DD wants to do different interest badges at Brownies, but can’t AIBU?

[TheLoveOfBrownies]

DD is 7, started Brownies in September and recently done her promise.

She did Rainbows for a year before that.

The interest badges that are done at home, DD wants to do different ones to the ones offered but Brown Owl keeps saying she can’t, she can only do 1 interest badge per term and she must do the badge suggested by Brown Owl, Rainbows was the same, she was not awarded any interest badge she did that was not the one suggested. So for example she wanted to Animal Lover, Drawing, Fruit and Veg, Nature, Recycling and Book Lover at Rainbows and they made her do Construction, Agility and Family Tree.

It feels really restrictive and not in the spirit of Guiding, especially as I as her mum am giving up time for her to do the badges outside of the meetings.

I’ve offered to pay for the badges and was told they can’t stop me but they won’t be verified or given out in her meetings, I offered to help with the meetings, and was told yes but they have a programme they follow so can’t change the badges they offer, I even offered to have a small group of the girls and do an interest badge with all of them but was told no, it has to be the badge for that term only.

DD loves Brownies so I won’t take her out but it does feel unfair that the interest badges are supposed to be pick and choose and we don’t get that option.

I’ve heard the other Rainbows and Brownies Groups locally are the same and don’t let you choose your interest badge. So changing groups won’t help.

It just feels a bit restrictive, surely she should be able to do 2 badges per term (1 each half term) at least? Especially as we've been told that there will no sleepovers or camps until at least October 2022 so she won't get those badges towards her theme awards either.

AIBU? And are all Guiding groups the same now?

@Nomaj

The badges cost 55p each.

The rationale of over ordered badges makes no sense. There are 18 Brownie badges, even if they held 4 of each “in stock” that’s under £40

And they would definitely be used/awarded at some point

We use the district HQ which is a tiny building, think one small hall and a set of toilets, this is also shared with a scouting group. Guides have 1 double metal locking cupboard for all their stuff - so craft stuff, badges, stock of uniform, scouts have the same.

No idea where the other groups meet but if it's this building then they can't easily keep stocks of everything, so I do get their point, storage was pointed at by the DC as a problem for the whole district.

I was pissed off when DD did her advanced swimmer badge at brownies and we had to hump through masses of hoops. (It had some ridiculous clauses), she got it all ticked off but never got given the badge

@hedgehogger1

I was pissed off when DD did her advanced swimmer badge at brownies and we had to hump through masses of hoops. (It had some ridiculous clauses), she got it all ticked off but never got given the badge

DD was very miffed she wasn't allowed to use her swimming class for Agility Badge even though her teacher was happy to sign off on a new skill learnt for it, Rainbow Leader (can't remember colour name) said it had to be a new sport not one the girl already does.

DD has some mobility issues so most sports are out for her, we ended up recording her playing football with her cousin and scoring a goal because it was literally the only thing that wouldn't harm her (kickie uppies, headering or even being in goal would be hurting her hips). I almost took her out then, as I begged to do the Nature Badge instead as Gardening is much safer for DD and can easily be stopped/changed/whatever for her needs.

Sounds like lazy leadership to me

Eg they all do the same badge as it makes life easier for the leaders.

When my dad was in guiding they could do any badge they wanted, the more obscure the better!

@underneaththeash but she’d get the interest badge at least, which is what she’s being stopped from achieving by an ill-informed unit leader!

Storage is a problem for many groups but a few badges in a pencil case is not the issue here.

Not the point of the thread (sorry OP!) but this made me go have a look at what's happening in Guiding these days... I'm going to sound SO old now - but what has happened to the uniforms and badges?! I loved the badges we had in my day... I LOVED joining the Brownies and was so excited getting my little silver promise badge! I can even remember all the stuff we had to have in our pockets... though 10p for the phone box would be a bit pointless now! LOL!

@underneaththeash yes, but that in some respects doesn’t matter! Do whatever interest badge they like - which motivates them and when they come to do that theme then they’re ahead of the game anyway. My daughter managed to get her gold award and did quite a few of the interest badges as soon as she joined Brownies. She then went off them a bit during lockdown and then did the others when they went back. The theme badges don’t mean that much to her - she enjoyed getting the badges for the activities she did and in particular the interest badges.

I left guiding around 2 years ago but I’d be surprised if it has changed in that time as the programme was overhauled shortly before I left… the ethos behind interest badges is that they are girl led and absolutely should be done in their own time. There are skills builder badges to be used to fill unit meeting time, but interest badges were supposed to be done independently. Having a whole unit do an interest badge was an easy win for a leader so there was certainly a backlash to this change…

Go higher up. District Commissioner, Division Commissioner, County Commissioner… straight to HQ (via Twitter seems to get noticed). I left guiding because I just couldn’t work with some of the other adults, who were so blinkered, stubborn, and stuck in their ways/views. Also, on occasion, downright incompetent, discriminatory and offensive!

@2pinkginsplease

Sounds like lazy leadership to me

Eg they all do the same badge as it makes life easier for the leaders.

When my dad was in guiding they could do any badge they wanted, the more obscure the better!

but its not even like the leaders have to even do anything in the grand scheme of things. Before the changes, we would often run nights in order for girls to ear badges - that was way more effort than having to briefly look at the evidence and order the badge!

Definitely not the rule everywhere! My DD's Rainbows and Brownies packs you can do whatever badge you like whenever you like.

DD chose 2 completely random ones off her own bat and got presented with them the next week when Brown Owl had acquired the badges. I emailed over the evidence and that was fine.

They do also do ones in packs but there's absolutely no restriction in terms of badge choice or frequency for those done at home. Other local packs it's also do as many as you like (friend's DD got all the Rainbows and Brownies badges).

If it's like that with all your local packs I'd complain to your district commissioner.

Yes interest badges are girl led, and you can do them at any time. The only thing I would say is if for example the theme being worked on as a whole group was for example Be Well and your DD had not done an interest badge from that theme then she would not qualify for the theme badge. We do find that some girls get upset if they don't get a badge when most of the others do, so all doing the same does prevent that to an extent. However if your unit works on a few different ones at a time this can be prevented by girls passing different stages at different times. The programme is generally very good but works very much better in bigger Brownie units. A small unit will struggle if the girls want to do different activities.

Seems completely wrong to me - I was a Brownie approximately 30 years ago and I remember browsing through the badge guide and picking what I wanted to do. A group one was offered and you could do that if you wanted or do your own or both! Doesn't sound like the ethos of teaching girls to achieve/strive/push themselves is being supported here xx

Just posting to say Thanks For The Flashback!

I went to a really shit Brownies that was very Do This Or Else in 1987!

Am I being thick. Surely a badge can be ordered once the girl completes the badge work and hands in the paperwork? So they could do an order once a month etc

Come over to Scouting. We'd bite your hand off at the offer to help - especially if you offered to teach some of the others too.
After the long Summer holiday, we sat round in a circle asking what the Cubs had been up to partly so we could see if they'd covered off any badge work.
We do try to plan our programme so that it is possible to cover all the 'challenge' badges off while they are in our section, so if a Cub is about to go up to Scouts and just has a few more bits to do for their 'Silver' award we try and shape the meetings around that / give them bits to do at home.

I found Guiding very clichéy and judgemental as a teenager. Scouting was so much better and more interested in people as individuals. That has been my experience as an adult too.

@EineReiseDurchDieZeit

Just posting to say Thanks For The Flashback!

I went to a really shit Brownies that was very Do This Or Else in 1987!

Absolutely my experience too. Told they've got better, but seeing as some of the leaders are still there 25yrs later, I doubt it!

@Hankunamatata

Am I being thick. Surely a badge can be ordered once the girl completes the badge work and hands in the paperwork? So they could do an order once a month etc

Yes - and that’s what some leaders do.

So slight update, no change on doing different interest badges but the DC has agreed that girls who can't do the prescribed badge due to disability or SN will be allowed to choose another badge in that theme.

It's progress at least, they've agreed DD can do different badges if her mobility issues mean she can't complete the prescribed one.

Ridiculous!

I'd be tempted to go higher than DC....

@00100001 yup, me too!

There will be a whole structure of District Leaders etc.. above your brown owl. Google, find the chain of command, ask some questions. As a Scout Leader I can tell you this is not the intention of the program.

The problem is at the moment there is such a shortage of Guiders that District Commissioners will be reluctant to risk upsetting anyone in case they quit

www.girlguiding.org.uk/what-we-do/our-badges-and-activities/programme-for-every-girl/interest-badges/

This page has everything you need to back up why your DD should be doing the badge she wants to do, when she wants to do it.

The leaders are not running the programme properly and the DC should address this now she is aware, not make ‘allowances!’

Take it to HQ, contact details on the website or tweet them. That always used to get matters addressed!!

@user1487194234

The problem is at the moment there is such a shortage of Guiders that District Commissioners will be reluctant to risk upsetting anyone in case they quit

Maybe...but that's not really the point.