Guiders' staff room - tea, wine, chat and optional dancing around the toadstool

Oh that sounds good Rue. I might have to do something like that, once I've organised myself to actually plan the term.

My newsletter includes: intro inc names of new starters, Rainbow promise, important dates - trips, church parades, enrolments etc, reminder to wear suitable shoes, my contact details, brief overview of plans for the term or "this term we will be completing our Rainbow Roundabout, and visiting Tesco for a Farm to Fork visit." Bit about subs being due, amount and how to pay them, then a bit about being a church sponsored unit and what it means (we don't pay rent but attend regular church parade instead).

At the moment I'm planning weekly (on the day itself usually), but it's stressing me out and I really want to take half a day this weekend to plan the term. Especially as I'm finishing up my LQ and doing queen's guide as well. And I need to plan a holiday for the licence.
So I really want to get my head together.
But the new job comes first and is taking up all my headspace at the moment.
That said I did come up with a good last minute plan today, which the guides seemed to enjoy, a patrol clue walk treasure hunt thing.

I'm back with one more...how do you all organise your storage space? That is also a jumbled up mess & I have the key to go down and start sorting through it all but not sure where to start!

Thanks Rue, that's really helpful. What sort of info do you include in the newsletter?

Groovee, I'm waiting for a reply to an email from her & didn't think to ask in that! I will mail again to ask.

Do you have contact with your dc? She should know your membership number as long as your PVG/dbs check and your references are through.

When I didn't have an AL I planned a term at a time (sometimes online via the FB group), and tended to do at least one badge a term - purely because following the syllabus automatically filled quite a few weeks in for me without much brain effort!

We tend to open with a games night on the first night of term, 2nd week is promise week, then into badge stuff, enrolments around half term ish, POG as last week of term

Also I try to make sure each term includes some sort of cooking (decorating biscuits or cakes, making butter, making those horrible sunrise drinks from one of the roundabouts etc), some singing, something outdoors, some craft, a trip or visitor - it soon fills things up

I send out a newsletter at the start of each term, doesn't include detailed plans though as things can change! I also have a secret Facebook group for parents that most are on, so updates/forms etc can go on there as and when. And I do a little note to hang out the week before the girls need to bring stuff in (eg this week we're collecting contributions to the church harvest festival).

I am back again! I think I may have solved my leader problem.

The current leader has separated the bits asking about willingness to help from the contact details bit of the Essential Info form & it appears never done anything about the fact that a fair few of them are willing to help out!

I'll be having words later on, see if anyone is able to do every week...

Another one...do I sign using my name or my Rainbows name?

Rue, I can see me having to rely on parents to fill the gap of a second leader for a while. The blummin Brownies next door have FOUR leaders at the mo & a young leader too!

Can I ask a few questions? I'm still trying to organise myself & the jumbled mess I've been handed...

What do I need every week? I have a folder with register, contact info forms (new ones so I have up to date info), accident forms, activity. I have plasters and anti-bac wipes in my bag just in case it'll be mine that falls if anyone.

Do you plan termly/half termly/weekly at a time?

Do you all (Rainbow leaders) use the roundabouts for planning?

& following on from that, is badge work a big part of your planning/sessions?

Do you send newsletters? And; do you think something from me, since I'm taking over, would be useful for the parents?

Wtf have I not got a membership number anywhere in this jumbley mess to register on Go?! (Ok, I know you can't answer that one but it's a bit of a pita - will sort that tonight).

There will be more I'm sure. Thank you all for your help so far, I really appreciate it

Until this term I've run for four years with a parent rota and me as the sole leader. I put out a parent rota for the term, with spaces for people to fill in the weeks they could cover.

Other than once or twice having to have stern words to say that the meeting would be cancelled if people didn't sign up, it worked pretty well. I am, however, VERY relieved that I finally have a LiT coming along every week - she already helps at another local unit but was struggling to complete her ALQ due to an overabundance of leaders - they have 7!

Albus, that would be really helpful, thank you!

truffle, that sounds really interesting & your activities sound great!

I was looking at the roundabouts earlier on today - we only have Roundabout The World atm & I was wondering about getting a couple more over the coming months to help me with planning.

That sounds amazing truffle, may borrow some of your spring term ideas nd do the brownie discovering faith badge.

Lucysmam, it is expected. It is in the letter I send to all new parents, happy to pm you a copy if you like?

Do I tackle her head on or leave it and tell her to nicely bog off after a couple of weeks?

deffo put her to work lol

hi everyone :)

had my first LQ training this weekend, safe space and introduction to guiding. was nice to meet people and i came back with LOADS of ideas !! so i am going to be leading on doing the festival roundabout. plannig on doing it over this term and spring term with 1 meeting a month dedicated to a festival. i was thinking

October - Ashura (muslim) which celebrates Noah's Ark and has a cool pudding thing that we can make with the girls

november - Divali (hindu and sikh) and make salt dough tealights

december - hannukah - most of the girls are at a c of e school so i thought it would be good to something different to christmas

january - chinese new year

february - valentines day

march - holi as they will have plenty of input about easter at school

april - japanese hanami (cherry blossom festival)

may - Beltane (pagan) as this ties in with our massive Jack in the Green festival here

what do you think ?

Really, that's interesting Albus!

I shall work on establishing myself as 'IN CHARGE' for the rest of this half term & then start sending notices out about helping with sessions in that case.

Do you give them a choice or just tell them it's expected?

I don't think it helps that the woman currently running the groups is a bit about it now & the sessions have been mainly of the cut and stick variety with the girls running riot.

I'm just about to print some sheets for tomorrow night on my shiny new printer & email the Brownies leader to check they're not using the main hall so I can introduce some variety into the games they play.

Wow lucysmam, you need to work on that.

At the beginning of term I email out a list of which parent is helping which week. If they can't make it they swap with another parent but i do not acilitate it.

It is now just accepted as the price of sending your daughter to brownies.

I make it clear Mum, Dad, Granny, Grandad Aunty etc all welcome.

They offer a massive range from general supervision, playing the piano, running a zumba session and tidying the cupboard.

Its awesome

I'd also point out to her that if she's planning to help on a regular basis she'll need a Guiding DBS.

I'd make use of her if she's there anyway!

None of our parents will even entertain the odd session & look at me gone out when I mention that without another leader we won't be running come March next year

I think you get her details for Go, and ask what size uniform she'd like!

looking for some advice.

I have a parent who won't go, her dd started rainbows and so did mum. I have told her that she can leave DD now as she has seen how swell she settled she told my assistant she would keep coming.

Do I tackle her head on or leave it and tell her to nicely bog off after a couple of weeks?

Hello Albus, it went well! Their little faces dropped a bit at the suggestion of dropping show and tell to find out about what they've been up to but hopefully it'll give us more time to actually 'do' iyswim.

I've been sorting through two very jumbley folders of paperwork and activities for the past couple of days hoping to find my reg number to sign up on Go, but no luck finding it

How did your first week in charge go Lucy's mam?

Hello

I'm placemarking for a read later on - will be back to bug you all with a gazillion questions I'm sure .