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

Agree. If it is not in the manual then it is not restricted.

Just risk assessment it and proceed using common sense. Tbh I find that a lot of scout websites are a great source of starting points for risk assessments as they do tend to have much more guidance which can be used as a foundation.

If it is knife work and axes I recently had some very basic training if I can help (although I didn't take copious notes as I have no intention of putting my guides anywhere within a 2 mile radius of an axe

I might not always go for the eldest brownie but one who has shown they are ready for the role.

I really need to think of something to do this week. We have nothing planned!

I'm trained to teach knife and axe skills, but it would have been nice to have some guidance from chq. In my last job the rule was they were for 8 year olds and over, but I feel like GG probably wouldn't want me doing it with Brownies...

Fair point ....brownies with butter knives can be scary at times.....

OK. ..following on from the who do you choose to be sizer debate....who do you choose to be flag barer/lay the wreath at remembrance parade.

Our unwritten rules are:

Shortlist the girls that will leave (due to age) before the next remembrance parade
Remove any girls that have already carried the flag or wreath.

If a girl stands out as obviously deserving the role(s) great. If not select from a hat.

BUT

This year we have no leavers that haven't already done it that will be attending.

The girls that stand out as obvious choices 'deserving' to have a role are not attending.

So we have looked at our Yr8s (we often cluster them academic year). We have only one and she isn't an obvious choice. She is not very committed, often sits out of activities because she doesn't want to join in. Her mum is a Brownie Guider tho so don't want to rock the boat. She would get another chance next year.

So then we look at our Yr7s. Removed those that aren't attending. Removed a couple of the less mature ones and have ended up with 3/4 girls for two roles. They all have their merits. And all have their demerits too.

Do we put them in a hat? Do we put the Yr8 in the hat too?

WWYD. It's such a responsibility each year made harder this year because none of our older girls fit the criteria we usually use and therefore it could theoretically go to anyone in the unit therefore there are many more girls that would be disappointed it is not their turn.

Amusingly, I've just found a Mumsnet thread on what age for using an axe... www.mumsnet.com/Talk/parenting/1337828-At-what-age-should-a-child-use-an-axe?pg=2

With parades, I tend to pick on the day, based on who looks the smartest, can be trusted to do their best, and I'm feeling friendliest towards. I try to pick someone who hasn't done it before, which isn't hard as we only do a few parades a year.

And going by that thread you'd be giving them to Rainbows......I think not lol

I've made sushi with Rainbows. Only 5 were present and a mum, and I held their hands on the big knife.

I've also done woodwork with Rainbows and Brownies. The Rainbows sawed a dowel with a junior hacksaw and made magic wands.

Have any of you been to Magic And MAyhem?

Dont have a licence, so considering taking the girls to the overnight at Blacklands. I think they would love to camp, before we have always stayed indoors.

What sort of activities do they do?

Hmmm, my asking the girls what they want to do was not very productive -

One said owls
One said writing about their half term!
Decorations
Angels

Pressed too soon -

Paper christmas tree

Based on what's in the cupboard - decorations might be easiest. There are buckets (literally, they didn't fit in anything else) of polystyrene balls. Not sure where to go from there though.

Just spoken to one of our two DC's as well - refs still not sorted yet

I'm not an expert on rainbows, too small for me, but perhaps better to give them a choice to pick from?

Yes definitely just give them a list of choices at that age. We found that doing a graffiti wall type poster (i.e. pictures/writing) on a theme also worked - we asked them for outdoor things to do for the summer term, or you could ask them for things to do for other people/outings away from the meeting place/things to make/games to play.

When giving them choices give them 2 lego blocks each or coins or similar. They place their block on pictures of their choices to vote.

You can also ask them what their favourite activity this term was then you use that info to plan next term. So if they enjoyed the craft you do more craft etc.

Yes we do that with coloured stickers, pack of about 1,000,000 from Rymans has been going strong for ages!

My Rainbows don't always get a choice but when they do I tend to give them a couple of choices and ask them to pick which they would prefer.

There's a resource somewhere about getting girls involved in decision making, think it's on the GGUK website, it's definitely worth a read.

Ah, yes, in hindsight a 'this or that' type choice would have been better . My brain's a tad fried & I didn't think of that.

They really enjoyed the not-very-spinny windmill catherine wheels and straw rockets last night.

Dd1 did bonfire buscuits last night at Brownies & announced this morning that she's going to write me instructions tonight so I can do them with Rainbows next year . Suppose the thinking's done for me...

hi all. can a rainbow leader answer a quick q ? do roundabout activities have to be taken from the resource pack ? i have planned some festival activities i want to do but none of the festivals are in the book

afaik they're meant to be. My unit always does extra activities, so we'll have the whole evening planned around one of the themes (LLLL). I'll add in any other bits as fillers - maybe one activity from the book plus some random ones that I've found on Pinterest

Proud of the girls who turned up this morning - the church service was incredibly un-child-friendly but they sat nicely and tried to join in with the relevant parts. All except my own dd went up to lay our wreath with one of the leaders who is retiring.

Our service was outdoors - rain, cleared up a bit, then started raining again. We tell ours to wear layers under their uniform and they (mostly) did, one of the other Guiders had told hers to wear coats but hers didn't look significantly warmer than ours, someone handed round rain ponchos and the other leader and I decided we'll get some clear ones next year to show off the uniforms better!

We do have a few of those Centenary raincoats in the cupboard but not enough for everyone sadly.

It started raining just before we got to church - stopped before we came out to walk up to the memorial thankfully.

Have to walk along, and cross, a dual carriageway though & only one PCSO to stop traffic and represent them. Some fool tried to pass us in a 4x4 thing but ended up stuck in the middle instead . Not the safest really - was much better last year.

I actually came back to ask about uniform, sort of. A parent's given me an outgrown hoodie for the cupboard but taken an Oliva badge off it as she handed it to me - the wundaweb type backing's stayed on the hoodie & a turn in the dryer didn't help getting it off. Any other ideas I can try?

Brown paper and a hot iron sometimes works.

Brown paper welded it very firmly. I managed to dampen it and pick the majority off it with my nails yesterday.

Glittery decorations tonight, should be fun

Hi! Sorry to just jump in, but I need to canvas opinions. I am a DC and run a Brownie unit. I have two girls who are frenemies. They are constantly causing a disruption of some description, are often rude and answer back, and annoy the other girls. Whilst they were Rainbows, they were at different units. One of them was fine at Rainbows, the other was a nightmare, swearing and shouting at other girls.

Both have supportive parents but nothing is changing and my leaders are losing the will. I don't want to kick them out, but it's getting to that point.

Do you think I should suggest a "managed move" to another unit? But who moves? The one in second is actually far less harmful than the one who started first, so seems unreasonable to kick her out, but I don't really want to inflict the first one on another guider (as I am still a bit miffed I wasn't warned by her rainbow leaders!).

Help! What would you do? They really need a one to one adult to stop them ruining it for everyone else and I can't really spare the leaders.

Change of plan for weeks 5/6 now...other leader (who rarely actually turns up) pointed out to LiC that button christmas trees can't be displayed all year so aren't a good idea as a gift (I'd be chuffed). Anywho - I now need something to make as a gift, to take two weeks ish, & preferably making use of boat loads of green buttons. I can add bits if I need to.

! HELP!