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It's going to be difficult to meet up in the next few months as we all go into quarantine, so to help you keep up your spirits, let's share some challenges and achievements.
As Social distancing becomes isolation and not being allowed out of your houses except for specific reasons, you will need to keep in touch more than ever.
Have you seen any windows with Rainbows in them? It's an idea spreading around the country now. Children are encouraged to paint a rainbow picture and put it in their front window. It will help to remind passers by that storms come to an end. This is one of those occasions where you can revert to being a Brownie and join in. If you don't fancy a Rainbow, then just draw some cheery pictures and put them on show. How many smiles can you generate? Here's mine.
Some of you are now at home school and will have some set work. Some of you have no exams, so, in an unprecedented social experiment, you can choose whatever you want to learn in the coming months. It will be interesting to know what you choose.
Here is a skill that is going to be very useful for everyone who has to spend much more time at home with the family than they are used to. IG did this at the last Ranger meeting, and HG needs to do it to complete her First Aid Badge. We can't put actual Girlguiding materials on the web, but this is the gist:
I Hear You. (First Aid Level 5)
This is about listening without judgement to someone who needs you to hear them.
Listening without distractions, and paying attention to every word.
So, with your family, or maybe a friend via FaceTime, choose one to be the talker. That person has 90 seconds to talk about something they are passionate about; football, exams, conservation, etc. The others should deliberately NOT listen - use the wrong body language etc.
How did it feel?
Now compile a joint list of ways to show you are listening. When you've thought for yourselves, click here to see what others have thought.
Now take it in turns to be a talker for 90 seconds, and this time everyone else really listen.
How did that feel?
An extra thought:- now that we aren't physically meeting up, how do these tips apply to electronic communication? How important is it to listen/read and respond to what others are saying?
Did you know that Guiding has always run Rangers (and Brownies and Guides) for girls who are isolated and can't go to ordinary meetings? The Lone Guide system was set up in the early days. Sometimes girls went away to boarding schools, sometimes they were ill for a long time, lots of girls with disabilities weren't even entitled to an education ( eg if you couldn't walk) so had no school friends.
My husband's Aunt Mary was a Lone Guider. Without computers, photocopiers or mobile phones she hand-wrote letters to them all in beautiful copperplate writing. She shared ideas for activities, congratulated them on achievements, and gave them a link to other girls in similar situations. She also liked to make detailed log books and scrap books. I believe some of these are in our County Archives. I have her Lones' Promise Badge somewhere, and will post a photo when I find it.
During WW2 Girlguiding actually started a school for children with disabilities called 'The Trefoil School'. Some of its pupils went on to become paralympians.
So- over to you. What type of activities would you like to see? Comments photos, and contact welcome via email, comments below, or any other media we have in common. And an alternative name for each of you will help to keep all this confidential. What have you always wished you were called?
PS, I shan't be compiling individual handwritten letters to you all. Thank goodness for modern communication systems.
As Social distancing becomes isolation and not being allowed out of your houses except for specific reasons, you will need to keep in touch more than ever.
Have you seen any windows with Rainbows in them? It's an idea spreading around the country now. Children are encouraged to paint a rainbow picture and put it in their front window. It will help to remind passers by that storms come to an end. This is one of those occasions where you can revert to being a Brownie and join in. If you don't fancy a Rainbow, then just draw some cheery pictures and put them on show. How many smiles can you generate? Here's mine.
Some of you are now at home school and will have some set work. Some of you have no exams, so, in an unprecedented social experiment, you can choose whatever you want to learn in the coming months. It will be interesting to know what you choose.
Here is a skill that is going to be very useful for everyone who has to spend much more time at home with the family than they are used to. IG did this at the last Ranger meeting, and HG needs to do it to complete her First Aid Badge. We can't put actual Girlguiding materials on the web, but this is the gist:
I Hear You. (First Aid Level 5)
This is about listening without judgement to someone who needs you to hear them.
Listening without distractions, and paying attention to every word.
So, with your family, or maybe a friend via FaceTime, choose one to be the talker. That person has 90 seconds to talk about something they are passionate about; football, exams, conservation, etc. The others should deliberately NOT listen - use the wrong body language etc.
How did it feel?
Now compile a joint list of ways to show you are listening. When you've thought for yourselves, click here to see what others have thought.
Now take it in turns to be a talker for 90 seconds, and this time everyone else really listen.
How did that feel?
An extra thought:- now that we aren't physically meeting up, how do these tips apply to electronic communication? How important is it to listen/read and respond to what others are saying?
Did you know that Guiding has always run Rangers (and Brownies and Guides) for girls who are isolated and can't go to ordinary meetings? The Lone Guide system was set up in the early days. Sometimes girls went away to boarding schools, sometimes they were ill for a long time, lots of girls with disabilities weren't even entitled to an education ( eg if you couldn't walk) so had no school friends.
My husband's Aunt Mary was a Lone Guider. Without computers, photocopiers or mobile phones she hand-wrote letters to them all in beautiful copperplate writing. She shared ideas for activities, congratulated them on achievements, and gave them a link to other girls in similar situations. She also liked to make detailed log books and scrap books. I believe some of these are in our County Archives. I have her Lones' Promise Badge somewhere, and will post a photo when I find it.
During WW2 Girlguiding actually started a school for children with disabilities called 'The Trefoil School'. Some of its pupils went on to become paralympians.
So- over to you. What type of activities would you like to see? Comments photos, and contact welcome via email, comments below, or any other media we have in common. And an alternative name for each of you will help to keep all this confidential. What have you always wished you were called?
PS, I shan't be compiling individual handwritten letters to you all. Thank goodness for modern communication systems.