Everyone’s BBYO story is a little different, starting from their first experience. Some are convinced to go by a friend who guides them along the way. Some are told about it for years by their older sibling until their own joining seems inevitable. Others go in almost completely blind. Wherever on the range a BBG starts, she’ll be glad to have the essentials of the BBG starter pack.

The BBG Starter Pack

Enthusiasm to Learn Cheers

 Spirit circles are the universal language of BBG. All over the world, BBGs know the heartbeat of their order. At first, they may feel like the words, tunes, and references are entirely foreign. You’re gathered in a circle by a stream of girls, screaming in unison. It almost seems like a flash mob; everyone is pulled by the same thread. Maybe someone comes up to you expectantly, but you’re not sure what the correct response to their call is. A girl beside you whispers the words to say, and suddenly, you feel a little more a part of this order.

Have no fear, BBG, soon you will become fluent. Before you know it, you’ll be the one inside the circle, calling for a response. Soon you will be sharing your region-specific cheers with the international order. You will be comparing chapter chants across hundreds of miles. 

Dedication and Persistence

If a BBG so chooses, she may decide to run for board one day. Elections are a time to lay your goals, ideas, and passion out for your chapter to see. I’m taking the next step in my journey, you tell them, and you must listen to their response. It could go one of two ways.

One: When they ask, “Is there a [your position] in the house?” they respond with your name. You won. Your dedication materialized into your new position. Congratulations, BBG.

Two: Whatever happens, it didn’t go as you expected. They didn’t say your name. Maybe you slid to another position and won; maybe you didn’t. You showed them your dedication, you laid out your vision, your speech, and your heart. You ran because you believed you’d be the best for the position, but the chapter ultimately didn’t share the same vision. 

That’s ok.

It’s ok because you have persistence, BBG. It came in your starter pack. You know how to pick yourself back up, dust yourself off, and head in whatever direction you choose. You can reroute. Your path was never set in stone; it molds as you grow. 

Willingness to Cry in Front of People You Just Met

Soon, you’ll learn what separates are. You’ll sit next to your sisters, while another one of you walks around, creating a meaningful moment for you all. Maybe you’ll express your gratitude for your experiences, each other, or yourself. Maybe you’ll speak to your future self, address your past, or manifest your future. Whatever it may be, don’t be afraid to cry. There may be girls you don’t know well, but they understand BBG as you do. Let your guard come down during separates; cry if you feel moved to.

Or maybe it’ll be Havdalah, marking the start of the week, but often the end of a journey. The end of a program, the end of a convention, the end of a summer program, your beloved seniors’ last BBYO Havdalah, or maybe even your own. You’ll start by smelling the spices, but by the end, your arms will be wrapped around each other, everyone a single mass swaying to the rhythm. You’ll be singing songs you know so well that you can just allow your voice to shift to autopilot as your eyes scan around the circle, taking this moment in. When you release your arms, go and hug those you care about. Thank them for spending Shabbat with you. 

Openness to Expand Your Chosen Family

Throughout your journey, you will no doubt meet fellow BBGs who will begin to feel like sisters. You’ll wrap your arms around them at Havdalah, swaying to the songs you know well. You’ll take photos with them before any Shabbat program you attend, whether it’s in someone’s backyard, at a convention, or under the Perlman tree. You’ll see them on summer programs, at conventions, and on call during the gaps. You will spend a few years with these acquired sisters; maybe you’ll be in the same chapter, region, or maybe only the Order unites you. You’ll anxiously text each other as you arrive at IC and run to reunite. Things will feel like there was never any distance between your friendship. Either way, one day you will both become alumni, but you will forever be tied by your experiences and secret language: BBG.