Why do you send your daughters to Brownies?

I've just remembered, a really lovely YL from my district who like your daughter had gone through all the different sections went to uni last year and "came out" on Facebook with a picture of her and her very pretty girlfriend and I don't think any of the leaders could have been more pleased for her.

theEx that's absolutely awful. Can I ask when that was (roughly)?

My dd asked to join Rainbows when a group was launched here. I was glad for her to have a break from her boisterous brother. She went on to Brownies, Guides, and then as a helper in the Brownie unit, as the next level up (ranger guides?) was too far away. She enjoyed all sorts of activities, and learned skills which really helped her at work. They made tea, took part in swimming galas, all sorts of very varied things, so something for every sort of child. She did have some troubles and disagreements in the group, but the leader was skilled at helping resolve these. Her experience helping at camp (dormitories) organising and encouraging the younger girls stood her in good stead for being a team leader as an adult. She invented the 'sleepover in a session' in our area, and read in the cathedral. She gained her warrant when she was 18, and volunteered in a pack near where she went to university. sadly they kicked her out when they found out she had a girlfriend 8 years her senior, and she's never been near the organisation since

I really wanted to go to brownies because I hoped to learn real skills that parents couldn't/wouldn't do.

Mine in the 70s was fairly crap, all I remember doing was a bit of craft and lots of domestic stuff like the hostess badge, and cleaning. I had to go to a leader's house to clean a bathroom for a badge, I remember my mum being livid that it was all so limiting and seemingly aimed at training us all to be housewives (I know there is nothing wrong with being a housewife but my mum is fiercely pro women having careers outside the home).

Her big brother (16) may have enjoyed brownies as a younger child though!

I'm not sure if this helps (I don't have a dd) but my own brownie pack was run by a lovely lady who I now assume was a retired teacher, she was great. kind, calm and lovely. We did quite a lot of badges, but it didn't feel like we were just racking them up, I suspect she had a bit of a plan where badges such as hostess were done with people who could manage a cup of tea etc, she used to get us to bring along a grandma or similar and us host them with tea and cake, we went away to a few camps, all really lovely places, and potterd about making flower forks. Collecting leaves, buying sweets from the 'tuck shop' if I had a dd I'd send her, as it is I hope my ds will go to and enjoy cubs etc.

Another here whose DD goes to a small village school and she is often caught in the middle of some fighting friends so when a new Rainbows group started close by and she asked to go, I thought it would be a good way for her to make new friends without the others around and help boost her confidence a little.

She moved into Brownies 19 months ago and loves it (although now the other girls have too), she loves everything about it, making things, going on outings, playing games, wearing the uniform.

She is keen to continue into Guides although that's another 16 months way but I hope she does. She is already a caring person and I think Brownies/Guides will help her confidence and independence as well as giving her a better sense of community.

My DD (14) has done beavers/cubs/scouts and brownies. The brownies was disappointing. Cubs/scouts has been more like forrest school skills, fire building, hunting each other in woodland by torch light, building huge mazes/precarious items that balance, making/shopping for meals on a budget, crazy games, little procession and little ritual.

I think you should ask your parents what they they would like to see.

Ah ok that makes more sense! Very naughty, but I had heard rumours that there were still a few... (Honestly I do have better things to do than gossip about promise wording)

Scouts is different as they have two separate promises and the kids can choose.

Because other than music tuition it's the only break she gets from her siblings.

Oh I see! My local one still says God!

I sent mine to broaden their social base - both through meeting new people - and through having a chance to bond through shared activities/ challenges.

Sorry I'm not sure I would reading that either.

You said the promise still sometimes includes God and I was trying to work out what you meant by that.

Well it might mean that if they have that faith of course but I'm still not sure I know what you mean

YY Misnomer we love marshmallows in my group! Feel a bit bad about the sugar though when I hang out on MN. Well at least there's usually a longish walk before or after...

Sorry I didn't really explain myself! I meant did you mean that some girls will be thinking God when they say that? As that is obviously true for lots of the girls. Sorry don't know why I'm struggling to form that sentence!

No fastdaytears I didn't mean it still meant God.

AlbusPercival - it was the 80s. Our brown owl wasn't that interested really. We didn't do that much and sometimes she just didn't show up, which was rubbish. There wasn't a second adult to step in so that was that. I liked the uniform (though in retrospect it was vile!) and I loved earning badges and read that handbook cover to cover to look for ones I could get but BRown Owl wasn't particularly encouraging and I was raised by people who were disinterested too. I don't know how typical this was of pack at the time. It felt a bit stale and uninspiring. I think that's why l liked beavers so much. I know how much I would have loved all the badges and camps and activities. DS has gone to his first cubs session and they made a camp fire and toasted marshmallows. I would have loved that!

Wow Bertandrussell that's a bit of an overreaction! I didn't say it was a Christian organisation, I said it had Christian values!

Jw35 the promise doesn't include God now and HQ are very clear that the old one can't be used. Do you just mean that to some girls "true to myself and develop my beliefs" means God?

"Bertandrussell although not a Christian organisation, the values promoted by girl guiding are also Christian values. The promise used to (and sometimes still does) include God but either way spiritual growth is encouraged."

Gosh. I must hand back two Queen's Scout awards-my non Christian children obviously don't deserve them. And I know several Muslim children who must leave the organisation immediately.

Bertandrussell although not a Christian organisation, the values promoted by girl guiding are also Christian values. The promise used to (and sometimes still does) include God but either way spiritual growth is encouraged.

ballet, you made me proper laff. You are absolutely right. Far more shoe polishing, knot tying and sewing in cadets these days. How funny that such a 'masculine' activity has taken over as the 'girls own' guiding replacement for housewives. that is going to tickle me all day, but it is funny in the context of 'oo, I don't want my daughters being forced into all that girly shit', when the military focus is definitely on the practical.

Someone is bound to pop on and comment on the militaristic aspects of girl guides though. There is always one. I predict 11th Nov.

My DD is about to start Rainbows. I enrolled her because I enjoyed Brownies (no Rainbows when I was young). I particularly enjoyed the variety of things to do. I wasn't one for sticking at things or practising, so something where I could try out lots of stuff and didn't have any pressure to practise at home was very attractive for me. I'm also keen for DD to do it so that she is mixing with a slightly wider age range of children and ones she doesn't go to school with or is in a different class to at her school.