Guiders Staff Room Part 3

One of my Guides favourite things we did in the last year was build some crates from ikea

I've been at a Jamboree this week, a scout leader was telling me how he got a load of free furniture from ikea (stuff that was damaged) and got the scouts to build it. Then (of course) they had a fire with it all once they'd made it.

Jamboree was fun! I was there as staff so worked very hard on not much sleep but I was with a great team of people and I enjoyed chatting to the young people about what they'd got up to.

DIY challenge

DY badge?
I was a bit disappointed by the cards: love the layout and that more info is provided, but they aren't as challenging as i'd like: nails into apples seems a bit tame and I think making a small something using the techniques would be more of an instant reward for brownies. Also I will not be doing boxing: I have no expertise in joint ligament protection and I can see some of the girls hurting themselves.

Hammers are great! We did golf tees in butternut squash and nails in polystyrene (both from the DY badge). There is ABSOLUTELY nothing to be afraid of.

My lot would enjoy the hammers, but would find them tame after the 11th- they were told they'd get to do stuff their parents wouldn't! We had them using an axe, a bow saw, knives to scrape their marshmallow sticks it was a great night

Got mine too. Liked the thread on fb drawing the similarity with Pokemon cards! Not sure how they'll fit in with our leadership /planning style. What are everyone's thoughts?

All sounds good. Planning to feature both food and fresh air early on in the term to win them over...

Rainbows are too similar to my own dc at the moment (6, 3 but thinks she's 5 and a nutter ) to enjoy it. Feeling more enthusiastic about Brownies than I have about gg generally for a long time.

Yay for the new YLs inflagranto. We are 'inheriting' a fab YL. Meeting on Monday to hand over paperwork.

Brownies love rewards: badges, stickers, high fives etc.
They love new things, are all different, but are still highly influenced by what their parents think is fun.

Last night of term. Said goodbye to 4. Said hello to two prospective young leaders... Who want to join us. Yay! Tonight was games and smores. Except the disposable bbq wouldn't get hot. Girls still enjoyed the spread of various bits to create their smores.

Yellow ones... don't ever stop talking! Some rush through and ask what's next. Some take forever on an activity that should be quick! Love food, especially if they get to decorate it/put it together themselves . Also love a good rampage in the fresh air

Found the thread again. Can't remember when I last posted on it, possibly on its previous incarnation. Anyway... hello again!

I finished with my Rainbow unit last night... moving to Brownies instead, same district. Got my pot of gold badge! Will be running the unit with a friend. Any tips for the slightly bigger yellow ones?

welcome MNistoo !
I'm off to visit the Guide unit in my new area tonight, hopefully the start of good times in a new city.

Last week of term...phew! Camped at the weekend, special evening at a brownie house for final meeting, then 6 weeks to catch up on the books, recruit 1 or ideally 2 new leaders. I have finally accepted that I can't carry on alone. I have already accepted deposits for a London overnight in October so will keep all the plates spinning until Christmas, but if by then no-one has stepped up to help I'll be shutting.

I found 4 packs of DAS clay enough for 24 girls. Not coil, just squidge with a thumb pots. Does that help?

Welcome, BTW

Hi everyone, nice to find a home here on mums bet. I've recently taken over a brownie unit after 2 years as assistant. We are making coil pots on pack holiday in a couple of weeks. How much clay do I buy for 15 girls? It's these questions I really can't do!

We're having a joint family barbecue for our last event of term (with R and B). Just hoping the weather holds!

There's a school fair today we've been invited to have a stall at, looking for Brownies, Guides and leaders - great stuff - except only one of our leaders can go - never mind, she's enthusiastic and the school is really near our hall. Except she has quite a bit of stuff to carry. Put out a plea to parents, only 3 responded. One to say they couldn't go, one to say they couldn't go but to offer a piece of kit we were after, and one to say "oh but you don't really need an extra [Rainbow] leader if you have parent volunteers do you?"
Not a single parent out of 23 girls offered to help the leader carry heavy stuff 5 minutes at a time when many of them will be at the school.

Colleague recently told me her DD had transferred from another local unit that's quite small and had closed to the large overwhelming unit that I think I've talked about before (40 Guides I think). Her DD really didn't want to but the unit was closing.
I am kind of wondering if I should just admit defeat and say "OK, there are 2 huge units in our area [the other one is not as big but still 20+] and there is no point in running units on any other day/time so I will just give up on offering Guides".
I couldn't then go and be a leader at either of the other two units, because I can't make those times/days.
And our Brownies would be very unlikely to move up to Guides as we currently do a lot of joint activities with them (being so small). At the moment if they make it to 9 3/4 they pretty much all go to Guides, it's earlier dropout we have a problem with.
Any DCs on here that might advise?

Last meeting of the term tonight, and my last meeting with the unit as I'm moving cities. Have come home with some lovely cards and chocolate.( They know me well) they nearly made me cry and I'm really going to miss them!

Found you all again! After weeks of dry weather, it rained tonight! Our night of campfire skills went ahead anyway, we were able to borrow the village scout hut. Girls were using a saw, axe and prepared their marshmallow sticks with a knife as well as learnt about match lighting. Awesome night, I've never seen them so enthralled and focused 😀

It was a big camp, not just four of us in a field the girls had a great time

drspouse I hope the rest of your camp went better! I hate the noise of evening activities, can't imagine trying to settle a small child during them

Hope your weekend improved drspouse.

Well, I suppose I must be doing something right. I had a Timehop photo yesterday with my oldest Guide as a Brownie and my youngest as a Rainbow on an event I was leading.

That would be crap leader but I could do with some cider, preferably not crap.

Am on camp and rapidly getting Crap Cider and Crap Mum awards.

• We were supposed to put up our tents on Weds but it was just me and one of the other leaders in my unit took the pegs and didn't put them back - I put up my own tent, but I've done something wrong and it's sagging.
• I asked another leader to take our girl tent over early, as she'd said people could help put it up, she then had no room in the car and no time to help.
• So girls had to put up the tent in the rain (not a big deal) but it turns out there STILL weren't enough pegs so the next group supervised the tent (as I had to be in a meeting), so they lent us some and pointedly said we owe them.
• It's really noisy (evening activities) and DS is really unhappy trying to sleep

big camp, (I'm presuming it's not a bog!)