Girl Guides membership - our daughter cannot join?

ladybez

Richard, was also expecting the "only an hour a week" too!. Seriously, my assistant leaders and I discussed this at our meeting on Wednesday. We would not prevent anyone from making their Promise on the grounds of their religion, or otherwise. We would however explain the wording and what it meant, in our opinion. If anyone was not comfortable with the wording we would look at alternatives. There are a number of badges that have the pre-requisite of having made/renewed you Promise, so it could be a little difficult for someone to progress without this.
All the units I have been involved with, Rainbow, Brownie and Guide also have finished with some kind of prayer, which includes a reference to God (as have my son's Beaver, Cub and Scout meetings) no one has ever objected or not joined in.

Richard_T_

time wise, you dont have to out in the full shift ( maybe the odd week) with Scouting you can be an Ocaisional helper (OH) or just a Troop asistanT as far as im aware neither require you to make/take the full promise and law.

As for the ending, the Scout group that i am involved with maybe slightly unusual in that we dont finish with a traditional prayer as such, but someties a quite pause for thought and reflection.

Jenbug

Just wanted to join in here having been shown this post I am pretty shocked at how many people are voicing what they think is correct when they aren't part of the organisation nor have they been for, in some cases, decades.

I am currently a Brownie, Guide and Senior Section (Ranger) leader and I myself spent a good 8 years in the organisation from the age of 12 - 20 where by I had no faith. I had previously been Christian and I have now converted to be a buddhist.
In the time between being 12 and 20 I have made my promise TWICE. Reason being when we discuss the promise as this leader was doing with the young girl in question, we are encouraged to think about our faith so ultimately what we believe, during that 8 years I didn't believe in anything particularly but made the argument that I was finding what I believed in and this was fine.

We would NEVER turn a girl away in our units for that reason.

I also find it really disheartening people saying scouts is better etc etc Scouts is just as equally good but I think sometimes girls benefit from the girl only space especially if they spend so much time with boys in school etc.
We do a lot though
In the last year or so our Brownies, Guides and Senior section units have:
Done High wire courses, Speed Karting, Hiking (Competed in a day hike)
Taken part in a Guinness Book of Records attempt and achieved it for the largest group dance, Ice Skating, Roller Skating, Photography courses, Media Skills courses, Slept in a shopping center to raise money for the homeless, Extreme obstacle courses, Sailing, Canoeing, Kayaking, A new resource called "Stop the violence" title is self explanatory, The older girls have become "in4mers" so they are peer educators to teach girls about issues, Been camping, yes real camping with tents!, Completed their Camp Permit which allows them to go fully skilled to go camping and take other members, Completed their commonwealth award, Completed leadership qualifications, Gone on a survival skills day, Been to see Disney on Ice (We are girls after all!),Map reading skills etc and we will be attending Big Gig next weekend which is a national concert with acts like JLS, Scouting for girls, Little Mix etc that is just for Guiding members 11+

I could honestly keep going and going, so we do just as much and offer so many amazing things. I think those going on about being taught how to make tea etc obviously haven't visited a unit recently and I would suggest you do if you ever get the chance, you'd probably love it!

skivenov

Richard_T_ wrote: »

Unless the activity is laser tag/laser quest, car washing as a fundraiser and a few other things.

As for Scouts, that too is not a christian organisation, however when joining Scouts both young people, and adults need to make the promise, which includes the line "Duty to God."
how you define God, and how an individual defines God is another thing altogether.

Not meaning to nitpick, just putting it here to explain to anyone who misinterprets it, but the line "duty to God" doesn't have to be worded like that. So long as there is an expression of some form of faith, I'm equally happy with "duty to my God", "duty to Allah", "duty to my Faith", or "duty to the little green men from Mars" if that's what the member believes put us here, for all I know, they're right and I'm wrong in what I beleive.

originalbob

Simple answer here from an ex Scout Leader- adapt and use the Outlander Promise.Look it up.

djtonyb

Jenbug wrote: »

Just wanted to join in here having been shown this post I am pretty shocked at how many people are voicing what they think is correct when they aren't part of the organisation nor have they been for, in some cases, decades.

I am currently a Brownie, Guide and Senior Section (Ranger) leader and I myself spent a good 8 years in the organisation from the age of 12 - 20 where by I had no faith. I had previously been Christian and I have now converted to be a buddhist.
In the time between being 12 and 20 I have made my promise TWICE. Reason being when we discuss the promise as this leader was doing with the young girl in question, we are encouraged to think about our faith so ultimately what we believe, during that 8 years I didn't believe in anything particularly but made the argument that I was finding what I believed in and this was fine.

We would NEVER turn a girl away in our units for that reason.

I also find it really disheartening people saying scouts is better etc etc Scouts is just as equally good but I think sometimes girls benefit from the girl only space especially if they spend so much time with boys in school etc.
We do a lot though
In the last year or so our Brownies, Guides and Senior section units have:
Done High wire courses, Speed Karting, Hiking (Competed in a day hike)
Taken part in a Guinness Book of Records attempt and achieved it for the largest group dance, Ice Skating, Roller Skating, Photography courses, Media Skills courses, Slept in a shopping center to raise money for the homeless, Extreme obstacle courses, Sailing, Canoeing, Kayaking, A new resource called "Stop the violence" title is self explanatory, The older girls have become "in4mers" so they are peer educators to teach girls about issues, Been camping, yes real camping with tents!, Completed their Camp Permit which allows them to go fully skilled to go camping and take other members, Completed their commonwealth award, Completed leadership qualifications, Gone on a survival skills day, Been to see Disney on Ice (We are girls after all!),Map reading skills etc and we will be attending Big Gig next weekend which is a national concert with acts like JLS, Scouting for girls, Little Mix etc that is just for Guiding members 11+

I could honestly keep going and going, so we do just as much and offer so many amazing things. I think those going on about being taught how to make tea etc obviously haven't visited a unit recently and I would suggest you do if you ever get the chance, you'd probably love it!

Jenbug well said from a Brownie/Guide/Ranger Guider with 24 years experience ;-))

boredofbeingathome

Jenbug wrote: »

Just wanted to join in here having been shown this post I am pretty shocked at how many people are voicing what they think is correct when they aren't part of the organisation nor have they been for, in some cases, decades.

I am currently a Brownie, Guide and Senior Section (Ranger) leader and I myself spent a good 8 years in the organisation from the age of 12 - 20 where by I had no faith. I had previously been Christian and I have now converted to be a buddhist.
In the time between being 12 and 20 I have made my promise TWICE. Reason being when we discuss the promise as this leader was doing with the young girl in question, we are encouraged to think about our faith so ultimately what we believe, during that 8 years I didn't believe in anything particularly but made the argument that I was finding what I believed in and this was fine.

We would NEVER turn a girl away in our units for that reason.

I also find it really disheartening people saying scouts is better etc etc Scouts is just as equally good but I think sometimes girls benefit from the girl only space especially if they spend so much time with boys in school etc.
We do a lot though
In the last year or so our Brownies, Guides and Senior section units have:
Done High wire courses, Speed Karting, Hiking (Competed in a day hike)
Taken part in a Guinness Book of Records attempt and achieved it for the largest group dance, Ice Skating, Roller Skating, Photography courses, Media Skills courses, Slept in a shopping center to raise money for the homeless, Extreme obstacle courses, Sailing, Canoeing, Kayaking, A new resource called "Stop the violence" title is self explanatory, The older girls have become "in4mers" so they are peer educators to teach girls about issues, Been camping, yes real camping with tents!, Completed their Camp Permit which allows them to go fully skilled to go camping and take other members, Completed their commonwealth award, Completed leadership qualifications, Gone on a survival skills day, Been to see Disney on Ice (We are girls after all!),Map reading skills etc and we will be attending Big Gig next weekend which is a national concert with acts like JLS, Scouting for girls, Little Mix etc that is just for Guiding members 11+

I could honestly keep going and going, so we do just as much and offer so many amazing things. I think those going on about being taught how to make tea etc obviously haven't visited a unit recently and I would suggest you do if you ever get the chance, you'd probably love it!

Thoroughly agree with this post. I am a Guide leader, and my guides are amazing-they have been abseiling, raft building, canoeing, orienteering-camped in Winter and recently in a flooded field not by choice but circumstance-can build fires. Wear the scout leaders out-one of them recently came to London with us and couldn't keep up. We have walked across Morecambe Bay, raised monies for local charities..i could go on ....

With regards to the the Promise, I do not believe in excluding at all-each Guide will take their Promise if they wish to in their own time. I have Guides from all backgrounds and Faiths, a waiting list a mile long because the parents in our community( and it is a community) recognise that their Girls are looked after and enjoy socializing. I have a team of volunteers including myself who give in terms of time and energy. We fundraise for our trips and activities, i think it is teaching them the value of life skills and not expecting everything on a plate. Our parents get involved, because they want to see what their child is doing and recognise that badges and Go For its are earned.

I have seen some very derisive comments about Guiding on here-but how many parents moan about not knowing where their children are? Guiding isn't what it used to be-get involved, make a difference to the lives of children in your community.

boredofbeingathome

valk_scot wrote: »

I did in the case of my DD's Brownie pack. I'm an extremely experienced camper and I offered to bring myself, my tents and my expertise along in any capacity they cared to ask for if they wished to make use of it. I was told quite firmly that their Brownies have never much liked tent camping, that parents were deeply reluctant to allow their young daughters to camp out and that they didn't need any extra assistance or leaders for that sort of thing, thanks very much. I do understand it was the ethos of this particular group and not the overall GG movement but the other local Brownie packs didn't sound any better tbh and there was a waiting list. So as DD very much takes after me in liking a more adventurous life than our local Brownies/Guides offered we took both ourselves and our camping skills off to a group who wanted them. Who just happened to be the Cubs/Scouts.

I would have snapped you up very quickly-their loss in my opinion:D

I confess that my Guide leader wouldn't or couldn't do much and i left and joined the Venture Scouts-those skills though i now use in guiding, so swings and roundabouts..I am not very good with girly things though (despite having two daughters) so I tend to shy away from some of that side.:rotfl:

Person_one

All the guide leaders on here getting very upset, please, drop the fake table thing!

heartbreak_star

originalbob wrote: »

Simple answer here from an ex Scout Leader- adapt and use the Outlander Promise.Look it up.

I just looked it up. Wish I had been allowed to take this Promise!

HBS x