Anyone a rainbow/brownie leader?

[mycatoscar]

My dd is in a rainbow group which she loves and cannot wait to be a brownie once she turns 7. However, the brownie pack does not at the moment have spaces for her (she is 7 in sept). I was hoping she could stay at rainbows for a little bit while we wait fir a place to come up at brownies. The rainbow leader has told me that she must leave as soon as she is seven because she won't be covered by their insurance anymore. Other parents have been quite surprised when I mentioned this as was.

Do any rainbow or brownie leaders know whether this is correct?

I could understand if there was a waiting list for the rainbow group ( there may well be) then of course she could leave, but I'm not convinced about the insurance thing.

Also, other parents have said that their daughters transition between rainbows and brownies was handled by the leaders communicating between rainbows and brownies. My daughter's leader has not done anything about it and simply said I should have contacted the brownie leader myself by now since there is a long waiting list for brownies.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Not sure about the insurance thing |(I'm a Rainbow parent, not a leader) however I'm pretty sure ours leave Rainbows at the half term after their 7th birthday, whether they have a place in Brownies or not.

You do have to put your name on the Brownie waiting list yourselves in our groups though, you don't automatically go up. Unlike our Scouts, where once you are in you move up automatically. We get told to get the names down for Brownies as soon as they start Rainbows because the waiting list is so long. Same for Rainbows, DD had her name down at 3.5 and didn't get in till several months after she was 5.

[Moshlingmummy]

I would think she could stay til oct half term or dec, but then she would have to move on. Have no idea about the insurance bit tho.

You do need to put your child's name down for brownies yourself it's not automatic, either by form (which you woud be given) or by phoning.

[mycatoscar]

Just to say I have no problem with sorting the brownies thing myself, but it does sound like others here were at least told they'd have to do it. I only found out by chance because I pushed for the information, ah well.

And yes i would have thought it would be something like they had to leave the half term after they were 7 or something. But I've been told she can go for the first week back in September and then has to leave as she'll be 7 by the 2nd week back and won't be covered by insurance. Just wanted to check this is correct as I'm sure all packs have the same insurance through girl guiding.

[woolleybear]

Hi

I am a Guide leader rather than Rainbows but I am fairly certain they are talking rubbish on the insurance thing. We have certainly don't turf Guides out the second they hit 14. Rainbows is a group for 5 to 7 year olds as far as I can see so I would see no problem with her staying a bit longer. I know my daughter (also september birthday) will be expected to stay til Christmas after she has turned 7. I can understand them saying it if she was approaching 8.

You do have to do your own thing with putting their names down on lists but like you say, when my dd started Rainbows I was advised to get her on a Brownie list. We suddenly have a huge lsit for Guides so she has gone down on that too!

[mycatoscar]

Thank you what you say makes perfect sense, I had assumed she might move up at Xmas and was really surprised when they said about the insurance thing! I think I will speak to them again.

[ToryLovell]

DD and her bf went to Rainbows together but her BF was 6 months older than her but quite shy. The leader was perfectly happy for BF to stay on past 7 so that they could both go up together.

However it was a small group with no waiting list, so don't know whether it might be to do with numbers waiting to join perhaps in your case?

[mycatoscar]

I'd be happy for her to leave to make room for someone but I know the group is undersubscribed and even if that was the case I can't understand why they would make stuff up about insurance.

[DeWe]

Round here it's until there is a space in Brownies usually. They move up at start of terms, not usually half terms. If a parent requests that a child stays in Rainbows with a friend who's the same academic year, but younger in the year then that's not problem, so up to two terms late.
There are huge waiting lists though, so maybe it would be better if they weren't as flexible.

[RueDeWakening]

I'm a Rainbow Leader. One of my current Rainbows didn't get a place with us (waiting list!) till she was nearly 7. She will be 8 in October, and is only leaving Rainbows at the end of this term. My district commissioner runs the Brownie pack she'll be going on to and is perfectly happy with this arrangement, the insurance thing is a nonsense.

I normally keep them at Rainbows till there's a space for them at Brownies, although given the current pressure on places and distinct lack of adult volunteers we may need to review that - can't have 9 year old Rainbows!

[libbyssister]

I'm a Brownie Leader and it is my understanding that there is some crossover of ages in each section. I'm
not sure about Rainbows but certainly my Brownies can go up to Guides when they're 10 and by the time they're 11, so there's a whole year for the transition to happen.

HOWEVER, recently I've had to ask Brownies to leave at the end of the term that they're 10 because I have a waiting list a mile long. Some girls that have been asked to leave have had spaces at Guides, and some haven't. Some of the parents were lovely about it, very understanding, thanked me for the 3 years they'd had at Brownies, their DDs made me cards and gave me small gifts etc, and some were awful, so ungracious and virtually demanded that their DDs either stayed or were given a place at Guides IMMEDIATELY! It was a total pain for weeks and really soured things.

Whatever your course of action do remember that your DD's Rainbow Leader is a hard-working volunteer who gives up her own time, unpaid, to provide your DD with a fun, enjoyable programme of activities. Give her a break! And if your DD has to wait until January for a place at Brownies it's not going to be the end of the world, now is it?

[MaureenMLove]

I'm happy to have Rainbows stay with me once they are 7 if there is not a place at Brownies. Similarly, if a girl is a bit nervous about going as soon as she turns 7, they can stay with me until they're ready.

I've always told parents this, so I must have read it somewhere, because I turn the same line out often!

[MaureenMLove]

Bit odd that she's happy to have her back for just a week in September too! From a purely book keeping point of view, it'd make more sense to finsh at the end of term, be it summer or Christmas!

[crazycarol]

According to the Guiding manual (the rules!) the age for moving up to Brownies is "Between her seventh birthday and seven years six months". This is to allow girls to move up with her friends and also to allow for the difference in development in girls. However a more mature 7 year old will find some of the activities in Rainbows a bit "boring and babyish".
The rules also go on to say
The age of transfer is flexible. A girl moves on to the next section when she:

?has reached the minimum age for entry into the new section
?has found out about the new section and the unit to which she is moving
?feels ready and happy to make the transfer

There is nothing about insurance it is just about the girl!
(A Brownie Leader)

[mycatoscar]

Thank you everyone.

Just to reiterate; I have no problem with waiting for a place at Brownies, I have no problem with her leaving if there is a waiting list and I really do appreciate the work that the volunteers do. I regularly thank them and have offered to help out many many times. I used to be a volunteer at Brownies myself and I am now a teacher who does a lot of clubs voluntarily, I know what hard work it is and I thoroughly appreciate it. Infact I am planning on becoming a unit volunteer again once she starts Brownies as it's later in the evening after I finish work.

I really was not having a go at the leader, just making sure I have been told the right thing. I intend speaking to them again about it as the leader who insisted to me about the insurance has now left.

I will be annoyed if they insist about the insurance as I now know that isn't true. I don't like being misled on purpose.

Thanks again everyone, brilliant advice.

[inmysparetime]

My DD stayed at Brownies until the half term after she turned 7.6! Even so, she had a half-term's wait for a space in brownies. A neighbour never made it to the top of the rainbow or brownie lists and chose a quieter brownie group when she was aged 8.4.
There was none of this palaver with DS and scouting, why is guiding so oversubscribed?

[inmysparetime]

First sentence oops, she was 7.6 when she left rainbows

[mycatoscar]

I guess because there is a lack of volunteers and because it is so popular inmysparetime. My dd loves going and I would love for her to carry on until guides like I did, so I am going to Volunteer in september.

[Groovee]

Due to people mixing up dd's age she stayed in rainbows until she was well over 7.

It sounds like they have a huge waiting list and need the places. Are they coming across as sympathetic or aggressive about it?

I have 3 girls who will leave me in June to move to guides as they will all be 10 and are looking forward to visits to guides. I'll miss them. But not once has anyone up above told me I can't keep them once they are 10.

[mycatoscar]

The group is undersubscribed (I do know this for a fact) and even if this was the case I would expect them to be honest and say that is why she must leave, not make things up that are not true.

The leader who spoke to me about the insurance was pretty agressive about it, I think thats what has annoyed me. She has however, left now so I will speak to the remaining leader who is a lot more approachable.

I really don't want to upset the leaders, which I why I thought I would ask advice here first. I am now thinking the leader who told me about the insurance was either confused or possibly embarassed about not knowing the answer and said the first thing that came into her head. It wouldn't be the first time that has happened with that leader.

[RedHelenB]

I think your Rainbow leader is telling the truth as my dds's Brown Owl had the same problem re insurance & the Brownie group was very small at the time, She was allowed to stay a bit longer though.

[Groovee]

I've just looked on our leaders section and found this

The age of transfer is flexible. A girl moves on to the next section when she:

has reached the minimum age for entry into the new section
has found out about the new section and the unit to which she is moving
feels ready and happy to make the transfer.

[FlorenceMattell]

Hi
Also brownie leader. Insurance answer not correct. Our pack is oversubscribed, so rainbows transfer to us between 7 and 7.6 years. Any girl doing a brownie activity is insured. That is;- girls attending our brownie Christmas party who are not brownies. Girls on their first two trial weeks.
I would speak to your rainbow leader and find out if another reason. If they are not oversubscribed,difficult to think of one. Unless your dd has outgrown rainbows. In which case maybe she could jump list for the brownies. Maybe speak to district commissioner. Guiding UK are keen for more girls to join and definitely not to leave Guiding.