Anyone know about uniforms and badges for Guiding?

[Inamuddleaboutthis]

Also posted on extra-curricular activities.

Do they have to have the polos/tshirts or can they just wear the hoodie and trousers? Are the rules dependent on the unit/leaders?

Do the badges from the previous section go on the new sections uniform too or not?

Sorry I never did guiding so don’t know. My 7 year old is just about to move up to Brownies and I’ve never had the chance to ask these questions due to the way it’s been run because of covid (she didn’t get a space at Rainbows until just before her 6th birthday so only been there a year – she borrowed a uniform for Rainbows as she was there so little time so I never put the badges properly on the uniform).

DD does not like the tshirts at all, she's spent most of rainbows in a borrowed hoodie as they had no tshirts to lend so wondering if she can carry that on with Brownies?

At my Brownies girls are allowed to wear whatever combination of uniform items they like. I might find it a little unusual if a Brownie only had a hoodie as they are quite warm and often get taken off for running around, but certainly nobody would get into "trouble" for not having a t-shirt

You don't need to transfer existing badges onto her Brownie uniform, just put on the ones she earns while a Brownie. If you want to keep Rainbows ones, you could consider getting a camp blanket to put them onto, and then add her Brownie ones to that later on.

@SockQueen

At my Brownies girls are allowed to wear whatever combination of uniform items they like. I might find it a little unusual if a Brownie only had a hoodie as they are quite warm and often get taken off for running around, but certainly nobody would get into "trouble" for not having a t-shirt

You don't need to transfer existing badges onto her Brownie uniform, just put on the ones she earns while a Brownie. If you want to keep Rainbows ones, you could consider getting a camp blanket to put them onto, and then add her Brownie ones to that later on.

Thank you she wants a camp blanket to put her badges on so will get one for her. I think the catalogue we've been given for rainbows has a general girl guiding one which I liked so I'll get that.

@SockQueen

At my Brownies girls are allowed to wear whatever combination of uniform items they like. I might find it a little unusual if a Brownie only had a hoodie as they are quite warm and often get taken off for running around, but certainly nobody would get into "trouble" for not having a t-shirt

You don't need to transfer existing badges onto her Brownie uniform, just put on the ones she earns while a Brownie. If you want to keep Rainbows ones, you could consider getting a camp blanket to put them onto, and then add her Brownie ones to that later on.

I'm planning to get the brownies trousers as well and will probably get the shorts next summer. She wears red joggers atm but I'll probably get the official ones for Brownies, so it'll be joggers and a hoodie, she likes the look of the hats too, why do these activities always end up costing me a lot of money in clothing?

We have a camp blanket that now contains guide ones as she's completely outgrown the uniform. For brownies we had the tshirt and hoodie. Covered all eventualities. Never bought the bottom half as it never fit. She just wore black leggings. I'd definitely buy the larger sash though. We ran out of space and had to put badges on her hoodie.

If you explain to the new leader I’m sure they’ll be fine with no T-shirt.

I got our stuff on eBay. Just read up about the sizing on the proper website first.

@Rowgtfc72

We have a camp blanket that now contains guide ones as she's completely outgrown the uniform. For brownies we had the tshirt and hoodie. Covered all eventualities. Never bought the bottom half as it never fit. She just wore black leggings. I'd definitely buy the larger sash though. We ran out of space and had to put badges on her hoodie.

I do like the look of the sashes.

She won't wear the tshirts at all I don't think, it'd be a waste of money thats why I'm thinking hoodie and joggers and/or hat.

@4PawsGood

If you explain to the new leader I’m sure they’ll be fine with no T-shirt.

I got our stuff on eBay. Just read up about the sizing on the proper website first.

Got the email for Brown Owl (I think thats her name?) on the leaflet given so will email her now, good idea.

Thank you

Hi there guider here xx There is also a long sleeve top which is lovely and soft and can be worn under the hoodie
There is also a gilet that can be worn with the long sleeve top as an alternative to the hoodie.
Brownies can sew badges on their sash, hoodie gilet or their blanket

Mine made a camp blanket in their last few weeks at rainbows. It wasn't an official one, a fleece blanket, slashed in the middle
For a neck and blanket stitched around. Brown owl embroidered each one with the girls name and they were given to them at their signing in ceremony or whatever it's called. Mine left some time ago now but those blankets come on every camping trip, holiday, long distance car journey.

She'll definitely need a t shirt in the summer.

@Buttybach

Hi there guider here xx There is also a long sleeve top which is lovely and soft and can be worn under the hoodie There is also a gilet that can be worn with the long sleeve top as an alternative to the hoodie. Brownies can sew badges on their sash, hoodie gilet or their blanket

I will look into the long sleeve option definitely thank you

I would say that she will really need a top to go under her hoodie as most of the time it gets hot when they run around
If she does not like the t shirt I'm sure a plain yellow t shirt will be fine.
We did have a few guides who said they didn't want to get a polo and unfortunately it ended up as a bit of a fashion show as they would all wear hollister ones under jackets and then take the jackets off.

@idontlikealdi

Mine made a camp blanket in their last few weeks at rainbows. It wasn't an official one, a fleece blanket, slashed in the middle For a neck and blanket stitched around. Brown owl embroidered each one with the girls name and they were given to them at their signing in ceremony or whatever it's called. Mine left some time ago now but those blankets come on every camping trip, holiday, long distance car journey.

She'll definitely need a t shirt in the summer.

She doesn't take her jumper off at school, she refuses to wear a cardigan. Most days she wears a jumper and skirt with no tshirt. I've recently persuaded her into a summer dress but it's the first time in her entire time at primary school she's worn one.

Shes very sensory, loves thick layers like jumpers. She's fine in every other sense - no other symptoms of Autism, she's just a sensory seeker. She wears a full wet suit for swimming lessons for similar reasons.

My unit have t-shirts and hoodies. Most also have leggings although the skort is popular. My unit like their badges on their hoodies, so I always recommend getting them big. A few prefer to have them on a blanket.

another guider here. Would echo try the long sleeve top. Much nicer than Rainbow uniform imo, that polo shirt is not nice! The gilet is also soft and warm.

The girls in my unit tend to sew badges straight onto their hoodies, or they have a gilet. Would say do not get a sash, they are impossible to sew onto and have very little room for 3 years of badges! :)

There's a long sleeve top...

Meant to say, ask if there's a local depot/shop. You may be able to try stuff on, and the profit will go into the local units.

@BlanketSky

another guider here. Would echo try the long sleeve top. Much nicer than Rainbow uniform imo, that polo shirt is not nice! The gilet is also soft and warm.

The girls in my unit tend to sew badges straight onto their hoodies, or they have a gilet. Would say do not get a sash, they are impossible to sew onto and have very little room for 3 years of badges! :)

She wants a camp blanket so will buy one for her rainbows badges to go onto.

I'm going to get the hoodie I think, will try and persuade her into the long sleeved top. She doesn't like the short sleeves on the tshirt.

Have emailed Brown Owl so will see what she suggests too.

DD was a Brownie and we had all the badges on her sash, we used fabric glue as I don’t have a sewing machine and the badges are a nightmare to be done by hand.

She went through two full sets of uniform in the years, I didn’t fancy picking the badges of her hoodie and redoing them as well.

We had the Brownie trousers, not the leggings. The leggings looked a bit like pyjama bottoms and the trousers had the benefit of pockets as well.

Don't know about where you are but our local uniform shop sell the guiding uniforms.

Our girls wear the t-shirt (long or short sleeve) and hoodie with badges on the sash. Other items are optional. We also keep a stash of secondhand uniform for cheap sale. It's funny seeing the names cycling around... a leaders child's top came from a now leasder!

While the sash is a PITA to sew, it can be sewn on to a blanket long term.and swerve potentially transfering badges if uniform is upsized.

Currently in the process of upgrading my Beaver to Cubs. At least unlike his brother, I haven't had much unpicking to do as lockdown happened in his second half and he's been suddenly deluged in badges as he leaves so some will go straight to Cubs and the rest to his blanket.
I hate having to upgrade the skills badges down a small child's sleeve. I put the more obscure ones low down and the hikes/ nights away up the shoulder which are easier to replace.

@BogRollBOGOF

Our girls wear the t-shirt (long or short sleeve) and hoodie with badges on the sash. Other items are optional. We also keep a stash of secondhand uniform for cheap sale. It's funny seeing the names cycling around... a leaders child's top came from a now leasder!

While the sash is a PITA to sew, it can be sewn on to a blanket long term.and swerve potentially transfering badges if uniform is upsized.

Currently in the process of upgrading my Beaver to Cubs. At least unlike his brother, I haven't had much unpicking to do as lockdown happened in his second half and he's been suddenly deluged in badges as he leaves so some will go straight to Cubs and the rest to his blanket.
I hate having to upgrade the skills badges down a small child's sleeve. I put the more obscure ones low down and the hikes/ nights away up the shoulder which are easier to replace.

Thank you, it won't be me sewing them on thankfully. I can't sew for toffee, it's her grandparents who're doing it so I'll see what they think about where to put them.

Reply from Brown Owl

"Send her in whatever makes her comfortable, if she won't wear the uniform she won't be excluded from attending"

So i'll get the hoodie and she wants the hat. She can wear brown joggers which I have a few pairs of and I'll put a tshirt underneath her hoodie as she does have a few she'll wear.

Brilliant. Super excited for her now!

I wouldn’t buy the official camp blanket op. Partly because it’s a pain at camp with all identical blankets getting mixed up and having to be identified by location of badges. But also in case she ends up in it for life, like many of us do. The official one isn’t big enough to keep an adult warm!

@MrsFionaCharming my daughter is a Scout and loves her blanket. Yes, it is also not big enough for an adult but she doesn’t seem to mind. saying that, she normally sleeps on 2 layers of thermal plus onesies plus sleeping bag, the blanket is just the icing.

It’s more about being proud of showing where she went and what she did.

We had hers embroidered with her initials.

@MrsFionaCharming

I wouldn’t buy the official camp blanket op. Partly because it’s a pain at camp with all identical blankets getting mixed up and having to be identified by location of badges. But also in case she ends up in it for life, like many of us do. The official one isn’t big enough to keep an adult warm!

Brown Owl said they make fabric ID badges for the blankets/uniform in the first half term of Brownies as I mentioned in my email getting one.

That's quite a cool idea (borrowing for my unit)

My children, now teens, each have 2m of fleece fabric chosen in the fabric shop. That said, it becomes quite personalised, especially if they pick up badges on holiday too. RNLI shops are great!