I needs your thoughts on this please. Upset with Brownie fundraising.

Margaret54

Yes I really feel for your little girl, and I think the whole thing was not done well at all. You stick to your principles, and I would def go and have a word with whoever is in charge, and explain how you feel. I can remember various times many years ago when my children through one form and another were treated exactly like this, and It was upsetting, and our income was very little and the children bless their little hearts understood this. The better off kids would always come off the winners and we were so skint just trying to get by from one week to the next, and trying to manage. I believe a lot of parents will be feeling as you do and wishing they could speak up but not wanting to do so, for fear of looking mean etc. There will always be children though out there whose parents will take in a sponsorship form to their place of work, or who have big families to give more. I think it is very cheeky as well for a child's parent to say to someone "stick your name down there so and so is collecting money for such and such in school" and this has happened in company of others say at a gathering in the family, when we had not a lot to spare, and feeling embarrased into putting down an amount. I will stick to my guns nowadays though as I am fed up with it. We give by direct debit each month a sum to a well known charity, and also sponsor a little child through World Vision which we are very happy to do so. We also give when we are buying in a charity shop so we feel we both give enough these days and refuse to sponsor anyone who rattle the tins at you while in town, and call to the house with forms, especially school children who we don't even know, and the parent is standing at the top of the steps watching????????????? The child is safe with the parent there, but the cheek of them when they are unknown to me really takes the biscuit. Last week it was a stranger calling to see if we would give money to a dart team, never saw her in my life!!!!! I would never have been the type to ask a person to sponsor me, and the adult children now would never ever do this either. I hope your little girl is feeling much better today, xxxx and stick to what you believe in I am with you on that.xx

Marg

Sorry to hear about your daughters upset - hope by now she is feeling better & you have had another chance to explain things to her.

I strongly recommend you speak to the Brownie Leaders about this - my guess is they will be mortified they have upset your daughter.

As has been said before they are all only volunteers often with very busy lives themselves and this was perhaps seen as an 'easy' night for them to organise. They may well be struggling to run the meetings, perhaps when you speak to them you could offer to help** occassionally or give a little talk to the brownies one night. Donating your time can be better than money to some groups like brownies.
** You may have to be vetted as a 'suitable person' CRB checked etc**

On the wider issue of sponsorship stick to your guns. I am very lucky & at the moment can afford to donate/sponsor but am getting charity fatigue because there seems to be something every week 'demanding' my money. They are all worthy causes but how do you draw the line? The subject of a whole new thread!!!

andyrules

Personally I think it's outrageous that a child is treated like this over money and at an institution like Brownies . This isn't a new thing in schools, like many on here my children ended up with me and oh on the form whilst those in extended and well off families were held in high esteem. I can't see any objective other than revenue raising with sponsor forms and similar collections.

Brownies should be shunning this kind of emotional mugging and raising money for charity by the pack organising and preparing cake stalls, second hand toy sales, knitting squares etc. Oh, and the said charity should have some meaning too, maybe a child sponsor with feedback or at least the children making posters etc and having an understanding why the charity needs support.

Op, you might find if you go in that you are not alone with this.

And yes, if you volunteer there will be a crb, or at least registration - volunteer organisations are currently tightening up on this.

longforgotten

Saying this is outrageous is an understatement.

I'm afraid I would question whether The Brownie leaders are truely 'lovely' as you say. They're collective brains must be the size of a peanut. I thought Brownies was all about being a team. They should have been congratulated as a group and certainly not rewarded as individuals. Sponsorship is so tiresome, it's like begging. I'm all for other forms of fund raising like fete's, bring n buys etc.

I admit I have not read all this thread as I was just getting too annoyed.

Mojisola

I think you should ask the leaders to read this thread.

eira

Totally agree with previous posters-stick to your principles.My daughters now voluntarily give to charity but they have learnt that not all charities are value for donation or may have an ethos you don't agree with. There's a website where you can check how much of your donation to a charity goes on the actual work. For example I give to local dog charities, especially ones like Rain Rescue that help dogs in local pounds.These rescue organisations are staffed by volunteers and help rescue and find homes for dogs that none of the big charities bother with-the thousands on Council Death Row.

There are charities that support sufferers from diseases that never make the papers. Giving to charity should be a considered decision not a case of throwing money at something to win prizes/make you feel good.

I am appalled at people that put children in this situation. The policy - as far as I am aware-is that no organisation should set up a situation where a child cannot fully access opportunities due to possible lack of funding /family support. You obviously do this for principle -and good for you for standing up to the parent Mafia. long term this will benefit your children.

In the meantime have a word with the leaders-this really isn't on. School policy is that you should always see if you can get a contribution because of fund shortage, but no child should be denied an opportunity. All children should be treated equally. And quite frankly if this 'prize money' is floating around why isn't that being channelled for charitable purposes?

And-have to admit-my kids were Brownies and then Guides but gave up (their decision) due to 'ideological reasons' !Think it was when one Guide leader told my eldest that her adorede pet rats were 'creatures of the devil'!!

lizzie_dripping

Marg wrote: »

Donating your time can be better than money to some groups like brownies.
** You may have to be vetted as a 'suitable person' CRB checked etc**

Very true (That also goes for scouts, not just brownies!)

ceebeeby

Another Brownie / Guide Leader here.

Just in response to some of the above and OP ....

1) If a parent / friend / relative is just coming along for a single session to give a talk etc. then they won't need disclosure for this single event, however, they won't be able to be left alone with the children or to supervise the children undertaking an activity (however, they could lead an activity that a Leader supervises ... hope that makes sense).

2) All Guide Leaders are volunteers! You'd be amazed at the mutterings I overhear at Census time about how rich us Leaders must be!!!

3) I don't know of a Rainbows / Brownie / Guide Unit that isn't involved in some form of charitable acts, whether it be disaster relief, shoe-boxes, carol-singing, rememberance parade, beach cleaning. Even when I was a Brownie, we had bob-a-job (now banned!). Unless it was explained to me why your daughter hadn't participated, it might have fleetingly crossed my mind that she just hadn't bothered (all my Brownies and Guides are asked what charities / events they want to support and how they want to support it), however, wouldn't have made any difference. It is a fundamental part of being in the Guiding Family to help others, but I agree 100% with all posters above that it doesn't have to be in a monetary form, and the majority of the time, it isn't.

I'm so sorry that your daughter felt excluded on that occasion. I would give your unit leader a call and explain this. I imagine they would be disappointed that your daughter had felt upset.

Fourcandles_3

As a Brownie and Rainbow Guider I'm really suprised and disappointed that your daughter was treated like this. We recently did the Mr. Men Challenge and each child recieved the same prize no matter what they raised. The money from this challenge is split between the unit and Childrens Leukemia. We used some of our share to subsidise the girls funds so each girl recieved the same.

If a parent came to me and said they were unable to fundraise FOR ANY REASON I would support them. I would NEVER single a girl out this way and I'm very your Daughter was treated this way.