Guiders' staff room - tea, wine, chat and optional dancing around the toadstool

[MadBadandDangerousToKnow]

Thought it might be nice to have a place to swap ideas and experiences. Shall we do introductions first?

My name's MadBad and I've been a Brownie guider for about 5 years.

Oh and it's half term, so most Guiders are probably drunk under the table, celebrating a week off!

oh gawd, it is, isn't it. i'd have bored myself rigid doing that for a week.

do let me know if you find a willing pack!

(and if not, i'll resort to combing the thread and pm-ing everyone who has confessed to being a brownie leader - you have been warned!... )

He he! Top tip - I just scrolled through to see what I was saying, and in one of my very early posts, I suggested getting my best mate Kbear into uniform. She catagorically said no.

She's in uniform....... Brownie unit helper uniform.

our tawny owl is leaving at christmas, so i'm in full-on recruiting mode. unfortunately, don't think there any other mners in this neck of the woods!

Hi madwomaninthe attic,

I'm in Scotland, so our half term break was last week! I'm sure my Brownies would love to write to yours - I've PM'd you.

oooooo!

Anybody who gets disheartened at how little Guiding seems to be valued by some (I stress, not all) parents might want to look at the AIBU thread about Beavers. The comments there about the value of what the volunteers contribute are really uplifting.

Can I resurrect this thread (please!). I am a Guide leader in need of inspiration. Ideas for a Switzerland-themed craft anyone?
Thank you!

Please do! It would be lovely to have some regular Guiding chat particularly after the drubbing the Baden Powell groups got on the recent Woodcraft Folk thread.

Don't have any Swiss ideas, though, apart from growing edelweiss or cooking with cheese!

Have you looked on here for ideas. I expect there's lots actually, if you dig deep enough, given Our Chalet is there!

I made on of those safety pin badges with the Swiss flag on, when I was at HQ last year. I was with Brownies and they all managed.

Sorry to invade! Scout leader here. I'm also a Browie leader (I have camps every week it seems). I'm currently planning activities for a coordination between Beavers and Brownies. If anyone else wanders onto this site, even if it's monhs after my post (it's already months after the start of this conversation) can anyone give me ideas? I was thinking survival skills, den-making, catch-the-flag kind of game, putting-up-tent competitions, kayaking, raft-building and ghost stories.

Oooh, I'm glad someone's breathed life into this thread!

That joint activity sounds fabulous, gointoexplodesoon. We don't have any Beavers nearby, otherwise it'd be great to do something similar.

Just waking up the thread in readiness for a new term.

I've got 5 newbies starting Brownies including one with SEN who'll have a Support Worker with her. This is new territory for our pack. We've met with her at home and talked lots with her & her parents. Most of the girls already know her through school, so I think we'll be OK!

Meanwhile DS is moving from Beavers to Cubs and DD is off on an watersports-based Guide camp next weekend.

Yes, we've got lots of newbies this term, because we've also got our biggest ever group moving up to Guides together. We also gave several outings this term.

::drowns in paperwork::

I have a question and I can't find anything on GO, so I hope that someone here can help . Does anyone know if there are any guidance notes available on becoming a Brownie helper/what the role entails - I'd really like something that is aimed at the girl rather than the adult. I can't find anything in the G File and I'm not sure where else to look.

Thanks!
Jenny

My DD rainbow leaders just announced they are finishing.
SE London, what do you think the chances are of finding new leaders??
I'm devastated, she just started.

Shattered dreams... its normally parents that step in and take over the unit. Nearly all leaders I know (including myself) started out this way.... Is this something you would consider?

I would like to, but I get home from work after they start. My childminder drops DD there. Andi have a younger DS with no one to babysit.
I'm planning on becoming a leader when my kids are old enough to put their dinner in the microwave.

Ah maybe if someone else takes over though you could offer to do the accounts or something. There's a lot of paperwork that needs doing.

Or you could go and make the drinks / clear up at the end. Trust me any help will be appreciated! And you can take your ds with you...I have had to take mine many times.

I don't mean to sound harsh, but whenever this happens (and it seems to happen quite often, as leaders can't always stay involved for ever) many parents say that they will help, at some unspecified point in the future, but there's always some obstacle to helping here and now. Promises of future help are great but they don't solve the problem now. How flexible is your work? Is there any chance that you could get away early (say) one week in four so that you could join a helpers' rota? And it's ok to take your son with you, as long as the adult:child ratios set down by Girlguiding UK are observed. My friend's son was an honorary Brownie from the age of six months!

Our pack has been lucky in recent years, in that we have had a trickle of new adult volunteers via the Girlguiding UK website. Do you have a local membership/volunteers coordinator (often a member of the Trefoil Guild)? If so, make sure - or get the outgoing leaders to make sure - that they know you're looking for people. Otherwise, as ChiefOwl says, it's usually a case of all hands on deck and parents getting involved so that the unit doesn't close.

Well I offered up accounting paperwork help. They were grateful and said they would pass it on.
Work not flexible, I'm part time and simply too busy to leave early plus I have an hour commute. Typical that Rainbows is on a work day.

I absolutely will be volunteering. I don't see the purpose of being a leader only to my children at the age/group they are in. And my DH works unsociable hours so I have to be home for bedtime.

I haven't decided whether my affiliation is to guides or ventures, both of which played a huge part of my life growing up.
But I will give my time. It's been a long time vow for me!

Good for you, for offering what you can manage.

Hi everyone. I'm Snowy Owl in a large and thriving Brownie pack (30+ girls).
I'm doing my Brownie holiday badge in a couple of weeks - anyone got any tips?

Argh! Can anyone suggest anything that actually works for getting parents to pay subs promptly? Mine were due on the first night of term in September - because I wanted to cut down the amount of chasing entailed when payment is due over several weeks - yet I've still got a substantial minority who haven't paid. Gah.