Make New Friends is a scout song that encourages young children to value their old friends even as they meet new people along the way. Starting with the 1960s, Girl Scouts would sing the Make New Friends But Keep The Old as they chanted and danced around a fire. The premise was that in the camp setting there is an eagerness and excitement to see new faces and make new acquaintances. Today, this song is one of the most popular song among girl scouts along with Little Sally Walker.
One could easily get carried away by excitement to discard the friends who accompanied them to the camp. The song likens a new friend to silver but an old friend is more or less like gold.
Make New Friends But Keep The Old
Make new friends,
But keep the old.
One is silver,
And the other, gold.
A circle’s round
It has no end
That’s how long
I’m gonna be your friend.
A fire burns bright,
It warms the heart.
We’ve been friends,
From the very start.
You help me,
And I’ll help you
And together
We will see it through.
The sky is blue
The Earth is green
I can help
To keep it clean.
Across the land
Across the sea
Friends forever
We will always be.