Friendship Bells


This page will explain Friendship Bells that are a fun part of our Girl Scout Day Camp.
bell picture
About Friendship Bells

Girls around the United States have collected friendship bells for many years. The use of the bell is an old custom from Thailand. The Thais believe the sound of the bell pleases the good spirits and brings good luck, great fortune, health and happiness. They also believe the sound of the bell drives away the evil spirits.

In 1964, girls from Mile Hi Council who attended the Girl Scout National Roundup came back with friendship bells and began presenting bells to others along with the words to a song from The Sound Of Music:
“A bell’s not a bell until you ring it,
A song’s not a song until you sing it,
Love in your heart wasn’t put there to stay,
Love isn’t love until you give it away.”
Friendship bells are given in troops, at inter-troop and unit activities, at camp, etc.

Many girls attach their bells to a macrame piece, called a Bell Cord, that can be tied onto their belt or hang on the wall.
(Click here to see how to make this.)
Bells can range in size from very tiny to quite large. The larger ones might be difficult to carry around, however, and would be more suited for display and given on very special occasions.
--Excerpted from: “Countries and Cultures, A Resource Guide for Girl Scout Day Camp”
Mile Hi Council - Denver, Colorado 1999

I was told that in the 1960's and 1970's that some Columbine Council Girl Scouts used the bells on their backpacks to scare away the bears and mountain lions while hiking. The animals didn't like the loud noise.

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Friendship Bells Ceremony
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Have one bell for every person participating in the ceremony. Pick 4 girls to represent the 4 directions of the compass. They will make up "the tree" that you will hang the bells on. Have them stand back to back, shoulder to shoulder to face the 4 directions of the compass. Have them put their arms up (one high and one low) and spread their fingers wide. You will hang the bells off their fingers. Have the rest of the girls make a circle around them. You can be "the caller" or choose another girl to do it.

The callers says "Bells to the North" and the girl who is facing North bows and straightens up. "Bells to the South" and the girl who is facing South bows and straightens up. "Bells to the East" and the girl who is facing East bows and straightens up. "Bells to the West" the girl who is facing West bows and straightens up. "Bells to the Girls/Troop/whatever group it is that you have" and the girls circling "the tree" take one bell.

This is best done at the end of the meeting or camping trip so that there are less lost ones AND less noise.

I don't know who originated this ceremony but it has been a part of Mile Hi Council's Adams County Fairgrounds Day Camp since before I started helping there in 1990.

Here are pictures of some of my bells I've exchanged over the last 11 years. Click on their pictures to see a closeup of them.
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Swap Bells from a Virtual Camp done at Yahoo Group Guiding On the Go. Silver "Camel" bells were used for this. I don't recommend them for camp because birds will eat them if lost and they don't need the metal in their bodies.

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Bells made by MamaHawk for a Halloween Phantom Gift Bag
Info coming soon

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Bells made by MamaHawk for a Halloween Phantom Gift Bag

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Bells given to me in a Halloween Phantom Gift Bag
Info coming soon



Created 06/30/00
Updated 07/31/04

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