Risk Factory Visit

We visited the Risk Factory based in Edinburgh.  This is a great educational resource and is mainly used for schools and vulnerable people.  In more recent years they have opened to cub badges and in the last year have designed a brownie programme.

We took part in the pilot last year where we did our fire prevention and road safety.  The girls really benefitted from the sessions.  2 of my friends units went along too, and I accompanied them, so already knew what would happen.  But none the less the home safety and crime prevention badges were easier to do this way in actual senarios.

The girls seemed to have a good time and enjoyed the experience and phoning 999 and taking part, so that should something ever happen, they know what to do.

So another 2 badges this term.

Healthy Heart Badge and Agility

We've spent 2 weeks doing our Healthy Heart Badge and Agility Badges.  Because we are low in number but high in ratio's to the help we have, we have been able to give a good amount of time to the girls to allow them to do the 2  badges.  They've worked hard and done well.  

Was interesting to see how well some of them can hula hoop and skip and we spent time using our under arms and over arms throws.  

It was very interesting to see what they considered healthy to eat and what they consider is the best way to keep your heart healthy.  We also spent time talking about when you take medication and food allergies.  It was interesting to hear from the girls who do have food allergies, as to how it affects them and what they need to take or do if they do eat it.

A New Term

It's a new term...

Our first week back saw a Pow Wow.  The girls liked the idea of a tea party to finish the term.  In all the craziness of parties, it's funny how they want party games and old fashioned tea parties.  

We also decided to do Pizza Making and some sporty things.  We've managed to do the Healthy Heart Badge.  We're doing Agility next.  I've adapted it slightly to include all our unit including those who have mobility problems.  

We're having another trip to The Risk Factory too, where we will do Crime Prevention and Home Safety badges too.  

We're having to close one week because we have no leaders.  Unfortunately our real lives dictate our presence elsewhere and after a discussion, we didn't want to leave other guiders with the girls.  

So it's a short but busy term.

Spring Break

We're having a bit of a long holiday due to all the brownies being at different schools with different holidays.

Plans for next term is Agility Badge and Healthy Heart Badge to sort of talk about keeping fit and the Commonwealth Games.

Then we have some other weeks to fill too.

So roll on next week and being back to brownies.

Easter Fun Night

The Senior Section Unit of our Division came along to brownies.  They organised handmade invitations for the girls to come along and bring a friend to Grow Guiding.  

We had 6 friends come along which was pretty good and a couple of parents asking if there were spaces for after Easter which is good. 

Tawny Owl was travelling with work, but having The Senior Section unit meant we had a lot more help.  

They played some games, organised an Easter Egg hunt, did some colouring.  The girls did a great job.  The funniest moment was when I said the people dressed as rabbits or dressed in Turquoise were in charge and one Brownie went "Nooooo not Rabbits!" and another announced "But they don't speak our language!" 

The Senior Section did a fab job.  Quite a good few future guiders in there.  

We're finished for the term as some schools are on holiday from today.  So a bit of a longer break but I can guarantee my guiding hat will still be on.

A Surprise

We did a surprise last week.  It was a quiet week as all our Young Leaders were unable to come, a couple of the girls were unable to come too.  But we got on with the surprise.  We also agreed to play Jungle on Fire for the first time in a few weeks.  It wasn't an exciting meeting but it was enjoyable to sit with the girls and just chat.  We made a card for one YL who was poorly and another one who's grandad passed away.  

The Senior Section are coming along for our next meeting to run it.  Quite looking forward to it.

Star Quest Evening

Our county were running a Star Quest at the National Museum of Scotland.  

Lothian buses were fantastic.  They provided each unit with free transport and allowed us day savers to get there.  Our unit went on a very early bus.  Tawny Owl and I arrived rather early at the bus stop so we nipped into the Carvery for a hot drink before we met the Brownies and bumped into our sort of finished Division Commissioner and my daughter's Rainbow Leader.  They caught their bus and we had our tea and hot chcolate before meeting the girls.

2 were outside when we came out so some banter with the mums about us needing dutch courage.  Having all the girls and our YL.  We jumped on the bus where we should have met Little Owl.  But Little Owl wasn't there.  Turned out she had just missed a bus, and our bus was a late earlier one.  But fortunately she managed to meet us in town. 

We took the girls to McDonald's for their tea.  But not before Tawny Owl was chatting up the bus driver.  Poor guy must have been thinking all sorts!  Anyway we got seated in the food court and got the orders and Little Owl appeared.  Tawny Owl and I were good and got a baked potato.  

Then we walked 1219 steps up the bridges to the museum.  We were a bit early with being there at 6pm.  But they showed us right in.  We found a space, got our registrations and got sorted.  The girls were waving as friends went past.  We were meeting friends and aquaintences.

Each of the girls got a bookmark type thing and we had to go and find the stars and get a letter from each star to make a word.  I bet you can guess it made BROWNIES.  

We went along to the silent disco.  Met someone I've worked with, my neighbour who hadn't realised I was back in Guiding and many girls from our shared pack holidays who all called me Daffodil.  

Then we were guided upstairs for a craft activity.  A lovely mask in the shape of a star then they decorated it with stars.  

Then we returned to the trail.  Bumped into more friends on the way round and we had some fun at the exhibits.

Then it was pick up the snacks and drinks and find somewhere to eat them and watch the entertainment of drumming, dancing and acrobatics.   Then a big campfire with everyone.  The whole of the museum singing Brownie Bells was just emotionally beautiful.  Then it was time to be called to get our coats and party bags and heading for our buses.  We tried a sing song on our bus and realised the other unit wasn't interested in joining us, so we sang our wee hearts out instead!  

It took me til 1am to settle as I was buzzing from such a fabulous night.  

Happy Birthday Brownies!