Beaver subs double Brownies

crazy_saver22

hiya,
i'm 18 and a brownie guider and i've grown up with scouting around me as my mum used to be a cub scouter - thanks to all those who appreciate us, it's nice to get a thanks once in a while.
there is lots of prep involved in being a guider or scouter. i've just finished my a levels and spent yesterday cutting out 60 stars in 4 different colours for a game! i'm also doign my leadership qualification so today need to spend some time writing bits and bobs for that...i do it cos i love it, i've only ever claimed back for anything i've bought once...i did a whole night and didn't claim anything - i used paper/card/tissue paper from my house, collected cardboard tubes and bought paper plates out of my own pocket. using my own paper/card for another meeting on tuesday...and i have a reciet sitting in my room which i need to give in!

we have sisters but have never given discount as far as i'm aware - i don't personally see why you should get discounts seeming as like the others have said your boys are using the same amount of resources but if your struggling then ask....

if you're struggling with trips money etc then talk to the leaders and ask if there's any help they can offer - schools by law cannot exclude children due to money so i assume it's similar in scouting/guiding....

sliceofrice

I'm a Guide ledaer and Senior Section leader and member.
Our Guides pay £20 a term (term ranging from sept-xmas, xmas-easter, easter-summer) and this includes rent, badges, materials for meetings (including a bottle of juice which the girls can help themselves to) and half of Census, our annual registration fee. This year our census was over £20, if we were to pay from subs this would take over one term's sub, never mind and anything else which HAS to be paid (not claiming expenses).
Our Senior section unit also pays £20 subs for the same amount.AT SS if a girl joins halfway through a term then they pay only half of this.
Things which parents often don't see are the forms that need paying for, resources so that we can train to take your children away for residentials and camps, resources for meetings that we follow- we don't make every meeting up ourselves- there are badge books, special badges, special resources.
Expenses which we can claim but often don't include paper, ink, printing, petrol, time/hours, camps (quite a lot of leaders will pay for their own food on camp- even though they are giving up their own time).
£30, although expensive in comparison to your dd's sub is quite fair.
It also depends on how much rent the church hall asks for. It may be a yearly donation- the scouts may offer more than the brownies. Their badges and resources may cost more from the Scout Association than GirlGuiding Uk, I know that their annual subscription fee is. They may, and rightly so, claim back for things like paper. They could also be building up funds for something like new tents for camp, a big activity or county/international camp in the next year or so so that they can subsidise it. There are many reasons for their fee's being higher.
Personally we don't offer split rates for two children at the same unit. We still have to pay for stuff for the child, that money has to come from somewhere. However at the same time we are always open for parents to come and speak to us for help. We don't want to turn children away, if it means paying on a weekly basis, on a payment scale, at a different time instead of the start of each term but when payday comes, then that is fine with us. If you have problems paying, spesh in this time, then certainly talk to the leaders. They can offer help and advice on how to pay the subs.
Also don't be afraid to ask to see accounts. Don't expect them on the night, especially at the end of a meeting when we are tyring to lock up or get out of the building before a caretaker comes and shouts at us. But you are allowed to ask to see them, by law you are allowed to see them. If you feel that's a bit rude ask to see a break down of how their subs work. (you can always be sneaky and say that the brownies have passed one out and you're intersted how it differs to scouts!)
Overall the money that comes in goes on the children. We as volunteers shouldn't be out of pocket... but that is never the case...I know there maybe a large difference but either way it still goes on the children.

sliceofrice

crazy_saver22 wrote: »

hiya,
i'm 18 and a brownie guider and i've grown up with scouting around me as my mum used to be a cub scouter - thanks to all those who appreciate us, it's nice to get a thanks once in a while.
there is lots of prep involved in being a guider or scouter. i've just finished my a levels and spent yesterday cutting out 60 stars in 4 different colours for a game! .

Oh and I agree with this It's great to know that we are appreciated
Spesh with us little leaders (I'm 19...) who will be guiding/scouting for a long time... hopefully!

snowy? is that you....

crazy_saver22

yes it is slice...was wandering whether someone would figure it out!

dizziblonde

stationaryace wrote: »

dizziblonde- if you know which group you want to volunteer in, I would advise turning up on the night of the weekly meeting (if you know where and when it is) with your contact details to hand to the leader. These in turn can be passed on to the person in charge of the area who should contact you fairly quickly. Personally, we've found details get lost in our City Guiding HQ as it is only manned 8 hours a week, but the leaders of all the groups tend to have close contact with their commissioner (ie area supervisor).

Oh it's driving me up the wall - got as far as county HQ, it goes down the line to the next level and gets lost. Have a family member who works in the London HQ archives so about fit to get her to pull strings and get me a local contact (or ring Derbyshire in the hope of getting more sense - at the cost of a longer journey for myself). Can't find out when local meetings are and pass details on that way, as they keep them hidden for child protection purposes (then revealed them all in the list of snow cancellations back in Feb which made me laugh slightly).

crazy_saver22

do you know what guiding county your in...you could try and contact them direct for a contact at the local level?

sliceofrice

Lol, I worked it out by the activity you were doing... :P

skintstudentnurse

DD1 goes to Brownies and I pay £28 subs a term. I'm happy to pay as I know all the guiders are volunteers. Her unit is always doing activities; sponsored walks, pack holiday, big sleepover tomorrow night! I really enjoyed Brownies when I was a child so I'm glad she's got the opportunity too. DD2 is joining Rainbows in January:j.

Spendless

hangers wrote: »

There is a day camp next month, about £17 each, my lads not going due to cost, just said on my last post I wasn't tight...maybe I should find the £34!

A day camp is in 1 night away? I think that's a fair price tbh. I paid £20 for 1 night o/night last month. It was ds first camp under canvass. The other trips have cost between £25-£35 for 2/3 nights. If you can't afford it that's fair enough.

hangers

Spendless wrote: »

A day camp is in 1 night away? I think that's a fair price tbh. I paid £20 for 1 night o/night last month. It was ds first camp under canvass. The other trips have cost between £25-£35 for 2/3 nights. If you can't afford it that's fair enough.

Hi, the day camp is from 10am till 4pm. The boys have not shown any interest in going (1 said he doesn't want to go away all day without me), they are only 6. Can't really afford it anyway, what with all the other costs we have at the minute. We now have a family party anyway on that day.

Have come to the conclusion from when I 1st posted that the subs are good value and fairly similar to what other parents pay (its just the volume of cash I need to find - obviously with having 3 kids attending groups it is more) and I know the kids get so much from the groups.

I need to start to put away money each week/month for the beavers x 2, brownies x 1, swimming lessons x 2, recorder lessons x 2, violin lessons x 1, guitar lessons x 1, salsacise x 2, sports sessions x 2 and eldest starting high school...so new uniform needed etc!

My husband is self employed in the building industry, we as a family have seen a major change in our income and this is all relevant to my current situation.

Glad this post has reminded many of you of the fun you had at these groups, many of you have said how fantastic the volunteers are and I think a few more volunteers will soon be helping out! x