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

we went to the brownie only science museum night too, it was awesome!

@Mynight The bane of a Guider's life. Could you possibly open it up to another unit? Have a 50/50 split or even for someone looking for experience?

It's a long while since I co-ran a holiday with my friend who's since left guiding but you're right, being in charge of a smaller event is in sosme ways easier even when the buck stops with you.

Part of my difficulty now is that my volunteer team is shrinking and is also (dare I say it) a bit flakey. I've had a few incidents where we've planned non-residential events and at the last minute they've told me that, oh, by the way, they've changed their plans and won't be coming. It's bad enough scrabbling around for last minute help with an outing, it would be hellish for a residential.

Butlins or PGL are expensive and I think the high take up for our own holidays is that they are so relatively cheap: we can do a fri-sun evening holiday all incl for £45 and an overnight camp for £10.

tbh I find the ones we organise ourselves easier. Large scale events are so, well, large! We are lucky that the county's holiday house is in the next village so it's a popular choice. We have 25 signed up for the long weekend there in April. I rope in parents for one night or a couple of hours in the daytime and as it is so close we have good volunteer numbers.
We have, at least for the last few years, a very good take up for all trips.
Even the (I think it was) expensive trip to London had 9 girls. Highly recommended though: we went to the Brownies only Science Night at the Science museum and had a great night. If we'd been local I'm sure we'd have had a better turn out but 9 girls was actually about right to handle with train and tube.
Last year's BBB trip was a county day out by coach followed by a Division camp at a local site and we had 24/24 take up.

I don't have a residential licence, so we do as many camps and sleepovers as are offered by the district/region. Last year, that was two events - 3 nights in all. To be honest, I'm not keen to do more. Our take-up is often low (6 for Butlins, for example), it's hugely disruptive to my family life and not great for my various health problems (I cope badly with sleep deprivation). I would feel more enthused if we had better take-up from the girls, but many already have such busy lives that they don't have time for any Brownie activities beyond the weekly meetings.

3 residential events in a year sounds like a lot to me, particularly if you're organising them yourself. I'm in awe.

I like to offer two ops to stay away so that everyone has a chance to come. Last year was exceptional because of the BBB. We had a region PH to butlins, a BBB sleepover, a PH and a county sleepover.

This year a sleepover and another unit's PH only. We may do a sleepover near Christmas for someone to gain the license.

Plan for next year is a PH in Jan or Feb and another in May or June. We may slot in a sleepover if we have the energy.

So that's two local residentials a year? Why do you say 'only?' I suspect it's more than most units. We both doing quite well I think! I'm just trying to get a feel on how to move it forward now because my YD will be leaving so I can perhaps offer things that my own children wouldn't necessarily choose.

We've only had one pack holiday and one sleepover. It's hard for me to commit due to my disability.

Can I ask how many residentials you offer? We've had (or will have had) three this year: museum sleepover, two night holiday at local holiday house, one night camp. The girls are up for it and generally they are a fraction of the cost of school holidays (the weekend is coming in at £40 all incl.). We had 50% uptake on the museum which was £80 for one night.
I'm planning on taking module 8 next year so can offer longer camps...but then I keep looking at the DLP deals and wondering if it's worth doing the international module or if their won't be sufficient uptake to make it worthwhile.
What do you all do regularaly, and if you do offer more expensive trips, what uptake do you expect?
Thanks

Going away risk assessment, not really an issue but I've now spent too long over thinking

Sounds great Momb, may suggest that to my team for next term.

Brilliant! I'm making a note of that for a summer term cook-out!

We had such a good night just wanted to share: we used wooden clothes pegs and Mr kipling sized pie foils as tiny pans over tealights to make bacon and egg sandwiches: chopped up bacon in a little oil. once cooked pour in a little beaten egg. Once firm turn over, then put between circles of sliced bread done with a cake cutter with a slice of cherry tomato and a dollop of ketchup. They did three each in the session, lit the candles (Brownie skills badge) and generally had a lovely time. We do pancakes on bean tins over candles every year and also use tealights for s'mores quite often, but hadn't done these for years. Went down really well!

Ooh, are they not? I must have missed that memo. The only Brownies who ever use them are the ones with badge sashes, so I won't get any more when this bunch runs out and that will be one less admin job to do. Result.

name tapes are no longer official uniform so use whatever you like!

I've no idea if there's a regulation width (we do seem to have a regulation for everything) but I think the bunch I've been using for the last decade are 8mm.

New membership card arrived today. My dd got her first one too. Proud mum I am

I have no idea Becles. I'm still using the ones from the old leader x

I am wondering if anyone is able to help me with a technical problem. The eBay person we normally buy name tapes from has ceased to trade and now I'm looking for alternatives, I am stuck on the right size.

Do I need a 8mm, 10mm or 12mm wide tape? Help!

:o momb real fruit would make life interesting! :o :o

@cormoranstrike More music suggestions from hip young things at work whopromise me that these will meet the criteria of uplifting, semi-familiar to the audience and U/PG rating:

Clubfoot - Kasabian
Watch Me Shine -Joanna Pacitti
One Girl Revolution – Superchick
This One’s for the Girls – Martina McBride

Thank you Rue and others we played Rainbow in the woods and fruit salad tonight girls loved both

Fruit Salad:
Girls sit in a circle. Give each one a fruit (use about 3-4 different ones, depending on how many girls you have). When you shout their fruit, they have to stand up, run round the outside of the circle and sit back down in their space. Last one to sit down is out. If you shout Fruit Salad then everyone runs.
for clarity: give each girl the name of a fruit: no real fruit involved

Fruit Salad:
Girls sit in a circle. Give each one a fruit (use about 3-4 different ones, depending on how many girls you have). When you shout their fruit, they have to stand up, run round the outside of the circle and sit back down in their space. Last one to sit down is out. If you shout Fruit Salad then everyone runs.

Hedgehogs:
You need a blanket or parachute or similar for this one. Girls move around the hall (I give them something to act out - eg moving like a dog, snake, astronaut, ballet dancer, statue...). When you say Lost Hedgehogs, they curl up on the floor and shut their eyes. Cover one of them with the blanket, ask the others to stand up. When they can identify who is missing, put their hand up.

Rainbows Cross the Woods:
All girls stand at one end of the hall, with a leader or two in the middle (or YLs if you have them!). Leaders say Rainbows cross the woods, the Rainbows have to run to the other end of the hall without being tagged by one of the ones in the middle. If they are, they have to join them.
HOWEVER, once you're in the middle, you can't move your feet - you are a tree (the woods of the title). Your branches (arms) can move as much as you like, but your roots (feet) are stuck firmly in the ground - other than being allowed to face the direction the Rainbows are coming from.