First meeting, third year!

03/09/15

Apologies that this was a bit late, completely forgot I needed to write it..!

This week was our first meeting back for the new school year. As always, the girls were slightly hyper so we didn't plan on doing anything particularly strenuous! We let them all have a turn for show-and-tell this week (usually we do one six a week) and told them they had to be quick or we'd miss them out.

We started off by playing a game to try and get rid of some of their energy (and to give the Adults and Young Leaders a chance to catch up themselves!). We played the game where you sit in a circle, with one girl in the middle and you call out something such as 'who has a brother' or 'who's wearing blue shoes' and anyone who fits that description has to swap chairs with someone else, and the girl in the middle has to sit down somewhere.

We then split the girls into those who are going on Pack Holiday in October, and those who aren't. The ones who aren't were given some wordsearches and puzzles to do together. We took the ones who are going and split them into sixes. We chose three girls who had been before to be the sixers and then spread out the other girls so they were with friends but we also had a fairly even mix of girls who had and hadn't in each six. They were then tasked with choosing a name for themselves, around our theme of superheroes. Once they had done that, we got them to sit in their sixes and asked the older ones to tell the younger ones what Pack Holiday is like and what things we do, as we have a lot of younger girls who've never been before. The girls got bored discussing that though, and started having their own conversations. I joined in one with a few of the newer girls, which resulted in two of them tying my shoe laces to prove that they could (it took me a while to undo them again later on!).

To end the meeting, we sang a few songs because we realised that we haven't done that in a while and we have a lot of new girls who don't know the songs that we will be singing on Pack Holiday around our campfire. We sang 'Cecil is my Caterpillar', 'Cookie Jar', and 'Three Little Angels' before letting the girls go home.

It was a chaotic meeting, as is usually the case with the first meeting back, but I enjoy those kind of meetings because the girls seem a lot chattier than at the end of a term which is the part I enjoy about Brownies.

University Update

25/09/14

As regular readers may know, I have just started university and was looking for a unit in the area to help with. I spoke to the District Commissioner recently and unfortunately they don't have any units (of any section, not just Brownies) that meet on a Friday which is the only day I can do due to other clubs and sports I do. She has left me her details so I can get in contact if my circumstances change but, as it stands, I am going to have to go without Brownies for a while. I will still be helping with my 'old' unit whenever I am at home and I am going on the Pack Holiday with them in a few weeks. I've even spent part of Freshers' Week organising the Wide Game that will be part of my Look Wider! Here's a sneak preview but a full post about it will be coming shortly:

I am also going to use this time to focus solely on the rest of my Look Wider qualification, in particular the Independent Living section, when I'm not working obviously!

Posts will probably not be coming weekly for now (unless I get really into my Look Wider) but I will keep you updated about how I'm doing.

Catch Up Time..!

Apologies for the lack of posts over the last 2 months... Things just got busier and I couldn't find time to write. Here is what we did for the last few weeks of term and the first two weeks of this term will follow in the next day or so.

28/11/13

This week we made 3D foam Christmas trees. We bought kits which contained all that the girls needed; the tree, a star, baubles, snowflakes and candy canes. Each kit came with enough for 4 trees so we had to cut up the sheets of baubles so the girls could have 4 of each colour bauble which left me with a lot to do at the beginning of the meeting because we'd forgotten to do it before the meeting. The girls seemed to enjoy themselves and there were quite a few really detailed trees.

Once they had finished they could chose a colourful sheet of paper and make paper chains. We had loads of really long chains by the end of the evening and it was definitely a big hit with the girls!

5/12/13

This week we did some more Christmas crafts - baubles and cutlery holders. The baubles were made from clear plastic balls and the girls made a snowman from polystyrene balls. They had cardboard hats and scarves and beads on needles for eyes and noses! Each bauble also had a small amount of fake snow at the bottom. It was quite a tricky craft so we had one table making them with Brown Owl (who invented the craft!) while all the other girls did Snowy's craft; cutlery holders.

Each girl had a piece of red card from which they cut out the main shape using a template Snowy had made. They then folded it up and stapled the edge together. They had to cut out a square of white card and then cut out two slits in it for the belt buckle and then they had to thread sticky black felt through the buckle before sticking it round the main body. This was extremely tricky for the majority of girls and, if we did it again, I would use regular felt and glue instead.They also had the option of putting a parcel label on it with a name on (for use on their table at Christmas). Snowy had provided enough material for each girl to make 4 but they started to get bored after one so I think she needed to have chosen something else too. Luckily we still had paper from last week so the girls made even more paper chains!

12/12/13

This week we had gingerbread cookies to decorate so 5 girls at a time went into the kitchen with our 2 other adult helpers and decorated stars with icing and sprinkles. Surprisingly, the girls didn't go excessively overboard with this as they usually do - some of the cookies leaving at the end of the meeting were actually really good quality!

Unfortunately, I can't remember what we did this week other than the cookies... I really need to keep on top of this...

19/12/13

This week was party week! Two girls who were leaving this week organised the evening for the other girls. It was a Christmas colours or onsie theme so naturally most girls showed up in their onsies - I mean, who's going to turn down the opportunity to go out in their pyjamas at that age!? They started off by playing coaches (instructions here) and then fishes (instructions also here) while the other Young Leader and I set up the food on the tables ready for when they were done. We then had to stand by the tables making sure they didn't run into it though..!

Once they were done playing, we let them loose with the food. Before a party, we send home a slip of paper with each girl telling them what food to bring. That way we can have some say over the amount of savoury and sweet items we have (and that we don't end up with 24 lots of the same food!). We let the girls sit on the floor or chairs with their friends so naturally we have a few drinks spillages but it's generally a good atmosphere.

At the end of the meeting we gave each girl a Christmas card and the two girls who were leaving got their certificates and teddy bear keyring before the girls all went home.

It's been a good term with lots going on. I feel I've deserved this rest though! Bring on next term... :D