Is Brownies just a bit rubbish compared to Beavers?

[Thetreeisdownnow]

My DD has been going to Brownies for a year and a half and is getting increasingly disappointed and upset at how it compares to her brothers Beavers unit.

Brownies seems to be off more than it’s on, for example it finished on the 11th of December for Christmas and isn’t on again until 19th February (we still pay full fees though).

She has never done her Brownies promise despite asking and they have never earned any badges at all.
She has never been given a badge book although this is apparently paid for as part of our fees and I asked repeatedly last year and also said I was happy to buy one but was always told that they had them and would be giving them out next week and it never happened.
Activities seem to mainly be crafts or colouring, lots of the girls don’t wear uniform and there are no trips or anything.

I’ve tried to persuade her to join Cubs instead but the Cubs unit is very boy heavy (there’s only 2 girls) and she much prefers the all girl environment of Brownies.

Ive offered to volunteer but apparently they are okay for leaders at the minute and I don’t really feel I can complain too much as it’s run by volunteers. There is another unit in a nearby town and I was wondering if it would be worth trying it or whether it’s likely to be the same again?

Sounds like the unit. Ours wasn’t brilliant but they did a few nice activities. I took a relaxed approach to it as the subs weren’t very much. Sometimes dd went sometimes she didn’t. She’s actually stuck with it and goes to guides most Friday nights. It’s not very productive but they play games , do some crafting and it’s quite a nice relaxed, sociable thing for her to do. She always comes out smiling and at 13 I’m always grateful for anything that gets her off a screen.

It’s the unit. I pulled dd2 out of brownies because the leaders were so shouty but even they did loads of badges with the girls. Dd1 completed the book. You should have been given the badge book and a drawstring bag with some bits in.
Guides was sooooo boring. I wouldn’t bother with either again but the church hall was right by my house and all their class mates went..

Depends entirely on the leaders. Some are good. Some are bad. Why doesn’t she go to the same unit as her brother?

It really depends on unit (and area as well?)
I do sometimes think wistfully about scouts as well for by daughter cos she'd love the camping/outdoor etc etc but we stopped beavers purely because the one near us stopped. So the nearest one to go to was brownies so she just progressed from there into guides. In guides they've been on one camping trip which was still in our city postcode for A night. Had one sleepover where guides is. And had a residential with outdoor activity things. Apart from that they do games and normal stuff in the guides hall. She's been there 2 years. But she's settled there and does enjoy being there so I'm going to keep her there

Just the major downer about our unit (area?) is that there's no separate group when they age out of guides and are supposed to go on to be Rangers. So when they age out (age 14) the girls just stay on at the same unit apparently and 'help out' but from what I can gather they kind of help out but also join in (because of course they're pretty much the same age anyway).

I’ve never seen anyone so excited about manky old crisp packet as when we do litter picking! The girls loved it, they were quite competitive about spotting rubbish and being the one to retrieve it!

Nah - but your particular Brownie Pack sounds rubbish.

The individual Colony and Pack Leaders make all the difference.

There are some fab Brownie Packs out there and many fab Beaver Colonies. But no doubt there are some poor ones too.

Has there been any communication or explanation for the Pack closing for half a term? I mean, if someone is dealing with serious illness or trauma and they don't have enough Leaders to continue without that person, I'd have sympathy, but the fact you say you have offered to Volunteer and been turned down seems to suggest that isn't the case.

I'd look what else is available in your area on days you can get to in places you can get to and see if they have any spaces.

My own personal experience is that my dd started at Brownies and got bored quite soon in. There were no places to move to Beavers, so at 8 she joined cubs (as the only girl initially), and thrived.
But I wouldn't extrapolate from that that ALL Scout Groups are better than ALL Brownie Packs and Guide Companies.

In my experience, yes. DD swapped to cubs and it's much better.