November started off with our Enrolment ceremony to welcome 7 girls into our Guiding family. The beginning of the meeting was spend practicing forming the horseshoe facing the opposite end of the room, going through the ceremony so everyone would know their parts, and setting up chairs, tables and the flag ready for parents to arrive.
Once everyone's guests had arrived, we opened by forming a horseshoe followed by a welcome to parents and family members.
7 returning Guides/Pathfinders had been chosen earlier in the evening to hold balloons and be part of the ceremony. One at a time they stepped into the centre of the horseshoe to read their piece and form a rainbow:
This balloon is red for all the happy campfires that Guides have.
This balloon is orange for sunset when we sing Taps.
This balloon is yellow for the sun that shines over all the Guides in the world.
This balloon is green for nature that Guides look after.
This balloon is blue for the sky that Guides see everywhere, everyday.
This balloon is violet for all the girls all over the world, who are in Guiding.
This balloon is white, for peace, which Guides around the world try to spread in their homes and communities.
The rainbow we see in the horseshoe represents the rainbow that appears often in nature. When you make your promise as a Guide, it should become part of your life, as the rainbow is part of the natural environment.
Tonight we are excited to welcome 7 new members into our Guiding family.
(This ceremony is based on one found online from Australia - unfortunately, I have been unable to trace the source.)
Each Patrol was then called up to present their new Guides, who were enrolled using the standard ceremony. Lastly, each Guide & Pathfinder was called up individually to receive their year pin, badges and challenge crests that have been earned so far this year.
We ended with juice and apple crumble bites, photographs and clean-up.
