To ask if you were a brownie or a guide?

Neither.

I was in Girls' Brigade. Can't really remember what we actually did now, apart from military-style drill and learning to play the bugle. Are they still going?

I was - Started at age 7. Had the shock of my life when the leader ‘Brown Owl’ decided from day 1 that she didn’t like me. She relentlessly bullied me and looking back I can’t believe some of the things she said and did to a small child.

I don’t know why but I remember distinctly at the time thinking ‘I haven’t done anything wrong but I’m getting told off all the time and she hates me’ so it just clicked in my mind that I would just actually then be naughty?? I was PERFECT at school in fact very quiet and shy so every week when this woman would phone my DM to tell her how awful i was I could hear my DM saying ‘but she’s so good at school?’ And ‘no we’ve never have behaviour issues before?’ It escalated and escalated (for some reason she threatened expelling me but never did?) it’s like she wanted me there to be her emotional punchbag and she was angry when I laughed at her rather than crying. Strangely I used to cry not wanting to go to school but was happy to go to brownies each week ??!!! Some of the things she did were horrible as well I’d just take it then turn round and do something really naughty just to watch her literally explode in anger.

Neither. Mum wouldn’t allow me to go as you had to pledge allegiance to the queen. My youngest went to Brownies but not guides and my eldest went to Guides but not Brownies. They didn’t camp once. The guide leaders were exasperated with some of the attitudes of the girls. I don’t blame them, they’re unpaid and come from a day’s work.

I also remember the absolute excitement I felt when my sister fell and cut her knee on the way to brownies and I got to tie a handkerchief around her knee with string from my pocket. The one and only time I needed my pocket equipment.

I can still remember my promise, the songs and the little dances from over 40 years ago.
Cant remember what I did yesterday though.

Coin, notebook and pencil, string, plaster, safety pin is what I remember. The coin's value will depend on the decade.😂

No, it wasn't very popular around my way because the leader person was known to be racist and we preferred mixed sex activities.

I was a brownie and am also a brown owl!

my sister and I were brownies and Guides. Loved brownies - playing hide and seek in the old tabanacle, planting tulips and doing all the badges. Guides was intimidating and the older Guides used to tell us about periods and tampons!

I broke my ankle on the first night of the only pack holiday I ever went on. And first time away from home. And they didn’t believe and left me overnight before seeking advice.

@chunkychooswasn’t it a 20p, piece of string, safety pin? I’m sure there was something else as well! I hardly ever had mine on me.

Oh shock and horror! You dissident child how dare you! 😂

I was a Brownie (Elves - sister was a Gnome.) Then I was given the choice of Guides or Young Farmers, so I went to YFC. But I also did DofE, so did all the camping stuff. My sister was a Guide, and we lived on a farm, so they often did practice camps there, and one year we had some camp for the whole county, so I didn't completely escape them.

I was a brownie and, after a couple of years, asked to leave the Guides because apparently I was "distracting the troop". I was just a bored 11 yo.

I was a Brownie in the early 80s, sixer of the Sprites, then Guide in Forget-me-nots patrol. I still have some of my Brownie badges stored away at my dad's house.

Who can remember all the things you had to have in your Brownie pockets every week?!

I went to girls brigade in primary 1. I was an Explorer then left and went to guides but never got a badge as ours never seemed to do them even though I was there for 4 years and went on camps etc.

My 9yo is now in GB and has all her badges and next year her wee sister will join her.

I was a brownie and a guide. I LOVED brownies and needed a new sash after filling both sides! As a brownie I was convinced I’d be a guide and ranger, but ended up leaving guides as I hated it. I can’t even remember why now, think leadership were unkind or stern - definitely very different to brownies.

I was a Sixer in the Gnomes too! I got my Golden Hand so flew up to Guides which involved jumping over the toadstool. Fortunately I was quite agile at that age. 😂. I eventually became patrol leader in the Bluetits which provided much merriment as we wore blue shirts. 🙄

I was the cross over - started with the brown dress and then got the cullottes and sweatshirt! Still have that brown dress in my wardrobe 😆

I was a Girlie Dhu ( prob spelt wrong ) loved brownies and afterwards went down to the local chippie with my 6d ( old money ) before going home.
Only gained 2 badges, riding and something else - can't remember what, possibly reading.

Didn't like Girl Guides - too much work ( i.e. towards badges ) and not enough fun.

Sixer of Imps for me! I did Brownies, Girl Guides, and Venture Scouts. I still have my Brownies sash with all my badges and my Girl Guides neckerchief (double bordered and embroidered) and my woggle...

My eldest has recently started Rainbows and already loves it. Also has 4 badges I need to sew on... 🫣

I remember taking my subs for the collection dish each week - 20p a week!

I had a knitted Brownies doll that had a perfect sized pocket to fit a single 20p coin in 😆

Yup. I was a brownie. An imp if I remember correctly. I left just after getting my 2nd birthday badge because my friend quit and I was too shy to go without her.

Very briefly. I refused to jump over the toadstool because no one could tell me why I should. I was 8

For me, going to Brownies (I was a Gnome, then a Sprite sixer) and then Guides (Snowdrop patrol) was an escape from a pretty awful childhood home. I went with friends from school to both, loved it and ended up staying on to be a Ranger where I got my Queen's Guide Award, and then became a Rainbow leader until work and studying for professional qualifications got in the way.
I would say that I use the skills from being a Guide most days in my everyday life, and becoming a Queen's Guide is one of the most proud moments that I've had.