Monday 30 December 2013

How to irritate a campfire leader . . .

There are lots of great ways to make the Campfire Leader's job harder for her - here are just a few . . .

Arrive after the campfire has started, and make a great deal of fuss, noise and chatter over getting everyone seated. The audience won't mind having to stop in order to shuffle up seats, wait for you to organise yourselves for 10 minutes, etc.

Insist on the girls sitting in a full circle, especially if the Campfire Leader has asked for a wedge shape - the fact that those sitting behind the Campfire Leader won't be able to hear anything doesn't matter a jot.

Sit your girls down near the front, then wander right up to the back of the circle to see your pal - no need to leave an adult with them, after all the Campfire Leader is there to take charge of them and their behaviour and safety so there's no need for you to hang around. Make it clear that it's fine to walk all over the log seats, stroll right up towards the fire, throw wood onto it, etc. Of course, you sitting with the girls, or joining in the singing yourself (or even pretending to) is out of the question.

If the Campfire Leader announces that she is going to sing a song a particular way (or starts leading it in a different way to yours) either loudly proclaim to all in earshot that she is doing it wrong, or try to get your group to do it loudly in your usual way in an attempt to drown out the others who are trying to do it the way the Leader asked.

Make it clear to the girls that joining in is totally optional, if they'd rather chat loudly or mess about than sing it's fine. Set the example by chatting away between songs yourself.

Make sure all of the girls have powerful torches, and full permission to play with them. Having 20 torches flashing into your eyes is great fun.

If there's a song the Campfire Leader hasn't done yet, barrack loudly for it to be put into the programme in every lull. Especially if it's one the Leader may have deliberately chosen not to do due to the range of ages present, or current sensitivities.

As soon as the campfire moves towards the quiet songs, get your girls to start putting on their coats, stuffing sitters into bags, shuffling in their seats, flashing torches and hunting for stray items - it helps the atmosphere no end. And the second Taps is finished (or before it is if you wish) make a noisy exit.

Make sure you avoid thanking the Campfire Leader (although the odd bit of advice on what you would have done if you were leading the campfire doeesn't go amiss). And don't even consider asking her to join you for your hot drinks before she tackles the long drive home.

All are great ways of ensuring you enjoy the campfire (but no-one else does).

It is easier to criticise than organise . . .

Once upon a time, I had a great idea for an activity which I knew lots of the girls in all the units would love and would find to be new and different, but great fun - and which could be quite straightforward to arrange. I took the idea and worked it all out it, thought of a venue for holding the activity, and some right-hand people to help me run it, sourced the materials, costed it, worked out a date which was convenient and didn't clash with any local events, and had it all planned out. I hoped that the other Leaders would be as keen as I was - after all, all they had to do was turn up on the day with their girls, take the photos of them doing the activities, then go home again - me and my team would do all the rest.

They weren't chuffed. The list of things they reckoned I'd got 'wrong' was indeed as long as your arm.

Transport arrangements were wrong. Catering was wrong. Toilet arrangements were wrong. Timetable was wrong. Paperwork was wrong. Instructions and rules were wrong. First aid arrangements were wrong. Deadlines were wrong. Fees were wrong. Communication was wrong. Activities were wrong. Staff were wrong. Venue was wrong. Date was wrong. Time was wrong. In fact, between the lot of them, the Leaders picked the whole thing to shreds within 5 minutes.

I then woke up suddenly from my dream, and decided that, whether it was selfish or not, it would be far easier if I just ran the event for my own unit, to suit ourselves, and left it up to the other units to go organise their own outings.

It is easier to criticise than organise . . .

The Local Expert

Do you have a local expert? Maybe someone who is great at all the outdoor activities, or brilliant at organising stage performances, or is a natural campfire leader, or knows all the contacts for sourcing whatever equipment is needed?

Isn't it great that whenever something of the sort is needed, you don't have to worry about who to ask, she's sure to agree to do it, and always makes a good job of it?

Yes, but.

Sure, it is good if these things are done well, and everyone enjoys them, and the girls have a great time.

But does the 'local expert' actually want to have to run Division Camp for the umpteenth year in a row, or might she be chuffed to get the chance to do something different for a change? Is it fair to say to someone "we've stuck you down for the campfire" without actually asking whether or not they'd like to do it, or givign someone else the chance to volunteer? Might there be someone who would love the chance to have a go at running something, but never gets asked because everyone goes straight to the 'local expert'?

Is it wise to have only one person in the area who has the experience, or might it be wiser to have more people learning from them, with the possibility that they could then take on the running of an event single-handed.

Yes, if you want something done, ask a busy person. Maybe the local expert actually does love to be asked, and would be miffed if she wasn't. Or maybe not. But please be aware of pigeon-holing, and consider spreading the opportunities a little wider, getting other people involved as assistants or trainees, remembering what was said in the first handbook that it's better to have everyone able to do things, not have one expert and the rest not very good . . .

Wednesday 18 September 2013

The Promise

Well, first we had the survey, then we had the waiting, then we had the announcement, and then an anguished period whilst the changes were digested.  At first, some people were unsure or unhappy, but many are now coming round to it.

So, where are we now?

Well, we now have what some have described as a 'vegetarian Promise' - not because of diet links, but because of it's universality - the new wording gives food for thought to all, both those who follow any of the organised religions, and those who have beliefs which don't fit the framework of any of the organised religions. 

We also have a more challenging Promise than before, I reckon.  When I first joined, we had to "do my duty to God" - so all you needed to do was whatever you considered it your duty to do.  For some people, absolutely, that would mean attending acts of worship, studying religious texts, undertaking faith-related community work and much more.  For others, they might consider that 'not doing anything to offend others' was as far as their duty went - and that was equally applicable. 

Then the Promise was "to love my God" - so it was now my God, which didn't necessarily resemble anyone else's God, and it was love - a verb or doing word, so some action was now called for - but still not necessarily all that much action.  One could easily say 'yes, I love God' and leave it at that. 

Now, that's not enough.  We have to "be true to myself and develop my beliefs".  So being true to the best we can be is there, but it's not enough to passively do duty, or tokenly love, we now have to "develop my beliefs" - to do something proactive about them.  So that would mean each one of us taking time to work out what we do and don't believe in.  And then thinking about what we can do about it.  We might want to read holy books to research what they have to say on the subject.  We might want to take part in debates or study groups to discuss and debate out topics.  We might want to get involved in campaigning or taking practical action.  But whatever of these or other options we undertake, it's no longer enough to say "I believe in X".  We then have to say "and what I'm going to do about it is . . ."

In that way, I also think it encourages the members to grow their Promise as they themselves grow.  A Brownie might well believe that it's wrong to steal, it's unfair that she has to go to bed when her folks say, that there should be enough food for everyone.  By the time she's a Guide she may well start to think about the environment, about girls' rights, about media portrayals.  By the time she's in Senior Section she may have strong views about a particular issue, and be actively involved in campaigning.  As an adult . . .

There has been a lot of mutterings about Leaders resigning, Church Halls cancelling Let agreements, units moving wholesale to Scouting, and units campaigning to use other sets of words instead of the agreed version.  In some cases this may be down to people mistakenly believing Guiding to be a Christian organisation (which of course, is something it has never been), but I appreciate that that isn't always the case.  I also appreciate that people can find change difficult.  But - are these objections really the unanimous view of every member of the unit, having had the meaning explained by someone happy to present all the meanings, and after the members have taken time to reflect on the new wording and what it has to offer - not knee-jerk reactions?  I really think that if people take the time to look at the meaning of the Promise, alongside the Laws and the challenge that they set us - they will see that the new wording is more demanding than the old, and is more relevant to members of all faiths - the wishy-washy wording of "duty" and "love" has been replaced by the proactive word "develop".  We may not use the word God - but those members who believe in God will now find that believing alone is no longer enough. 

What will you do to develop the beliefs you have, whatever they may be? 

Thursday 13 June 2013

Letting go of the girls . . .

Over the course of a child's 2 years in Rainbows, 3 years in Brownies, or 4 years in Guides, there is a chance for the leaders to really get to know the girls' individual personalities, and there is real satisfaction in seeing challenges tackled successfully, skills mastered, growing independence - and that is one of the best parts of Guiding for the Leaders.

But - we have to accept that they are only 'our Rainbows/Brownies/Guides' temporarily, we only have them on loan - as they draw towards the end of their 2/3/4 years, we should be preparing them for the next step, and then handing them over with a fond farewell and our best wishes for the future. And it is that preparation and handover which is perhaps the most important part of our job as Leaders. Peter Pan is a fairy story, we can't keep the girls in the one section forever, and we do them a disservice if we try, or keep them for 'just a little bit longer' for the wrong reason.

Most girls, as they approach 7/10/14, are ready to move on. Fact. It's gradual, some are ready sooner than others, but by the time 'that special birthday' comes round, most are outgrowing the things they loved when they first joined the unit, and want (and need) new challenges, to do more adventurous things, to have bigger experiences. And so they should do. And if we feel that a significant number of the girls in the unit aren't ready by the time they are old enough to move (not just the occasional less-mature one, or those with special needs) then we should ask ourselves, is that maybe our fault - are we providing a challenging enough programme for the girls, to help them develop the skills they will need as Guides - the teamwork, the planning and organising, the self-management?

Transition shouldn't mean being thrown out of the unit the week after your birthday with no place in the next section organised, or turning up on the doorstep of a strange hall, and walking into a room full of big scary girls running around and ignoring you, whilst you haven't got a clue what's going on or who anyone is - but that happens all too often. Guiding nationally has done it's bit, by preparing booklets/activity packs on transition for each section, but it relies on Leaders being responsible enough to use them - horse to water and all that. There has long been official encouragement of exchange visits being made before the night comes when the girl actually 'makes the move', and special badges to hand over to mark the occasion. But we need to meet our counterparts in other sections halfway, and work to build the links between the units, arrange visits.

Originally, the Aim of the Brownie section was spelled out in the books. And it was clearly stated that the Aim of the Brownie section was - to prepare girls for being Guides. Everything they did as Brownies, all those badges, challenges, games and all - was meant to be focussed towards that target, they were not ends in themselves. Perhaps it's time we took that Aim and re-applied it, not just to the Brownie section, but to the Rainbow and Guide sections too. Maybe we should have national campaigns for each section - let go of your 7/10/14 year olds . . .

Wednesday 5 June 2013

Is a poorly-run unit better than no unit at all?


A hot topic for discussion in my area is what to do about units which are percieved as 'poorly run'. Of course, whenever there is an average or a perceived 'standard', for every unit which is above average there must automatically be one which is below, what matters more is the margin. But - Guiding relies on volunteer leaders, what expectations can we realistically have about how much time they devote to the hobby, how much training they do, and how varied a programme they as individuals are in a position to offer? Is it reasonable to close units because we feel they are poorly run, or to parachute in new volunteers (if we can get them) and impose them on existing leadership teams?

Then that brings the question of what is 'poorly-run'? Is it quantifiable - failure to run x number of outings per year, retention rate falling below x%, failure to submit subscription payment within x days of the due date? Or is it really more something which can be perceived from the outside but not really quantified - the lack of variety in the programme week by week and year by year, the failure to actually do the activities which were advertised on the programme, the lax attitudes to completing the relevant programme challenges of the section (Roundabouts/Adventure and Adventure On/GFIs), the unit which feels and looks more like a youth club? These things may be signs that a unit isn't doing as well as it might be, but they are far harder to actually measure, and declare as being 'right' or 'wrong'.

And to what extent can we intervene in a unit which we feel is 'poorly-run', but which isn't actually breaking any rules? Should we take steps to close down the Rainbow unit because they have done craft for the 6th week in a row, or for more than 2/3 of the meetings in a year? Should we be mounting a formal investigation into the activities of the Guide unit which always has a lot of 10 year olds joining, but always has hardly any over-12s? Should we be officially questioning the Brownie unit which seems to be comfortably off, but whose members have no Adventure badges or Interest badges on their sashes?

Or is it better to live with what we perceive to be square pegs plugging the holes, and providing spaces in units for the girls who want to join Guiding, even if the units are below the ideal, than no pegs at all and the girls not getting to join any unit, good or poor?

Slave to the Machine


I'm not knocking IT. I use it all day at work, half the night at home, sometimes when I'm on the move too. And there are real advantages to it. I've used it for almost 20 years for Guiding too - progress charts, and accounts, and creating presentations when doing public speaking, and unit websites. Holding meetings over the internet so that we don't all have to leave our houses and traipse across town (and in some cases organise babysitters or grannysitters).

But, in the past couple of years, IT in Guiding has quickly ceased to simply be that useful timesaving aid to our work that it used to be, and has started to become a burden which takes up hours most of us can ill spare. We are faced with having to deal with forms which we are meant to submit by email - but which don't work on some computers, so we end up printing them off, handing them over, handwriting bits in, that person scans them back in, mails them on, and so on. Or which lose the inserted text when they are emailed and we have to spend time telling the next person down the line what to re-type in each box. We are faced with websites which regularly crash, or are down for maintenance, or which don't fully work, but which we are still meant to update by the deadline or else. Instead of the rulebook with updates published annually, we are now faced with a website which suddenly and without warning tells us there is a change - but expects us to find time to look and see quite what the change is and whether the change is relevant to us or not. (I dread the day when someone faces a parent claiming damages for an accident and a lawyer pointing out a rule change two days before the trip which meant the unit shouldn't have done things the way they did, the way which was still perfectly permissable a week before the event when the Leader last checked).

And there are times when the admin for my hobby - seems to take up as much time as the admin I do for a job, and I start to wonder which one I should be drawing the wage for!

I'm not the stuck-in-the-past rebel shouting 'smash the machines'. For I can see the benefits that have been brought by the computers - including fora like this one. But just as, in my heritage collecting habit, I have to choose between what is valuable and ought to be preserved, and what cannot be realistically stored and so should be let go, so I would like someone to look at the way IT is proliferating in Guiding, and to ask of each thing the question, is this a reasonable demand to make of our volunteers? Does this new system justify the amount of work the volunteers will have to put into it? Is this email giving them information that they will find useful, or just the things I think they should hear?

And is consideration really given to the fact that there are still a meaningful number of leaders who don't have a computer at home, who don't necessarily have access to economical printing, who meet in locations which aren't on the phone far less broadband? And a further number who are not very experienced with computers and who will not just 'pick it up' if trainings are rushed through or not held at all - yet who are expected to muddle through as best they can? Or is too much being asked of our volunteers . . .

Communications


I suppose it started when I had the cheek to spend 10 days in the USA in the middle of termtime (to be fair, on a Guiding trip), and didn't want to reply to any emails during that time because it would have been too expensive. I figured that none were such full-blown emergencies that they couldn't be dealt with by someone else, or wait till I was home. The hassle I was getting for not replying to emails from Guiding folk - even though I'd warned them all well beforehand that I'd be out of touch! I was tempted to phone some of them back at what would be a perfectly civilised hour for the time zone I was in, but . . . I restrained myself.

It got me to thinking how email has taken over Guiding communications, not always for the better. Oh, I'm not entirely knocking it, grief knows I use it myself often enough as a good way to get the same information to several people and it can be really useful - it's the way people use it at the last minute as an alternative to being properly organised. How, instead of them sorting things out in good time, you receive a flood of several emails a night, up to the last minute and beyond, which you are expected to answer immediately if not sooner. And to say that they are copied to 'every man and his dog' is starting to become literally true . . . regardless of who they're actually relevant to. I know who all they copied it to - the strings of email addresses for half the leaders in the County comes attached and unprotected, despite my repeated urgings for people to use bcc!

If something is so urgent - do phone so you know I've received the email, don't assume I spend all day and all night glued to my computer (though it sometimes feels like I do)! But also, ask yourself why it is so last minute - is it a crisis which has just blown up in the last five minutes and couldn't have been foreseen, or something you should have checked about long ago rather than expecting me to answer within two minutes just because you're disorganised?

'That Talk'


In recent years especially, there seems to have been a growing problem of girls who have outgrown Guides - not leaving.

(Yes, I know it seems strange that on one hand we rush to announce how many girls we have joining across the country, and here I am saying that there are some who should be encouraged to consider leaving!)

In the past, those who had got all they were going to get out of Guides simply stopped attending, and their parents accepted that if it wasn't fun for them anymore, there was no point in them going to the meetings. Now we seem to have a situation where, for some reason, the girls don't feel they can 'just leave'. Instead they reluctantly keep coming, and their boredom results in them undertaking low-level (and not so low-level) disruption.

On the one hand, some would say we should encourage these girls to stay, if they're still coming most weeks then they must be getting something out of it, etc.

Reality is, that even if they are getting 'something' out of it, we have to consider what the others in the unit are getting out of it. It's no fun if you never have time to play that fun new game because, once again, half the night's been wasted waiting for the backchat and nonsense to stop so the Leaders could give out the basic instructions. Or trying to enjoy the Patrol activity when 2 or 3 of the group are playing music on their phones instead of taking part in it. You'd like the activities, if you actually got the chance to do them, but since you don't, you're not sure if you'll stick Guides much longer . . .

Not to mention the degree of grinding down which turns once enthusiastic leaders into adults who dread what will happen this week, and starts them asking themselves why they do it at all.

Often, if you have 'that talk' with the troublesome ones, and outline the options they have, it makes such a difference. Those who want to leave know they can, and they will still get to join SS if they want to when the time comes. Those who have been led astray but at heart want to stay know they have the choice of leaving if they want to take it, or staying subject to taking part in the unit's activities. They can tackle challenges like Baden-Powell or Commonwealth Award - if they think they've got the stickability! Those who have been affected by it see that it is being dealt with, the troublemakers haven't 'got away with it' and the whole atmosphere improves for everyone.

Sometimes, you just have to bite the bullet for the good of the majority . . .

Politics


How much better Guiding would be if there were no politics. If the rule book were accepted at face value and it was applied consistently. If all discussions were held at the meeting table and recorded in the minutes, and people felt able to speak honestly about what they thought and how they felt. If job vacancies and opportunities were advertised with no restrictions so that everyone who might be interested had the chance to apply and be judged on their merits. If people took the care to deal openly and honestly with each other, laying their cards on the table, with none up their sleeves. If people checked the rule book rather than guessing at rules, or assuming the rules still say exactly what they said 20 years ago. If mentors and assessors offered a combination of praise and helpful advice/suggestions, not just non-stop negativity. If units saw each other as friends who were all part of the same movement with the same aims - not as the competition. If every new member was welcomed, and encouraged to settle in, whether she is 5 or 65. If leaders were given help and support to gain qualifications, not have artificial hurdles put in their way. If people remembered that what is important is the girls. How much better Guiding could be . . .

How to improve your District Meeting . . .


Based on long experience of attending District Meetings under various Commissioners, and hearing about other people’s meetings, I thought this might be helpful . . .

Only call everyone to a meeting if there is enough on the agenda to justify it: If there are things to be decided or discussed, then everyone should get their say. But don’t have a monthly meeting regardless – if there is little news, or just self-explanatory information to pass on, then emailing it or delivering notes may be a more efficient use of everyone’s time.

Choose the date, time and venue carefully: Think about what days/times people are usually free – especially those who often can’t attend. Ask what time of day suits – daytime, after school, early evening, late evening, weekend, holiday monday? Choose your venue to ensure accessibility – which includes physical accessibility for those with disabilities, access by public transport, not in ‘dodgy’ area, enough chairs to seat everyone, temperature suitable so people neither shiver nor melt, lack of background noise/interruptions, not pubs if some members will be underage/don't go into pubs for religious /cultural reasons, privacy to discuss matters if this is required. Unless everyone knows the venue well, mention where the bathrooms are!

Make sure everyone knows where the meeting is, when it is, and who’s invited: All the Leaders should be invited – not just the GiC of each unit – and particularly any new Guiders and anyone working on their Leadership Qualification. You might occasionally invite others too – the Chair of the local Trefoil Guild, the Chair of Friends of Guiding, a local Guiding Ambassador, for instance.

Introduce people: Make sure any newcomers are introduced to everyone, and if there is no-one they know, ask one of the experienced leaders to act as a ‘buddy’ for the evening.

Make use of the gathering: So you’ve got all the leaders in the area invited, some may be travelling a distance – how can you use the gathering? Trainings. You could ask a County Adviser to do a talk, arrange for a trainer to do a fireside session on a topic a group wants to cover. You could get one of the leaders to do a short talk on their section and it’s programme, so leaders from other sections get to know more. You could discuss local camp and holiday sites, their advantages and disadvantages. You could do a swop shop session among the units on things like crafts, campfire songs, games, etc – if each unit brings an idea, then people are sure to see new things, or things they had forgotten about. Have you a local expert who could teach campskills, nature lore, simple confectionery making, or whatever? Could you arrange a YL meeting or a Leadership Qualification book signing session? If you make turning up to the meeting worthwhile, people will want to come.

Plan your agenda carefully: If you have some things which are of interest to everyone, and some which only apply to those from one section, could you cover the universal items first, then let the majority leave if they wish, so they don’t have to sit through items of no relevance? It’s not to say that the Guide Guiders can’t contribute to planning the Rainbow Riot, or that Brownie Guiders aren’t interested in possible candidates for SS International Selection, but . . .

Make sure you have all the information you need ready to hand: I have been to meetings where the chair kept dotting back to previous agenda items as vital details sprang to mind. I have known chairs introduce a topic, then fail to find the page with the instructions, said they’d email a copy then didn’t, etc. Yes, we are all human, and papers can go astray, but if you start with your papers in order, and follow an agenda, it does make a real difference for the Leaders trying to take logical notes.

Consider deadlines: If something is going to reach it’s deadline before, or within a couple of days of the meeting, might it be better to email it to the Leaders now, rather than wait until the meeting? Old news is no news . . .

Discuss transitions and staffings: District meetings are the ideal time for Guiders from different sections to discuss the transition of girls from one section to the next. How many girls would like to move up to a unit, and what are the chances of them getting spaces? Has one unit got a vast waiting list while another is half-empty – might some of the girls on the waiting list be given the chance to join the unit with spaces? Is a unit going to be shorthanded, temporarily or long-term – maybe there is a leader would be interested in moving to fill the vacancy? Are any units interested in taking on a Rainbow Helper, Pack Leader, Young Leader or DofE Candidate? Is someone looking for camp/holiday staff for a forthcoming event, or someone wanting to gain experience before tackling qualifications? The opportunity of having leaders from all the units present makes it an ideal time to discuss these things.

Pass on everything!: Even if it’s just a headline – ‘County are organising a food hygiene training on the 27th – I’ve got details if anyone is interested’. Or providing useful extra information ‘If anyone fancies going to the Rainbow Training, Judith has spaces in her car’. If there are non-contentious things which are just for information, you could type out a sheet to hand out at the meeting or email rather than read it all out at the meeting. But please – don’t assume people won’t be interested in a thing – you might be surprised!

Cater: If you are having an early-evening meeting – could people bring packed teas, or could you meet in a cafĂ© or restaurant? Could you offer tea/coffee/juice, or even just water? Be aware of whether people might need sustenance, especially if people may be missing or bolting meals to attend!

Don’t forget the ‘car park’ time: Allow time at the end of the meeting for people who want to have a word with you – sometimes, this is the most important and valuable part of the meeting! People might want to arrange for you to do BP chats with the Guides, advise you that they are planning a camp or holiday, mention a problem which has arisen, hand over paperwork to you, etc, etc!

Byelaws


Have been having fun with byelaws again - and suspect that it's the usual problem of 'chinese whispers' which has been going on since before 1910! Someone says 'it would be best if', or 'I tend to', someone else interprets it as 'you're meant to' then before you know it, it has become 'you have to'.

On the one hand it's tempting to start an 'urban myth buster', on the other hand I remember that a few years ago an adviser printed a list of urban myths and true answers in the region newsletter and it backfired spectacularly, as people remembered the myths, linked said adviser's name to them and claimed they were policy!

Striking the balance between the need for clear rules, and the need for rules to fit local circumstances isn't easy, but I do wish Guiding could follow the lead of the HSE and have a monthly byelaw-busting session . . .

Time Capsule - to be opened in January 2032


We've survived Guiding's Centenary Year, so I think it's time to create a time capsule, of some of the things we learned from celebrating the big year. Unlike most time capsules, I'm not going to include a whole lot of artefacts, I'm going to include something which I feel is far more valuable - some advice on what not to do to celebrate Guiding's 125th Birthday!

Firstly, do not organise too many big events - or at least, be aware that you'll get very low attendances at each one if you do. The Guides will only attend so many events during the year, the parents will only pay for so many events, so the more you offer, the smaller the attendance at each . . . meantime the Guiders will be stretched thin, accompanying 5 girls to this event and three to that . . . so please hold a small number of special big events, well spaced out.

Secondly, please remember whose birthday it is (and whose it isn't). This time round it has been 25 years since the Guide section has had a 'special year', but only 2 years since the Rainbows, 6 years since the Brownies and 3 years since the Senior Section - yet there have been as many events for other sections as the Guides. The Guides have felt neglected. And the fact that it's the Centenary of Guiders hasn't been mentioned at all . . .

Thirdly, it needn't just apply to anniversaries - but if at all possible, DO NOT try to organise multi-section events -it just doesn't work. If you feel you must, then definitely no more than 2 sections. Either one section is overwhelmed or another is bored - and this year it has often been the birthday girls themselves who have been left hanging around bored at their own party, expected to enjoy Rainbow crafts . . . which they don't enjoy at all.

Finally, although it is tempting to try to have simultaneous nationwide events - this is only possible if the style of the event lends itself to being held in locations urban and rural, large and small, and if the event is timed for a day and time which is accessible for the majority - not during the week, not during anyone's school holidays, not requiring special facilities.

To conclude, I would say that there have been all sorts of positives about Centenary year, I don't want you to think otherwise - but I hope this information enables you to make the 125th birthday celebrations of the Guide and Guider sections even better than the Centenary ones.

Readings Book


Been going through our Guides’ unit ‘readings book’ to sort out the contents for the coming year. Basically moving the ones which have been done too often to the back, weeding out the ones nobody chooses (usually because they are too long and wordy), and putting in some fresh ones. I find that otherwise, you get the same few being read, and since the Guides have heard them too often before, even those who would normally pay attention, switch off. For, despite all the arguments that rage about religion in Guiding, there are a lot of universal themes which we can be encouraging the girls to think about, each from their own starting point – friendship, charity, courage, standing up for beliefs, looking after the environment, setting and pursuing goals, etc.

Ours is an open unit, hence having a book of readings rather than using prayers. They’re stories with a moral, some from books, and a fair number gleaned from the web. There are lots of sites with ‘inspirational stories’, or ‘Scoutmaster’s minute’, (though I sometimes end up doing a bit of weeding and editing, to cut the length and simplify the language.) I feel no guilt about that - Baden-Powell himself said "boredom is not reverence" so I figure what matters is the point of the reading, not complex wording.  Some are prose readings, and some are poems, or even song lyrics.

We have a rota for Patrols to choose the reading, and although some get the giggles, or stumble over half the words, at times they can choose something really relevant, read it well, and you can see that the other Guides have listened, and foudn something in it which gave them food for thought. And getting them to think is, I would suggest, what it’s really all about.