Guiders Staff Room Part 2

So...tell me that 18 Rainbows in my unit will be fine. Please?

I accidentally invited ALL the 5 year olds on my waiting list to start after Easter - thought I had space but forgot I hadn't transferred the two who started after half term over to GO and they were still hanging around on Join Us under meetings arranged. I thought it'd be OK as one or two weren't likely to accept the place, but no. Every blessed one of them is keen to start.

I've never had more than 16 before, and that was only for a term. It's going to be a very young unit!

In other issues, someone has asked me for "The Llama song" that goes "Happy llama, sad llama..." and I've never heard of it. Can anyone help?

There's only one other local ish unit & that's a good drive out, never mind getting the bus to it if she doesn't have a car.

Suppose I can email her the location & see what she says.

Quick question - if a parent says yes they want to go on your waiting list but would like to know if other local units have spaces, do you pass on their contact details to the unit or unit details to them?

I've emailed our DC about this (and a couple of other things) over the past week but she hasn't answered & I'm not sure what to do!

I think the time each week depends on what you're doing. I made us a puppet theatre last half term - that took a couple of days. This week we're decorating buns and card baskets to put them in. Took half an hour ish to cut and put together the baskets since show and tell still takes up a good 10 mins of our meetings & my girls' dad picked up my shopping while he was in town. So not much this time.

I'm trying to set myself some systems in place for when I take over so I'm probably spending an hour or so a week on that as well at the mo but once I have them in place, admin shouldn't take long at all.

Wrt training -I started my Leadership Qualification in Jan and am sooooooooo close to finishing it now that it's frustrating me. I don't like things hanging round though and want to re-open our Guide unit as well as look at doing my Going Away license.

I don't think there's a set time to do it in though. You could always volunteer what time you can offer for the moment and look at doing other things if you find you can fit them in.

I've just worked out that even with our little waiting list and slightly increasing unit size, the next available place at our unit will be March next year assuming everyone on the waiting list accepts their place! Quite surprised me that did.

Hello everyone,

My dd's Rainbows are really short of leaders and have been asking parents to consider training. I have been thinking about it (either Rainbows or Brownies) but not sure I have the time. How much time does it take, would you estimate? Both training and then actually leading.

I'm trying to check the status of our subs payment, should be showing paid by now...click on the link for it & it takes me back to the admin panel page

We haven't bought eggs either Albus, funds are too tight atm. We're decorating buns with easter bits and bobs tomorrow so they'll suffice.

3 are making their promise, and 4 are leaving for guides

So a few promise activities then games and singing organised by the leavers.

We don't really tend to do the festivals. Haven't done valentines, CNY, mthers day or Easter this term

Nope, that makes you sensible! What are you doing with them this week?

Haven't bought easter eggs for my girls, am I a terrible brown owl?

We don't really have the funds and have pretty much all of the 14 major allergies in the unit.

It's our last meeting in our first term tomorrow night, and we've thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Yesterday I went to dd2's chief scout bronze ceremony (she does both, dp is a beaver leader) and behind us were two other parents from the village. Turned out the dd of one of these two had spent the morning playing with a couple of my brownies that are in her class and had announced she wanted to join brownies- mum was listing her reasons why brownies weren't as good as beavers/cubs, which included brownies don't cook, don't go outside, are too girly, don't go camping(ok, guilty as charged, but give me time!) By the time they'd carried on for 5 mins I was openly chuckling my socks off, because they'd have been mortified had they known! Dp wouldn't let me turn round and day thanks for letting me know how much work I had to do to change perceptions in the village

I am dead jealous of the cupboard. We have to be out so promptly, ours looks like a bomb has hit it!

Easter fun tomorrow night, games and a flannel bunny craft. Plus one enrolling and one leaving (not quite a sob, it's dd1 and she's evidently bored and ready to move on to guides)

Permanentlyexhausted

I did mine in 3 months (county had an assessor happy to waive the 9 month period). I would say not to over think it. Lots if people on the facebook pages seem to twist themselves into pretzels to shoe horn in a theme. If it works great if not ask what activities they want to do and go with that.

Use the book as a step by step guide; delegate roles, be clear what the leaders are responsible for and any back up in case of illness or whatever.

Enjoy it, don't reinvent the wheel.

Groovee, ours has stayed tidy since I did it & there was masses more than that crammed in! There is hope...

Can I ask those of you who have done their GAW qualification, is it at all feasible to pretty much do it from scratch in 4 months? Or am I just going to be a sobbing mess by July?

They didn't ask for bowling but that's an excellent idea - will make use of that along with a couple of carnival games for a games evening we have planned next half term.

I have seen pool noodle hobby horses on Pinterest so may do those depending on what funds are available towards the end of the summer term.

A parent has offered this morning to buy us enough plastic wine glasses for the Rainbows and Brownies for our party for the Queen's 90th birthday! Plans are coming along nicely for that, just need to put a royal spin on a couple of games to play with the girls and find out my pretty (card) cake stands.

I dont think they sound too unlikely (for brownies!) tell them they need to save up those ideas for when they move on.

I took my girls horseriding in the autumn, we are swimming over Easter, and we have an annual bbq at end of july.

If they asked for bowling we did a fab (and very cheap!) glow in the dark bowling activity. 2 litre coke bottles or similar with a bit of water in for ballast. Drop in a glow stick and give them footballs to use as balls.

They keep score, you just need leaders to right the pins between goes.

We will Albus, it's just a bit frustrating sometimes & I have a feeling the accounts are worse than I thought after tonight.

Going to see our DC face to face over the next couple of weeks to see what she thinks because it's frazzling me a bit

We had a fab night tonight - some very erm...unlikely drawings as ideas for next half term (think swimming pools, ponies and barbeques!!!) And some music with our pop bottle/hama bead shakers. Some very artistic creations among them. Unfortunately for me, my Rainbow thought she could sneak her shaker up to bed & play .

time!

Keep going lucysmam, you will get there

Frustrated!

Our LiC is shifting people about on JoinUs who I've literally just emailed. & unavailable any weekend to go to Build a Bear. & wants to cancel tonight because the hall's heating is broken even though everyone who's replied to my text has said that they're happy to wrap the girls up warm.

& 3 parents didn't respond to my text so need to find out if they actually use the numbers they gave me...

Just an aaaarrrrgggghhh moment!

Good news is that I have very nearly completed the LQ booklet though - 6 bits to sign off as we do them after half term!

Aaaarrrrrgggghhhh!

That is all.

Places we have received grants from - the Legion, church women's groups (we help them out by serving at their community suppers and they make a donation towards camps etc) local businesses, town council, outdoor stores, parent's employers (some places have one off awards for volunteering etc)

We had to remove a guider a few years ago, which got a bit messy. 18 months later, we realised that the bank had never made the requested changes to the account, so she was still listed as a signer and the new guider (who had been signing chequers for the full 18mos) hadn't ever been added to the account. Le sigh.

This year I consolidated 9 separate unit bank accounts to 3. It had been a total nightmare to keep track of all 9 accounts. It is MUCH simpler now. And much easier to tell if a guider is merely stuffing cash and cheques into a duffel bag and not ever visiting the bank...