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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:
18yearstooold · 21/02/2015 23:53

Oops completely missed this thread and started another thinking day one -doh!

Minisoksmakehardwork · 22/02/2015 07:24

Happy thinking day!

Groovee · 23/02/2015 20:34

Missed thinking day... happy belated Thinking Day

I'm over myself now BlushBlushBlush

Looking forward to seeing the girls on Wednesday

unlucky83 · 24/02/2015 21:35

Help! Just found this thread...I'm guessing someone here knows the answer!
Trying to send the subs cheque for our brownie pack off to GGUK ...I'm an occasional helper and its a new Brown Owl...
On the sheet we have to send with the cheque is 'membership No' the membership no of the person who puts their name on the form or do we have some kind of pack membership no?

Groovee · 24/02/2015 22:11

Oh not sure Unlucky as my assistant leader deals with it

RueDeWakening · 24/02/2015 22:18

Your unit will have a number, you can find it on GO somewhere, but I can't remember whether it's that or your own number that needs putting on the form - printed mine out yesterday and have ignored it ever since :o

unlucky83 · 24/02/2015 22:36

Thanks....still don't know what to do ....was looking around GO earlier but couldn't find anything ...I have copies of the old forms -so can see a number but that could be the packs no - or the old Brown Owl's...
(Does anyone else find GO a bit of a battle? Don't think it is user friendly at all...)

farmerslife · 24/02/2015 22:42

When you sign into go you use your membership number so move back to the log in page and copy it from there. It's a personal number for each member of girl guiding uk

unlucky83 · 24/02/2015 23:01

So it is your personal membership no you use? Great can get it posted tomorrow and off my list...Grin

farmerslife · 25/02/2015 07:48

Yes it's your number, we have an evening where our division treasurer gets everyone to deliver them to her was last night, she then checks it all and sends everyone's together, it works quite well and gets it done !

farmerslife · 25/02/2015 07:50

Umm just wondering what other rainbow units and doing for Mothering Sunday craft wise, we have done canvases, chocolates and decorated totes in the past but stuck this year for inspiration x

RueDeWakening · 25/02/2015 14:31

We are decorating mugs - 50p each from Sainsburys, and using porcelain pens from the cupboard. Doing them a week early, so I can take them home to bake, but will make cards and wrap mugs (maybe with a fruit teabag or some chocs in...) the following week.

RueDeWakening · 25/02/2015 14:33

I've done Hama bead coasters before, too (got the beads and boards from Ikea, much cheaper). If you do it, have lots of adult help or have pre-sorted the beads by colour! I'd avoid it if you have lots of reception/5 year olds, if it's mostly year 1/year 2 you should be OK though.

farmerslife · 25/02/2015 14:44

Oh mugs is a good idea could do them this week and the put stuff in the following week, nice tea bag etc umm that's good idea.

MaudantWit · 25/02/2015 21:28

I don't want to throw a spanner in the works because I haven't done mine yet and am relying on my (fallible) memory of previous years, but I thought the number on the subs cheque was the unit's number. I have just had a look at my invoice, and the unit number is the invoice number, ie it's [unit number]/2015.

unlucky83 · 25/02/2015 21:43

Maud - I've put the invoice no on the cheque ...XXXX/2015 - so the first number is unit number?
It is the piece of paper that goes in with it - the 'covering letter -has the unit name, invoice no, amount etc on top then says membership no, Your name (please print) then date ..so I've put the membership number of the person whose name is on the form (Brown Owl) -I hope that's right cos it has been posted now Shock

farmerslife · 25/02/2015 21:52

I would say you are right unlucky ! Am sure it will be fine Grin

MaudantWit · 25/02/2015 22:22

Yes, the xxxx part of my invoice number of xxxx/2015 matches our unit number. Anyway, I haven't seen the covering letter and what you've done sounds perfect so I'm sure it'll be fine. Everything to do with Go! Is (in my view) the devil's work.

(I do hope people at HQ spy on this thread from time to time).

unlucky83 · 25/02/2015 23:18

Oh if HQ is spying on the thread....GO was a factor in the last Brown Owl giving up - she hated it with a passion...she was pushed for time anyway and said she just didn't have the time to mess around with it...literally she cried over it once...
(Think this might be confession time ....I'm not on GO. Long story - been an unofficial occasional helper for several years. New BO had a family crisis, couldn't face sorting out the subs ..so I've been helping her with it Blush just to get it sorted for this year....and just doing that with her I can see why it may well be tear inducing...)

momb · 27/02/2015 12:50

Unlucky: if you aren't on GO are you CRBd/DBSd? If you aren't and you are assisting with finances/have access to the bank account, then the unit insurance may be invalid unfortunately. Whoever is new Brown Owl needs to speak with her DivComm and get this sorted. Sorry :-( I agree with you about GO being less than ideal.

RueDeWakening · 27/02/2015 13:37

momb eek, tell me more! One of my Rainbow parents has just taken over the accounts as she's an accountant, she's not on GO as a volunteer though - my DC is aware and hasn't mentioned it? She doesn't have access to the bank account - can't sign cheques etc, just keeps the money in/out up to date.

momb · 27/02/2015 13:47

Just stick her on Go as an occasional volunteer (no census) and get her DBSd. It's only necessary for overnights and finance. in the manual and therefore a rule so should be followed to stay within GGUK guidelines.

unlucky83 · 27/02/2015 13:55

I'm not disclosed for brownies but am for other roles...
I think what you are talking about is the same as for something else (not the CRB thing but something else) the insurance covering JUST the finances only would be invalid (so not the public liability etc) if I ran off with the money/defrauded in anyway...which I'm not going to...(But I know people do and therefore it is a risk for an organisation)
(The other thing I have more control so I cover my back completely - so no-one else in the organisation could defraud...obviously when I leave/move on that has to be covered.)
Also these are small sums of money -if push came to shove and the brownies lost all their money through internet fraud etc and it wasn't covered by insurance because of me I'd donate the lost amount to Brownies...
But I have looked at becoming official -for several reasons it is a bit like pulling teeth....

BramwellBrown · 28/02/2015 03:58

Well just in case HQ are popping in to spy on this... me getting a mentor was delayed by an entire year by someone messing up on GO, the new Guide uniforms still haven't grown on me and no they don't look any better on the guides than they do in the pictures and why exactly did you design leaders polos that i swear get shorter every time I wash it? I have to wear a top under it otherwise i show everyone my tummy every time i put my hand up.

Groovee · 01/03/2015 12:25

I've done my good turn. Phone call from a friend on pack holiday, asking if I would mind cooking breakfast as 2 leaders were poorly. Got there and my poor friend was ill too. Got my dh to drive back home and get her hubby to drive her home, and I cooked breakfast while the young leader contacted parents and home contact as we decided to send the girls home early.

Hoping it's more smoother next time lol.