Rainbows and Brownies

[Yennah]

DD (6) has been going to Rainbows for just over a year. In the town where we live there are 4/5 units.

The unit we’ve been attending never takes part in the social stuff that the other groups do, which has included theatre trips, trips to a theme park, camping days etc. I get that it is all voluntary and I would be more than happy to help if our leader needed help to enable the group to go.

We were in town the other day and DD saw friends in Rainbows uniforms from other units all boarding a coach for yet another day trip which our unit wasn’t doing. I asked the Leader if our unit would be taking part in the next social outing and she just shrugged her shoulders and said probably not. I offered to help if extra hands were needed and she said no.

A few parents moved their daughters to other units. A new one opened just two mins from our house so I contacted the Leader to ask if we could transfer if not for Rainbows for Brownies. The Leader said she had a space and DD could start after half term.

DD has been really excited to be going to the new one, but yesterday I found out that the girl who had been physically bullying DD during reception and year 1 attends the new unit. I haven’t told DD and I don’t know what to do. Our school is two form and they are now in different classses which has stopped the bullying and DD has been much more confident in herself, but I’m worried it will all start again.

All I wanted was for DD to do the social bits as she’s an only child, but I’m really worrying now. I don’t feel I can backtrack on moving her as it is messing everyone around, but equally I don’t want DD to become a target again for this other girl.

Move her to Beaver/Cub Scouts?

And the idea is that you do have a team to do things, that's what the GG leadership training 'sells' - delegating tasks to other unit leaders and unit helpers, but the reality is that it's almost impossible to get volunteers to commit to anything another than an occasional parent helper role or to be a unit helper and take on anything over ans above attending meetings. We've had to close units because no one is willing to take them on, which is rubbish when you have girls on the waiting list with nowhere to go.

We are lucky in my Brownies unit that we have two leaders as it does share the workload. But in my Rainbows, if I don't do it, it folds because I'm the only one qualified with all the requisite stuff and 15 girls have nowhere to go.

Anyway it's an incredibly rewarding thing to do, despite all the above, I love it and I love the difference it makes to the girls and how you can see them grow and develop and gain confidence. I absolutely would recommend it. I'll wager your district commissioner is desperate for warm bodies so contact them and ask how you can help.

I think with that reply you 100% just confirmed everything that @Stopbeingawalkoverandwalk said.

@Stopbeingawalkoverandwalk Thank you for being a wonderful unappreciated cog in making society what is it, and giving your time to people who don't have the faintest idea how much (often frustrated) commitment it takes!

Not quite the same but my (then) 6 year old was at rainbows, and really hadnt got much out of it. (In a year they hadnt done any badges at all, and pretty much did colouring and games every week.... which was fine... but it was all they did... but she stil enjoyed it)

I moved her to Beavers. (Rainbows was a 5 minute drive in 1 direction and beavers was 7 min drive the opposite way). The beaver group (and the whole scout group) is well run, and run by the person in charge of all the scout groups in our area)

6 years on she's a scout..... has done nearly 30 nights away... numerous camps / hikes and also days / evenings out at the local scout camp for things like archery / caving / orienteering, and also trips to the water sports centre for sailing and canoeing etc. They do lots of things with all the local scout groups, as well as things with just theirs. Next summer the scouts and exploersers are going on a 9 night adventure holiday to switzerland, and they are currently doing lots of fund raising activites to contribute to the cost, so its less for each parent.

I didnt have to consider other children, as my children have never had issues with other children, but I don't regret for a moment moving my child from a group (where she was happy) that never did a lot, to a very active group full of fun activites which my children directly benefit from and really enjoy.
Had we have stayed in the same (guide) group my children would not have benefitted from the same oppertunites.

Whether this is possible will depend on the local groups, and if they have a waiting list. I'm a cub leader, and we have around 80 kids on our waiting list.

It's also not necessarily true that beavers/cubs will do more than rainbows/brownies. It will depend massively on the leaders who run each individual group, rather than whether it's Guides or Scouts.