Canada Cord Flower Ceremony
Wendy Baker
Sparks Guider, Pathfinder Guider, Craft Trainer, Potential
Trainer, Chair of Division Composite Camp, District Commissioner
Central Area, Ganaraska Division, Sugarbush District
Before the ceremony starts I
usually give a little story about the girl and her
accomplishments. This ceremony is performed with the entire
District present. The girls like to have their mothers put on
their cord but the decision is theirs to make.
It is a flower ceremony and each
flower symbolizes a part of their Guiding life. The flowers are
colour coordinated to the branch of Guiding. Since I have not had
any girls yet who were sparks I have not added this branch to the
ceremony yet. There are a dozen flowers and depending on the
number of girls, the time of year, and our finances they can
easily be very inexpensive. A bunch or two of flowers from the
grocery store can often be made to work. I usually have 3
carnations sprayed, silver, gold and bronze as well as the yellow
rosebud.
The ceremony goes like this.
Guider:
- (name of girls) these flowers
are symbols of your life in Guiding. We know that your
own Guiding experiences will take you into a lifetime of
good deeds and prepare you for a life of service to
others, being always prepared for anything.
- These flowers remind us of
the world of nature which we in Guiding love and respect,
but each flower individually also reminds us or your
journey in Guiding.
Brownie Leader (presents
flower and says):
- This yellow daffodils
symbolize your days in Brownies, from your first days as
a nervous Tweenie to the day you proudly flew up to
Guides to meet new challenges awaiting you in Guides.
Guide Leader (presents
flower and says):
- This blue carnation
symbolized your days in Guides, when you meet your
challenges and were always prepared.
Girls Mother(s):
- This red rose reminds you of
the warmth of the hearth in your home. Your caring ways
with your family and friends have been enriched through
your challenges learned and homeskills practiced on your family and
friends.
Mayor of Town:
- This white carnation
symbolizes the Community Emblem which you earned,
learning about your community politically as well as how
to provide service to others in your community. How to
bring light into the lives of those less fortunate than
yourself.
Fellow Pathfinder:
- This pink rose symbolizes the
Camping Emblem. Camping has been a very important part of
your Guiding years. You have met many new challenges in
the out of doors through your camping experiences and
many new friendships with your fellow campers.
Fellow Pathfinder:
- This white carnation reminds
us of the World Emblem where we learned to preserve our
heritage on earth for future generations. We are the ones
who can bring global peace and unity in the future.
Fellow Pathfinder:
- This pink rose symbolizes
your ability to always Be Prepared for all your personal
challenges in life by applying the Guide Law and always
being honest and trustworthy.
Guider:
- This red rose symbolizes the
Be Prepared emblem where you learned to always Be
Prepared for all your personal challenges in life.
Guider:
- Having completed the three
stages of all of these emblems, silver, bronze and gold.
You have reached the end of the Pathfinder Program and so
you are now ready to begin your new challenges awaiting
you in Rangers as well as in life. As Roberta Bondar said
"Each goal achieved in Life was like a new badge
earned in Guides."
Ranger:
- Finally this yellow rosebud
symbolizes the new challenges and goals awaiting you in
your life ahead. Just as this bud is beginning to open,
so you have already begun to meet these new challenges.
Guider:
- This red ribbon ties all of
these flowers together just as your Canada Cord
encompasses all the work you have done as a Pathfinder.
- Congratulations ____ as a
Canada Cord recipient it is your destiny to share the
Guiding principles and be proud to be a Canadian.
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