The 16-Year-Old Brownie

Dear Reader,        This quote particularly resonated with me after my recent struggles around my confidence in my leadership and my abilities to interact with the young people around me and very poignant considering that this month, from the 1st - 7th June was Volunteer's Week. Am I a good leader? Do I inspire girls to want to come to Rainbows/Brownies and to want to achieve? and during my time away from guiding in order to focus on my exams I found myself beginning to consider whether guiding was something I should continue to pursue, or something I should begin to move on from. But then I came back from my exams, and my passion for guiding and for young people came back with full force and I made the split decision, there and then, to do even more!  I needed to stop putting myself down, think about all the amazing things I have already achieved in my relatively short 7/8 years in guiding and carry on taking every opportunity that comes m...

Dear Reader (if indeed anyone reads this anymore)...   For nearly 8 years now I have maintained my passion for guiding. In some capacity over these 8 years I have been involved in Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers/The Senior Section and as my time as a Ranger draws nearer to a close as I approach my 18th birthday, I am looking forward to focusing my attention even more on my volunteering and developing as a leader.   In these 8 years I have filled a camp blanket with badges, spent 36 nights away from home including a jamboree, become a guide helper, a young leader, a peer educator and a Brownie leader in training. I've been to Paris, Butlins and slept on a trampoline, volunteered at 4 Thinking Days, watched Rainbows leave to become Brownies and now Guides, and started working towards my Adult Leadership qualification. Looking back on these things almost makes me cry, laugh, smile and I cannot help but look forward to the future. But despite all of this, I ca...

Dear Reader,  So,I'm 2 months behind...again.. which appears to be my usual. And every time I forget to do things I blame it on college.. however, A levels really are looming now!!! I'm definitely excited for study leave followed by a part time programme - I'll have lots more time for things I enjoy, like writing, reading and for working on my ALQ, and ranger badges. However, the lucky thing is that you're getting 2 months in 1... can't argue with that. March was FUN-FILLED, PANCAKE PACKED & FUNDRAISING FANTASTIC!!!   One of the highlights of that March was our fantastic Rainbows and Guides fundraiser, including a huge raffle, jar tombola, and stalls from local sellers, such as fudge and homemade crafts. The evening raised a total of £267 (£133.50 for each unit) to help buy resources and carry on the opportunities for the members.  Our district members enjoyed many exciting opportunities - including our 4 Brownies sixers taking a trip to the...

Dear Reader, This month has been an exciting one in the district. Most importantly we have enjoyed celebrating World Thinking Day - with units completing their own activities and discussions about the meaning behind the day - all topped off with a joint sleepover between some of our units. WAGGGS (World Association of Girl Guides & Girl Scouts) selected this year's World Thinking Day theme as LEADERSHIP . We interpreted this by naming our sleepover groups after key figures/leaders in Guiding, such as District Commissioners, Division Commissioners and WAGGGS themselves. We held our sleepover at our local meeting place on the 22nd (thinking day itself) and had over 20 girls attend from across 4 different units, including 2 of our young rainbows. The girls got to enjoy a rotation of activities including knot tying, tent building, cheese rolling, making rings out of pringles and a snow ball fight with tissues to finish. As well as the district leaders, the girls got to...

Dear Reader,  What a month January 2019 has been! We've thrown ourselves back into Guiding after the holidays and even took Brownies away 1 week into the new term. We are enjoying the new programme and looking forward to our February World Thinking Day celebrations.  Brownie Sleepover, 11th - 12th January A brand new venue this time around - Roughton Mill. I must say I've never slept in an old mill before, nor do I have much experience with circular rooms, but this checked them both off the list. We had fun doing the Chocolate challenge badge, for which I got to bake with the girls, design a chocolate bar and watch them try to get an after eight mint from their nose to their mouth without using their hands! 🤣 Other events at Brownies include our Skills for my Future new programme activities lead by moi, several new Brownies, an enrolment, promise owls, and we excitedly await the birth of Tawny Owl's baby. Introducing 1st Stalham Rainbows Lately, ...

Dear Reader,    Lately life has been Guiding, work, Guiding, coursework, Guiding, sleep.. oh, and Guiding! So, I'm back! Currently, I am working hard studying poetry and contract law, taking on overtime at work every Saturday, committing my Wednesday AND Thursday evenings to Rainbows, Brownies and Rangers and at the same time trying to fit in food, sleep, a relationship and getting the most out of my Netflix subscription..... Here's a cute picture of Stitch. You're welcome! I first joined 1st Stalham Rainbows as a Guide helper in 2014, aged 13. I spent around 8 months there before leaving to join Potter Heigham Brownies as a Young Leader. However, 2019 has seen me rejoin the unit as part of their brand new leadership team alongside my Brownie Leader/ District Commissioner Hannah and lovely friend/ fellow Senior Section member Paula. I am looking forward to the future of our unit, in our brilliant new location and supporting the girls to enjoy the new progr...