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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

Original poster

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

991 replies

MadBadandDangerousToKnow · 03/03/2009 21:57

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.

OP posts:
rivierliedje · 16/07/2014 20:39

Oh goodness, that sounds difficult roadkill

I've a meeting with the commisioner next week, to see where I could be useful. Slightly nervous :)

birdboo · 16/07/2014 22:57

Thank you for all your help the other day. I tried the District commissioner tonight but she was out, so I'll keep trying. I think moving into another district is the way forward; I checked the boundaries and it turns out to be about 100 yards up the road!! I'm in Hull for anyone that needs a warranted assistant. I've also decided to go for finishing my ALQ with the Senior Section, I founded a unit set them up for Octagons but then didn't get it signed off. So I think that might be a good way forward?

Menolly · 16/07/2014 23:17

Ah damn, that is ages Roadkill, presumably you break up for summer soon though? so it won't be too many meetings til there's a new district commissioner and you have your leadership stuff signed off. you might actually be able to change who is brown owl on the strength of you being qualified and them not, which would be less awkward than bringing up all the rest of it.

ToniWol · 16/07/2014 23:32

Where in Hull birdboo? Am in Cottingham myself but have contacts throughout County from being a County GO person.

End of an era tonight though. Am taking a break from unit Guiding and had my last meeting with Guides after 4 years last week, and last meeting at Brownies after 7 years tonight. Expecting my first in November so seemed easiest to finish this term. Keeping on the County role though and will pop in when I can.

RoadKillBunny · 16/07/2014 23:55

We have already finished for summer thankfully so I was hoping now to just get my head down, focus on completing my training and talk to my mentor and guiding contacts in the area ready to tackle it all from September however,
while sorting my records and completing notes for meeting with my mentor I was on GO this evening.
I discovered that my most problematic co leader (not brown owl) is still not on GO! That means she hasn't had her CRB done I think Shock she has had since last September!! I knew she was dragging her feet over it so I had been acting as if she had no CRB until I was told otherwise but I am so shocked to not find her on GO given that I asked 'brown owl' about it a few weeks ago and was told it had been done.
It has jarred me as I am finding more and more evidence to indicate that these two jokers seem to think they can run Brownies like it was a play date or something! They are putting our girls at risk, us in a vulnerable position and playing fast and loose with the reputation of guiding.
They just don't care!
It can't go on. Brown owl does pull her weight and is managing the paperwork side but this is unbelievable and simply can't go on.
We had a planning meeting the other week and brown owl states she wants us to do a camp at the end of next summer term, we would need a camp licence was my first response and before I could finish my sentence about how unrealistic a plan it was she just brushed it aside, I think she believes we can take the girls away without it if we want!
I admit, these two intimidate me, they are alpha mummies who live in a different world to me but this has gone on too long and I can't in good conscience go back in September without this being sorted out, I mean, I think it might even be against the law for somebody to be working with children officially every single week for a whole academic year and have not had their CRB done!

JennyWren · 17/07/2014 00:41

It is possible that she has done her end of the paperwork, but that the references haven't come through - she won't be transferred on to GO until they have. Or, it has all been done but the reference to Join Us wasn't put in properly on the DBS application, so the computer system hasn't been able to match up the two systems. Again, something to flag to the DC, as it may just be an admin issue. And if it isn't, it needs to be followed up, so it is still a DC issue. I should start making a list Grin...

Middleagedmotheroftwo · 18/07/2014 11:10

The GO problem is probably nothing to do with the Leaders themselves - this is admin that needs to be done by the District/Division/County admin team - whoever does Leader admin in your area.

I would get your DC to suggest to the two women in question that they might prefer to be Unit Helpers, rather than Leaders in Training. That way they can continue to help you, but no pressure on them to do the ALQ, and would leave the door open to you to take the Brown Owl name. You'd still have the adult:child ratio you need to run your unit. But can do what you can to recruit some more suitable longer term Leaders who are prepared to do the ALQ.

Groovee · 19/07/2014 17:57

It's one of the references which is holding one of my leaders up.

Once DC gets back from her holiday, I'll badger her to change the reference.

I logged into join us last week and have a new 7 year old starting in August. If I could get a few more girls who are 7, I would be delighted.

I'd would get the DC to suggest the 2 leaders become unit helpers if they won't do their training. It's not that hard.

Groovee · 24/07/2014 14:49

Planning meeting next week... getting together with just the adult leaders to discuss the unit and how we feel things are going and where we need to improve.

MaudantWit · 26/07/2014 14:20

That reminds me ...

Comments at our end of term district meeting made me realise we probably don't make enough use of the Brownie badge books. When we do badges at meetings, I keep a spreadsheet of who's done what and then hand out the badges at the end. I get the impression that other units do much more record-keeping in the actual books. How do others use them?

rivierliedje · 26/07/2014 16:09

I've had a meeting with the local commissioner and it seems I can start with a guide unit from September. Very exciting and nervewracking

rivierliedje · 27/07/2014 18:00

Do any of you have suggestions for who to ask for the references? What are they looking for? I have no employer because I'm a student and it doesn't suggest that anyway. But who do you ask?

Groovee · 27/07/2014 18:37

None of us use the badge books here. I keep a spreadsheet of what badges we have done and any the girls have done on their own. Because the girls can get the badge syllabus on line they tend to print it off and have it signed for swimming etc.

Rivierleidgje I used my best friend and another friend who was a guider. All they have to do is reply to an email saying you are an ok person to work with children.

Minisoksmakehardwork · 21/08/2014 09:53

And thoughts turn to the new term, new girls and making my rainbow unit run the way I want it to :)

Middleagedmotheroftwo · 21/08/2014 23:52

What do we all think of the new Guide uniform then???

Minisoksmakehardwork · 22/08/2014 19:02

I haven't seen a decent picture of all the pieces. But it looks a lot like the rainbow style. In a way I can't say that's a bad thing - united by a common style. But I wish they'd stop messing with it and stick to one thing.

rivierliedje · 23/08/2014 18:48

Even though it does look completely inpractical, I do like the look of the skirt Blush
They could have come up with a practical skirt. Something a bit like this maybe: local guide skirt
Jean type material with pockets and it's short and loose, so very easy to move . PLus it still manages to look smart.

Middleagedmotheroftwo · 25/08/2014 17:08

I've just come home from Wellies and Wristbands (which was fantastic BTW). They had the new uniform on display. Reaction from the girls was mixed, with most not liking it. Ours were concerned that theydy have to buy it because they prefer the old.
The hoodie has a funny neoprene feel to it. Its quite stiff.

Groovee · 30/08/2014 18:32

I like it all.

But we have returned to our new term and someone broke in to our meeting place and smashed the lock in on our cupboard. Nothing appears to be missing. But so so upset.

Middleagedmotheroftwo · 30/08/2014 23:21

Oh no Groovee, that's horrible. Will the hall insurance cover the cost of a new cupboard or lock at least?

Groovee · 31/08/2014 15:37

I don't really know. The church's email reply to mine was about getting new keys for me.

VirtualPointyHat · 01/09/2014 21:05

Help me please ladies!!

We are moving to 5 sixes next week to keep up with my waiting list.

I have 9 new girls starting, all of my sixers are new to being sixers, oh and we have moved to the old fairy names from woodland creatures.

To top it all off I am the unit guider who can be there, though some mums are coming to keep the ratio up.

I have a couple of activities, but really want something to cement them into their new sixes, and ideally something to help them understand what elves, imps, sprites, leprechauns and gnomes actually are.

Does anyone have any ideas?

EduCated · 04/09/2014 11:28

When we had new sixes (woodland creatures) we did a version of Captain's Coming with different actions for the different animals. Could you do something like that?

Gnomes sit and fish
Leprechauns jump up and down (?!)
Aaand run out of ideas for the rest ;)

We also got them to make a poster with all their names and the name of their six on.

Groovee · 05/09/2014 09:07

Songs for each six

Bwbachod (fawn)- We're the Bwbachod from Wales, Filling farmers' milking pails
Elf (blue)- This is what we do as Elves, Think of others, not ourselves
Fairy (yellow)- We're the Fairies glad and gay, helping others every day
Ghillie Dhu (green with red hat)- Ghillie Dhu it is our name, We guard the bairns and lead them hame
Gnome (white with black broom)- Here you see the laughing Gnomes, 'Helping mother' in our homes
Imp (yellow)- We're the ever-helpful Imps, Quick and quiet as any shrimps
Kelpie (red with yellow hat)- We're the little Scottish Kelpies, Smart and quick and ready helpers
Leprechaun (red)- We're the Irish Leprechaun, Guiding strangers when forlorn
Little People (yellow/green diagonal stripes)- We, though known as Little People, Aim as high as any steeple
Pixie (green)- Look out, we're the jolly Pixies, Helping people when in fixes
Sprite (green)- Here we come, the sprightly Sprites, Brave and helpful like the knights
Tylwyth Teg (red with white hat) - We're from Wales, the Tylwyth Teg, Dance and work and never beg

VirtualPointyHat · 05/09/2014 19:27

Oooh thank you.

What tune do the six songs use?