Guiders Staff Room Part 3

[Groovee]

Reconvening over here ladies.

I didn't say, but thought, that our slight tendency to blue knickers/un-PC behaviour that I have noticed may stand us in good stead here. In other words, un-girl-like behaviour may be clamped down upon and anyone who is saying they are a woman (but the other leaders know fine well is/used to be a man) and who wants to share a room with a female leader will not be treated equally, I suspect.

In more relevant news, we only had 2 Guides again at this week's meeting. One dad picking up said "are you going to merge with another unit". No we are not and I have no idea where he got that idea from. We actually have enough in the unit to manage fine as a unit and to do outings etc. either with another Guide unit or with our Brownies (and where we have sisters the latter is helpful). We just have very poor attendance at the moment and I have no idea why!

Various other reasons we are not going to merge a) we are the only unit in our geographical area and girls wouldn't travel to the next one - before we opened Guides I did our Brownies and nobody moved up b) we are the only one meeting on our night and ditto and c) it's the only time I can volunteer (combination of day/time/childcare) so I wouldn't be moving to another unit, unless they merged with us of course.

Inflagrante that would be great! I'm hoping it'll help them grasp 'guiding-outside-of-our-village'. Would anyone else like to join in?

great. I'll pm you the address

Anyone else before I go to Facebook?

Ria, Wise Owl is bringing in a map and we'll get them to find the general area the card came from. Now that's a community activity, surely?!

We have gone up to 21. All our leaders and the guide leaders were stood going at how many there were.

We've done writing to other units too recently to do it for thinking day, we usually just adapt the WAGGGS pack but recruitment is definitely not something we need to be doing, our waiting list is already huge!

We got out a map, picked a country and decided we'd learn about guiding there.

Hi, just found this via one of the FB groups. I'm a MN lurker and also a Guide leader in Scotland. I've just taken over as DC as well, but have a nice small district to look after.
I'm pretty saddened by all the trans vitriol - I think it's a great thing that HQ have a clear and inclusive policy. Can't see my unit being infiltrated by teenage sex pests FFS.

Welcome welcome!

How are you finding being DC? I was meant to be taking over this month, but someone else came forward instead and is letting the leader who stole unit funds remain in place despite the arrangement that she leaves once it's paid back, might consider it next time round.

I'm really lucky with my district, all the leaders really know what they're doing so I don't have to do much. I'm much more worried about my name being on a list of potential camp advisors as one of the few leaders in the County with a camp license and no other county job.

I've had a flurry of emails now that parents are realising that they may got get places in units nearby. Have some girls having to wait at least 2 terms after their 7th birthday now.

May NOT

I've just said something on a thread about "non-binary" that there must be a lot of "non-binary" Guiders and cue someone leaping in to complain again about trans women/girls in Guides.

Oh cripes Drspouse!

Oh crumbs! That was either brave or foolish!

I took different things from that trans thread. I too don't think that units will be invaded by teenage sex pests, but I am saddened that GGUK is buying into the narrative that small boys who like "girlie" things must actually be girls. That's reinforcing the stereotypes we want to challenge. I also think it's selling our girls and young women short to say that all it takes to be a girl or woman is to say one is one.

But, leaders are resourceful and pragmatic and they'll work it through.

See I'm not sure on that one Maud, I have a few trans friends and I don't think for any of them it has been a case of just saying they are either sex or just liking stereotypical girly or boyish things, its been much more complicated and far tougher on them than that.

Evening all, happy lurker here.
I haven't a clue about rights and wrongs of trans in guiding but suspect we will deal with it smoothly if/when needed. Thinking day is giving me a total headache not least because the bonkers old leader is hosting and still doesn't talk to me because she asked me to take over 1 of her 4 units and I did mainly because parents hated her ringing at 6:30 am and 11:30pm to remind them of things !
Anyway think we making swaps this week so glue guns ready

No, I don't think it's simple at all, Sparkly, it's the policy that I think is simplistic. And that's the last thing I shall say about it.

Ah I see what you mean Maud, sorry, I totally misunderstood what you were saying, yeah the policy is simplistic.

Why can't parents ever tell us that their daughters are not coming back? We've got 7 non-returners after Christmas and only 2 parents have bothered to get in touch (not including the parent who is an ex-guider!).

Oh good grief.
I'm going to wait one more meeting (we started back a bit late) and then maybe one further one and ask any who haven't returned, then if no message I'm going to remove them. Not going to pay census for non-returners thanks!

Ladies
I'm new on this thread so be kind to me.. I appear to have volunteered to save my daughters rainbow unit from closure. This means my self imposed Guiding break of 8 years is now over. I did 15 years before I stepped back due to me having babies.... I have a vague idea how to run a unit and the pitfalls!

Anyway I assume you are a knowledgable lot so.

Hints, tips, advice, words of wisdom, encouragement please. What's Guiding like in 2017?

Reassure I am not making a catastrophic mistake.

Thank you

Welcome Mayhem, run for the hills. Only joking. Delegation is the key for me. Join the rainbow leaders Facebook group.

Delegation - will remember that.

It's a far cry from the control freak lunatic leaders I encountered as a young guider in the 90s!

Also how do I find/get on the Facebook group.
Thanks Groovee 😉