Guiders Staff Room Part 2

[Groovee]

http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/extracurricularr_activities/715087-Guiders-39-staff-room-tea-wine-chat-and-optional-dancing

Part one above, new thread for when required x

Lucys mam send an email can't hurt and if it's a no go try the local spec savers

I did send it Becles, just waiting for a reply. Specsavers here know they can give them to us but never have them there to actually give.

If not, I'll budget for them out of the next term's subs from poundland or similar.

I need some help with a Hollywood themed meeting please! I was bubbling with enthusiasm at the beginning of the hols but everything's a bit meh at the mo & I'm not getting far.

I've got...
dress up (party clothes or from the fabrics box?)
Sparkling flavoured water in plastic champagne saucers & star biscuits
Walk of fame (cardboard stars on red backing paper with drawn round hands - should be quick ish)

We've no tv or dvd player there so can't watch anything.

Brain's gone blank & that doesn't seem very exciting!

Props for pictures

Just had my first Flossie isn't coming back email. We'd finally rearranged the sixes into a lovely order. Grrrr

I'm waiting on confirmation of our new starter at the mo. Mum replied almost instantly a few weeks ago so I emailed to remind her of our start-back date and ask her to confirm her dd will be there.

Nada.

Does. My. Nut. In.

Photo props/booth of some sort is a good idea! I will google.

Dd1 and her friend are joining us that week too because of no Brownies & I don't want them to be bored.

Any game ideas?

It's so rude! I think it's ruder than not replying to a birthday party invitation (well, maybe not).
Also rude: leaving Guides and not telling the leaders.
Moral dilemma: do I tell the parents of the Guide who left months ago that they haven't cancelled their standing order, or use it for a hardship subs fund?
(I do know the correct answer... and they were nice parents... just v tempting to keep it... and one of my complaining mums has not paid subs for months actually).

(They did tell me she was leaving. They just didn't check their bank account. I also didn't check properly as she has the same first name as another Guide).

I'd maybe send an email remind parents to cancel standing orders

We're doing the toftwood brownies challenge badge. 5 sections doing 3 tonight.

Tell 'em.
Pleased this popped up as I have a whole list of gg stuff to do this week. A salient reminder!
No idea who I have this year - lost a lovely fat cohort of girls who aged out, and when I checked my roster there was only one girl on it (who I have never heard of lol). Better check again and send my reminders to everyone to get registered. We have a diff system here and I never know who I've got until the last minute. I suppose I should also register my own kids. Bahahaha. Oops.
I do have a set of twins who want to be in different units. We only have one of each section (miles from anywhere in a small town) so mum wants me to put one in the next section. Gotta convince my AC. We will lose both if we don't, which is a shame. They have been in my units for four years now. Mum is deadly serious. The girls are actually in different schools as well.
Lucysmam, you are having music right? Dance party?
With older girls we have turned that sort of thing into an etiquette evening or an awards ceremony (so at the end of the year). The etiquette stuff the guiders dress as fancy waiters and serve the girls, and they practice their manners... If you are doing it at the beginning of the year, could you do an awards bit with gold envelopes where they find out which sixes (or whatever, not sure of age group) they are going to be in? You could 'award' the sixers and seconds? Or if it is a little later, do more personality/ individual led awards 'best tidying up at camp/ most pasta eaten/ funkiest wellies' type thing.

Yeah I'm embarrassed I didn't spot it earlier too!
I'm going to offer them a choice between helping us set up a subs fund and having it back. Makes me feel better.

They're Rainbows pontification.

You should have seen some of their 'places to visit' suggestions .

London was one of them so we're going to see about train prices/getting parents on board with coming with us and see just how do-able that one is.

Are you far from London? Should be doable if an hour or so - we've been skating with our feeder R/B units and the train journey was an hour because of the change (15 mins walk to the rink, probably less actually, that was more challenging!)

Ah ok. That would be the one section I avoid like the very plague
I took mine to stay at Pax Lodge amongst other things. London was terrifying with a bunch of other people's children!!

I've had a "Flossie is moving up to brownies but we've just decided she did another night at a different pack" text. We're full, so it wasn't an issue, but dc supports keeping the pack for local girls, not girls from the nearby town.

Getting into brownie holiday prep. My first ever! Got the going away books ordered. It's daunting!

Pax lodge sounds fab (adds to list of ambitious bright ideas!)

London with Rainbows... I'm sure its do-able, but oh my, you're brave!

We went to Brownsea Island too, and camped. It was just a 24 hour thing but they loved the ferry (we had fish and chips with the BP statue on the waterfront while we waited) and they provided all the camping gear. There is a residential building too, but it was booked when we wanted to go. Tons of programming which makes it easier too (if more expensive). That sounds like a tangent, lol, but it was the same trip...

I'm not really sure how far we are from London, drspouse, I shall google and see (geography really isn't my strong point ).

I thought if we could get some parents on board (there are two I pretty much know I could rely on - the rest I'm not sure tbh) it might be easier than just two leaders plus an extra from...somewhere.

I've had a more productive day today finally. Lots of printing/sorting out done. Extra posters made up for Guides. Letter to remind a parent about subs oweing finally drafted.

Feeling more optimistic about Hollywood night too!

Just need some sort of vague plan for our first ever Guides meeting other than getting stuck into picking a GFI to start on. Although I can't see why we can't just jump straight in after introductions and laying down a few ground rules tbh.

Join us in the Guide leader group on FB!

I'm there...reading lots at the mo rather than posting though :)

London is really easy to to if you don't try to cram too much in. Let me know if you want any tips or need an extra pair of hands.

I think seeing Buckingham Palace is probably top of the list of things they would like to do based on the comments from parents when I posted a pic of our letter thanking us for birthday cards for HM The Queen (and that was just of the sealed envelope!) .

Are you London based Becles?

Yes

Yay, had a reply about the hi-viz vest...one is in the post, on it's way to me!

Printer's having a 'moment' fucker

To do list seems to be getting longer rather than shorter as I remember things I wanted to do over the hols

Don't talk to me about my printer. Just don't.

Anyway all printing for this week's meeting done, I'm seeing my mentor for Guides Mod 1 tomorrow so just looking through what I have yet to do (only 18 months since I switched to Guides... whistles nonchalantly...) My Handbook went missing twice in the last 2 days... I'm losing the will to live!

But planned a bit more in the way of switching it up this term (they take such AGES to do anything) and to concentrate the GFI bits more so they don't take FOR EVER to do one thing.

So we'll see.

Sixes redone, plan sort of done for the term. I'm not sure what the term will bring but thinking about pushing the start time back by 15 minutes. Anyone else done similar?

I've been considering starting, and finishing, Rainbows 15 mins earlier Becles to give me a clear half hour between them and Guides to get sorted (and drink coffee!). Will be interested to see what other folks think.

Half our Active Kids order arrived today - impatiently waiting for the ingredients card now.

Wondering whether to swap the planned tree to tea meeting for a fifth roundabout activity or something from the Roald Dahl party pack. Not getting far deciding!

I've asked on both my own fb and Rainbows page for someone to walk some stuff down to the hall with me on Weds. Not one single reply :( so am going to pester ALLLLLLL the other SAHM's that I know until one agrees to come with me

Just having a break from sorting my shithole house before cracking on with some more bits from my rather long list.

Hope you find someone Lucysmam.

I've got world traveller delegated! Communicator has the printing done and delegated too!