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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To raise this with Brownies?

42 replies

RaiseItWithTheBrownies · 19/09/2022 19:47

I am aware that the leaders are volunteers so I don’t want to come across as nit-picking.

In Rainbows badges were given out as they were earned, so some weeks there would be loads of badges given out and other weeks none at all.

We’re now at Brownies and they do things slightly differently in that they have a celebration evening and give out all the badges, but only when every single girl in the unit has a badge to be given.

This is fine and worked well until after Easter holidays when a girl joined whose attendance is patchy, because of this no badges are given out at all. My DD has done several interest badges and most likely will get either her Bronze sometime soon (as she has 1 theme already) but because this girl hasn’t earned any badges Brown Owl won’t do a celebration evening to give out badges.

I don’t necessarily want to watch the badge giving (although it was nice to watch DD get her Bronze and Silver Rainbow Awards and do her promise) but DD is getting frustrated and upset because she doesn’t know when she’ll get her badges.

DD is 8 btw. The girl with patchy attendance is 7 I think as she joined at Easter. She sometimes goes to 2 or 3 meetings in a row then misses 3 or 4. Or she’ll go every other week.

I know several of the other parents are getting annoyed by this and 2 have moved their DDs to other Brownie units (which I’m looking into as well if this doesn’t improve).

WIBU to politely raise it with Brown Owl? And if so how should I go about it?

I don’t want to be intrusive at all, as I know if it’s a situation with separated parents it can be difficult (I’m not with DDs dad but thankfully he lets DD go to her activities on his nights and weekends with her) but feel for DD and the other girls patiently waiting for their badges. But I do also understand why they wait for all the girls to have earned a badge.

OP posts:
Noodledoodledoo · 19/09/2022 20:05

Guide Leader here, I get the sentiment of the Leader, however its rubbish for the others. I would mention your daughter is getting upset as her work doesn't seem to be being acknowledged and she has now waited xxx weeks for her badge, one girl getting upset at not getting a badge does not trump anothers upset at not getting the badges she has earnt.

I did a badge night at the end of last term - mainly due to having been out lots it was easier and did feel bad that one didn't get anything but her attendance is patchy so thats how it works out.

sanityisamyth · 19/09/2022 20:09

Cubs Leader here. I often do a badge awards evening along side investing the new Cubs, so usually once a term, or twice if it's a busy term with lots going on. I try to make sure that all the Cubs get something. Sometimes this is by sending "homework" for the Cubs if they have missed something important, or inventing an award of some description. We had one lad who broke his arm so missed quite a few weeks. He obviously didn't earn any badges during this time, so I gave him a "bravery award" as his first meeting back was the awards evening.

warnc007 · 19/09/2022 20:39

I'm a Brownie Leader, we give out badges whenever and don't plan a formal celebration evening (apart from for the Gold Award). We try to ask girls to let us know which Interest Badges they are going to do so that we can order them to arrive in time and then we give them out as soon as they have been completed. It's the same with Skills Builders - we know when we're going to do them so have the badges to give out at the end of the night. I would definitely try to have a quiet word in person with Brown Owl

shmiz · 19/09/2022 20:42

Guide leader here -
yes - have a polite Word !!
sounds counterproductive to me, how’s she doing the badge thing 😩

HoneyFlowers · 19/09/2022 20:51

My son went to Beavers for over two years. He got ONE AND A HALF years worth of badges on the very last session of Beavers - around 32 in total. I was furious as meant sewing onto a top he was no longer going to wear. I did bring the issue up a few times and was always promised he'd get next week and it never happened. He did loads of extra work and then gave up due to no badges.

The other Beavers had tops with no badges. Never understood why leader didn't want to give them out.

starfishmummy · 19/09/2022 20:56

No longer involved but we did most badges as and when. Just enrolment that was done as a special, parents invited, occasion.

TroysMammy · 19/09/2022 20:56

When I was an assistant Brownie Leader we would give out badges that had been earned at the end of a meeting. We were always hopeful that girls who had not earned a badge would try to earn one themselves.

underneaththeash · 19/09/2022 20:59

I’m a brownie leader too. Well done to your daughter - hope she gets her silver soon.
We don’t give out badges every week, probably twice every half term as we’re often a bit short on time.
I’d give her a dig though - say xxx is looking forward to getting her badge soon.

Changingmynameyetagain · 19/09/2022 21:03

I’m a beaver leader and I give out badges when they are earned, it usually takes a week or two for them to come when I order them but I never make them wait more than that. What’s the point of doing the work and then not rewarding them ?

Original poster
RaiseItWithTheBrownies · 19/09/2022 21:04

Thanks everyone, DD absolutely loves earning the badges and it's putting her off trying to do the Interest Badges which is ashame as she did all of them for Rainbows (I know she doesn't have to do them all).

Will have a word with Brown Owl.

OP posts:
Original poster
RaiseItWithTheBrownies · 19/09/2022 21:05

To add I don't mind a half termly or termly night where they're all given out, it worked quite well before this other girl joined, but it's just since this girl hasn't earned any badges that no-one else has been given theirs either which seems ashame.

OP posts:
thedancingbear · 19/09/2022 21:08

HoneyFlowers · 19/09/2022 20:51

My son went to Beavers for over two years. He got ONE AND A HALF years worth of badges on the very last session of Beavers - around 32 in total. I was furious as meant sewing onto a top he was no longer going to wear. I did bring the issue up a few times and was always promised he'd get next week and it never happened. He did loads of extra work and then gave up due to no badges.

The other Beavers had tops with no badges. Never understood why leader didn't want to give them out.

I agree. I often become furious at people who do something nice for my kids, in exchange for nothing.

sanityisamyth · 19/09/2022 21:50

HoneyFlowers · 19/09/2022 20:51

My son went to Beavers for over two years. He got ONE AND A HALF years worth of badges on the very last session of Beavers - around 32 in total. I was furious as meant sewing onto a top he was no longer going to wear. I did bring the issue up a few times and was always promised he'd get next week and it never happened. He did loads of extra work and then gave up due to no badges.

The other Beavers had tops with no badges. Never understood why leader didn't want to give them out.

This wasn't a group in Cardiff was it?

BogRollBOGOF · 19/09/2022 21:57

Termly tends to be a common approach.

With the structure of the Guiding programme it can be slow to earn badges when new and build up the required time, then it comes together later in the programme.

Waiting until everyone's earned badges is an odd approach. It's also not incentivising the child with low attendance as they're not seeing anyone else being presented with their badges.

PuttingDownRoots · 19/09/2022 21:58

As a Cub leader, the only reason we wouldn't give out an earned badge is if we didn't have it (we could only order them once a month due to a wierd system or they were out of stock when we did order them so had t wait longer for them to arrive. Gave out about 150 in one night after Covid!)

Its nice not wanting to leave a child out... but they could just give them out when she's not there...

Kite22 · 19/09/2022 23:29

@thedancingbear there is no need to be sarky.
I speak as a Scouter, and I totally agree with the parent's viewpoint over that. It is ridiculous to hoard up 32 badges then give them to a child who has left / is leaving that week.
Why would you even do that ?

Kite22 · 19/09/2022 23:32

OP absolutely have a polite word with the Leader over this.
In any group there are people who have arm (sash in Brownies?) full of badges and others with one or two or even none. Sometimes as they are given and then parents doesn't sew them on. Sometimes because the child doesn't do what is needed to receive the badge. Sometimes because one child has been attending longer than others, and sometimes because the child has missed several sessions, BUT that is no reason to not give out the badges to the children that have earned them. It is a ridiculous policy.

Neverendingdust · 19/09/2022 23:38

As someone who didn’t get involved with this as a child, it’s like reading a thread of gobbledygook, brownies guides and cubs? What exactly goes on in these meetings? How is it you never hear of this in real life?

MindGoneBlankNeedName · 20/09/2022 00:03

Leader here, three times over.

It's done differently in each unit I'm with.

Brownies, is mostly as and when.
One guides is about twice a term.
Other guides is a failing shit show and I'm only there to support my disabled daughter, when she leaves so do I.

Whether it's scouting, guiding, other similar organisations, you get a mix of leaders. A mix of unit running. The shit unit I'm with, you'd need a pack of fags to smoke to get through the stuff I could tell you about.

Kite22 · 20/09/2022 00:06

Neverendingdust · 19/09/2022 23:38

As someone who didn’t get involved with this as a child, it’s like reading a thread of gobbledygook, brownies guides and cubs? What exactly goes on in these meetings? How is it you never hear of this in real life?

Never hear of what ?
Surely you aren't saying you have never heard of Brownies, Guides, Cubs or Scouts ?? Hmm

reallyisthisallthereis · 20/09/2022 00:23

Another leader here. I would have a quiet word as well. In rainbows we give out the interest badges as they do them but in brownies we do it about twice a term. Seems a bit odd to wait until everybody has a badge. Some girls just aren't bothered by badges and come to guiding for the sessions and to meet up with friends.

Castleofdreams4 · 20/09/2022 06:32

Kick up a fuss OP and they’ll soon start giving out badges again

Original poster
RaiseItWithTheBrownies · 20/09/2022 15:07

I might have found a way for me not to raise but still raise it.

DDs Rainbows Leader (the head one can't remember her Leader name think they were colours or something) has grandchildren at DDs school, her GD is in the same Brownie unit. I mentioned to her about the badges and she said I'm not the first parent whose mentioned it to her so she's going to have a word with Brown Owl and see if they can "brainstorm a solution".

OP posts:
HoneyFlowers · 20/09/2022 19:23

You can always buy the badges yourself from the Scout shops. I have also done that.

HoneyFlowers · 20/09/2022 19:23

No it wasn't a group in Cardiff.

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