Guiders Staff Room Part 3

[Groovee]

Reconvening over here ladies.

Pfft. Someone remind me why I do this? It's for the badges isnt it?

My girls were horrible tonight, all answering back and attitude, parents aren't any better, everything is far too much effort, I'm really ill, I'm pretty sure county are inventing new training for the fun of it, my LQ evidence sill isn't good enough and I'm feeling underappreciated.

Sobs into wine glass.

Our subs paying was awful last year & I had disputes with a couple of parents who said they'd paid when I had no record of it. I suspected perhaps they had sent the girls in with £25 that hadn't quite made it to me!

So last term I started a system where if they don't pay it by the third week of the term (or get an agreement to pay in instalments) I send them home... funnily enough I've never had to use it & they all paid on time!

I also have a duplicate book for receipts so parents can't argue. This term I haven't been so strict b/c I appreciate people might not be able to pay until Jan payday, but next week my outstanding ones will be getting a letter!

We've got a Sponsored Danceathon fundraiser next week to get our subscription payment covered as we are a bit skint as a unit at the moment!

Thanks for all the ideas! I will let you know how it goes!

Oh Sparkly :(

What's up with your ALQ evidence? Can we help?

What section are you? If behaviour is horrible, what sanctions do you use? I have Rainbows, usually I only have to make them sit out for 5 mins or so if they misbehave/don't listen/etc, but I appreciate older ones are more tricky! I've only had to threaten to suspend one once - I spoke to her mum at pick up and said that if the behaviour continued she wouldn't be welcome the following week, and perhaps she needed to consider whether she wanted to do Rainbows.

Can your DC support you?

PS - yes, it's for the badges. Always the badges :o

Our subs are now paid exclusively by standing order. If it comes out of a parent's account and doesn't make it into ours, then we can all dispute it with the bank, otherwise it's simple.

Thanks Rue, I have a list of exactly what I need to add now, it's just really frustrating.

I do Rainbows, usually my girls just need a look, or a is that a nice thing to do/say type comment, very rarely sit out. I don't know what was up with them yesterday, the majority are usually really lovely.

No DC but lots of experienced local leaders supporting me.

I have found a cheque from a parent that was dated last July . I can't bank it, can I?

I don't think so Drspouse.

Have done all the paperwork for our sleepover. Hama beads and Valentine's Day tonight.

We've been trying to arrange a guide dog to visit without success. I forgot my friend's mum trains hearing dog puppies. So we have him coming for a visit next week as part of disability awareness.

Oh I forgot to say we have a camp to go to!

I think I said the Rainbow leader wanted to do her licence, was told no at an organised camp but the one I've been to before requires a licence. But there's another county one locally that doesn't.

I've sent round info to parents and asked for a deposit in 2 weeks which will be tight for the payment but hopefully they will be keen.

JennyWren The way we played it was each group has 10 chocolates, there are 4 chairs in a row as the drop zones. 8 multiple choice questions with one correct answer, the rest wrong. Start off with 4 options, drop to 3 options and the last question with 2 options. They need to answer the question by putting chocolates on the chairs, they must leave one chair free of chocolates, and any put on a wrong answer are lost. Winners are the ones with the most chocolates at the end, though if you're feeling nice and everyones lost all their chocolate you can give them one back.. Does that make sense?

BiddyPop if you're stuck for game ideas the guide and scout websites used to have lots of good ones (and probably still do, I just havent looked for a couple of years!) or there are some good facebook pages for games. This one's pretty good

I've heard dp talking about the plan, do review. I get what they're doing, but its a fair bit of extra paperwork.

My lot like snake, we don't play it much because its quite physical and one girl has sn that mean she can't keep up and is at risk of harm. Anyway, you have a home zone. Two girls start as the snake in the zone. They have to catch (tag) others, who then join the snake. If the snake breaks up they all have to return to the home zone to link up again. Involves lots of screaming and squealing!

I'm quite militant about subs. I'll set up on a table and have a report from GO- the blank one- and tick each off with amount received and form. My parents are told that I dislike chasing sounds even more than they dislike being nagged - and actually they're all pretty good, I only have the bank transfer parents to cross check on the bank statement now.

Had a great night Tuesday, my wobbly newbie only made 3 toilet trips (doesn't like transitions from one activity to another, and is very clingy). I did get a funny look from her when they were all a bit bouncy and we decided round of penguins come to tea was needed 😁

drspouse I think its 6mths for a cheque, how past is it? You could try smiling nicely at a cashier in branch, or ask the parent to amend the date. A quick google, according to nationwide although they're honoured in 6mths, they're legally valid for 6 years. So I'd definitely try it 😊

Feeling enormously positive this week.
I had a Mum being slightly snippy with me over email because I chased her for a payment. She was unhappy that she had to give cash. I just went back with the fact that we run on cash because we don't have a bank for 20 miles, I work full time and have no other leader who would be signatory on a charity chequeing account. She's been absolutely lovely since then.
A trip I advertised for the autumn has gone down a storm, with slips and deposits in from some of them already (closing date in 2 months time).
We're offering 4 residentials before the end of the year: different levels of cost and commitment: between £15 and £80 so there's something for everyone. Getting the programme covered well and keeping them interested. I think I'm getting my mojo back after a few months of doing it under sufferance.

I just need to get my home, family and job mojo back and all will be well!

Inflagrante That's good to know but I already told the mum in question that I would write it off. I had at the same time sent two emails to other parents whose daughters had left ("normal" reasons rather than going off in huffs or anything) who had not cancelled their standing orders so we are up on balance so I was feeling generous.

Kill me now. I'm going to have to do my 2015 accounts again as there's an Excel error somewhere. 2016 bank account and my accounts add up to within a penny but the opening balance is wrong because 2015 is wrong.

The current treasurer is not wanting to audit 2015 because nobody has done a proper handover. It's all a nightmare.

Another guiding thread

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2846557-Is-this-offensive-Brownies-playing-American-Indians?pg=7&order=

Oh no! Been there, my pc corrupted this years accounts just before Christmas. Was really pleased I'd kept my sheets showing subs paid with dates and types, and all receipts. Sending and

Becles have posted on this - it's something I feel VERY strongly about.
We were at a Scout camp site last year and I refuse to call the large pointy tent on site a wigwam. "It's a tent girls. A TENT. And some people think it's OK to copy religious symbols like those totem poles. It's not".

drspouse I really feel for you. I inherited a bodge job and ended up putting my own cash in to sort it out. I have been so anal since I took over as I never want to go through that again.

Hello all!

I've been awol for a while - two new jobs, moving house blah blah...I'm bloody knackered but have kept everything ticking over.

Very frustrated today, some of you have seen my fb moans I think over the past few days. I'm just hoping it's sorted quickly as we could really do with it for census. I've budgeted so carefully to be sure we don't need the loan Division have offered and end up with an 'overdraft' situation going on !

Doing clause 2 of the chocolate badge with the Guides tomorrow. So far I have blind taste testing fair trade and non fair trade chocolate...and that's it . I had planned to sort something today but spent forever chasing magically vanishing bloody cash.

I do have a shiny new YL (to be - DC says leave her off the system for the mo because of the £40 situation so there's less pressure to find another £22.50). She's going to teach them horseshoe and taps, I imagine that will take a while in itself.

I didn't realise I had to take the Guides out for Mod 1 either, God only knows when I'm going to manage that around my two, two jobs etc.

Thankfully the systems I was putting in place for Rainbows are now paying off & we're coasting at the mo with simple stuff but they all seem to be enjoying it.

Need something for Thinking Day (for next week as T.D. is half way through half term for us) for both sections for next week. Was going to mooch Pinterest last night but I ran out of "go"

Great news Lucysmam x

We had a sponsored Danceathon tonight to raise funds to subscription fees. One leader 39 weeks pregnant & other 31 weeks with PGP, lucky we didn't end up with a puddle on the floor I think!

The girls managed 16 dances though - Cha Cha Slide, Macerena, YMCA, etc - & I think we'll have raised about £120 so that will really help.

After half term for Thinking Day we're packing up seeds to give away in the local area to try & get some more girls in, we'll attach one of the Guides postcards & some contact information for us to come to a taster session.

Ooh I forgot to mention, I seem to have a new Young Leader! She's 17 already, so I've offered her the option of doing her ALQ if she wants. She was really good with the Rainbows so I'm hoping she's in it for the long term.

Lucysmam isn't the chocolate one a Go For It? So the Guides are in charge of the planning? Or is it something different? Put the clause on here and we can have a think for you?
I know pretty much nothing about Guides, I'll be "running" my 2nd ever Guides in March as their leader is away - last time I had to get one of the YLs to do the commands for horseshoe :o at least this time the meeting is their first aid badge so St John's ambulance are coming in to run it.

Thanks Rue, I sorted it with some help from the fb group :) There's a chocolate badge and GFI! We're working on the badge as a unit.

Horse shoe was a bit of a disaster...apparently the last 10 mins of Guides is just the right time to air your troubles with school work etc . Tbf, it was only a couple & I made a point of making sure the rest knew it wasn't them.

Hoping for better things next week but we'll see when we get there...

They opted for Valentines crafts next week, apparently they have boyfriends...at ten

Lloyds have finally stumped up the missing money. If it turns up, it's a bonus & we can keep it. They've also compensated us £30 and paid for the hours on the phone plus bus fares I paid for yesterday.

Rude there is a chocolate interest badge AND a chocolate GFI. Hardly enough is it?

Feeling a bit deflated after last night's meeting - when I told them at the end there's no Guides next week they cheered!