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Original poster

Is Girl Guides usually not very badge-led?

19 replies

Echobelly · 29/10/2018 21:39

DD (10) was very pleased to be offered a spot at a local Girl Guide troupe and she's had a couple of sessions now. I noticed after a few it seems to be very 'arts and crafts' and 'organising parties' -based. Today she said to me the girls were saying they don't really do much badge-getting stuff, and part of the reason we were interested in her going was the new curriculum which sounded like it had some really positive stuff to work on. She's having a nice time, but I'm not sure I want to tie myself to the effort of taking her there every week if she's not going to be doing anything more challenging than some crafts and games.

Would be interested in experiences of other parents with girls at Guides - do they all tend to be like this, or are most more badge-activity oriented?

OP posts:

Sohardtochooseausername · 29/10/2018 21:40

My dad is a scout leader and says girls are coming over to scouts because guides is all crafts and cooking these days.

lucysmam · 29/10/2018 21:48

My Guides do all sorts of stuff!

We're not totally on the new programme yet (have until summer 2019 to roll it out fully). And the interest badges are designed to be completed at home, so it might be worth enquiring about getting a badge book for your dd. The rest of it, the leaders might not be 100% comfortable with yet.

Since Sept we've worked partly towards a badge, had a visitor to do some crafts, planned a residential and day out with the girls input, planned our Christmas party (for Rainbows, Brownies and Guides) with the girls, tried out various aspects of the new programme. And have another badge planned for after half term, amongst other things.

I think it depends largely on unit leaders/what the girls want to do. We plan roughly what will fit where and then sit down to fill in the blanks & tweak plans with the girls on the first week of term. If they wanted 12 weeks of crafts then that's what we'd to (mostly...we'd likely chuck some other stuff in for our sanity).

PerspicaciaTick · 29/10/2018 21:48

At this time of year, badges tend to be more indoorsy for practical reasons. When DD was a guide the parties were generally organised by other guides as part of their badge work. However, as a lot of badges are related to individual guide's interests, it was expected that guides would be approaching leaders to discuss how they could work on the badges that interested them in their own time with support from.leaders where necessary.
The leaders will have a plan of action for badges the whole pack are working towards, so you could ask them what the plan is maybe?

Original poster

Echobelly · 29/10/2018 21:49

The leaders were saying they were going to a meeting a few weeks back about the new curriculum, and DH was going to follow up on it, so I should remind him about that.

Basically I was wondering if it was worth her staying there while we find another troupe, but not if they're likely to be similar.

OP posts:

neddle · 29/10/2018 21:49

Not every guide unit is the same, it’s all down to the leaders and what they plan for the girls.
The new program was introduced to help combat the notion that Guides is just crafts. It’s being rolled out over this academic year. My district is launching in January and by September all units should be on the new program.

There’s three parts to it:

unit meeting activities (Uma)- whole unit activities, 5 hours’ worth in one theme goes towards the theme badge. There are 6 themes and a guide would be expected to cover all 6 in 2 years of Guiding.
Skills builders - small group activities, 5 tasks per builder, 2 builders per theme. Should get a badge a term.
Interest badges - worked on at home, you get the badge when you’ve completed the syllabus.

There’s a gold award for getting 6 theme badges; they need to do 5 hours of umas, a skills builder and one interest badge all in the same theme for each one.

So there’s loads of new badges, she can start working on some now. Just ask the leaders what their plans are. But remember, not every girl fits the first guide unit she tries. Sometimes you just need to try another one.

starfishmummy · 29/10/2018 21:55

A lot will depend on the particular unit. But often badges are left to individuals to do rather than being done in the group - u less It's something like camping

However she's only been there a couple of weeks so maybe once she is enrolled there will be more opportunity.

SilentShadows · 29/10/2018 21:57

Mines a little out-of-date I'm afraid OP, but when I was a child (in the 90's) I tried Brownies briefly. I didn't find it interesting enough so switched over to Cubs (in those days I was one of only 3 girls in the group of 30+ boys).

And when I progressed from Cubs I tried the Girl Guides, but agree with you OP that it was very focused on indoor arts and crafts... so I dropped that and joined the Sea Scouts instead (and from memory there were only 2 of us girls at that one).

I found both the Cubs and Sea Scouts far more interesting, active and outdoor-led than the girls-only groups, so if you can I'd recommend taking a look at something similar for your DD. I like to think I met a wider variety of children as well, and I was lucky enough to join groups where I never felt treated differently for being one of only a few girls attending.

NancyDonahue · 29/10/2018 22:02

My dd's unit gives out a plan for the whole term in advance. Generally they are out and about a lot more in the summer term, but in amongst the indoor stuff this term there's martial arts, making fire, a day hiking, bowling trip and fireworks plus the usual remberence parade and a couple of fundraising events and singing Christmas songs at a nursing home. Dd gets a lot from it.

MakeLemonade · 29/10/2018 22:04

Not like our guides at all - DD (10) did a badge related to personal finance a couple of weeks back and is currently upcycling some furniture. In the summer most weeks are outside - long games, rounders, litter picking in the community etc.

Have you got the badge book?

Beamur · 29/10/2018 22:08

The new programme is really interesting - but not much is available on line, so you can't see it. Find out when her unit are getting the new badge books.
Units are not constrained by the badge books either. We tend to maybe do one badge per half term, some other activities and maybe a trip out. We've done escape rooms, coding workshops, trips to the cinema, indoor climbing, glamping, swimming parties, sleepovers and loads more.

Original poster

Echobelly · 29/10/2018 22:11

Thanks, this is all really useful info. It sounds like we should give it some time and see how it is in summer. Will definitely ask about badge books and how that works.

OP posts:

EduCated · 29/10/2018 22:21

The new programme is only just out and lots of volunteers are still getting their heads around it, as it is still being rolled out and groups have until next year to start delivering it. Many aren’t yet delivering it, whilst others have jumped straight in.

Wheresthel1ght · 29/10/2018 22:25

To be honest the new programme doesn't let us run badges in unit any more.

We used to do a lot but the badges are meant to be done at home now. We are not permitted to encourage or force them.

Some units are quite crafty, ours can be although we have a good mix of other things, canoeing, archery, orienteering etc. We have had a zumba class, mocktails with a proper cocktail waitress, water safety and other things.

A lot depends of the leaders and how confident they are with the more adventurous stuff. That said there isn't a lot of room. For crafting with the new programme

scrappydappydoo · 29/10/2018 22:30

My dds are Guides and I find each unit varies - I deliberately chose the one my dds go to because it is very outdoorsy - they do a lot of campfires, hikes, camping etc and very little crafts but another local unit is mostly crafts and indoors stuff - both are popular with long waiting lists. Perhaps your dd can suggest some different activities when she has settled in more - my dds leaders are always keen for parents to help and share skills too - could that be an option?

EduCated · 29/10/2018 22:50

Of course you can encourage badges at home, Wheresthl1ght. Definitely not ‘force’, but what the heck are we doing if we don’t encourage them?!

Skills builder badges are for in-unit, but there seems to be an odd attitude amongst some at the moment that they’re not ‘proper’ badges.

Original poster

Echobelly · 30/10/2018 08:30

We don't really getchoice of units around here (North London) - you just have to wait until a local place becomes available, and I can only really do Mondays as well.

OP posts:

Beamur · 30/10/2018 10:27

I'm not 100% familiar with the new scheme, but on the face of it, it seems pretty smart. You can get badges in unit and work for them at home (which you could do before, but not many of our Guides did). The combination of the two unlocks another achievement badge - so gently encouraging girls to do some of these activities in their own time too.
Am slightly sorry the 'nights away' badges have changed though, we all liked the little jigsaw pieces.

happypotamus · 30/10/2018 10:57

I am a Guide leader. We have started doing some of the new programme but we are still getting to grips with it ourselves as it is a big change from what we were doing before. We have done a skills builder this half-term so they should get a badge for that. The interest badges have to be done at home now, we used to do a couple each year as a unit, but now they won't get any unless they do the work at home, which we don't see many doing. But, if your DD is interested, definitely ask about a badge book and see what she wants to do.
As others have said, all Guide units are slightly different in what activities they do, as it is supposed to be girl-led so they have input into what we do and also, to some extent, it will be led by what the leaders can provide. We don't do a lot of arts and crafts because all of us are not very good at it, but try to do something arty each term because the guides like it. We do quite a lot of cooking/ food-based activities because the girls love them. We go out quite a lot and do a fair amount of adventurous activities but not so much at this time of year. We do ice skating, swimming, indoor climbing etc over winter usually.

user1471530109 · 30/10/2018 11:36

My dd does Brownies and cubs. They are both v different and she likes them both for being so different!

Cubs do loads of badges. She has an sleeveful after a year. She hasn't got an interest badges in brownies....and reading this thread I now know why! It hasn't been explained to us that they do them at home on their own. I don't remember her getting a new book? But she may have had one...

That's a shame actually. The fact the cubs all do them together (she has got a couple on her own due to hobbies) means she tries things she wouldn't normally do.

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