Guiders Staff Room Part 3

Well we already have one Rainbow group with a huge waiting list and some parents were on the village FB group talking about how long they were having to wait. So I basically said, well there's a simple solution to that, we have enough girls already 5 to open another 1.5 units so we need people to do that, and boom! It may not yet pan out but fingers crossed!

Wicked, how did you manage that?! I keep thinking the village needs rainbows, but am sitting on my hands....

First night back yesterday. Said a sudden good bye to a 10yr old, wasn't expecting to lose her so quickly. Her place will be filled next week. Woke up to a join us email, looking at the ages in my unit I don't expect a place before Easter

Spent last night p playing games, although an impromptu game of hokey cokey crept in! And parachute games, I loved the parachute as a kid😊

Seem to have potentially recruited two new Rainbow leaders this morning without even trying... wondering if it will actually result in a new unit!

I think it is, especially at the beginning and end! During the meeting they split into two or three groups. I can't imagine it! Some beavers struggle, the retention isn't great, and dp's been known to hold a kids down for a term so they're that little bit older and better able to cope.

You described the behaviour perfectly with your first night! Second night- same as first

Had an interesting time last night. There's an old church site on the edge of the village, only a ruin, but the graves are intact. Hs2 (fuckers) will go straight over/through it. Went to a talk last night by the archeologist from hs2, both of us in uniform with a view to getting the village units involved... Watch this space. Exciting, but a shame to lose a beautiful tranquil spot.

40 sounds like a lot - far more purely crowd control than having time to really explore the programme. Then again, I am imagining the chaos of 40 on the water - nope, can't, I'd be necking gin at 11am if we had that! Roughly 20 on a weekly basis is bad enough (we have 24, but with other sports etc there's nearly always a handful away).

Boys cause chaos by day, but literally wear themselves out. So they are full of plans for midnight feasts etc but all collapse for sleep.

Girls plan better - hoard sweets away, have torches organized, arrange which room will "host", and know how to keep it quiet enough that it happens. And they will stay awake for it.

So boys more trouble (in general) by day, girls by night.

When we actually camp (our only 2 night event), night 1 they are all up late, chatting, (singing!), eating sweets until well after midnight. And all up before 5am with the bright morning - we send them to play football down by the lakeshore for an hour or 2. The second night, we have the campfire and they all drift off in dribs and drabs to bed almost as soon as it gets dark (10.30ish), there is no late night chatter, and they don't get up until about 8 for the early risers (and we've been known to wake the last few at coming up on 10am for their final activity before packing up).

Oh Biddy! Sounds a full on weekend! The running of your unit is similar to dd2's cub unit- except they've gone up to something crazy like 40 something kids to accommodate the 8yo beavers. She's one of 4 girls in the unit. Interesting what you say about the girls vs boys sleeping.

Thanks Grovee - it could be a lot worse, there could have been serious injuries (activity related!) rather than name calling and a slap. And they all responded pretty well to dealing with the aftermath so hopefully that will knock it on its head now.

Someone asked the last page about assistant leaders.

In our troupe, we have 5 leaders. Section Leader (now me, I just inherited from another leader who is still very involved TG), and 4 others. I am the only girl leader in our mixed Cubs (24 DCs).

Former SL does a lot and has great rapport with the DCs. He also manages the shared dropbox for our admin but has happily handed over responsibility for paperwork to incoming SL!

Other longest term leader is our QM. Great at anything "scoutcraft" related and on boats. Quite laid back on admin etc.

3rd leader also in before me, very laid back and will organize/run things but needs reminding. Has great contacts (we had a great outing to the Lighthouses HQ this year as 1 of his meetings). Also while doesn't say a lot in admin meetings, tends to be worthwhile what he does say (notices things, and asks the pertinent questions). Officially the Risk assessor - but realistically that's leader 4.

4th leader also a leader in other Cub troupe (has DCs in both) and in girls' scout troupe (we have 2 mixed Cub troupes, then 2 scout troupes which are gender split but do lots jointly, then a mixed rover troupe). Does notice risk things and does things properly (lists of names, not just numbers, when going off outdoors; taking radios and a lifejacket if going down the pier etc) - which is good.

We have a programme which we plan before each term, roughly. We put that in a table, and each session has a leader "in charge". Their role is to organize it, do the weekly communication to parents that week, and any "plan, do, review" stuff we manage (some are better than others). Theoretically, my job is to just turn up about 80% of the time - but it rarely is. There is paperwork, there is planning ahead, juggling changes as some leaders can't make it on their weeks (they are supposed to arrange that themselves but often don't think ahead enough).

On trips away, I am definitely "the mammy"! We're all decent on first aid but I am an occupational first aider at work so highest and most recently trained, and have the bulk of first aid supplies (including emergency sweets, for tears/distraction, loss of energy on hikes, and occasional rewards purposes!). So while they'll come to all of us with first aid needs, especially in daytime - nighttime problems tend to be mine (first aid, homesickness, messing in the girls room! (boys mess lots by day but are so wiped they actually go to sleep at night!), actual illness or any other problems which would tend to be dealt with by Mums at home too). And the guys are all perfectly capable of running the mess tent, but organizing to make it easy seems illogical to them (putting breakfast items separate to dinner items - so the 9 year olds don't raid the crisps as breakfast!) and sometimes of thinking about food before its gone very late and prep takes a while on gas cookers.

I love it, between being back into Scouty stuff, going hiking again, exploring, teaching younger kids stuff I learned, messing about in boats, going back camping after a long hiatus .....and even some of the paperwork and organizing (I am a civil servant as a day job so its not completely alien!). Our Cubs are nice too - mostly. And our parents are as well, and generally supportive of what we are at.

But I do admit that it is a bit of work, and that the others seem, at least, to have a lot less to do between the weekly 90 minute meetings than I do.

The good thing though, because we have a reasonable split of weeks (I definitely take more than 20%, but its better than 100%!), and we can call on parents and other leaders within the group if need be (but 4 is enough most weeks to run our sessions), that we can all have a few weeks a year when we can do other things. Whether that's family stuff (we have to travel for family gatherings and so does 1 other leader), or getting out hiking/biking etc themselves, other social events with friends, or just doing the garden - we can organize that with some advance notice even though we meet on Saturdays - we don't always lose every weekend to it.

And I know I have more training to do - but I am looking forward to that and the chance of a few weekends away from home and those responsibilities (and weekly Cubs meeting)!

Thorny Bird - are there any grants available from local authority, lottery, etc that you could apply for?

Or do you have any materials to get your girls to make something they could sell - parachord bracelets, do a baking night as a group, make cards, make fire lighting sticks (get a stick and using swiss-army type knife, whittle end into "curls" that will easily light up)...sorry probably not the most practical. Still in slightly brain dead mode.

I am in recovery here, after our hostelling overnighter went - not spectacularly but - badly wrong last weekend. We were in a hostel the troupe has used most years, but not last year (massive whole Group camp for our 50th - so all 4 troupes together). Had forgotten some of the pitfalls, and I ended up organizing, it rained, there was another big Beaver/Cub group there as well as plenty of "Joe Public".

The problems were internal (all boys in 1 room, and went feral; boys and girls not listening to "no running indoors" instructions etc), late night shenanigans (once the boys had settled, I was only asleep when a delegation of 2 girls woke me for 3 problems - Elastoplast replacement needed on a finger cut, wide awake ADHD child needed her sleeping tablets, and child who is not terribly long recovered from broken foot had hurt it on hike and now in pain) - so I was awake until almost 3 dealing with them, and another couple of hours awake myself as I was convinced I would be driving foot girl home. Woke early as troupe upstairs were a herd of thundering elephants from 7am (as they went to sleep nice and sensibly early!). But hikes went well, newbies were invested, girls bonded well, no serious injuries (lots of the expected cuts from penknives but no worse) etc.

Then the fall-out from the feral boys - bordered on bullying behavior. So lots of paperwork and meetings last week (1 leaders meeting (kept to a sub committee of 3), 1 formal meeting of leaders with a parent, felt like 101 emails (to keep other leaders informed, let Group Leader know, keep parents informed, needed to let Scout Helper know more than parents but less than all leaders). And prep and research for a serious formal session this weekend on fallout, including a workshop on respecting each other and getting each patrol to lay out their own charter for respect, including each Cub formally signing it. Older boy Cubs had to stay behind for a separate talk and re-take their promise on the flag.

It worked out ok. I have a few follow up emails to send tonight, to let people know the outcome. But my planning time was massively impacted, and I have to find a few things out urgently as well to plan after Easter. And I was utterly drained on Saturday evening - we haven't had problems like this before, and it had to be me stepping up to it with the kids as the new Section Leader (not the normal "nice/helpful mammy" mode). All leaders did step up, I wasn't isolated, it was just draining and a weight on my shoulders.

So now, I need to get a few things like spare woggles sorted, work out the plan for swim test after Easter (tides are rubbish this season and DD will miss the potentially best day for a family event, so I need to try and persuade leaders doing a first aid course in the den to also give us the space - it is our scheduled time but we don't usually meet on bank hols...), and plan a very fun session also soon (they missed out making woggles, heavy machinery, seriously creative session for the workshop; and it was also very formal; so I need to make it light and fun too - not to scare them off, now that we have done the hard work, we'll just stick to their new rules and move forwards).

And Group Treasurer has put pressure on to spend money fast - we need some equipment, and have approval, but they want it done fast to use in applying for a grant (and possibly adding on stuff we were going to do next year - we have the funds but not the time to organize it). Told me as I arrived at Den to do the workshop. And the QM of our Cubs was unavoidably away (funeral) so I have to talk to him this week.

Sorry, I know that's an offload - I am just so relieved to have come away from Saturday in 1 piece!

I'll keep an eye out for school fairs. I know the school my dc go to keep it small and 'internal' during a school day (I now work full time) so that's not a goer.

Our DC is up for trying to do a district fundraiser with proceeds split between all units who participate. I love the knot and natter idea!

That was close! I think we'd have been equally close had our gift aid claim finally been done.

Helping another leader out in their brownie holiday this weekend- the things I'll do for experience! Been fun, but oh my, the injuries kept coming, last night they would not settle, think we finally got to bed about half twelve! Shattered kids. Tonight they're a lot calmer. I'm sat by a shattered and homesick girl in the dorm, with a brew and mn. Hopefully she'll doze off soon so I can go finish my portion of the left over no cook cheesecake 😁

Thorny With school fares coming up it's worth asking if any schools near you need help or equipment, I'm on 2 PTA's (DC at different schools) and work in a 3rd school. At DS's I have scouts running the greasy pole, Rainbows and Brownies selling toys and a guide selling bracelets (fundraising for an international). DD's school scouts are getting a donation to lend us a couple of gazebos and their urns, Leaders Senior section and Guides are lending me some volunteers, they're each getting a share of whatever the stall they're on takes.
School I'm at has a real parking issues, complaints from neighbours etc, so we've asked local leaders and TSS over 18 to do car park duty for us'

Coffee morning, jumble sales, craft mornings, and just advertise all over Facebook. Our local TSS do a quiz night and invite other units leaders and parents to enter teams.

For world challenge my baby brother ran a knit and natter group on a saturday morning, parish priest lends him a meeting room for free and he asked a couple of local nursing homes, shops and the church to put out notices, people brought their own knitting and he laid on tea, coffee and biscuits for donations then just sat chatting to them, introducing them to each other etc, it was really lovely, he has actually been talked into keeping it going so has been running it about 2 years now (money now goes to the parish youth fund, which the various youth groups in the parish can apply to to support members that can't afford trips/subs/uniform etc)

Thanks everyone, I'm feeling a bit better about it today.

Thorny are there any school fete type things you could have a stall at? Guess the name of the bear/how many sweets in the jar/lucky dip are all quite cheap to set up.

Ria I agree with Sparkly that your arsy parent probably isn't speaking for all the parents and is just using that excuse to justify her moaning.

Just had our bank statement. Census cheque has gone through and we have £2.34 in the account - I knew it was going to be close. Any one got any fundraising ideas that don't rely on sponsorship/parents?

Had a splendid time at a Legoland last weekend - 3 coaches from our area of Cornwall went up, 2 coach loads slept over in a Scout hut 30mins from LL then we had the Sunday there. It felt like an epic adventure but was superbly organised by our div com and her 'team'.

Feeling quite upbeat at the moment which makes a nice change. We have our summer camp in May half term so starting to get stuff sorted for that now.

Ria in my experience of guiding, scouts and school, any parent that says the words "It's not just me, all the parents feel this way" is lying massively exaggerating how many parents feel like it, what they actually mean to say is "I have whinged about this a lot and at least 3 people have made non-committal grunts and nodded, or at least not openly disagreed."

Would help Ria? On brownie holiday here. Last one admitted defeat at 00.25 ish. And it was defeat, several fought sleep to the end!

It's about a thousand times more likely she's left for personal reasons that are nothing to do with you, but it's easy to say that when it's happening to someone else!

Ugh!!! I hate parents like that :-( I've had several asking if we can start earlier... nope, as I work and struggle to get here as it is. Grrr.

And breathe...

"It's not just me, all the parents feel this way"

Well you and all the parents can start your own bloody unit then!