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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

Original poster

Guiders Staff Room Part 2

993 replies

Groovee · 30/09/2015 12:56

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

OP posts:
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13
Original poster
Groovee · 27/10/2015 19:36

What were your plans LM?

OP posts:
lucysmam · 27/10/2015 20:08

Week 1 - paper plate catherine wheels & chat about sparkler/firework safety with them.

Week 2 - poppy craft (we don't do this - even though we join another church on parade).

Week 3/4 - I was going to ask the lady who is joining us if she'd like to plan an activity one week & whichever she doesn't do I was going to slot in something chosen by the girls when we have a chat about what they want to do next week. (I have to slot in Royal Mail Santa letters here and Xmas cards by the looks of it)

Week 5/6 - LiC had already bought lots of green buttons to make some sort of button Christmas trees so was going to make use of those on A4 quid shop can canvases to make festive pictures.

Week 7 - apparently they have a party with Brownies every year so she's not sure why I mailed to ask. Planning is left to Brownies and we just turn up.

I was just going to do the three December meetings as Christmassy stuff - thought from November was a bit overkill but it seems not!

Original poster
Groovee · 27/10/2015 20:22

Sounds great to me!

OP posts:
lucysmam · 27/10/2015 20:40

See, I don't mind scrapping the poppy craft and slotting something else in there that's suggested by the girls.

& maybe week 4 doing cards and Santa letters but why tell me to do what I want & then mail me a list of stuff they usually do anyway!?

Just a bit frustrating & she could have mentioned all this other stuff when I said I was going to have a planning day or two over half term, as I have a lot of sewing to do for both my girls and other people before Christmas so want to be organised.

.

I will make minor adjustments tomorrow and email again along with a few bits I'd like ordering.

drspouse · 28/10/2015 10:59

lucysmam completely get where you are coming from, lots of Queen Bees in Guiding. That's why I run my own unit...

It is planning as a team though, can you suggest that you all get together and plan, or alternatively that you take some weeks and she takes other ones?

lucysmam · 28/10/2015 11:48

She didn't want to plan - that was why she handed it to me to do. & she's retiring in March next year. I think getting a termly/half termly planning meeting in place with the lady who wants to take it on with me is a good plan though, can be no huffing that way.

I have made some adjustments - Week 4 - last week Nov, is now cards/Santa letters.

2&3 we'll see what the girls want to do and then all decide the best way about it.

5&6 can stay as button canvases since the buttons are there already.

And week 7, I'll let Brownies plan since that's how they usually do it but might volunteer our unit to run the end of summer party.

Still doing the Catherine wheels next week & safety chat while they're doing. They'll hear it at school probably but still...

RueDeWakening · 31/10/2015 10:06

drspouse could you message me the direct debit details? Tried to message you but I don't think the new app lets me (or I just can't work it out! Grin).

KeepPloddingOn · 31/10/2015 11:21

Hi guys,

I'm a Guide leader (well technically LIT; formerly Brownie Leader been doing Guides nearly 2 years but only just getting round to doing my ALQ for it).

I have a dilemma.

My 2 SS DPS are YL with rainbows and Guides. They have been invited to a birthday trip on remembrance Sunday. It is a very close friend so I will almost certainly let them both go to the birthday. (The birthday girl is a YL too).

I'm feeling very guilty at 'allowing' them to miss remembrance parade tho. It's not helped by the fact that DP is in the armed forces.

Any thoughts. Am I doing the right thing?

KeepPloddingOn · 31/10/2015 11:22

That's should be my DDs are YLS (autocorrect stupidity)

Original poster
Groovee · 31/10/2015 17:24

I would let them go. Church parade is not compulsory and therefore they cannot be forced to go!

OP posts:
drspouse · 31/10/2015 19:51

All together now... Church services are not part of the Guiding programme... So you can invite girls, including your DDs, but don't feel bad if they have something else on.
Rue I'll message you when I've worked out how!

KeepPloddingOn · 31/10/2015 21:26

I know they are not compulsory.

But I do feel that as leaders we should be setting an example in encouraging attendance iyswim.

I guess I am also worried about telling DP they won't be parading. As he is armed services it has that added poignancy and significance for us.

They will go to the party but I can't help feeling 'guilty' for want of a better word.

lucysmam · 31/10/2015 22:31

Phew, plans all ok-ed after minor alterations made to incorporate more Christmas stuff (in November Hmm ).

Need to walk to town on Tuesday now for a couple of bits and bobs.

AlbusPercival · 02/11/2015 11:46

i cant believe how much xmas stuff you have to do

we are watching tom and jerrys nutcracker in final week (part of dancer badge) and that is it :O

drspouse · 02/11/2015 12:00

We are having a "December celebrations" meeting which is mainly going to be cooking associated with St Lucia, Chanukkah and probably Maulid (in December this year) as the African drumming I'm trying to book keep telling me new restrictions on what/when they can do.

lucysmam · 02/11/2015 13:22

Tell me about it Albus...next year will be Christmas in DECEMBER only.

I'm reasonably sure letters will (mostly) be done at home and plenty of card making will go on at school so will limit us to presents of some sort and a party I think.

RueDeWakening · 02/11/2015 19:14

We're having sparklers at Rainbows this week, any particular recs for high st shops to get them from? I can get to all the usual suspects fairly easily.

Not done this before, fingers crossed it goes well and the one who ran straight at the fire juggler on circus night behaves herself.

Land0r · 02/11/2015 20:47

Hi. Do you mind if I ask a Brownie question please? (I'm not a Guider!) My DD1 is a very keen Brownie - she started when she was 6 3/4 (normal here as it's a small pack) and she is now 9 and a half. She has attended every meeting bar one (when we were abroad - Brownie summer holidays started a week later than the school ones that year!) and every single church parade, community event, trip, sleepover etc. She has worked hard for loads of badges independently and is very helpful with the younger girls.

She is desperate to become a sixer, but her pack always gives this role to the oldest 3 Brownies. One of the oldest 3 left recently, and DD was next in line age wise. BUT a new Brownie joined about a month ago and was enrolled tonight - she is 3 months older than DD, and on the night of her enrollment tonight has actually been made a sixer at the same time!

Is this the usual way of doing things? When I was a Brownie - a very long time ago admittedly - becoming a sixer was something that was earned, not just an automatic right depending on when your birthday fell.

Both of the other sixers are 10 already, but neither wants to leave to go to Guides - as it's a small pack, they are happy to keep them for as long as they want to stay. In all other respects the pack is great and I really appreciate all the hard work the Guiders put in, but giving a coveted role to a new girl ahead of a conscientious 'old girl' seems unfair to me. Or is this just the way things are done these days?

drspouse · 02/11/2015 21:29

They aren't supposed to start at 6 3/4, it is against every major rule, for a start. I'm really surprised their 10 year olds aren't bored to death as the whole point of the Brownie programme is that it lasts 3 years from 7 to 10. It's very difficult to find activities that suit a 10 1/2 year old and a 7 year old let alone a 10 1/2 year old and a 6 year old.

But every Guider can choose how to decide who is a Sixer, just wait till she gets to Guides, then the Patrols can decide who's a Patrol Leader ( unless you have a fairly inexperienced group of Guides who say they won't decide unless you put them all in the same Patrol and the Guider has to decide ).

Some Guiders do it on age, because otherwise the oldest girls won't have a chance to be a Sixer. Some on experience, some on a mixture. It has ever been thus. Just because your Pack did it on experience/maturity when you were a girl, doesn't mean there weren't Packs then that did it on age.

drspouse · 02/11/2015 21:31

(The first paragraph may have sounded somewhat heartfelt because it was. This is a long running debate between a few stampy-feeted Guiders who can't see why they can't be flexible break the rules and the rest of us).

LottieDoubtie · 02/11/2015 21:34

In short land0r they can choose whoever they want to be sixer, based on whatever criteria they like. What you describe does seem mean though, and not every unit would do it. Are the leaders approachable? How would they respond to a quiet word?

Land0r · 02/11/2015 21:50

Thank you for comments. My DD was actually enrolled before she was 7! (A month before I think, but I can't remember exactly.) The pack always has 6-nearly-7 year olds in it. DD2 has permission to start at 6 and a half next year actually...

The leaders are lovely and I don't want to upset the apple cart. Just seems strange that a girl who has been there 4 weeks (3 weeks then half term break, then her enrollment tonight) is already a sixer!

One of the 10 year olds is 11 very soon, but loves Brownies and doesn't want to go to Guides, so is staying until after next pack holiday (July!) by which time she'll be well over 11 and a half! Don't know when the other one was 10 but she's in yr6.

drspouse · 02/11/2015 22:32

I would be looking for another pack, especially if they are keeping them from 6 1/2 to 11 1/2. That's not Brownies, it's a combination of Rainbows, Brownies and Guides but shoehorning them all into the Brownie programme which isn't suitable for either Rainbow or Guide age (unless the 11 1/2 yo has SEN). Someone at Commissioner level wouldn't be happy if they knew about the blatant breaking of the rules on joining age.

I actually used to be a Rainbow leader in a joint Rainbow and Brownie unit but we did separate Rainbow programme and Brownie programme with some joint activities.

In fact the other former Rainbow leader's DD2 came along with her each week when she was 4 but that was for childcare purposes and we made it clear to everyone that she was there as a leader's child. She kept moaning that she couldn't do her promise yet but we made her wait till 5.

MrsFionaCharming · 03/11/2015 02:25

Today I'm feeling very frustrated with Guiding!

I had a not-so-great night at Rangers. Then a lot of faff trying to use Go! Plus, I can't find any guidance on the GG-UK site about the activities I want to do, and when I google, I get lots of advice from the Scout website!

It seems Guiding is moving away from it's roots as an outdoors activity, and no longer has anything to do with things like knife skills or using axes.

drspouse · 03/11/2015 10:16

I was talking to Scouters recently about just this issue and my take on it is we're relied on to use our common sense - e.g. no prescribed ratios for knife work. They aren't. If it's not forbidden in the manual, it's allowed.