Guiders Staff Room Part 2

It's our first time! I've wanted to do it for years but waited until we had a year with enough keen adult helpers. I'm using this recipe:
www.butcherbakerblog.com/2011/10/28/baked-bean-tin-christmas-cake-pt-1/ but with all traces of nuts removes and dairy free spread. That site even has a 'how to line tin' tutorial.
One thing I picked up elsewhere which we will be using is to use ring pull tins, then use a tin opener to open the other end and drop the flat bit down on to the rim left by the ring pull to make a loose bottom.

If you go onto Guiders.co.uk there's a thread about this with another recipe too.

Momb, can I have an idiots guide on how to do that? Sounds fun, what recipe do you use?

We're braving Christmas cakes in bean tins this week. We cook fairly often but haven't really tried something which takes so much prep/takes more than one week to complete. I'm quite excited actually :-).
Three of us, a YL and two parent helpers, to help 30 Brownies double line the mini tins, prepare the batter in sixes and distribute evenly between each tin. The parents (and leaders) will bake a few each, feed and wrap them to mature and we'll decorate in a few weeks.

drspouse, I was told I had to slot it in because they usually do it . I'm trying not to step on toes toooo much but will be scrapping any other writing ideas that may be pushed my way.

Thanks for your suggestions. Tonight I stuck robustly to group and paired work and had them occupied on opposite sides of room. Worked well enough. We don't often do group work though because we are a joint unit (with Rainbows) and only have 12 Brownies. Still we are baking and crafting next week (for community events) so will endeavour to keep them busy away from each other as much as possible. (Often if separated they will just make faces and shout across the room.)

To be honest I never expect Rainbows to read or write...
There was a Growing Guiding challenge that you could look at?

Becles - does your region/county have a Growing Guiding coordinator? That might be a good start, I think they're meant to be on the case for stuff like that.

Well, Santa letters went well . Blank piece of paper given to each girl...half of them can't bloomin' write & none could write their address. Will not be doing that again in a hurry. Plus it's costing over £6 to send them all off to Royal Mail

They did enjoy the bouncy snowmen and assorted colouring in sheets I'd bunged in my folder in anticipation of them all finishing quickly so need to find myself something along those lines for next time the planned activity doesn't take long.

We slotted in 5mins on what to do if ever they discover a fire as well as we have 3 new girls. Was interesting finding out what they knew & about their fire drills at school. Think we might have a look at some activities to do with that after Christmas is out of the way.

Ive been asked to come up with a strategy for getting new leaders and helpers. Don't know where to start

honey do you suspend them for inappropriate behaviour? Perhaps try that if you haven't already, and separate them as far as possible - change Sixes around if required. I'd also be having a chat with parents saying something like their daughter doesn't seem to be enjoying Brownies, and is causing disruption and affecting the time that the other girls have with Brownies. And you really feel that it isn't currently the right environment for the child.

Can you get support from your DivC? Normally the DC would be present for a convo like that, but if it's you, that's clearly not an option!

Cupboard is DONE. Finally.

Just need a couple more copier paper boxes but everything's sorted, organised and tidy.

I found an old Guide box in the bottom of everything. It's like a little chest. Opened it up & there's a roll of cotton wool (on a roll), pretty tin, dolly pegs, candles, coat hangers and empty cotton reels in it.

I thought it might be of interest to the Rainbows but not sure - time capsule to add a few little bits to maybe? It hasn't been opened in years by the look/smell of it so that might be fun to do & look back on in 5/10 years with different girls.

Yep, I'm Rainbows.

I'll have a look on there and do some googling when I get back from school drop off.

Might have to get some other buttons maybe. I'll have a hunt for some cheap bags of mixed ones as well.

How about some button art.

I'm planning to do a collaborative trefoil with my guides as part of a sewing badge. Am I right in thinking that you are rainbows? If so I would probably glue onto canvas instead of sew (lol!).

You'd need to think of something green of course. Browse Google images under "button art" for ideas. Here's one I picked but their are some lovely I initials a lovely rainbow and some flowers I saw which granted wouldn't work well with just green buttons. ...

cdn.notonthehighstreet.com/system/product_images/images/000/601/220/original_Ladybird_1.jpg

Change of plan for weeks 5/6 now...other leader (who rarely actually turns up) pointed out to LiC that button christmas trees can't be displayed all year so aren't a good idea as a gift (I'd be chuffed). Anywho - I now need something to make as a gift, to take two weeks ish, & preferably making use of boat loads of green buttons. I can add bits if I need to.

! HELP!

Hi! Sorry to just jump in, but I need to canvas opinions. I am a DC and run a Brownie unit. I have two girls who are frenemies. They are constantly causing a disruption of some description, are often rude and answer back, and annoy the other girls. Whilst they were Rainbows, they were at different units. One of them was fine at Rainbows, the other was a nightmare, swearing and shouting at other girls.

Both have supportive parents but nothing is changing and my leaders are losing the will. I don't want to kick them out, but it's getting to that point.

Do you think I should suggest a "managed move" to another unit? But who moves? The one in second is actually far less harmful than the one who started first, so seems unreasonable to kick her out, but I don't really want to inflict the first one on another guider (as I am still a bit miffed I wasn't warned by her rainbow leaders!).

Help! What would you do? They really need a one to one adult to stop them ruining it for everyone else and I can't really spare the leaders.

Brown paper welded it very firmly. I managed to dampen it and pick the majority off it with my nails yesterday.

Glittery decorations tonight, should be fun

Brown paper and a hot iron sometimes works.

It started raining just before we got to church - stopped before we came out to walk up to the memorial thankfully.

Have to walk along, and cross, a dual carriageway though & only one PCSO to stop traffic and represent them. Some fool tried to pass us in a 4x4 thing but ended up stuck in the middle instead . Not the safest really - was much better last year.

I actually came back to ask about uniform, sort of. A parent's given me an outgrown hoodie for the cupboard but taken an Oliva badge off it as she handed it to me - the wundaweb type backing's stayed on the hoodie & a turn in the dryer didn't help getting it off. Any other ideas I can try?

Our service was outdoors - rain, cleared up a bit, then started raining again. We tell ours to wear layers under their uniform and they (mostly) did, one of the other Guiders had told hers to wear coats but hers didn't look significantly warmer than ours, someone handed round rain ponchos and the other leader and I decided we'll get some clear ones next year to show off the uniforms better!

We do have a few of those Centenary raincoats in the cupboard but not enough for everyone sadly.

Proud of the girls who turned up this morning - the church service was incredibly un-child-friendly but they sat nicely and tried to join in with the relevant parts. All except my own dd went up to lay our wreath with one of the leaders who is retiring.