Girl Scout Memories

Personal Background:

My sister is a senior in high school in Huntington Beach, California. She has been very involved with cross country and track and field in her school. She will be graduating this year, 2014, and will be studying art when she gets to college.

Folk Song:

When Katie was in girl scouts in elementary school, there were songs all the girls sang when all the meetings were finished.

“Make new friends but keep the old/ One is silver and the other gold/ A circle is round, it has no end/ That’s how long I want to be your friend.”

This is sometimes repeated a few times, depending on who is leading the group. While the girls sing this song, they are holding hands. One of the girls starts a trend of squeezing one of the hands from a girl next to her. It then goes around the circle until everyone’s hand has been squeezed. It was a way to make sure everyone there knew they were friends. Katie was able to feel a connection with the rest of the girls after all of this was done. She said she does not really remember being taught the song, it was just something everyone knew. The leaders started it and the girls just started catching on. It definitely had an impact on her life since she is still able to remember it about ten years later.

Analysis:

This is a folk song because it is not something that is copyrighted. It is a simple song for young girls to remember, and it is filled in with small rituals to end the meetings. It is only a song a girl scout would know, making it very exclusive to be part of the group.

To me, this is a way to show important friendship can be to young girls. It can inspire them to really help their community. I feel it is also important to let them know as they change, keep some things the same.