Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Will 2 years be long enough at Brownies?

17 replies

BrownieGoldPlease · 27/04/2022 18:58

Basically thanks to covid reducing leader numbers my 7 almost 8 year old has only just been offered a place in Brownies.

She did Rainbows until June last year. She absolutely loved Rainbows and got over 20 badges including Silver and Bronze (if she’d had 1 more term at Rainbows she’d likely have got Gold).

She’s desperate to get Gold Brownie but will only be there for 7 terms before Guides. I haven’t yet told her she may not get it as I’m just not sure.

The District Commissioner has been great while she’s not been attending and has let me do some Interest Badge work with her and these will be awarded as soon as she starts her new Brownie group next week but unfortunately due to the way the Skills Builders and Unit Meeting Hours work DD has been unable to do any of the regular badge work – according to the DC she’s one of about 20 girls in the area in a similar position so hoping they’ve taken it into account but I’m not sure?

DDs extremely excited for Brownies, so I won’t be telling her yet if she isn’t able to get Gold (I’ll wait until right before she goes to Guides).

But will 2 years be enough for Gold?

OP posts:
anotherneutralname · 27/04/2022 19:07

She doesn’t have to leave Brownies the second she turns ten, does she? Because it she stayed until “almost 11” then she would have three years and could take 12 months to do bronze, likewise silver, then gold?

I also have a child who is a completist and wants to finish everything, so I understand why you’re thinking about it, but I expect there’s a way to have enough time.

mrsfoof · 27/04/2022 19:09

My DD stayed at Brownies until she was almost 11. She'll have time I think.

Original poster
BrownieGoldPlease · 27/04/2022 19:09

anotherneutralname · 27/04/2022 19:07

She doesn’t have to leave Brownies the second she turns ten, does she? Because it she stayed until “almost 11” then she would have three years and could take 12 months to do bronze, likewise silver, then gold?

I also have a child who is a completist and wants to finish everything, so I understand why you’re thinking about it, but I expect there’s a way to have enough time.

@anotherneutralname they move up the term after their birthday, so Rainbows is the term after they're 5 until the term after they're 7, so DD should of joined Brownies in September as she turned 7 in July. So she'll be at Brownies until July 2024, then join Guides in September 2024 when she's 10.

OP posts:
Justkeeppedaling · 27/04/2022 19:14

they move up the term after their birthday, so Rainbows is the term after they're 5 until the term after they're 7, so DD should of joined Brownies in September as she turned 7 in July. So she'll be at Brownies until July 2024, then join Guides in September 2024 when she's 10

Unless that's a local "bye law" which isn't enforceable and which GG discourage she can stay at Brownies as long as she likes. There's no actual upper age limit although the activities are aimed at 7-10 year olds. Girls frequently stay on after 10 while they are waiting for a Guide place.

Original poster
BrownieGoldPlease · 27/04/2022 19:14

mrsfoof · 27/04/2022 19:09

My DD stayed at Brownies until she was almost 11. She'll have time I think.

@mrsfoof Maybe it varies by area as DD hasn't been going to Rainbows either since she turned 7, they told me she was to old for it and would move to Brownies when a space comes up.

OP posts:
Original poster
BrownieGoldPlease · 27/04/2022 19:15

Justkeeppedaling · 27/04/2022 19:14

they move up the term after their birthday, so Rainbows is the term after they're 5 until the term after they're 7, so DD should of joined Brownies in September as she turned 7 in July. So she'll be at Brownies until July 2024, then join Guides in September 2024 when she's 10

Unless that's a local "bye law" which isn't enforceable and which GG discourage she can stay at Brownies as long as she likes. There's no actual upper age limit although the activities are aimed at 7-10 year olds. Girls frequently stay on after 10 while they are waiting for a Guide place.

@Justkeeppedaling We were told she couldn't carry on at Rainbows as she was too old, so she's just been without a place until one came up this term.

OP posts:
AnotherNC22 · 27/04/2022 19:16

Rainbow and Brownie leader here: if the local position is they move up as soon as they turn 10, then it will be a challenge. I would suggest having a quiet word with the leader and seeing what she thinks. I've not had a girl yet achieve Gold especially with illness / isolating etc although we might have one in the next year who did a lot at home during covid. If the meeting time is 60mins rather than 90mins, as some are, the programme is very tight to achieve. If the leader is sympathetic, there will be time to do all the skills builders in the meetings and although not strictly in the rules, there might be some UMAs she could work at home if she was close to achieving the required minutes.

Original poster
BrownieGoldPlease · 27/04/2022 19:19

AnotherNC22 · 27/04/2022 19:16

Rainbow and Brownie leader here: if the local position is they move up as soon as they turn 10, then it will be a challenge. I would suggest having a quiet word with the leader and seeing what she thinks. I've not had a girl yet achieve Gold especially with illness / isolating etc although we might have one in the next year who did a lot at home during covid. If the meeting time is 60mins rather than 90mins, as some are, the programme is very tight to achieve. If the leader is sympathetic, there will be time to do all the skills builders in the meetings and although not strictly in the rules, there might be some UMAs she could work at home if she was close to achieving the required minutes.

@AnotherNC22 Thank you I did think it would be tight, it was really tight with Rainbows so I thought it might be with Brownies, I'm still going to encourage her to do her best and let her do as many interest badges as she likes though.

OP posts:
WTF475878237NC · 27/04/2022 19:28

Just be aware when you get to Girl Guides there may be girls with male genitalia on camping trips and plan accordingly.

www.girlguiding.org.uk/making-guiding-happen/running-your-unit/including-all/supporting-trans-members/supporting-trans-young-members/

FredaFox · 27/04/2022 19:34

WTF475878237NC · 27/04/2022 19:28

Just be aware when you get to Girl Guides there may be girls with male genitalia on camping trips and plan accordingly.

www.girlguiding.org.uk/making-guiding-happen/running-your-unit/including-all/supporting-trans-members/supporting-trans-young-members/

What's that got to do with badges?!Hmm

GuidingSpirit · 28/04/2022 10:03

BrownieGoldPlease · 27/04/2022 19:19

@AnotherNC22 Thank you I did think it would be tight, it was really tight with Rainbows so I thought it might be with Brownies, I'm still going to encourage her to do her best and let her do as many interest badges as she likes though.

Show quote history

That's exactly the right attitude, and in my unit, if we have girls getting close to awards, we do tweak our planning to do our best to try and get them there although sometimes there just isn't the time for all the UMAs they are supposed to do. Plus as they move up they get to be Sixers and start thinking about Guides etc so there are lots of other interesting things to be thinking about as well as Gold!

Girlguiding did reduce the requirements for the awards over Covid to take into consideration the fact that the girls had not been meeting as often so it means we are awarding lots more bronze, silver and golds than before. Which is brilliant for the girls! Many of us are hoping that these changes will be made permanent but i don't think a decision is due to be made about that until later on this year.

Beamur · 28/04/2022 10:05

It would make sense to keep those changes for a couple of years to allow for girls who have missed time to catch up.

DockOTheBay · 28/04/2022 10:06

Yes its possible. She needs to do 6 skills builders and most groups do 1 per term, so if she's there 7 terms it's possible. The UMAs are a bit more tricky - especially as they might be putting it back up to 4 hours after July TBC. But again should be possible.

If she has achieved her silver by the term after she turns 10, and is on track to soon finish Gold, you could ask the leader if she can stay on longer. Thats what I would do as leader - we have had a few who stayed until nearly 11 as they wanted to complete the Gold.

DockOTheBay · 28/04/2022 10:08

Beamur · 28/04/2022 10:05

It would make sense to keep those changes for a couple of years to allow for girls who have missed time to catch up.

I hope they will make it permanent. It is so much more achievable. I know they didn't want EVERY girl to attain Gold, and I'm sure it will still be a minority, but I have a few who are close to getting Silver but would be way off if they needed another 60 mins for every theme.

ItchyTooth · 28/04/2022 10:19

DockOTheBay · 28/04/2022 10:06

Yes its possible. She needs to do 6 skills builders and most groups do 1 per term, so if she's there 7 terms it's possible. The UMAs are a bit more tricky - especially as they might be putting it back up to 4 hours after July TBC. But again should be possible.

If she has achieved her silver by the term after she turns 10, and is on track to soon finish Gold, you could ask the leader if she can stay on longer. Thats what I would do as leader - we have had a few who stayed until nearly 11 as they wanted to complete the Gold.

@DockOTheBay It would depend on the waiting list I assume, she couldn't stay at Rainbows as they had girls on the waiting list so she had to wait for a Brownies spot and hasn't been for two terms. She's very excited to get back into it.

Beamur · 28/04/2022 10:19

I think it being more achievable does actually motivate girls to aim for it! It should be for more than just the very keenest.

Original poster
BrownieGoldPlease · 28/04/2022 10:23

DockOTheBay · 28/04/2022 10:08

I hope they will make it permanent. It is so much more achievable. I know they didn't want EVERY girl to attain Gold, and I'm sure it will still be a minority, but I have a few who are close to getting Silver but would be way off if they needed another 60 mins for every theme.

Show quote history

@DockOTheBay I still have contacts in DDs Rainbows group and they've never had a girl get Gold, the Brownie group she's joining they've only had 2 in the last 2 years. So I'm not pinning everything on DD getting it, because even if she does complete all 6 themes she could get ill or have an appointment (she has some medical issues so sometimes has to go to appointments) or I might be too ill to take her (Single parent with limited help) so she might miss out on it because of that.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page