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AIBU?

to put DD on the waiting list for both Rainbows and Beavers?

45 replies

DrSeuss · 28/05/2011 14:06

Just don't know what she'll fancy when we get to the right age. Obviously, we would only ever take up one of the places but how to know if she'll be a tomboy or a bit more girlie? She has a big brother so won't want for the company of boys. Is it wrong to register for both and not tell them?

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K999 · 28/05/2011 14:07

Its not wrong at all. Register her for both.

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lukewarmmama · 28/05/2011 14:11

Nope yanbu, I've done the same.

Although the reply I got from beavers was almost along the lines of 'no girls here, run along dear'. But it may change in the next few years and at least she's on the list so she an have a choice.

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LindyHemming · 28/05/2011 14:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Punkatheart · 28/05/2011 14:15

I am an ex guider and this was quite common. But please let either know if you get a place asap. Otherwise you will simply get a call when a place is free.

luke - they can't refuse girls. Although they can refuse boys at brownies.

Good luck - either are great fun!

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signet · 28/05/2011 14:18

Don't see the problem at all. FWIW my daughter does both Brownies & Beavers and loves them both.

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maras2 · 28/05/2011 17:04

How About Woodcraft.The paramilitary wing of the Co Op. My kids loved it.

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pinkhebe · 28/05/2011 17:05

Lots of girls at our beavers/cubs/scouts

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HauntedLittleLunatic · 28/05/2011 17:13

She could do both.

I am a Brownie leader and some of our girls do both Brownies and Scouts (think that is teh equivalent age)

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Carrotsandcelery · 28/05/2011 17:13

The Beavers and Cubs groups where I live are now discouraging girls as they are over subscribed. There are Brownie groups and Rainbow groups and they feel the boys don't have the choice to join them so the girls should leave the Beavers and Cubs spaces for the boys. It is a shame as many of the girls would prefer the more adventurous Beavers or Cubs as the Brownies here are very "girly".

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MillyR · 28/05/2011 17:21

Apply for both. DD did both. It is irrelevant that Beavers and Cubs are oversubscribed; Girl Guiding in all age groups is also massively over-subscribed. Your local beaver or cub group may well be run by a mother of one of the girls anyway; they often are.

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DrSeuss · 28/05/2011 18:13

Thanks, I will put her down for both. I went right through from Brownie to adult leader. My late father went from Cub to Assistant Scoutmaster, so she has a good pedigree!

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Zimm · 28/05/2011 19:07

YABU - I consider them to both to be rather cult-like :-)

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DrSeuss · 28/05/2011 19:11

Oh, so that was what was with all the sacrificing of goats and daubing ourselves in their blood? They told us we were working towards our Artists badge!

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Goblinchild · 28/05/2011 19:12

Carrotsnadcelery. my son and I feel the same way. I'd much rather that the two varieties stayed separate and that they learned from each other, rather than this is for girls and this is also for girls.
He really enjoyed being in the organisation, but now he's 16 a lot of the girls are being a PITA and are more interested in flirting and such, and so he's sticking with the activity-based stuff and avoiding the more social events.

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bigTillyMint · 28/05/2011 19:15

YANBU DD did cubs and brownies - she enjoyed both for different reasons.

DS is away o a cub camp I [heart] cub / brownie, etc leadres

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KristineKochanski · 28/05/2011 19:20

So according to a previous poster
"they can't refuse girls. Although they can refuse boys at brownies."
Why can't they refuse girls from the boys group but can the boys from the Brownies? How fair is that?
Boys have their little group, and are expected to let the girls join in if they like, but girls are allowed their own group as well and are allowed to effectively tell the boys to jog on as it's their group.Hmm. Charming. Oh and discriminatory.
It should just be left as Beavers is the boys group, Brownies is the girls group. Lot less faff that way.

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MillyR · 28/05/2011 19:23

The reason that girls are allowed into Scouting at all ages is because the Scouts decided that was what they wanted to do. The reason that boys are not allowed into Guiding at most ages is because guiding decided that was what they wanted to do.

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Goblinchild · 28/05/2011 19:25

I know, I just disagree that it was a good idea MillyR.

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Punkatheart · 28/05/2011 19:26

I always made sure that we did lots of things at brownies that were not always particularly girly. Reptile visits, trips out and sport in the summer. I know what you mean about the unfairness of the boy/girl thing Kristine. Not quite sure how that pans out with equal opportunities and all that jazz.

I was thrown out of brownies. That's my claim to rebellion. I hated all that toadstool stuff!

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HauntedLittleLunatic · 28/05/2011 19:27

Scouting suffered a fall in numbers a few years back (due to high profile bad press I think) and 'needed' to increase falling numbers (even though this might not be the current case). Inviting girls to join was a way to support this need.

Girl guiding have not suffered with roll numbers in the same way and have therefore never needed to increase membership by inviting boys.

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LindyHemming · 28/05/2011 19:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MillyR · 28/05/2011 19:35

It is true that by bringing in girls, the number of children involved in Scouting is now equal to the number of girls involved in guiding.

But I don't think that is the reason why Guiding doesn't allow in boys (although it is massively oversubscribed). I think it didn't let in boys because it wanted to be inclusive to girls, and there are girls whose parents would not let their daughters join the organisation, and certainly wouldn't let their daughters go away camping or on trips if wasn't a female only organisation.

Those kind of restrictions are not put on boys. It is the same reason why swimming pools will have a female only swim - many women and girls couldn't swim in a public place unless such sessions existed.

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Goblinchild · 28/05/2011 19:39

It would just be nice for my son to have kept a male-only space that he felt comfortable with. He's not a team sports person, or 'one of the lads'
Scouting was a place he could socialise in an uncomplicated fashion, whilst doing something active without a lot of chatter and interaction and whatnot and that is no longer the case.
Oh well.

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MillyR · 28/05/2011 19:43

I think it varies between groups as well. When DD was in cubs, she was the only female cub. But when she went on some camp, there were other cub packs turning up where almost all of the cubs were girls.

Obviously the point of cubs is that it offers a particular range of activities. The girls that join should want to do those sort of activities.

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Goblinchild · 28/05/2011 20:07

But why can't brownies and guides offer similar diversity, so that girls who want to be more active have the chance without needing to step across to cubs and scouts?
I know, I'm being subjective. But he's loved this for a decade and it's sad to see him avoiding games evenings and bowling and other ones where there will be squeeeing and hugging and hair-flipping and too much talking.