Guiders Staff Room Part 4

[Groovee]

Moving on from Part 3

How's everyone doing? It's been 3 weeks of outdoor meetings and I've missed them so much!

My unit still aren't back - our division were really slow on the uptake for RAs. I'm looking at moving to a different area because I'm fed up with the management in my area I moved from a (better) Guiding area so I know it doesn't have to be the way it is!

Hoping to get back after half term. The poor girls look so bored by Zoom. We still have about 12 coming along.

We’ve been meeting outside since Easter, but we’re heading inside tonight because of the weather. We’ve got 28 at the moment, including 5 newbies.

It’s just social distancing they struggle with. We’ve got cones with their name and six on them and we spread them out each week, but if we offer them the opportunity to move (which we try to do because otherwise you seem them glazing over after a while of sitting still) they just can’t help but move magnetically towards each other! Especially as so many of them are in the same bubble at school, or are sisters, or came with Flossie in the car... and I’d forgotten how long it takes them to do things in person! We whizzed through activities on zoom, but now...

We had our first in person meeting this week. It was so lovely to see them all in person, and it didn’t feel like we’d been away at all. The only thing that shocked me was how tall they all are now!

We've had three outdoor meetings and it is really difficult to keep them socially distanced, no matter what I try to think of. They are also incredibly chatty, more so than usual. I hope now that i've been able to access the hall to get some of our things including the toadstool, that we will have a little more order (wishful thinking).

Is anyone here feeling a bit worn down by it all at the moment? The huge new risk assessments, the new policies coming out seemingly every week. The Mea Culpa in the news yesterday that implies we're a horribly racist and disablist organisation... (don't get me wrong the incidents listed should never happen, but from what I understand the survey interviewed 200 people? Which is a pretty small sample to tar us all with the 'bad leader' brush.).. the pushing through changes to first response so we're no longer able to do the refresh course, and in the middle of a pandemic when barely any refresh courses have beem held for 12+ months...
I'm an experienced leader with a childhood in Guiding plus 15+ years as an adult, I hold a county role, but I'm just starting to lose the will to live. The only thing keeping me going at the moment is knowing that the girls get something out of it, but I'm not sure how much longer I can keep going if the admin burden is just going to keep on increasing. Feeling really sad as GG is part of my identity, but the disconnect between volunteers and HQ seems so wide now and policy implementation just doesn't seem to consider the effect of leaders.
How do I get out of this funk??

I feel you. Hadn't seen the story, but avoid news a fair bit these days for other reasons!

I am just feeling I am the one driving my unit forwards, so feeling jaded, there are 3 leaders but I do all the Go, all the waiting list management, most of the organising of Zoom etc, have done all the risk assessments for returning to F-F, plus have sorted all the equipment and badges for the last year and I am 'only' the assistant leader. Oh and all leaders are working so no disparity there, one had no children, one has older children I have two young children. I have worked (and job was harder) during lockdown.

Have spent 9 hours on training this year, 3 of which was pointless but HQ know best and it feels like it is just a waste of my time.

I have also had to attend everyone of my daughters Rainbows meetings, as 3 of the leaders refused to engage in doing anything to support the leader who did want to do things.

I am trying to sort waiting list and being ignored by leaders - who will no doubt moan when their girls don't get a space!

Sorry bit of a vent but if it wasn't for the 25+ years I have been a leader I would have walked. I still get more out of it than I put in but am seriously fed up.

Agree - HQ are seriously out of touch with the normal leaders.

Have done very little during the pandemic
Not going to make excuses
Just got big email row from Division Commissioner (whom I have never even met )
So all the ‘don’t worry if you can’t manage to do anything’ meant SFa
Think I am done

That's so sad to hear you all. But I agree, I think there is a massive disconnect between HQ and the leaders. That, and I think they have one eye on the recent bollocking the Scouts got - I'm on a few scout fb groups and they're tying themselves into knots about RAs- and the online gg training is what they're recommending to each other!

@MillicentMargaretAmanda dd1 really enjoyed last night so you're doing something well, especially given how nervous she was!

But I really really want the restrictions to bugger off now. I've had to chat up our local scout group as the hall won't let us back in- because the parish council want to use our room and can't flex . I keep them apart- sort of- but we're outside all the time so I figure that's sort of OK.

to all of you

Hi everybody, I've been away from Mumsnet for a looooong time but hoping I can sneak in here?
I've just started my leadership training, our local brownie unit is under threat of closure as the leaders are retiring at Christmas so I've said I'll step in. I was an assistant guider for a long time but left due to issues with the unit leader (thinking back, she was a massive bully, and it's left a bad taste in my mouth!)
Feeling a bit nervous but also excited. Terrified by all of the admin though!
I also have a 5 year old daughter (due to start rainbows this week) and an 8 year old son (in cubs).

Welcome BellaGoth!
I'm so sorry about your experiences previously in Guiding and well done for coming back after that.
Hopefully it will be lots better. The admin can be a bit bleurgh but the admin system is getting better and better which helps.

It's also maybe worth asking one of the leaders if they would mind maybe continuing to help you with some of the admin, maybe until the end of the academic year, so you can have time to get up to speed with that side of things while also doing your LQ and running the weekly meetings post Christmas.
It's relatively slow on here but do shout if you need advice, and there's also several groups on Facebook which are unofficial leaders ones and can be very helpful.
Good luck!

Thanks @MillicentMargaretAmanda, my Division Commissioner said as soon as DBS comes back she'll get me into various FB groups for local leaders which will help I'm sure! I'm hoping that one or both of the leaders will be able to help out a bit, and there are two other leaders in training in the pack (Both students so don't want to commit to taking it on) so hopefully I'll have plenty of help!
My husband is getting sucked into helping at cubs so I didn't want to be the only family member not getting some guiding / scouting action!

Welcome @BellaGoth! The admin gets easier as you get used to it. Honest! I've just taken over a Guide unit in sad circumstances and the trickiest task was identifying which uma cards had been done recently.

Thanks @InflagranteDelicto! I'm a project manager by day so in theory I should be able to get a handle on it! It's all SO different to what I did before though.
I was flicking through some of the UMA stuff and was mortally offended to see a picture of my old brownie uniform in the "history of guiding" (or something like that) section!

odd, right?
I was doing first aid with my Guides last night. Wee detou into the recovery position, followed by "oh no, they were caught in an avalanche and now the rescue dog has killed them (moves to start cpr 😱🤣)

@InflagranteDelicto

odd, right? I was doing first aid with my Guides last night. Wee detou into the recovery position, followed by "oh no, they were caught in an avalanche and now the rescue dog has killed them (moves to start cpr 😱🤣)

Well I hope they checked for further danger from avalanches or rogue rescue dogs before they started!

No further avalanches! Recovery position successfully taught to both my Brownie and Guide units. We also got the annies out and did some cpr (no breathing), both units again loved it! I can confirm the AED activity (stage 5) looked incredibly naff but the guides loved it! Youngest child is now quarantining 2 teddies because they smell of Guide hut🤣

Has anyone recieved the email today about the increase in subscriptions. I knew it was coming, but the increase was much more than I expected, and even with the financial help i'm worried it will have a huge impact on my unit.

Yep. I've no choice than to increase my subs to be able to afford the year after. Just moved hall and the rent is more too. That said, we are cheap in our district compared to everything else and even with an increase we still will be.

Lots of concern being expressed about Girl Guiding recently from a safeguarding point of view.

Here is the response from Safe Schools Alliance to focus on ACE week recently.

I wanted to share in here for you guide leaders as this raises some really important point.

safeschoolsallianceuk.net/2021/11/02/girl-guiding-and-asexuality/

I’m planning to add £1 per month to subs from Easter. I’ll warn parents when we go back after Christmas that the change will come in from the start of the summer term.

Can any of you lovely ladies help a parent out, on this thread please?

Lost the thread for a while. How is everyone going?

Hello. I'm struggling a little, tbh. I appear to have lost my skills in creating small group activities that self run. Equally, the Brittany's have lost their ability to do the same, I have 24 children all screeching "Tawny owwwwwl, I can't do it".
During lockdown I became dc. Which was fine, but then a Guide leader was ill so now I run 2 units and it's a bloody nightmare recruiting, no one wants to!

Sorry, massive whinge. I do love my units, I'm excited for Guide camp in a couple of weeks and I'm thinking about Brownie Holiday next term/ year

It isn't you - its a recognised issue as a post lockdown effect. All the young people have had lot more attention when struggling so have lost some of their independence, problem solving skills, self motivation! Teaching Yr 7's this year has been the toughest I have known in 13 years of teaching!

I feel your pain - not much help but its not you!