Guiders Staff Room Part 3

[Groovee]

Reconvening over here ladies.

So for home contacts who are covering residentials, they sign a form. Do we need the same for local events/day trips. The page I found on GG was basically all about residentials and not specifically one day events.

Yes. A home contact is needed for all trips away from the meeting place, as I understand. In addition, the home contact must be a member with minimum level (1- but not sure, I always use another leader) safe guarding

So does it seem that most people here use a group email address (separate from the GO system), to email parents?
Yes we have a unit email address that all leaders can access too - and judging by a recent post on one of the FB groups, so do most units. We just asked all parents to sign a permission thing if we could store their email address at the start of the year. Luckily they all said yes!

I'm probably not allowed on this thread as my YL qualification is over 20 years old but... DD1 has just progressed to the Senior Section and needs a uniform. I feel as though I'm being really dense because I can't find anywhere that stocks the hoodies and polo shirts in anything smaller than a size 20. She's a slim 14-yr-old who wears an adult 4/6 so a 20 will drown her. Is there a known uniform supply issue? Or a secret stockist? Please help - she's ready to be enrolled but would like to dress the part.

Hmm they are changing the SS uniform so stock is limited. It may be worth trying some depots or anglia or girlguiding Scotland shops to see if they have stock x

Thanks Grooved, that would explain it! I'll continue hunting for the current/old uniform then.

Rangers' new uniform ... totally unavailable www.girlguidingshop.co.uk/products/rangers/uniform/rangers-polo-shirt--5027fam Some very poor planning somewhere

I've heard that the new Rangers should be available from Jan that means Feb then. We've got a few girls waiting for it as they started at the beginning of the year but didn't want to get the old one for just a few months

We had a great visit to a dessert place for our last meeting. Now have 6 weeks off x

Yes, from our shop /rangers leader: rangers uniform from Jan (indeed that'll be Feb or March) and YL uniform in a year's time (balls- 18mths, if its anything like the roll out of safe space)

There's a couple of fb groups that focus on selling guiding uniform. It's usually rainbow /brownies but often SS uniform pops up. Might be worth trying those.

6 weeks! We've got 3 - looking forward to it though

Specific rainbows advice please.

Do rainbows leaders have specific leaders nicknames like they do in brownies (ie brown owl etc)? If so what are some examples used?

My DD's Rainbows went by flowers. Main leader was acorn. I was Auntie Rainbow when I was drafted in to help. Bluebell, Daisy, Primrose, Daffodil were some of the others.

Our Rainbow leaders just use their first names.

Our local Rainbows use flowers, jewels or Disney animals

There is no requirement but I like having some kind if nicknames. At Rainbows we use the owl names too because a few leaders do both and we kept accidentally saying eg. 'Tawny - sorry no - Amy' and getting very confused so now we all have owl names. Helps with transitions too I think.
Others I've heard of are other bird names (robin, magpie, sparrow, etc) or other animal names (hedgehog, badger, squirrel, etc) or insects or another pair I know is Sunshine and Sparkle.

Be creative but make sure it isn't something you would be embarrassed to hear being yelled across the supermarket (or wherever!)

Thanks everyone! That s good tip about hearing it in the supermarket 😂

One of our rainbows is colour themed - the new leaders are Red Rose and Red Tulip. But yes to making sure it passes the supermarket test 😂

Locally most rainbow leaders have flower names, it was a bit girlie for me (and I started the unit) so we just use our own names.

Welcome Mayhem!
Look at doing the e learning modules, they will update you. There are ones for rainbow leadership and the new programme.
Im sure you will be fine.

Guardian has this article about the impact of guiding

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jan/05/a-letter-to-my-guide-leader?CMP=share_btn_fb

Guiders and uniformed lurkers as need you and your input here >>>>>>>>> www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3475780-Guide-Camp

Cheers @Becles

Ok, so I'm now an official rainbows leader in training! Last week us new leaders for our group got to have a proper look at the new rainbows programme.

I have to admit I've been feeling a bit down about it ever since.

Me and the other new leaders volunteered because we were so filled with enthusiasm about all the wonderful ideas we had for activities to do with the girls, mainly around crafts, performance and outdoor adventures. But now I've seen the very formulaic programme I feel like there is no freedom for us to use any of our ideas!

Have I misinterpreted it?

Do the other rainbows leaders strictly follow the plan and work through a themed activity each weak to get to a full theme badge as the main priority.

Or do you just work on a random badge the girls might be interested in every now and then and not have a targeted plan towards a theme badge? and do your own add hoc activities in between?