for friends, we all wish for peace. In the spirit of international understanding, we pledge ourselves to world friendship. (Pause for reflection) In the spirit of international understanding, we pledge ourselves to peacemaking. (Pause for reflection) In the spirit of international understanding, we pledge ourselves to accept the challenge to look wider still." (Pause for reflection) As Lord Baden-Powell once said, "Look wide! And when you think you are looking wide, look wider still." All Girl Scouts please raise your hand and recite the Girl Scout Promise.
Song: Girl Scouts Together:
Girl Scouts together that is our song - Winding the old trails, rocky and long - Learning our motto, living our creed - Girl Scouts together in every good deed. –
Girl Scouts together happy are we - Friendly to neighbors far o'er the sea - Faithful to country, loyal to home - Known as true Girl Scouts - Where ever we roam.
Girl Scouts together – stronger we grow, mothers and lawyers, women in space – we know no boundaries; the future’s our place.
Four Program Goals FLOATING CANDLES Ceremony
Floating candles – four scents/colors (enough of each for the number of participants)
White – gardenia Blue – wild jasmine
Red – black cherry Green – spiced apple
Taper candle – lit (passed and used to light the floating candles)
Basin of water – steel tub, etc.
Leader: The Girl Scout program has four fundamental goals that express the ways girls may benefit from the Girl Scout experiences.
1st voice: The white candles symbolize the development of each girl's full individual potential.
2nd voice: The gardenia scent fosters feelings of self-acceptance, unique self-worth, and empowerment. It reminds us to promote perception of self as competent, responsible, and open to new experiences and challenges. Encourage personal growth. Allows girls to utilize and practice talents and abilities.
3rd voice: The red candle symbolizes each girl's relating to others with increasing understanding, skill, and respect.
4th voice: The black cherry scent encourages us to help her develop sensitivity to others and respect for their needs, feelings, and rights. Promote an understanding and appreciation of individual, cultural, religious, and racial differences. Foster the ability to build friendships and working relationships.
5th voice: The blue candle symbolizes the development of values to guide her actions and to provide the foundation for sound decision-making.
6th voice: The wild jasmine scent represents helping her develop a meaningful set of values and ethics that will guide her actions. Foster an ability to make decisions that are consistent with her values and that reflect respect for the rights and needs of others. Empower her to act upon her values and convictions. Encourage her to reexamine her ideals as she grows and changes.
7th voice: The green candle symbolizes contributing to the improvement of society through the use of her abilities and leadership skills, working in cooperation with others.
8th voice: The spiced apple scent represents helping her develop concern for the well-being of her community and its people. Promote an understanding of how the quality of community life affects her own life and the whole of society. Encourage her to use her skills to work with others for the benefit of all.
Leader: Separately, these scents are pleasant. When lit and grouped together, they form a centerpiece worthy of our attention. Each girl brings her own individuality as a single scent and when lit, they become a beautiful bouquet.
GIRL SCOUT PROMISE AND LAW INTERPRETATION
(Each girl can light a candle as she says one part)
On my honor, I will try
It is a big promise to live up to, and the first words mean "I will do my very best".
To serve God and my country
I will honor God and will be faithful to my own religion. I will be a good citizen of my country.
To help people at all times
I will be ready and willing to help people anytime that I am needed.
And to live by the Girl Scout Law
I will try everyday to make the ten parts of the Girl Scout Law a part of my life.
I will do my best to be honest and fair
This means that people can trust us and that we treat others as we would like to be treated
To be friendly and helpful
We make ourselves useful, not just at home and among our friends, but whenever we see the chance to help
To be considerate and caring
We are thoughtful of the rights and feelings of others, and we care about them
To be courageous and strong
Having courage and strength doesn’t mean that we face things without fear, only that we try to do them whether or not we are afraid.
To be responsible for what I say and do
We cannot blame others for our own thoughts, words or actions
To respect myself and others
We have to like ourselves before we can like others, and we must respect other people for who and what they are
To respect authority
Rules are made to protect people and their rights. We follow rules without argument
To use resources wisely
Our natural resources won’t last forever. We will work to conserve them
To make the world a better place
We try to make our world a better place through our words and actions
To be a sister to every Girl Scout
Girl Scouts have friends all over the world and we share the same principals in our Promise and Law