Brownies virtual meetings

[Redwinestillfine]

DD did Brownies every week before lockdown and loved it for the social interaction. Since then we had activities sent through the post for badges etc. but she's not really that Interested. Then they start zoom meetings in September. She is not really keen on doing activities via zoom so we haven't joined in. The leaders have now started putting pressure on us for subs. DD won't want to leave Brownies ( I would happily leave, but then it's not my cup of tea), but she wants to wait until meetings are in person. Is anyone else paying subs to hold a place? The emails make it sound like if we don't pay then DD will have to leave.

We've not been asked to but at £30 a term I would probably be happy to in order to secure a place. I say that as someone struggling financially due to lockdown.

They need to pay most of the subs into the group association. So unfortunately it's not a case for paying for the meetings, you're effectively paying for the membership.

You should have to pay. Most of the units have long waiting lists of girls waiting to join. The subs are the cheapest of all the activities that my dd's take part in. They are providing the classes within the constraints imposed on them.
I imagine the leaders are having a tough enough time in this volountary role without having to beg for subs.

My DD didn't like doing the zoom meetings either but we have paid this terms subs. The leaders are putting in lots of effort to still engage with the girls and my DD has earned a few badges from her badge book which they've posted out to us.

Unless your group collects it separately, the annual subscription to GirlGuiding will eat up a large proportion of your subs. (It was getting on for half of all subs when I was a brownie leader). This is a cost they still have to pay while your daughter remains registered.
It's possible that your group may be saving on some costs such as rent and activity costs and I'd hope they could pass these onto parents via lower subs.

Might be worth paying and seeing each week if she wants to be involved? We have girls who dip in and out. It’s not for everyone but the option is then there?

It's just frustrating. I would rather they said 'we need the money to stay open' instead of veiled threats. If they made it clear they wanted money even if we were not participating then that's fine. I am more than happy for it to be a donation.

Pps are entirely right, they need this money for Girlguiding uk’s annual subscription. Rather than ranting on the internet why not ask them, kindly, how to help you through this.

I stopped paying for beavers for my son this month. I’ve had no contact from them since March, no zoom, no emails, no letters. Basically no contact at all. They literally just shut the week of lockdown and heard nothing since. So I stopped paying as have had no news and been paying for membership since March without any communication to the situation. I don’t know what’s happening with membership or if they are starting back virtually or plan too...I think if I had heard something I would def be happy to pay.

It’s nearly £37 per brownie for the insurance. The rent for our property is £500.

We’ve put on a zoom session every week but one (I was ill) and we’ve met face to face as many times as we’ve been allowed (4 times) before being forced to go back to zoom for lockdown.

We have £700 in our account. If we don’t start charging subs my unit will have to close at Christmas.

I’m too scared to ask parents for the funds as I’d hate brownies to have to leave as they can’t afford it/ don’t want to pay. But I’ll be gutted if/ when we shut 😥

"Veiled threats" seems a bit of a harsh way to describe making the point that if you want to remain a member of a membership organisation you have to pay your subscription fees. That's how membership organisations work.

Maybe they don't realise that's how it feels to you because to them it's a given that the two go hand in hand? I don't envy the position they're in.

I can't remember the exact numbers, but I heard that the charity is having to make fairly significant redundancies - 30% I think? They were not exactly overstaffed in the first place.

So it goes beyond your daughter's brownie unit still being there or not after the pandemic.

Lot of the running costs haven't disappeared even without the meetings. Our Scout group lost the majority of our income (hiring out the Scout Hut to other organisations). Still need to pay for DBS, first aid training, other leader training, ground rent, annual subscriptionbto scout HQ, the electricity bill, council tax.... That's before we get onto materials and badges etc.

They’re offering you the service (currently virtual due to restrictions) so of course you need to pay. Subs are a membership fee, not a per-meeting price.

Unfortunately, we still need to pay census in September, which is actually going UP this year, rather than down. Your Brownie unit will have to find close to £30 per person registered as being part of the unit (exact amounts vary between areas, but between £25&£30 is standard).

In the unit I run, we cannot afford to pay that for any Brownie that has not paid subs since February. We are asking for half subs while we're meeting virtually, and will go back to the full amount when we go back face to face, as then we'll have hall rental to pay as well. If we could afford to waive subs for girls not attending virtual meetings we would, but we simply haven't got that option as there's no money in the account. If they don't pay, they will have to leave as we can't afford to pay for them.

It’ll be annual subscription - £30 a year on top of normal subs. Normally this can be split over the year - £10 a term on top of what their running costs are.

But now, a lot of units are just charging annual subs of which they see very little back, just so GGUK can actually continue to exist.

Google "Race Around The World" - it is an appeal being run by Scouting not Guiding but it illustrates how many groups nationwide will have to shut soon due to loss of funds because of COVID lockdowns.
If the meetings were on in person but your daughter didn't feel like going you'd still need to pay, right? Same if the meetings are on Zoom.

We have carried on paying our £8 a month scout subs because I feel it is the best value for money! They did zoom meetings until the summer but we had been back to outdoor meetings until this lockdown. I think the leaders are having a well deserved rest for 4 weeks

@Redwinestillfine

It's just frustrating. I would rather they said 'we need the money to stay open' instead of veiled threats. If they made it clear they wanted money even if we were not participating then that's fine. I am more than happy for it to be a donation.

"Veiled threats" is a rather harsh way to describe it. It's pretty normal to expect someone to either pay for an activity they've registered for, or to leave so someone else can have the place.

Of course you should pay.

The unit have to pay their Girlguiding subscription and there may be rent payable on the hall for the sessions before lockdown.

We were given a £5 discount this term.

DS is the same with Cubs, he has not engaged at all with the Zoom meetings or any activities during lockdown. They haven’t actually asked for subs, but I would be OK paying them just in order to hold the place, as I know what a massive waiting list they have.

I can’t believe you’d consider not paying...

Same with our brownies but I pay because it's a really nice group.

The leaders are lovely.

It's one of the cheapest clubs they can go to.

I know it's not the same online but has your DD tried it?

If you put the zoom call on gallery view it's a bit more like taking part

Guide guider here we have been told if subs not paid they lose their place
I don't agree with this but have been told I must send out the letters or quit

We’re only being charged the census fee at £20 each this term rather than the full £39 subs fee. We’ve had a handful of in person meetings but it’s gone back to zoom now until January.

I’m having the same problem with DS and Cubs. He loves going to the meetings. He’s done a couple of zooms, but three weeks running now he has flat refused to take part, lots of drama and argument over it. However, we’re only paying the scouts membership fees, not full subs. So £17 per term. I don’t mind paying that until it gets going again. I know he will love going again. I might just have to give up on even trying zoom to save the drama!