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Original poster

DD has just joined Brownies and I have an issue with the promise...

239 replies

BonyM · 22/03/2006 22:10

Now, as far as I was aware, Brownies/Guides is not affiliated to any religion, however the part of the Brownie promise is "to love my god".

As humanists, dh and I do not have a god, and dd1 is aware of this (although the christian religion is more or less a "given" as far as her school is concerned). Tbh dh wasn't 100% comfortable with her joining Brownies in the first place as it was his perception that they were "religious", although I had assured them that they weren't. DD was very keen though as a lot of her friends go, and I believed that any religious input would be minimal.

We (particularly dh) are uncomfortable at the notion of her promising to "love my god". DD1 is almost 8 and doesn't really know whether to believe in a god or not (due I guess to the conflicting views she has - ours and the schools).

The question is whether to make an issue of it, risking her feeling alienated from her peers and/or embarrassed, or to just ignore it with the view that whatever she is told at this age, she will make her own mind up eventually anyway.

What would others do in this situation?

OP posts:
harpsichordcarrier · 23/03/2006 14:29

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

cod · 23/03/2006 14:30

you knwo what i mean
god htis thread is liket he " My kid goes to a church school - pooh lokk they haev to say prayers"

Blu · 23/03/2006 14:30

I was a pixie, but they had a rubbish rhyme.

'here we are the lively pixies
helping people out of fixes'

I wanted to be one of the ones that had a striped figure on the badge.

Did everyone else have to dance round the taodstool singing the rhyme?

harpsichordcarrier · 23/03/2006 14:34

oh the toadstool

Rhubarb · 23/03/2006 14:35

weirdo alert!

harpsichordcarrier · 23/03/2006 14:35

did we have a rhyme?

MrsBadger · 23/03/2006 14:36

pmsl at the thought of the Queen on mumsnet!

starting threads about challenging behaviour in teenage grandchildren, wondering if the name Eugenie suits dgd2 after all, seeking advice re new wallpaper for Windsor Castle, typing on threads slating corgis...

MrsBadger · 23/03/2006 14:38

No Six rhymes in my pack (was an Imp, and a Sixer [smug]), but we did sing 'We're Brownie Guides, we're Brownie Guides, we're here to lend a hand...'

jura · 23/03/2006 14:40

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Rhubarb · 23/03/2006 14:42

"she ain't no human being!!!!"

jura · 23/03/2006 14:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

jura · 23/03/2006 14:43

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harpsichordcarrier · 23/03/2006 14:46

jura - ahem - I think you'll find it's - "we're Brownie friends...
what about
heyheyhey
It's Thinking Day

oliveoil · 23/03/2006 14:47

lol Blu at your Pineapple Chunk

hahahahahaahah

Annner · 23/03/2006 14:52

OK, so I'm arriving late to this discussion, but I've been a Cub Leader for over ten years, and worked for the Movement for a couple of years. It has certainly changed a lot in the last decade, and the newer promise made reflects that. When we were children in the 70s and 80s a lot of emphasis on Church parade etc was technically not in line with what Groups were supposed to do in terms of forcing children to attend.

Although Scouting and Guiding in the UK were traditionally Christian in ethos, (like even out non-faith schools...) the Movement has never been a religious one. It is rather, as someone said earlier, one in which spiritual development is regarded as being important for young people. After all, if it was a Christiam organisation it wouldn't be the world's largest youth organisation, present in over 150 countries. Scouting and Guiding don't care what people believe in; they just have to look beyond the material side of life. Very often a reflection at camp or after a day out will still focus on giving "thanks" for a lovely day, but not specifically to God. Just in a "hey, life is good and I'm happy and grateful for that" kind of way. Some Groups choose to be affilited to a particular church, mosque or temple, and have activities linked to it, but must still be open to all, regardless of religion.

The other point to be stressed is that all leaders are volunteers, and as such it is inevitable that the quality and range of activities will vary within an area. It really irritates when people sat "the Brownies/ Beavers" is crap", just because their sister's kid or they didn't like it. If your child's friends all love it, it's probably a well-run Pack! And if it isn't well run, get involved yourself.... it can be great fun, if exhausting, and there is nothing more satisfying than hearing 20 shattered Cubs snoozing away peacefully in their tents after a long day away from TV, playstations, and wound up like springs over the excitement of cooking their own dinner over an open fire.

I still think that we have a lot to offer, and I still get upset the old "Dyb Dyb" image is lazily banded around. Find out the truth. (By the way, dyb stood for "do your best", and was dropped by the Cubs in 1967)

Do I need to parp myself????

Annner

cod · 23/03/2006 14:52

wanky thread imo

FioFio · 23/03/2006 14:54

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Message deleted

oliveoil · 23/03/2006 14:55

I would have loved to have gone

You always want what you can't have

(money, sleep, calves etc)

jura · 23/03/2006 14:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsBadger · 23/03/2006 14:58

mmm, calves...

oliveoil · 23/03/2006 14:59

are you taking the p?

I do not have calves (or do I mean calfs?), super scrawny.

harpsichordcarrier · 23/03/2006 14:59

let me be clear
I bloody loved Brownies
and Guides
and Rangers
and being a leader
bloody marvellous
would love to volunteer again but... see this thread

Twinkie1 · 23/03/2006 15:11

God do you know if I had the time and energy to worry about what they say at Brownies I think I would become completely neurotic about anything my daughter is involved in.

Let her go and have some fun and dont; take it all too seriously - if she comes home and asks - say oh me and daddy believe in this but others and some people at brownies don't and thats why they say it - sure your DD won't even notice and if she does I am sure you are adult and reasonable enough to explain it away without emotionally scarring her for life!!

You could always start some sort of group specifically for your religeon!!

slug · 23/03/2006 16:14

Tell her to change it to "love my dog".

I have a friend who used to work for a very conservative law firm. Every year at their christmas bash they had a toast to the Queen. He just added an 'S' to the end. Grin This is the man who describes himself as the sluglet's 'fairy godfather'

alibubbles · 23/03/2006 17:20

I am a guider and we have 6 different religions in our unit and 5 have no religion at all on their forms.

In our unit religion never comes into it, we just have fun and go to camp three times a year. The guides have learned fantastic life skills, amazing how many of them have never made a bed, washed up, cooked anything, or been allowed to play with matches and make fires, they all think it is so cool.

I helped take over a failing unit of 6 guides, 9 months later we are full and have a waiting list of 12.

If you don't want your DD to go, there will be someone else grateful for the place Smile

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