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Christmas

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Original poster

Beaver/Cub/Brownie leaders - what is the 'norm' for Christmas presents?

52 replies

stealthsquiggle · 08/12/2008 13:52

DS has only been a beaver since September so I am ignorant of the expectations (and I don't know any of the other parents so I can't ask) - what if anything do you normally get and for whom? As far as I can work out there are 2 official 'leaders' but they often appear to have a helper as well - so - 2 presents? - 3 presents? - what sort of thing?

HELP - last session is on Thursday and I have been so distracted with other things that I have only just thought about it!

OP posts:
piscesmoon · 09/12/2008 07:38

I challenge you, skrimbo, to find any organisation that will take your DCs away more cheaply than the Scout or Guide organisations-and give them the equivalent in activities.(mainly because the leaders do it for free and give up their holidays).
If you had to pay a babysitter for their time it would cost a lot more than a Beaver meeting!

MerryChristmasPANDAGHappy09 · 09/12/2008 07:51

I agree Piscesmoon - £60 a year for our beavers/cubs with a discount for 2 siblings! yes I pay extra for camps (£25 for a jam-packed weekend) or the odd expensive activity - pottery painting, grass sledging, archery...but still way cheaper than doing the activities ourselves. Fantastic bunch of people, really put themselves out for the children, I want to say thankyou at Christmas!

piscesmoon · 09/12/2008 08:06

Men who run football teams also give up a lot of time.
The idea is that you get your DC to training on a week night and you get them to matches. Since half the matches are away matches, it involves travelling and we all lift share. One particular lot of parents have never supported a match home or away. The manager picks up their DS from his own home and takes him back. He very often takes him to matches. Not only is he occupying their DS for several hours a week (at very cheap subs for the season)but being a free taxi service. I will give you one guess which parents it is impossible to get any money out of for a present at the end of the season?!!! (We don't do Christmas present s for them but I think that family ought to give at least a bottle of wine in exchange for the petrol.)

MoMoMoMeeeeryChristmas · 09/12/2008 16:39

A really nice card, which says thanks and you know they really mean it, is more than enough. I had a card from a Rainbow last night that said, 'to Mo, I love you and I love Rainbows. Thankyou for doing it for me!' It got a little tear in my eye!

Original poster
stealthsquiggle · 09/12/2008 18:53

Mo - we are one term into this lark - I just about know the names of the leaders - no idea about the helpers - it is sort of assumed that everyone knows each other because all the others (all 8 of them!) go to the same school

I will see how I feel and how co-operative (yeah right) not-very-well DD is feeling tomorrow. I might make biscuits, but will more likely buy something and get DS to write cards.

I still have to make a sugar paste football to finish another Thank you cake (leaving cake for teacher who gives up his free time to do after-school football) tonight

OP posts:
piscesmoon · 09/12/2008 19:01

I am sure a simple card is much appreciated, especially if home made.

piscesmoon · 09/12/2008 19:01

Home made that is by the DC.

MoMoMoMeeeeryChristmas · 09/12/2008 19:03

I think, if you are only one term in, you should just get him to write cards to them. There really is no need to buy something. They'll be plenty more years ahead, for you to make biscuits or buy something, if you wish.

I am a terrible Guider this year and frankly didn't deserve anything! This is my first year of being a full time worker and I totally forgot to write cards for them all! And I forgot presents for my helpers! The girls did get pressies though.

chuckeyegg · 09/12/2008 19:20

I was a Brownie leader, one present I got was an owl keyring and it had been chosen by the child. I treasured it and still have it, it is nice to know you are appreciated for all your hard work.

Doesn't have to be expensive.

H xx

overthemill · 09/12/2008 20:33

just back from brownies, last of the term. didn't take anything and saw that a couple of parents had things to give. dd had taken food/drink to share for the party. i think it was ok.

theITgirl · 09/12/2008 21:21

OK. So what if anything should I get DS's beaver leader. Since he has been going there over a year and she still cannot pronounce his name and doesn't even try. She insists on calling him buster !!!!
My God it pisses me off

BTW is name is not difficult

LadyGlencoraPalliser · 09/12/2008 21:23

Don't get her anything as she is obviously a selfish cow who just can't be bothered to learn a child's name in spite of the vast sums of money she gets paid for running a Beaver pack.

Oh wait....

Tommy · 09/12/2008 21:30

thanks for this thread - has made me realise that I should get the leaders at DS1's beavers something. He made them all a lovely card yesterday but I think I will look in Wairose for some nice eaty things too

Mutt · 09/12/2008 21:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LadyGlencoraPalliser · 09/12/2008 21:35

Should add, on my own behalf, I am a guider with both Rainbows and Brownies and certainly don't expect presents from the children or parents. A simple thank you is always appreciated though.

Hermit · 09/12/2008 21:40

Just to agree with what others have said - I am a beaver leader and don't expect anything at Christmas. I do sometimes get cards (hand-made ones are lovely!) and small gifts which is appreciated, but I don't think any less of those that don't. Some parents wait and give a gift when their children move up to Cubs, which is also a nice gesture. A hand shake and a 'Merry Christmas' will be quite enough!

skrimbo · 13/12/2008 01:10

£25 for a weekend I wish, the basic camps are cheaper but the snowboarding or watersports and a 10 day full on summer camp are bloody expensive, but I don't mind. I loved stuff like that as a kid.

We decided (DS and me) to get the leader in charge and another new leader that helped DS a lot with his badge work a bottle of whisky each, I hope it was appreciated .

breaghsmum · 13/12/2008 01:38

im sorry to hijack this thread but i would like my son to be beaver/ cub. but im not sure what age they start at. he is 3.5. is he too young?

Clary · 13/12/2008 01:53

We gave Akela (Cubs) a little handmade (by a friend not me) Christmas decoration and some home-made (by me) Snowman biccies which is what teachers are getting too.

Beavers leader is getting the same; Brownies lesder is getting a lavish lavendar heart which DD chose.

Not doing all the other leaders/helpers as there are at least 3-4 in each group.

I would suspect box of chocs would be fine tho. As others say, these are the people you should give a gift to as unlike teachers they don't get paid! (I always buy for tecahers too tho).

stealth - lol at you divvying up the cakes in the manner of Jesus with the 5,000.

At one point I worked out I needed to make I think 12 bags of biscuits; decided it was silly (eg DD is taught/helped by 5 people because of job-share/streaming and thus different teacher etc) and have scaled back to presents only for named class teacher - and class TA if we had one, except we don't .

breaghsmum, Beavers start at age 6 (or sometimes the term before that) but I would put his name down now if you find a colony you like. DS2 (5.5) has had his name down since DS1 started 3+ yrs ago!

breaghsmum · 13/12/2008 13:57

thanks clary, will definitely do thatthen.

MERLYPUSSEDASAFART · 13/12/2008 16:01

I have been a cub leader sine 1991. I love it. Reading your thread has made me feel all gooey and I now know how much we are appreciated. I can practically count on one hand the gifts I have recieved over the 18 odd years. (I dont ever expect gifts but I just think our parents believe being a cub leader takes only 1 1/2 hours a week. I was asked once how much money I made doing it!)
I still have the key ring that one boy bought and it is transferred to every hand bag that I have owned since.
If you do not know the leaders particularly well I would suggest soemthing edible that they can share out on their next programme planning meeting. Righto, off to wrap 42 xmas pressies for the little horrors

Original poster
stealthsquiggle · 13/12/2008 23:19

Well in the end I got presents (mug + biccies) for the two official leaders, then quizzed DS on the subject of helpers and it turns out it is the same helper every week - so I shot out to get her something too.

They seemed pleased. I didn't see anyone else arriving so have no idea how many other people brought pressies.

I do feel that they should really come higher up the list than teachers really - as others have said, these people do this out of the goodness of their hearts.

Looks like I will be making 24 cakes instead of 12 next year

OP posts:
MadamDeathstarOverBethlehem · 13/12/2008 23:28

I am a Daisy Scout Leader. I wasn't expecting any gifts from the parents. I came on this thread expecting to find out what I have to give the GIRLS. They're getting children's gardening sets by the way as we're doing a fragrance garden for the Institute of the Blind this Spring.

bigTillyMint · 14/12/2008 06:45

Please, what are Daisy Scouts?

MadamDeathstarOverBethlehem · 14/12/2008 21:13

I am in the US. We have 6 levels for Girl Scouts. Daisy Scouts are the youngest and are 6 - 7 years old. They are called Daisy Scouts after Juliette 'Daisy' Gordon Lowe our founder. Brownies are the next level, then Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors, I think. I'm new to Scouting.