Beach life
(from a living room)
When social distancing put the 100th Streatham Brownies’ long-planned trip to the seaside on hold, they didn’t let that stop them. Writer Jessie Lear joined them as they went for a virtual stroll along the sand instead
Beach life
(from a living room)
When social distancing put the 100th Streatham Brownies’ long-planned trip to the seaside on hold, they didn’t let that stop them. Writer Jessie Lear joined them as they went for a virtual stroll along the sand instead
As I join the 100th Streatham Brownies for their ‘trip’ to the beach, I’m not sure what to expect. It’s been a long and unusually grey day, and between the challenges of homeschooling and lockdown, these girls have plenty to feel glum about. So it’s a real joy to see 17 perky faces appear on screen as they join today’s ‘trip’ via video-conferencing app Zoom, dressed in a bright array of beach hats and sunglasses. Leader Caroline Kendall and Unit Helper Lucie Parry have asked the girls to come ready with a safety tip and a seaside-themed snack. It’s a simple but winning strategy for getting them engaged from the start, while providing a bit of structure. Already tech-savvy and familiar with the process, each girl unmutes herself in turn to share her pro tip with the group. Penny’s wearing her mum’s new orange sunglasses and is armed with some carrots. Her tip is to ‘avoid swimming in a storm so you don’t get electrocuted.’ Alisa, eating chips, has some sage words: ‘If you see any creatures in the water, be sensible and don’t panic.’ And Edith, sporting a snazzy visor, warns her fellow Brownies to ‘never step somewhere lumpy or blue, because that means you’re in the process of being stung by a jellyfish.’ Excellent advice! The girls’ ideas are surprisingly varied, and it’s also impressive to see how patiently they wait their turn to speak. They’re completely comfortable with being muted as needed, and employ the chat function of Zoom to message their thoughts in the meantime: ‘Everyone is wearing a hat! #OMG!’ > ‘Not me’ > ‘Oh’ > ‘Happy times’ > ‘I love ice-cream’ > ‘Me too’ > ‘Me too’ > ‘Same’.
Beatriz and Julia, ready with the sun cream
Tabitha and her beach spotting wish list
Using the mind’s eye
Lucie then explains the next activity: creating beach bingo/spotting cards, for when they do make it to the real seaside. She’s made a folded card with a picture of her ideal beach (palm trees and crystal waters) by way of example. She shows it to the girls, explaining how to draw a grid and fill it with things they hope to see: a seagull stealing some chips, perhaps, or someone playing bat and ball. The parents have been prewarned and the girls are prepped with pens and paper, ready to follow suit. The next ten minutes (punctuated with a few gentle time checks) brings a flurry of activity. Elsie reveals her drawing first: big sand dunes to roll down! Penny explains that she’s making it more of a numbers game. She has set her sights on spotting eight birds, five fish, four sunburned people, three clumps of seaweed and a picnic. Admirable ambition!
Almost plain sailing
As the girls warm to the theme, they become spontaneous and creative, turning their screen backgrounds to images of desert islands and blue lakes. They’re also keen and curious: ‘Did you know that my dad got stung by a lionfish while he was diving?’ ‘What do you call a group of jellyfish, please?’ Caroline jumps onto Google: it’s a swarm or bloom. The leaders take advantage of the girls’ engagement to try the more challenging activity of making paper origami boats. Caroline demonstrates with the lovingly preconstructed HMS Caroline before slowly taking the girls through the steps. There are plenty of pauses for questions, and some concern they’re not doing it quite right – ‘Mine has spiky bits at the bottom! What’s gone wrong?’ The leaders patiently repeat and reassure as needed, and a few of the frowns of concentration gradually turn into smiles of triumph. Not all the girls manage the task, and their attention naturally starts to wane as the hour’s session draws to an end. But Caroline tells them she’ll send the instructions for them to try again with their grown-ups in their own time. She also offers tips for taking the exercise further, by colouring the bottom of the boats with a wax crayon to create buoyancy, which would allow the girls to float their boats on water and maybe even race them with a sibling.
Origami boat-making in action
Worth the sun, sea and sweat
It’s these thoughtful little touches by leaders that make all the difference – to the girls, but also to stressed and tired parents looking to guiding for help with a little purpose and fun. As a parent of one of the girls told me, ‘I deeply appreciate the support that Caroline and guiding are providing right now. The meetings are going really well and they’re absolutely a high point in my daughter’s week.’ That’s something I can attest to. I joined the meeting at the end of a long day of Zoom calls, thwarted communications and worry about loved ones in isolation – something we can all relate to. Although my role was simply to listen and report, I felt welcomed and hugely uplifted by my virtual trip to the beach. My summer holiday to Portugal can wait a little longer. But when I do next make it to the sea, I’ll bear in mind Lois’s top tip: ‘Avoid pointy things. They might be a shark.’
If you’re looking for practical help with how to hold a virtual meeting, read Caroline’s behind-the-scenes secrets and more brilliant advice from other leaders who have taken the plunge.
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