Dear Girlguiding
Introducing our new feature, where we answer your questions
There’s no ‘one size fits all’ in guiding, so it’s important all our members are able to run things in a way that works for everyone.
We want to give as much support as we can to help volunteers adapt the programme, bust myths, and generally figure out all things guiding.
So, we’d like to introduce our new feature, exclusive to guiding magazine – Dear Girlguiding.
In each issue, we’ll be answering some of your most frequently asked questions. In this feature, Christina from our girl experience team talks badges, beaches and plenty in between.
We want to hear from you
Get in touch with your own questions via the form at the bottom of this page and we'll do our best to answer them in future issues of guiding magazine.
Dear Girlguiding...
Q. My unit is really loving the lowered requirements for Theme awards – can you make it permanent?
A. We lowered our requirements for Theme awards in 2020 to make our programme more accessible during the pandemic. We’ve listened to all your feedback on this and decided to keep the lowered requirements permanently.
There are lots of reasons girls may have to miss meetings, such as illness, care responsibilities and schoolwork. So we’ve reduced the unit meeting activity requirement for section Theme awards by one hour for each section.
To see what this means for the girls in your unit, there’s a breakdown for each award and section under the ‘Unit meeting activity hour requirements’ heading on this webpage.
We do still encourage units to take on as many unit meeting activity hours as they’d like to. But we hope that by keeping the lowered requirements, our top programme awards stay accessible and enjoyable for all.
Q. We're doing one of our meetings at the beach. Can we do programme activities? Do you have any that would work well?
A. If you don’t live too far from the sea, a trip to the beach can be a great summer day out for your unit. And it doesn’t have to mean a break from the programme either.
There are plenty of programme activities that you can get stuck into at the beach. Here are a few activity ideas from each section that can be adapted for sandier shores...
Rainbow leaders
Unleash your inner artist! Sandy or rocky beaches can be a great spot to try out Paint the past from Time traveller's topic in unit meeting activity pack 7. Instead of paper, use your hands to create lines in wet sand or collect and place rocks to show a scene.
Brownie leaders
Frogs in a pond from our Spotlight topic in pack 6 is a low resource activity you can take to the seaside. Add in some extra beach-themed scenes for the frogs to act out like sunbathing, swimming and building a sandcastle.
Guide leaders
Why not try Surf’s up in unit meeting activity pack 7 from our Get sporty topic? Or if you’re looking for something a little more relaxed, you could try out ‘Man on the moon’ in unit meeting activity pack 6.
Ranger leaders
It’s time to Get rafty in our Survival skills topic from pack 4. If it’s safe, try out your raft on the edge of the water. And be sure to pick up your raft and take it home with you when you’re done.
You could also have a sandcastle building contest, scavenger hunt, or bonfire if your beach allows it.
Q. Can we do interest badges in the unit?
A. Some girls may struggle to find the time or resources to get their interest badges done at home.
Unit meetings or trips can provide a great opportunity for girls to work towards an interest badge provided that:
- Girls have the space to work on the badges of their choice, in the way that they choose.
- Any girls who don’t want to work on interest badges are able to take part in other unit activities.
Interest badges are all about developing girls’ independence.
If you’re planning on completing one specific interest badge in your unit meeting, this wouldn’t be an individual girl’s own choice.
But if a girl wants to use her unit meeting time to work towards an interest badge she’s chosen, while the other girls are free to do something else, that’s great.
The difference here is free choice, which is a key aspect of interest badges.
Q. Help! My girls want to call me skunk.
A. It’s great that you allow girls to take part in your unit this way.
Although skunks can spray a horrible smell, they’re also super tough. Did you know they’re immune to snake venom and are known to eat poisonous snakes?
Part of being girl-led is listening to girls’ ideas and working with them to come up with a solution.
This means you shouldn’t have to do the impossible or anything you’re not comfortable with.
For example, my Rainbows once asked if we could go to the moon. We settled on having a space themed night and tried out some of the unit meeting activities from the Out of this world topic.
If you’re not keen on a name your girls have given you, try working with them to come up with something different.
You could ask them why they picked that name or tell them you think another name might be better. Maybe it’s because wore black and white socks to your first meeting – are there any other black and white animals that might work better?
I’ve often heard my guiding names shouted out across restaurants, shopping centres and even abroad on family holidays – so make sure it’s something you’re comfortable with.
Thank you, Christina, for sharing your ideas and advice!
To all our volunteers with questions for us, we want to hear from you.
Ask us anything - whether you’re having trouble adapting the programme or you’re just curious about a Girlguiding myth. Submit your question using the form below and keep an eye out to see if it appears in a future issue.
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