Brownies incident stopped me singing, starting to see how messed up it was.

I applied for my school choir.
Two teachers were the the judges.
I was really excited that both teachers 'tapped' me.
Until they they announced that anyone that was tapped twice, had to leave.
I mime at church, now, and at weddings and funerals.

As adult scouts or GG we have a community with other scouts and GG and focus on personal outdoor life and peerlevel challenges. We meet up with other groups - without any leadership commitments to children.

We meet and challenge each other, we learn new things and develop ourselves. Without the children.

We take courses and educate ourselves. Without the children.

We go on trips in natur tailored to adult skills. Without the children.

We stand up when we are asked for leadership for example in our local church. Without the children.

Working with children is part of being a scout. AAbsolutely. Most of us love our young members.

Being a scout or girl guide as an adult is much more though. We don't run scouts/GG. We are Scouts/GG.

@Tiredalwaystired
you win. I’m crying with laughter (maybe that’s why I never got in the choir)

I failed my toy maker badge because brown owl didn’t think my Pom poms were good enough.

I never went back.

Your post resonated with me. I auditioned age 8 for the school choir. Sometimes the choir did work for BBC so it was a big deal.

Everyone else who auditioned was accepted except me and 1 other girl. We would be “reserves”. Not sure what we did when all the other girls were in choir at lunchtime.

Luckily, I had the hide of the rhino and no grasp of subtext so when someone left the choir, I reminded the teacher of my status as reserve so she had no choice but to let me in. I hope I was excruciatingly tuneless in my rendition of the Sky Boat Song for the miserable old cow.

How do you think Scouts or Girl Guides are run? By magic?

It's a adult thing as well. Grown ups are scouts/girl guides.

@Magenta82
Similar story. We all had to sing for the school Christmas concert. Teachers had us all lined up as someone was singing flat - they walked along the line to find the culprit - me - I got sent out the classroom!! Then a teacher told me I still had to participate in the concert but just to mime rather than sing. I was 9 years old and this has affected me all my life as I was mortified 😭. Everytime it's someone's birthday I still pretend to sing and on holiday in Greece in May, the hotel 'entertainer' refused to give me points in a music quiz as I refused to sing the answer into a microphone - wouldn't accept me saying the words 😡. We lost the quiz because of it and I was outraged and embarrassed all over again. The only saving grace is that it didn't stop my love of music and I sang (badly) to both my kids and they are brilliant at music - both play multiple instruments proficiently and have performed in concerts but also are not great singers 🙈.

So you want to tell the kid with Down syndrome they can’t have a badge because they couldn’t make cakes? Or the kid with autism? The point is they try their best.
They gain experiences, friendship, badges for showing up each week and having a go.

It’s not a school exam to pass, it’s not a test. It’s a fun club for CHILDREN. No one should be turning round to a 6 year old child and saying sorry molly your cakes were shit so you don’t get a badge. But ALL your friends do. What kind of bullshit is that? I can’t believe any parent, or indeed adult, would think that was ok

It's not a prize.

Well that's fair enough in that case but the general idea that all get prizes even if they are crap is daft and counterproductive.

It should have been explained to you at the time. When people did badges in my time, they knew they might not get them.

I once tried out for a community choir type thing but they rejected me because I couldn’t sing

What does their being "elderly" have to.do.with it?

If they can’t sing then they shouldn’t get a badge for singing/entertaining. Same if if they burn their cakes for the baking badge

My mum used to make all our clothes, so one day I proudly tried the dress on she had made, her reaction was " well you can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear!!"
Life time of insecurity for me abouty appearance

I bet your baby loves your singing 💜

I am in a community choir, there are so many people there with stories like yours, put off singing at an early age. I didn't sing for years after leaving school due to a bonkers music teacher.

I had awarded her with a badge and the day my GG group fail an 8 yo like this I am out as a leader.

@Goditsmemargaret same! I only started singing aloud when I had my first baby and I can’t hold a tune at all. DH and the DC have all got great singing voices (DS is the lead singer in a band) and they gently tease me but it’s with love and they never make me feel bad.

Well, either the retired Brownie didn't get the memo, or criteria were tougher back then? Presumably the performance was so bad it didn't meet the criteria to be 'entertaining' as @Magenta82 was tone deaf, and they thought she should have chosen a dance or recitation or instrument for her solo piece? Shouldn't her own leader have gently steered her away from singing? Presumably she would have heard her rehearse?

So should no Brownies get the badge then, unless they're West End ready?