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smallhobbitInto the Community Centre strode the valiant leaders.
We have a lot of Brownies this term. There were ten new girls last week. Last term we were functioning happily with 18 to 20 each week. Now we have 27 on our books, and have had 22 both weeks (slightly different girls). Four have moved over from another pack who shut suddenly (we have another 10 on our waiting list who we cannot take at the moment). Three have moved up from Rainbows, which is expected and natural progression. And three more are from the general interest in Brownies we also see, and try to encourage. Ten different girls, all with unknown needs and abilities. No wonder I came home last night and liberated the wine from the fridge.
Last week we did our customary introduction plus 'this is how we do things here' - important because we will function slightly differently from the other pack and we know our ways work in our situation. Then we played games as is traditional at the start of term. It was the usual fine balance of making sure the new ones didn't get out first time (which they tend to do) and keeping our older Brownies happy. Fortunately when one looked quizzically at me I said, "you didn't expect me not to give them a chance, did you?" and she grinned back, because they're starting to learn there's a need to support each other.
This week we made paper dolls - for those of you who remember doing it, a folded piece of paper has a drawing of a doll on it, which is cut out to produce a line of dolls holding hands. The idea then was to decorate the dolls in Brownie uniform, and either uniforms from other sections (so the ex-Rainbows could include a Rainbow), or uniforms from previous decades. This was supposed to be a half hour activity. It took all evening. It was complicated! Most of them hadn't done it before, so it was a new skill. We did the initial paper folding all together (it's amazing how easy it is to fold a piece of paper the wrong way) and I resorted to getting them to hold up their sheet of folded paper at each stage. I didn't think they'd want to do this, but they were all enthusiastic. Then they had to draw the doll - and have it checked before they cut it out, to ensure the dolls would be holding hands once they were cut out. Again I had thought especially the older ones would complain about this step, but none did. After which we did various repair jobs, or in extreme cases gave them a new set cut out by Brown Owl. By the end of the evening some of them had produced some really good dolls. I was especially pleased because one of our just seven year olds managed a complete set of eight; she hadn't known what to do for the last few, but at my suggestion had included her twin brother in his Beaver uniform (including beautifully drawn necker), plus her older sister when she was a Brownie.
In addition for the next few weeks we are aiming for 100 compliments as part of the Senior Section badge we're working for. So the girls in each six had to go round their six, each one saying something nice about the person to their left. We didn't supervise this, but when I checked they had done so as we stood in our horseshoe at the end there were vigorous nods from them all.
Which is why, by the end of the meeting, Brown Owl and I were exhausted! Because Sparkly Owl had gone out to dinner to celebrate her wedding anniversary. She's not allowed another anniversary on a Thursday for years.
ETA: I have added the wonderful Lots of Brownies badge from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
bunn (see comments) to my profile.
We have a lot of Brownies this term. There were ten new girls last week. Last term we were functioning happily with 18 to 20 each week. Now we have 27 on our books, and have had 22 both weeks (slightly different girls). Four have moved over from another pack who shut suddenly (we have another 10 on our waiting list who we cannot take at the moment). Three have moved up from Rainbows, which is expected and natural progression. And three more are from the general interest in Brownies we also see, and try to encourage. Ten different girls, all with unknown needs and abilities. No wonder I came home last night and liberated the wine from the fridge.
Last week we did our customary introduction plus 'this is how we do things here' - important because we will function slightly differently from the other pack and we know our ways work in our situation. Then we played games as is traditional at the start of term. It was the usual fine balance of making sure the new ones didn't get out first time (which they tend to do) and keeping our older Brownies happy. Fortunately when one looked quizzically at me I said, "you didn't expect me not to give them a chance, did you?" and she grinned back, because they're starting to learn there's a need to support each other.
This week we made paper dolls - for those of you who remember doing it, a folded piece of paper has a drawing of a doll on it, which is cut out to produce a line of dolls holding hands. The idea then was to decorate the dolls in Brownie uniform, and either uniforms from other sections (so the ex-Rainbows could include a Rainbow), or uniforms from previous decades. This was supposed to be a half hour activity. It took all evening. It was complicated! Most of them hadn't done it before, so it was a new skill. We did the initial paper folding all together (it's amazing how easy it is to fold a piece of paper the wrong way) and I resorted to getting them to hold up their sheet of folded paper at each stage. I didn't think they'd want to do this, but they were all enthusiastic. Then they had to draw the doll - and have it checked before they cut it out, to ensure the dolls would be holding hands once they were cut out. Again I had thought especially the older ones would complain about this step, but none did. After which we did various repair jobs, or in extreme cases gave them a new set cut out by Brown Owl. By the end of the evening some of them had produced some really good dolls. I was especially pleased because one of our just seven year olds managed a complete set of eight; she hadn't known what to do for the last few, but at my suggestion had included her twin brother in his Beaver uniform (including beautifully drawn necker), plus her older sister when she was a Brownie.
In addition for the next few weeks we are aiming for 100 compliments as part of the Senior Section badge we're working for. So the girls in each six had to go round their six, each one saying something nice about the person to their left. We didn't supervise this, but when I checked they had done so as we stood in our horseshoe at the end there were vigorous nods from them all.
Which is why, by the end of the meeting, Brown Owl and I were exhausted! Because Sparkly Owl had gone out to dinner to celebrate her wedding anniversary. She's not allowed another anniversary on a Thursday for years.
ETA: I have added the wonderful Lots of Brownies badge from
bunn (see comments) to my profile.
