Guiders Staff Room Part 2

'borrowed'? Eek, think I'd wait a while!

Love the crafts. Does that mean you all had to empty the bottles to obtain the corks?

Well I'm still considering, haven't written it off yet! I think I'd feel more able to do it once DS2 starts school next September, it's just working out how I can manage it before then.

We have a situation locally where a leader is repaying money "borrowed" from her unit, I definitely don't want to get involved before that's sorted. So perhaps in a few months.

We had a lovely night last night. Quite a simple one, but it was good. Girls were desperate to update their adventure books, but this time I tried printing out a dozen sheets putting the different parts of the badges, and what we'd done this term that they could count towards each. After the first 3 or 4 girls asking questions the older ones got it, helped the younger ones on their level, and meant I could focus on the pink girls and the other leader on the two new ones. (we also had two fantastic parents setting up a basic painting activity, which was a massive help)

Kudos to all DCs/ thinking about being DCs. My DC is fantastic, and I really appreciate all she does. Plus she just knows the answer to any question- I guess that's years of experience showing.

I'm also vaguely considering it as we have a reshuffle coming up and the units that are difficult to get to and run by the leaders that only do colouring will no longer be in our District.
I'm least excited about going to extra meetings e.g. Division, but wouldn't mind visiting other units (never done at the moment), I already do the new volunteer registration so could maybe shift that on to someone else.
Or I could be a mentor... That's another thing I've thought of.

Rue I'm a DC, same amount of units you're describing.

For me, the most challenging bit is that the job is basically like a line manager role......of volunteers who don't especially want to be line managed!

I enjoy the support of new leaders and struggling units, don't enjoy the email chasing, and organising of events that no one really wants to help organise.
Time wise, it's around 2 hours a week on average admin, and maybe 2-3 hours a month meeting people, visiting units, meetings.

Other than safeguarding/safe space training and first aid I think everything can be covered in normal meetings - welcome to the madhouse :o

Older ones More experienced guiders, please talk to me about being DC. I've been asked to consider taking it on, my district has (afaik) 2 x Ranger/SS units, 2 x Guides, 4 x Brownies, 3 x Rainbows. Probably. How much work is it likely to be, and what sorts of things are involved? I've been a leader for 5 years, it feels like a big step but I'm not sure why...

Welcome Soon!

The training is really just taking you through the 5 essentials and the basics of the program, girlguiding systems and processes.

If you are an active member of the team you'll do it as part of the day to day meeting.

Hiya. I went to my 1st meeting as a volunteer today! And I loved it. I'm going to be a assistant leader and the main leader is going to get the book for me to start training next week. What's involved in the training please?

Oh my goodness! What a night! High as kites, loud, but also tired, so many little injuries. I think we'll have to abandon speaker badge, and progress to Christmas.

It's an interesting situation, DrSpouse. Are you able to help grow the Brownies, so in a couple of years the Guides will grow? Not sure what else I could suggest, I have the opposite problem, of the villages in my district I have a full pack, and a waiting list. But no way would I go over 24.

(To give a few more details most of the other Brownie groups are small and have a small Guide unit except, not surprisingly, for the feeder unit to this massive unit. One of the Brownie groups is really tiny and meets at the same time as their Rainbows - I think it's basically about 10 Rainbows and 2 7 year old Brownies - and one of the units that has no Guides is reasonably large but would be up to 30 mins drive and meets on an estate where few parents have cars)

That sounds lovely but all the other Brownie groups have a feeder Guide unit except for one that is really inconvenient for us!

We often ask our own feeder Brownies to come for a visit (I was about to ask the oldest one but she has apparently decided as her friend has gone from Guides she won't be moving up - friend was one of the daughters of these two complaining mums).

Sonething we did a couple of years ago to boost Guide numbers was run a taster night that we invited any brownies in the district who were 9 or 10 to. We did tie dying with them and had about 10 of them turn up to see what Guides was like.

Looking back it was the turning point when we really started to get a better transition from Brownies to Guides, we always used to have around 12 girls in Guides, over the past 2 years we've increased to 22 regulars, 26 if they all come.

It is the same area, of the four units we are furthest (but a different night so may suit some better).
We're not currently in the same District but a change may mean we move into it. Our Division Comm is pretty good but I have the feeling she may feel it's not worth rocking the boat/if it's not broke etc.

If you're in the same area, drspook, can you ask your DC to step in and say the popular unit is full and Brownies coming up must be referred to one of the less full units?

I do know them, quite well (though not pals). There are also two small units near her that meet the same night and struggle for numbers. I feel that the other two units don't go to as many joint events as she does, though.

Being totally unfair, I think she would maybe quietly think her unit was so much better she shouldn't limit access because it's not fair on the girls not to let them in.

All the Rainbow units in our area are quite full and our Rainbow leader regularly says no more and passes them on to others. I tend to feel that having several popular units increases the profile of the section in the area but just one means parents and girls think that one is the only one that is worth going to.

Do you know the leaders of the other unit at all? I'm astonished they aren't throwing new recruits your way.

Bother. Duplicate.
Does anyone else think it's, well, rather annoying that another local unit has about 40+ Guides and keeps saying "just one more"?
I genuinely think our programme is as good as theirs, though my girls do struggle a bit with self organising so may seem a bit cliquey and giggly to new girls.
We go to pretty much every joint event (other small units don't) and do joint residentials when we don't have the numbers for our own.

Had just two girls at our meeting this week. It was very chilled (I think we accidentally coincided with an Inset day so everyone took a longer half term - ours is this coming week) but normally we only get about 5-6 out of 10 so I'm feeling a bit down.
Having lost a few girls over this complaint issue now means that some of the older Brownies are not planning to come up because their Guide age older friends have left.