The joy of Guiding

Today I have been away at a Guide sleepover with my 'old' or rather 'home' guide unit along with another unit in the district. I have only been able to join them for the day unfortunately as this weekend has become quite a hectic one with birthday parties and school duties. Nevertheless I have thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Guiding can be so completely rewarding, seeing the girls really responding to one another, encouraging each other and working together. Yet it is all in such a relaxed and fun atmosphere that you just don't get at school. The guides have been working towards their 'Traditions in Guiding' badge so some of the activities may seem dated - that's the point! Still, you can have fun without doing a 'glamourama' Go For It (moreso in my opinion). In one short day we have: made patrol emblems and posters to decorate the hut, learnt the national anthem, played dominoes, done pioneering, made a trail and followed it, learnt and used hand and whistle signals, learnt ballroom dancing, made twists and cooked them on a campfire, had a campfire with songs and skits, played a quiz and made a catapult to throw a table tennis ball the furthest as well as set up and washed up after lunch, cooked tea on barbeques and even had free time! That is one activity packed day!

The most enjoyable part of the whole day has been how relaxed it has all been. No targets to fill, no pressure to achieve. But plenty of quality learning and tonnes of enjoyment. Can't ask for much more than that.

Kenyan evening

I'm just back from doing a Kenyan evening at Guides. I have been a bit worried about it because I did not have an activity for the girls to do and I thought that I wouldn't have enough to fill an hour. I didn't need to worry. I spent most of the afternoon preparing Kenyan food, chipatis, sukuma wiki, beans and maize, ugali and a nameless tomato soup thing. I couldn't stand the sight of them by the time we actually got to Guides and I didn't think anyone would actually try anything, but it went down a treat. The girls were all crowded around the table having a try of each of the foods, including the ugali (even after my quite less than encouraging note about the ugali which even I wouldn't try because it looked so disgusting). I showed them the new Education for Life dvd and my photos and talked about my experiences in Kenya. I showed them unsorted beans and they passed it around, two girls sorted them for me :) and then I unsorted them again :D then I showed them how they tie babies on their backs with kangas and some of the girls came up and had a go at tying a doll on their backs. It was quite amusing!! I got through everything but there was no time for questions at the end because it was already time for taps. A fun evening, an informative evening, and another tick towards my Queen's Guide :)

Team player?

Guides. I love it. Tonight we had the guides working towards their 'team player' badge... how modern is that?! They were actively listening to one another and finding out what it is like to talk when no-one is listening to what you are saying. Something I'm sure they all know already, there can't be that many whose friends are so raptured by what they have to say that they listen intently all the time.. but still I think it is good for the girls to be given the opportunity to think about it. This lot need to learn it, actually - they are so chatty you can't organise a game for the incessant talking!

Then I came home and watched Princess Nikki and I thought, now this is a girl who needs to learn how to listen. She is so rude! Apart from the tantrum throwing and screaming and laughing inappropriately, when anyone talks to her she is looking at the ground and at her fingers and turning away. She shows no respect whatsoever for what anyone but herself has to say. But see anyone ignoring her when she talks... tantrum! Nikki is certainly one who could benefit from doing her 'team player' badge. She was clearly never a Guide.