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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:
BramwellBrown · 17/09/2014 23:50

Ah I see where you are coming from Positive, they do seem to be taking the piss, allocate the brownies a set amount of space and tell them you are having a cupboard sort out and that if there is anything belonging to the brownies which isn't in that space by half term you'll assume its rubbish and chuck it.

HowBadCanThisGet · 18/09/2014 00:01

Positive - I think you would be well in your rights to charge rent - they use water and electric at the end of the day. We discussed it at district meeting recently, at our church the guides are charged £5, the Brownies £4.50. At the other church units in our district the rents were similar, but slightly more expensive.

When we do sleepovers etc I am asked for a donation for utilities, I normally aim to give between £10 and £20. I see them as benevolent landlords. I would look askance if they started coming to our meetings though. I don't see what we do week to week as any concern of theirs.

PositiveAttitude · 18/09/2014 07:02

Thanks again. I am encouraged that you agree that she is taking the P*. We have arranged a meeting on Monday to discuss these issues. She is very likely to get defensive and have a strop, but I now feel more confident with what I can express and expect from her.

Groovee · 18/09/2014 08:36

If the leader is being like that, I'd approach the DC about her behaviour. She sounds like a petchulant child.

EduCated · 18/09/2014 08:46

Just noticed the stray thong in my last post Blush

Middleagedmotheroftwo · 18/09/2014 15:19

I'd get the District Commissioner involved too. Negotiate at that level, and not with the leader concerned as any agreement (verbal or written) probably pre-dates the current leader of the unit.
Put in writing that you are revising the terms and conditions, fees etc for hall use as it's come to your notice that some groups are being treated unfairly, and include your new terms for storge space, fees etc.
Give an "effective from" date.

I'm a DC, and I'd be appalled if a leader in our District was behaving in the same manner as the one you are dealing with.

momb · 20/09/2014 18:59

We used to be a sponsored unit: we received cheap rent and were expected to attend the church as a unit. As this isn't in line with GGUK policy we are supposed to review the arrangement every 3 years or so. We got a new Rector who doesn't really 'get' youth organisations, and didn't want church parade anyway, so we broke with the sponsorship, pay the 'local charity rate' for the hall, and no longer attend church.
We do go into the church once a year to give everything a good dust and polish before the Remembrance parade, but this is a community service rather than a church issue.
About a year later they increased the rent went up by about 80% as they not only increased the rate but started charging by the whole hour (we were paying for 1.5 hours previously). There was no way I could increase subs by so much, and as looking at other venues, but the PCC were really good about reconsidering in our case: we now pay the going rate but only for 1.5 hours rather than 2 whole hours. So it is possible to change the dynamic and maintain good terms, although it was little strained for a while!

Loobylou3 · 21/09/2014 07:32

hope it olay to post here...my dd has just started rainbows (& loving it). she was given a rectangular badge thst says I (heart) rainbows...should I be sewing this on her t shirt? she has asked me to but I think because she has seen some of the older girls with badges sewn on their t shirts. if I do sew it on will it be okay in the wash (not that I have a working washing machine at the moment but that is another thread!). will the red around the edge of the badge run. sorry for the questions but my dh does drop off/pick up so I haven't had a chance to ask her rainbow leader. ThanksSmile

BramwellBrown · 21/09/2014 09:11

It will be fine in the washing machine, the one on my camp blanket has never run. Does she know why she was given it? Generally badges go on the t-shirt and that's what any badge I give my girls is for, the I heart Rainbows one is a fun badge rather than one they've earned and I think is technically meant to go on a camp blanket but if shes new it maybe the other girls had earned a badge before she started that they've just awarded so they gave her that to stop her feeling left out. You could try emailing or phoning the leader to check but tbh if she wants it sewn on then I'd sew it on, no leader would tell a Rainbow off for that or think anything about it.

PositiveAttitude · 25/09/2014 07:48

Just thought I would pop back in and let you all know that the meeting was rescheduled for last evening and it all went very well. Leader bought along DC - I think she thought the DC would back her if we got awkward. There was a lot of squirming from the brownie leader as we asked questions about certain points where she has been an idiot difficult and there was obviously some realisation from the DC about how the leader had been acting.
All positive from our end and some really clever questions asked by the vicar. All happy now and I think the leader will now behave. I got the impression that the DC was not too impressed with her and I feel sure she had a long chat with her afterwards about some of her attitudes. So we seem to have got what we wanted and the DC has "told her off" without us having to!

Have to smile as she bought the DC along to stand up for her - back fired quite spectacularly!!! Grin

Groovee · 26/09/2014 10:49

PositiveAttitude, that's great news!

Took my brownies on a local trip this week and afterwards they'd been collected when it came to our attention that one Brownie had done a bunk in the dark. Finally found her in the play park and gave her a right telling off. She's one of the oldest ones as well! It was one of my worst moments in my guiding life!

RueDeWakening · 26/09/2014 14:35

My region has launched a bunch of new badges today - Growing Up Wild, they look quite good - not sure we'll be doing any this term but looking forward to getting messy next term.

Am trying to book tickets to Blacklands for their messy hands and mucky wellies (or whatever it's called) Rainbow & Brownie event at the mo, has anyone done this before? I've never been. We'll have an exciting year next year, two trips to Icando too. I'm feeling all enthusiastic, best go and get changed ready for Rainbows... :o

Groovee · 27/09/2014 18:41

Sounds fab Rue.

Just had my daughter's surgery date through, a brownie night. The rest of the team will be fine x

Loobylou3 · 30/09/2014 21:45

Hi, many thanks for the reply re the I heart rainbows badge. This evening she came home with another badge..I heart my friends with 4 joined hands in centre. Is this another fun badge? I didn't see it until we got home or I would have asked her leader.
ThanksSmile

BramwellBrown · 30/09/2014 23:02

Rue, I'm from the same region. We aren't doing any this term as we'd already planned up to Christmas but the in the woods one would fit in perfectly with things the girls have asked to do next term Smile

Looby, i've never seen that one but unless shes been told to do something specific with it I'd just sew on it on her top.

Groovee · 09/10/2014 20:23

Half term for us now. We did the collectors badge this week. The girls had a ball. It was really good.

momb · 09/10/2014 20:42

I had to cancel Brownies tonight citing illness because of a stomach upset. I've had a homemade Get Well card through the door tonight from one of the girls. So touched. Feeling crappy enough but had a happy little weep. I love being a Brownie Leader!

RueDeWakening · 09/10/2014 21:11

I finished sewed all my badges onto my Camp Blanket :o

It's only taken 20 years...nothing like a deadline, we're doing a badge display/camp blanket night at Rainbows in 2 weeks!

Hope you feel better soon, momb - I shall be croaking my way through Rainbows tomorrow.

MaudantWit · 09/10/2014 21:49

I have received the blurb for Growing Up Wild, too. On a quick skim, it looks good.

I am feeling disgruntled again. We have a trip this weekend, about which some of the parents (never the girls) are being a PITA and my 10 years' service has gone completely unmarked.

::gives self a stern talking-to::

Groovee · 10/10/2014 18:59

Awww momb, that's lovely, feel better soon. x

Maud, guiding would be a lot easier without some parents x

ToniWol · 10/10/2014 19:19

Maudant - I didn't get my 5 years til earlier this year. I've now done 7 years!

Am missing my girls. But I know I couldn't have managed with working f/t and two meetings per week at this stage of pregnancy. Might pop in to Brownies next week to see them though.

MaudantWit · 10/10/2014 19:27

I'm sorry, Momb, that you got such a drubbing on your AIBU thread about Girls Matter.

momb · 13/10/2014 20:07

I don't feel drubbed particularly. Quite interested by the person who claims to be a Brownie leader but doesn't think that GG should be political..fortunately no one said that to the girls who originally marched into the Scouts jamboree and demanded 'something for the girls' over 100 years ago!
I'm not always on board with GGHQ myself but the wording on the Girls Matter campaign is particularly well thought out I think: pushing for protections for all children and then pushing for better representation for girls'/women's opinions where these are perceived to be lacking. I think it reflects the views of my girls well (and I didn't have to put words in their mouths).

MaudantWit · 13/10/2014 22:30

I'm glad you don't feel drubbed.

I would have expected some diversity of opinion but what struck me was how many people seemed to (wilfully?) misinterpret an attempt to secure equality for girls and young women as being about relegating boys into second place. I think our girls would be very much behind Girls Matter too.

BramwellBrown · 05/11/2014 00:00

Is there a leader about who could PM me please so i could pick their brain about something that's worrying me? I'm worried about one of my girls, it might be nothing.