A Glittery End of Term

[smallhobbit]

As is normal, we are finishing Brownies the week before the end of term.  Normally that would be because so many of the girls have parties etc to go to.  Obviously that won't be happening, but we felt we were running out of steam and it was better to end on a high note.

Last week we had a lady from the Blue Cross (an organisation which helps provide pet care for owners who cannot afford it) to talk about animals.  It wasn't as good as we'd hoped and a bit like a school presentation, but the Brownies seemed happy enough.  We had one more Brownie join us, who was really excited at being able to take part, so that was good.

This week, Doodles had delivered a package to every Brownie's house with strict instructions not to open it until the meeting.  The girls were all excited, and we had a number of messages from mums saying how pleased the girls were to receive them.  When they were allowed to open the package there were various squeals and then they got to open a Christmas card and found they had a tiny present, which they opened to find the badges they had voted for during Parliament Week.  The level of excitement was much higher than we would have experienced at a normal meeting, proof of how much even small things are making a difference at the moment.

They then got to open their main envelope, which had lots of craft materials: card, a wooden tree decoration, stickers, glitter, mini pompoms, and they were told they could make whatever they wanted for whoever they wanted to give it to.  They were so happy sitting and making things.  Every so often one of them would hold up a card they had made for us to admire.

And so ended the weirdest term we've had.  Running Brownies by Zoom may not be easy, but it definitely makes a difference for the girls, who are all looking forward to next term.  It also meant that for one of Brownies, who was looking rather fed up - it turned out the family were having to quarantine - was able to enjoy the meeting.  It also meant that one of the girls, who had joined at the beginning of the year, was able to have another term with us and will now be moving onto Guides - something I doubt she'd have thought possible when she first joined us.

Comments

[debriswoman]

I think you have managed brilliantly in such challenging times. Really well done:-)

[smallhobbit]

Thank you. Just seeing how happy the girls were made it worthwhile!

[corvidology]

I'm sure they really enjoyed their surprise packages and well done to you and the other leaders for pivoting to make this work!

[smallhobbit]

They did - when we began they all waved their packages to prove they hadn't opened them.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Oh, what a great idea (the packages)! That's wonderful. Glad you ended on a high note!

[smallhobbit]

We'll look at doing something similar again. The pre-Christmas meeting should always be a fun one, so it was good that we managed to do something they really enjoyed.

[kingstoken]

It sounds like you've really made this time better for your guides, thank you for being a leader.

[smallhobbit]

I think we were all a bit unsure when we began, but it really has proved worthwhile.

[angelofthenorth]

oh that is lovely!

[smallhobbit]

Thank you very much!

[garonne]

It's lovely to see you've been able to keep Brownies running despite social distancing. It sounds like meetings via Zoom works a lot better than I would have feared for children of that age. I guess it's a testament to how much they enjoy and are invested in the activities! :)

[smallhobbit]

There's a lot we can't do - and it's taken a while to work out what is successful, but it does mean we can keep going. They're nearly all there every week, so clearly they're enjoying it. We do have shorter meetings - on the other hand, there's no clearing up for us to do! We'll be running zoom meetings again next term and hopefully will be able to meet in person in the summer.

[adafrog]

awwww....

[smallhobbit]

Thank you.

[margaret_r]

What a wonderful way for the Brownies to end their year, it must have given them such a boost and I imagine it was great for you to see their excitement :)

You and your other leaders have done a fantastic job in keeping things going through all the difficulties, you should all be proud of yourselves.

[smallhobbit]

Yes it was lovely to see how excited they were. It clearly meant something to them. Thank you.

[moth2fic]

I think you're doing a fantastic job - I'm sure you've made a lot of children really happy in what must be a very depressing and confusing time for them.

[smallhobbit]

Thank you. I think it's proved again that the little things can make a real difference. And also, the parents seem very happy and positive that we're doing something for the girls.

[rusty_armour]

It's sweet that the Brownies were so excited about their packages. I think children in general get excited about packages, but I'm sure they meant that much more during this difficult time. It's great that the girls were able to receive the badge that they had voted on during Parliament Week. It's something they can be proud of because they earned it. Of course, I'm sure they must have loved all of those craft materials. What a great thing to be able to work on during a Zoom meeting.

Despite all the challenges, it sounds like the Zoom meetings have been successful. It's great that the one Brownie in quarantine could still participate, not to mention the Brownie that will be moving onto Guides. :-)

[smallhobbit]

I'm sure they would have been excited about the packages, but this year it seems to mean even more. Everything's so dull at the moment, to have something different and fun makes a real impression. Seeing them so happy does make it feel worthwhile.

[luthienberen]

Your efforts into ensuring the Brownies could continue during the pandemic are remarkable and praise-worthy! Congrats on succeeding and granting hope and pleasure to the girls.

May 2021 offer some normality at some point!