Does anyones daughter go to Raibows?

[Mae1]

I'm considering setting up a new Rainbow unit (Leeds) and ws wondering what time the meetings take place around the country and how much do they charge. I was considering 4-5pm and around £1.50 per meeting. Is this the norm - advice please!

My dd did go until recently and the time was 4.45 - 6pm. The cost was £25 a term i think.

My daughter goes. We're near Glasgow. It's from 6-7pm. Although 4-5 would be a better time for us it might not suit those who are out at work during the day.

We pay £1 per meeting but they pay their annual subscription on top of that.

I take it you've done all the leadership training with girlguiding uk?

Yes I'm a warranted Guider - currently an Assistant Brownie Guider!

Hi Mae - I used to be a Rainbow Guider - we started off meeting between 5.30-6.30 then I changed it from 4 - 5 pm. Another unit in the district meets 6.30-7.30 which I personally think is too late for this age group. So basically it's up to you. We used to charge £12.50 per term by the time I stopped (to include the annual subscription to the GG Assoc). I always found it easier this way - you know what your income is each term which helps with expenditure and you don't have to ask for the annual subscription separately. The amount per term will of course depend on what you have to pay for rent.

Hope you enjoy Rainbows - they're a great age group I think - I still miss it but family commitments got too great, plus I couldn't get anyone to help me.

hiya,
i am currently still doing the training programme and have set up a rainbow unit late last year.we meet 6.15-7.15(due to work committments)and charge £1.50 per week which is paid termly and asked for a donation for annual census fee.we have 18 rainbows(maximum unit size apparently)and have a waiting list for now until 2007.
good luck

We used (ex leader) to meet 4.45-6.00, £1.30 a meeting and census fees paid on top (which was a nightmare coz half wouldn't pay)

I was proposing a change to £1.80 a week no census fee, that seemed to meet with genuine approval. And as for the times the earlier the better, half of mne would be asleep before they got home, and not have had any dinner.

Chatee - I need to know the format of a rainbow meeting - never been to a Rainbow meeting - do you have an opening and closing format - Brownies, skip round toadstool at the beginning singing and at the end sing Brownie Bells.
The programme I can see from the Guide Association publications so no problems there!

we used hto have a song, they'd sing it in a circle in pairs, each walk forwards to the next person take their arms, swing them round in a circle, move on and sing agin until all the way through when everybody would cover ears for last word.

Song good evening friend rainbow
how are you this evening?
Lets dance in a circle
and then all pass on

after last verse, when back with original partner they all yelled 'back!' loudly.

At the end, they'd sing the look learn laugh and love song, (look learn laugh love rainbow time is over, keep us safe every day, til we meet next monday. We are rainbows, we are rainbows, we are rainbows, who have looked learned laughed and loved- ha ha)- to the tune of the Bingo was his nameo song then prayers and birthdays.

I've just started helping at our local rainbows and hope to carry on to do my training..
We start with a song - different one to PC and end with the look, learn, laugh and love song like PC.
We run 5.30 till 6.30 £1 per session and money paid once a year to help towards census.

• if you are still around Mae1 - can I ask how long did the training take and what sort of format did it take?

Not started training yet for the Rainbow section - have been a warranted Guider since I was 18 - assistant Guide guider, then Guider in charge at Guides, then (current role) assistant guider at Brownies. I was told last night I have complete clause 1 & 4 of the Leadership scheme - and ideally should have this completed within 12mths. I think the biggest issue is getting a "mentor" to work with you - there just aren't enough people to go around!

thanks Mae1-sorry for hijacking your thread.. So if I do training - do I need to decide which group ie brownies or rainbows I want to work with before I start or will the training do both sets?

My friends runs a Rainbow unit and I used to help out when my DD was there. It was 4.30-5.30, £1.50 per week paid termly and included the census.

We sat in a circle (on chairs) to start the session and the leader would stand and say "Robin's here" and the next girl would stand and say "Katie's here" and the next and so on until everyone was standing and everyone shouted "Welcome to Rainbows". Then the Rainbows opening song of Look Learn Love Laugh (which I always got in the wrong order). Then a circle time chat thing went on for ten minutes, then a making session for half an hour. Then perhaps a couple of games and that was it.

Great fun. I was sorry to leave but my DD went up to Brownies (she's being enrolled tonight!!) and I help there now.

what age can go to rainbows

5-7 years

put on a waiting list as soon as poss, some units are straight in, others are quite long

MamatoHoney - Rainbows is ages 5 - 7 - then they move to Brownies.
amylou - I think a lot of the training is fairly generic and applies across all groups however some is specific to the group you intend to work with as well! It would be best if you speak to the local district commissioner and she will be best placed to advise you. Have a look on the guiding website - www.girlguiding.org.uk/xq/asp/sID.286/aID.1010/qx/new/members/article.asp#maincontent – this will take you to the leaders qualifications page.

Thanks for the link Mae1 - I hadnt noticed that page before.
thanks again. Hope you get your unit set up. Just realised you arent too far away - we're in Thirsk.

DD2 goes to Rainbows from 4.30-5.30 and I really wouldn't want it any later. She would be too tired and not eat her tea! We pay £1.00 per week (plus 10p if they want sweets). DD1 goes to Brownies 6-7.30 and this makes for a very late night by the time she eventually gets to bed!

Our is 4.30-5.30 £1 a week fund raise the rest

Our Rainbow Units are 5-6 and it's £15 a term down here in Cornwall. I covered it last term, but am glad to be back with the Guides now

Many thanks to everyone for your replies and ideas. I am going to send a letter out to the girls in Reception & Y1 at school to see what sort of numbers are interested. The maximum I can have at the moment is 10 with only 2 adult leaders. Thanks again.

mae1- we only have 2 adult leaders but in our policy we included that parents must help out once a term(and this is fine with guiding regulations providing the parent helps less than 3x a year....it's classed as occasional but they must not be left unsupervised)
opening: Rainbow song-look,learn or Rainbow song rainbows care,rainbows share.
we have an olivia doll that goes home with a different rainbow and they draw/write or tell something they have done with olivia.
ending:a look at rainbow roundabout(if applicable for the following week)birthdays? olivia is going home with and a rainbow song....
we only do an hour and find that we generally could do an extra 15 mins or 30 but don't as the hall is hired out hourly and it isn't worth the extra charges...
ps:i am really enjoying it.....