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

That sounds lovely but all the other Brownie groups have a feeder Guide unit except for one that is really inconvenient for us!

We often ask our own feeder Brownies to come for a visit (I was about to ask the oldest one but she has apparently decided as her friend has gone from Guides she won't be moving up - friend was one of the daughters of these two complaining mums).

(To give a few more details most of the other Brownie groups are small and have a small Guide unit except, not surprisingly, for the feeder unit to this massive unit. One of the Brownie groups is really tiny and meets at the same time as their Rainbows - I think it's basically about 10 Rainbows and 2 7 year old Brownies - and one of the units that has no Guides is reasonably large but would be up to 30 mins drive and meets on an estate where few parents have cars)

Oh my goodness! What a night! High as kites, loud, but also tired, so many little injuries. I think we'll have to abandon speaker badge, and progress to Christmas.

It's an interesting situation, DrSpouse. Are you able to help grow the Brownies, so in a couple of years the Guides will grow? Not sure what else I could suggest, I have the opposite problem, of the villages in my district I have a full pack, and a waiting list. But no way would I go over 24.

Hiya. I went to my 1st meeting as a volunteer today! And I loved it. I'm going to be a assistant leader and the main leader is going to get the book for me to start training next week. What's involved in the training please?

Welcome Soon!

The training is really just taking you through the 5 essentials and the basics of the program, girlguiding systems and processes.

If you are an active member of the team you'll do it as part of the day to day meeting.

Other than safeguarding/safe space training and first aid I think everything can be covered in normal meetings - welcome to the madhouse :o

Older ones More experienced guiders, please talk to me about being DC. I've been asked to consider taking it on, my district has (afaik) 2 x Ranger/SS units, 2 x Guides, 4 x Brownies, 3 x Rainbows. Probably. How much work is it likely to be, and what sorts of things are involved? I've been a leader for 5 years, it feels like a big step but I'm not sure why...

Rue I'm a DC, same amount of units you're describing.

For me, the most challenging bit is that the job is basically like a line manager role......of volunteers who don't especially want to be line managed!

I enjoy the support of new leaders and struggling units, don't enjoy the email chasing, and organising of events that no one really wants to help organise.
Time wise, it's around 2 hours a week on average admin, and maybe 2-3 hours a month meeting people, visiting units, meetings.

I'm also vaguely considering it as we have a reshuffle coming up and the units that are difficult to get to and run by the leaders that only do colouring will no longer be in our District.
I'm least excited about going to extra meetings e.g. Division, but wouldn't mind visiting other units (never done at the moment), I already do the new volunteer registration so could maybe shift that on to someone else.
Or I could be a mentor... That's another thing I've thought of.

We're doing our Christmas crafts tomorrow. It's the only night we have all leaders on deck. A few have to travel with work for the next few weeks.

Next week we're doing old fashioned games. As I have enough leaders to cover a 6 each.

We're going to need a new thread soon x

Sneak preview for tonight's craft.

We had a lovely night last night. Quite a simple one, but it was good. Girls were desperate to update their adventure books, but this time I tried printing out a dozen sheets putting the different parts of the badges, and what we'd done this term that they could count towards each. After the first 3 or 4 girls asking questions the older ones got it, helped the younger ones on their level, and meant I could focus on the pink girls and the other leader on the two new ones. (we also had two fantastic parents setting up a basic painting activity, which was a massive help)

Kudos to all DCs/ thinking about being DCs. My DC is fantastic, and I really appreciate all she does. Plus she just knows the answer to any question- I guess that's years of experience showing.

Well I'm still considering, haven't written it off yet! I think I'd feel more able to do it once DS2 starts school next September, it's just working out how I can manage it before then.

We have a situation locally where a leader is repaying money "borrowed" from her unit, I definitely don't want to get involved before that's sorted. So perhaps in a few months.

Borrowed? don't think I would want to get involved either.

We did biscuits and Snowman and Toadstool cork decorations tonight. Was 2 leaders down which didn't help.

Photos

'borrowed'? Eek, think I'd wait a while!

Love the crafts. Does that mean you all had to empty the bottles to obtain the corks?

Lol No. DD has a weekend job in a hotel where the operations manager is the local mentor so when she heard, she's saved all the corks from weddings for me.

New thread

http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/extracurricularr_activities/2775707-guiders-staff-room-part-3