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.

Ok. Glass of homemade lemonade coming right up. It's distressingly late by the time the sun gets over the yard arm now, methinks. Anyway, must get back to the Brownie accounts.

Think that there is only 5 rainbows & my 2 (brownies who 'help') and all are coming with Mum except 1 who is related to the other Leader so we have done OK with that!

We had a fundraiser for t-shirts a couple of weeks ago so everyone will have a pink t-shirt including the adults.

How many helpers do you have?
We are doing really well atm with 3 adults, 2 guides, 2 brownies (dubious helping though dd1 does help wash up!) and a young leader who went to Uni but helps in holidays!

Helpers? I am in deep gloom at the moment because, after years me being the sole guider, we got an assistant guider six months ago but she's already leaving as she's moving away. So that leaves me as guider and two unit helpers. The unit helpers are fantastic but I do so want to find an assistant guider!

How did you raise funds for the t-shirts?

Thank you, Lady Glencora. Time for that G&T now?

I'll stick with the wine thanks. I don't know about knowing you in real life, but I think your second option is probably correct.
Now I'm off to track down glowsticks and out-fof-print Lorna Hill books for DD's birthday.

I just wanted to thank Skramble for the ideas for the jelly baby theme night. We did it this week and it was a great success.

MAdbadetc- Sponsored sing!How many songs in an hour (well we did stop for drinks and a snack as weel)

Hello ladies, glad the Jelly Babies night went well, I am planning something similar with malteasers next year.

Just done my first day trip with the brownies, bit scary as it was there first day trip as a pack too. But it went well the timings worked out really well. I think it really help that myself and my unit helper managed to visit the country park first and worked out the different things they could to, sorted out the main bits and a few fillers and the day just flowed, did keep checking my watch all day though. Had a few stroppy brownies that were pains and pushed me all day, but after me laying down the law in the morning and issuing a few threats they eased off a bit ( well a little bit and I stopped focusing on them ).

Last night this week and my first party night, saying goodbye to Brown Owl too and hello to the new one ME! Got her a nice pressy, hope she likes it, in fact I hope she turns up .

Then its planning planning planning for next year, my two leaders looked shocked when I mentioned planning for after the summer , they aren't exactly used to planning, but I am sure they will appreciate actually having something to do with the girls on pack night other than games and screaming .

We had a great session last night - the local police dog handling team came and gave the girls a talk and put the dogs through their paces - a really good display. One policeman pretended to be a criminal and fired a gun (blanks obv) at the dog, who ran straight at him and brought him down. Then the sniffer dog found some hidden packages of drugs. It was fab.

Oh that sounds good with the dogs. Whas that with Brownies?

Yes, with Brownies. I help at a Rainbow pack too, but I think it was more suitable for the Brownie age group.

How's it going, everyone? Looking forward to the end of term?

We had our last night tonight. Lovely Brown Owl is stepping back, and not so lovely old me is taking it on. What have I done?

Ah see you are all just finished I am due back in a month and have a meeting soon, argh, new job means less planning and prep time.

Can anyone join? I'm a guide guider, and have been for 9 nearly 10 years now!

Sorry, I've been away on my hols.

Good to see you, LTSF. Would you like a glass of wine?

Wishing all my fellow Guiders and helpers a very happy centenary. We're going to a centenary launch party this afternoon - wish me luck!

Back again with a uniform question.

I have just spent ages attaching all dd's Brownie badges to her new sash but have a horrible feeling I've done it wrong. She always wears it over her left shoulder but the only pictures I've found show Brownies wearing them over their right shoulders: have I got it wrong?

Right shoulder as far as I know. DD2's badges cover both sides of her sash though. Just make like you meant it that way.
We start back tomorrow and it will be DD3's first meeting. I think I'll buy her a gilet, I hate those bloody sashes.
Have you got lots of centenery plans?

Or even centenary plans.
Just working out what we are going to choose for our challenges - so I can offer the Brownies some options to choose from tomorrow. We want to do the Brownie Skills and Brownie Traditions badges this term too.

Drat. Always better to do one's research before the event, don't you think?

We don't have Centenary plans (besides attending Saturday's launch event) so that'll be the subject of our first pow-wow. We recently did Brownie Traditions at Icando, but Brownie Skiils sounds like a good choice.

The next thing I need to research is whether Changing The World has ended or not. We were told that all projects had to be finished by September, yet there were charities there on Saturday trying to get more units involved. I didn't get time to go and investigate so am confused. I tried to take the summer off from Brownie duties but now need to get into gear!

Just found this on my watched threads .

The big gig at the weekend went down well except for the bit at the start when various leaders got up and sang guiding songs and most people did their best to ignor e them !