Guides or Scouts

My DD is a Cub, she loves it. At the time we were looking the local guiding branch wasn't doing the active things she likes, I hear it has improved now but she is settled.

I have 2 DDs and intend for both of them to do rainbows/brownies/guides. (oldest is only 3- mental note, must find out about local rainbows soon). My siblings and I all did Guides/scouts as appropriate and it was very influential in my life. I remember discussing the idea of mixed gender groups as a Guide before it all came in- my friends and I were horrified at the idea of sharing our space with boys. I hated all the boyfriend/girlfriend interaction and school and was glad to get away from it at guides.

That said, I do think you need a really strong guide group.

Both are great. I do love the girl only space that Guiding offers but both my ds and dd will most likely go to Beavers when old enough as that is what there is in my village and I'm not driving them somewhere when the village hall is all of 30 seconds walk!

Single sex opportunities are important and should be nurtured.

But the guiding centenary was 2010 so you're a little behind!

DD chose Brownies. She doesn't go anymore as one of her other clubs changed and clashed with the time. But she enjoyed it when she did go.

I did originally consider Cubs as that is mixed, but our local pack had no girls in it. I spoke tot he Brownie leader and signed her up for that - there was a long waiting list though.

The single sex thing wasn't an issue either way tbh. My DD goes to a single sex school anyway, and does other activities that are mixed.

FWIW DD's Brownie group were really good. They did all manner of activities including outdoor activities, climbing and bouldering, treasure hunts, campfires, PGL trips, weekend camps, archery, bowling, etc plus indoor ones too inc some fascinating ones such as when the had a go at keyhole surgery - well, using the euqipment anyway!

Ds is in cubs, dd2 is a brownie, and dd1 is a pathfinder (like a ranger), so the girls are in the single sex branches. Dd1was a beaver for a year and a half, she was the only girl.

I've also been a leader for both organisations... and find it interesting that particularly with the younger sections, there are a much higher percentage of female leaders for both, as at this point it's still largely regarded as child care, rather than the more adventurous stuff that men seem to bother to get involved with on a voluntary basis later on.

I quite like that the guides have made a real effort of late to focus on women's rights etc. although I am faintly bemused that ggc (where I am at the moment) are advertising some sort of goal setting session and speech in our region with miss Canada. Who is probably lovely, and very switched on, but just gives, IMHO, completely the wrong image to pubescent girls. So I am mildly ticking over it, and may express my feelings at some point.

When DS and DD are old enough it will be Beavers/cubs/scouts for DS and rainbows/brownies/guides for DD. I think it's important for children to have single sex activities (DS is 4, DD is 11m). It is good for children of BOTH sexes to have strong role models of their own sex. That said, I hope dd won't just be doing 'girly' stuff and DS won't be doing just 'boy' stuff iyswim.