Information for Parents from the Owls

**Admin** Sun May 09, 2010 1:13 am

Information for Parents & Guardians

What do Brownies and Guides do?

They have fun! Brownies and Guides usually meet once a week during school term time doing all sorts of indoor and outdoor activities challenging them to do their best. Meetings generally consist of games, crafts, challenges and lots more. For a Girl Guide every day is an adventure full of new friends, hobbies and enjoyment. During holidays the girls often go on trips or pack holidays.

Worldwide Movement

All Rainbows, Brownies and Guides are members of Girlguiding UK. The largest voluntary organisation for Girls and Young Women in the UK with over 600,000 members. The movement encompasses Rainbows (Girls aged 5-7yrs), Brownies (Girls aged 7-10), Guides (Girls aged 10-14), Senior Section members (Girls aged 14 - 26), Adult Leaders and Trefoil Guild. Girlguiding UK is a voluntary movement open to any girl or woman, regardless of faith, race, culture or any other circumstance. Worldwide there are many Organisations in many different countries that all come under the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.

Who can be a Brownie?

Any Girl in the Uk aged between 7 and 10 years of age.

Who can be a Guide?

Any girl in the UK aged between 10 and 14 years of age.

What do Brownies and Guides Need?

For her first few meetings your daughter needs nothing! When she has been in her Unit for a few weeks you might want to take a look through the Guiding Essential Catalogue. The catalogue contains a range of items produced by Girlguiding UK. It includes everything from the Brownie Uniform to books and gifts.

You can order your daughter’s Uniform through your Guiding unit.

Information for Parents from the Owls Unifor10

Information for Parents from the Owls Univor10

How much will it cost?

Girlguiding Units charge a weekly or termly subscription fee. This fee covers the cost of equipment and the hire of the meeting place. In some packs this also covers census which provides Insurance for your daughter while she is on Brownie Activities, however, some packs charge this yearly. There is usually a small extra cost for Trips and pack holidays. Units are continually fundraising to keep costs to you at a minimum.

If you pay income tax, your daughters Unit can use Gift Aid to claim 28p for every £1 you give in subs or donations at no extra cost to you.

Brownie Guiders

All leaders in Girl Guidingare unpaid volunteers who have completed their Girlguiding UK Training. This includes being checked by the Criminal Record Bureau and being a fully qualified First Aider as well as many other trainings.

Additional helpers at Brownie meetings can be:

A local Guide aged 11 or over.
A Young Leader aged 14 or over.
A Unit Helper: an adult who regularly helps at Pack meetings.

Other adult helpers who are willing to help occasionally (usually parents of Brownies or Guides in the Unit).

Girlguiding UK recommends for the Brownie age group that there is at least one adult for every eight girls. For some activities or events, such as camps or holidays, more adult helpers are needed.

Different ratios exist for the Rainbows and Guides

Safe Environment

In all areas of the Girlguiding UK Movement we aim to provide a safe environment for all our members to enjoy a wide variety of activities.

Parental Permission

When your daughter starts a girl guiding unit you will be given a form to fill in which outlines essential information the unit Leader needs to give your daughter the safe environment we aim for. It is understood that you give your permission for your daughter to take part in Rainbow/Brownie/Gides Activities during the normal meeting time. For activities outside of this time your Guider will give out forms for your permission.

Safe From Harm

It is the policy of Girlguiding UK to safeguard its members from physical, sexual and emotional harm while participating in guiding activities. Girlguiding UK takes all reasonable steps to ensure that, through relevant procedures and training, children, young people and adults taking part in guiding activities do so in a safe environment.

Web Safe

Your daughter may want to search the world wide web for some of her Brownie challenges and activities. To help her stay safe, she is encouraged to keep her Brownie web safe code. They are reminded of it in their Brownie books, Brownie magazine and on their web site.

The Girl Guides Web Safe Code:

When using the Internet I Promise:

* to agree rules with my parents or guardians about the best way for me to use the computer and the world wide web.
* not to give out my home address or phone number without permission.
* not to give out the name or address of my school without permission.
* not to agree to meet anyone who I contact on the web, unless my parents or guardians say it is all right and go with me.
*not to put my photograph on a web site.
*to tell my parents, guardians, teacher or Guider if I find something on the web that worries or upsets me.