Guiders Staff Room Part 2

Did you give a deadline on the voicemail?

Sooo, 2 phone calls & a message left but no response as yet. Do I shift the girl back to the waiting list & inform her mum or do I wait and see if she turns up next week?

I knew someone would say that! I hate using the phone She was quick off the mark when I offered the place - reply within minutes so I'm guessing from the lack of response that she or the dd aren't bothered. I will delegate the phone call making task .

lucysmam: have you tried calling rather than messaging? At least you'll have a definitive answer and won't need to keep hanging about not knowing.

It was Pack Holiday at the weekend. Girls had a great time, Leaders still recovering!
We start term this week. 3 new girls. I'm going to jig all the Y5s into a separate group to do their Go For It and give Sixer badges to a new generation I think.
I need to finish the accounts for the holiday ...and get expression of interest slips out for summer camp. No idea what we're going to be doing this term....need a couple of community things to balance the programme and try and get some outings in as we were stuck in the hut almost all last term. It's all go!

Does this sound ok to send to the parent of the girl who didn't come last week and hasn't replied to either my text or email. I'll give it tonight to see if she comes but if not -

Dear X,

As Y didn't attend our meeting on 6/4/16 as arranged and I have not had a response as to whether she would still like the place, I have returned her to our waiting list in order to offer the place to the next girl on the list.

If you would like to discuss this further, please contact me at....

I will be in touch again when the next place becomes available.

The lady who will be my AL has finally been to get her DBS check sorted. Think it dawned on her that without it we wouldn't be running.

Just hunting for cheap transport to our District event for the Queen's birthday but not having much joy so far.

Becles - get a parent rota. We assign each of our parents a week and it is then up to then or swap with another parent.

Works really well for us, we get an extra pair of hands and the parents see first hand what we put in and are more willing to help generally.

Was very happy last night, we sent out our rough plan for the term and one mum revealed on reading it that is the area she works in and she
Is happy to help us out those weeks

I think I'm all ready for tonight. Our first night without our DC holding our hands- we both received confirmation that we're qualified over Easter!

One visiting to see if brownies is for her, and 22 others. #24 is a rainbow that'll start in Sept. And luckily, a tiny waiting list some of your waiting lists make me swoon.

Anyone else been doing Mission Spectacular? We're finishing it off over the next three weeks- could be interesting.

Exciting, not only will I have half a dozen new little red people on Friday, but a new potential leader too!

From me and a parent rota, to me, AL and LiT (potentially) inside 6 months, I'm in shock :o and slightly relieved after the mistake of inviting ALL the 5 year olds on my waiting list to join this term.

Best tip: find a leader who walks their dog local to your unit, get them to spread the word. Who knew?!

I have every question you can think of so lob any useful or basic advice at me.

We are 3 leaders (one is more unit helper than leader at the moment in terms of reliability or planning) but hoping to get a leader rota from mates and district so we have 4 if possible.

wow that is a big change, let me know if you have any qs on having a big unit

We were 24 but have 15 girls who are brownie age on the list

how many did you have before becles?

We have 30, could go up to 40 by summer with the waiting list, but we wont, I think 30 is our limit.

Also I am PG and will need to take some time out in autumn term if all goes well, and haven't told fellow leaders yet, none of whom are even working on ALQ yet :S

We start back this week and at going up to 32 to ease waiting lists. I'm not convinced it's a good idea but since I suggested it have to live with the decision for the term.

Hand holding to get me throigh the term would be great

Two of Tuesday's no-shows have replied that they are coming next week...one hasn't replied at all. She replied within minutes when I originally offered the place as well

I'm still waiting on the bank calling me back about our new account - the form didn't give me the option to add a second signatory so need to add her too. & the church we meet in emailed to double check which hall we use as I'd emailed about opening a Guide unit to check we could use the space, and I've heard nothing since. maybe I'm a bit toooooo organised!

They're very excited about it! The name debate has started already

We had three no shows tonight - one I thought maybe wouldn't show anyway. One who sounded really keen when invited and reminded we started back tonight. And one whose mum owed £2 subs - thinking she may be pee'd off that we reminded her after our last session before Easter that she hadn't paid for the week her daughter missed.

Going to text and email round in the morning and say they either show next week or I'll offer to the next girls on the waiting list.

Had a fun night with the Brownies and their parachute.

Ooh...Build a Bear

Back to it tonight! Making a friendship pie to go on our display board, fire drill and handing forms for Build a Bear/Gift Aid to parents...hopefully they'll come back quickly.

Also hoping the leader I'm taking over from remembers I need a copy of her accounts to go with my gift aid claim (not sure whether to send my own as well since they'll start from tonight) and remembers the first aid kit so I can check dates on the contents & write a list of anything we need to replace.

Also need to remind the lady who will be my AL that she REALLY needs to get her dbs check sorted or we'll not be running in 6 weeks!

that's the sort of thing my Rainbow who is currently being an ass about bed time would suggest!

I wondered about combining promise/POG into one end of term party but Brown Owl is usually happy to take the girls on the first Tuesday after their 7th birthday & I don't fancy a party every week

I love the stepping stone idea - thanks.

We are having the traditional party for the promise party (2 parties this term!) so I wanted to offer them something different. You're right though, they are easily pleased with anything called a party! I asked DD who is a rainbow what we could do to make our party different and she offered up musical bumps instead of musical statues

How about just a party party with games, cake and a rainbow bridge/stepping stones (laminated coloured paper shapes) to Brown Owl for the moment? Parties of any kind are exciting when you're that age.

How frustrating about the registers (haven't checked if we have copies - eye twitch increases)!

I know someone at a local training course took her Rainbows swimming for PoG and they made a rainbow from a selection of different coloured pool noodles for the girls to swim under I'm looking for something a bit less extreme!

Have to say I had no idea axe throwing was even an activity but don't think I'm toooo gutted about it no longer being allowed

Imfine, it's very frustrating isn't it?! I've just had a text today -she can't find old subs/register sheets so must have shredded them so my gift aid claim will only be able to go as far back as last half term I think.

As for the cupboard...that would drive me nuts! I think there's probably enough paper based stuff in ours to do the Rainbows (and probably use some with Guides when we get started) for years to come!

PoG at the mo for us is a small ceremony where the girl going up to Brownies is passed over to Brown Owl (or Snowy if Brown owl isn't there). I want to make it a bit more...something...but that's way down the list at the mo & the girls don't know that other units do it in a more exciting way so not top of the list.

Promise ceremony is pretty much non-existent too; all the girls say it together but I'd like to make more of that as well. Will probably tackle it after the Summer hols though once the admin stuff is mainly (hopefully!) organised.

lucysmam I hope you are nearer to getting sorted. Everything you say rings bells with me LiC tells me she is leaving but won't give an actual date/inform DC. LiC can't/won't put me on bank account but keeps saying we must do it. Ditto gift aid set up. Multiple term's worth of subs/petty cash/fundraising money floating around in bottom of holey canvas shopper alongside yogurt pots/dried out balloons/loose crisps/loose roundabout badges and a file full of everyone's details that were supposed to be shredded. I also had mystery names (3 of them) on the bank account. And a command not to throw things away from the rammed cupboard even though she's left and no longer in charge...and breathe!! Boy, it feels good to get that out .

What do all you Rainbow leaders do for Pot of Gold parties? I want to do something like a softplay birthday party or get a party entertainer in our hall. Do you have some sort of passing to Brown Owl ending? I have heard something about jumping over or going under a rainbow? I know that Beavers 'swim' up to cubs. Am I supposed to do something specific?