Me, Dancing Queen and Comic Relief

I started the first stage of my Silver Voyage award by taking part in the Comic Relief Danceathon.

Girlguiding and Comic Relief had set the challenge of raising money for Comic Relief by being sponsored to dance for 6 hours. I helped to organise an event and we asked units to come for 2 hours at a time with the goal being that as a Division we would have someone dancing in the room for the 6 hours which was the Comic Relief Challenge.

My Rainbows started at midday, they went home at 2 o'clock but I decided to stay.

At 4 o'clock when it was just me and the DJ there was no question it had to be Dancing Queen that I requested. With the whole floor to myself and my favourite song how could I not dance.

For 6 hours I didn't sit down (except for the loo breaks) but moved with varying degrees of energy.


I think my legs have now recovered  (just) but it was worth it.  I'm proud to be part of  our fantastic Benton Division where each person from the smallest Rainbow to the Adults all contributed in their own way to help raise over £1,000 for Comic Relief and the money is still coming in. Its good when we all do our little bit and it adds up to make a difference.




We have a page set up for sponsors if anybody would like to contribute  click here for the Giving page of Benton Division Danceathon and to those who already have, thank you.

Bronze award completed now on to Silver

This week I received my letter to say I've achieved the Bronze award, I was so pleased because until I got that I was worried that what I had submitted wouldn't be acceptable.

What did I do to get it?

From 22nd February 2014 to 21st January 2015 I have spent:

Service
12 hours on duties as Trefoil Guild Chairperson
28 hours helping out in different Guiding units

Myself
27 hours learning about and developing a blog
16 hours exploring local history with Newcastle City Guides

Teamwork
11 hours planning and participating in the Rainbow Christmas event

Skills
30 hours getting a Girlguiding qualification by organising and taking part in a Rainbow sleepover

Explore my world
20 hours getting involved with a global charity by knitting my hats for Uganda (I went way over the hours needed for this)

Overall I've probably done more than these hours but this was the amount recorded for the award.

I get a badge and certificate for doing it which will be presented to me (and those who know me will know how much I'm dreading that) but more than that is the personal satisfaction I got from achieving the award and the fact I've done some things which I wouldn't have tried if not for my participation.

So now its moving onto the next stage when the hours required are increased and I have to think of different activities but I'm mulling that over with a few thoughts to get me started. One thing I do know, I  will continue with this blog as a record of all that I do.

The Journey of my 100 hats

You may remember that I set myself the challenge of knitting 100 hats in 100 days which I accomplished.

Can you imagine my excitement when amongst the photos posted by the team that go to Uganda on Crafty Aid  was not one but two of my hats!

So I decided to give a pictorial history of the journey of my hats.

100 hats on the start of a long journey

From Forest Hall to Uganda

Thats my hat!

If you would like to see more of these beautiful babies have a look on  Youtube

9 Sleeping Rainbows and 1 Wide Awake Leader

One week on and I am still excited at the thought that I did my first sleepover and it was a success. I have helped at sleepovers before but this was the first where it was my responsibility.  I was well-organised and knew what I had to do but Rainbows are an unknown quantity  and none of them had slept away from home unless at a friends or relative so it was a big step for all of them. I had one girl drop out at the last minute as she was ill and another arrived late as she had been unwell in the morning (just as well she turned up as we needed her DVD to watch at bed-time but we made a back up plan involving going to Asda to buy the DVD)

The girls arrived all excited laden down with sleeping bags, airbeds, pillows, teddies, little suitcases and several other essential items, unbelievable to think they were only there for one night but I was just as bad.



Our theme was Frozen so we had many crafts and activities about snowmen, snowflakes, ice, trolls, Elsa and Anna (the main characters from the film in case you have succeeded in missing the film). Rainbows were a hive of industry sewing, painting, gluing all with a generous smattering of glitter. Stopping only for tea the Rainbows were busy all evening always asking "What's next?"




Finally we all got ready for bed and  watched the film. Just in case I didn't know what was happening in the film there was always a Rainbow eager to tell us what was happening or what was coming up. And of course they had to sing along with all the songs. I could tell, as the film went on more and more were getting tired and at 10:30 they went to bed. Of course that meant they were suddenly wide awake  It was a lovely sight to see them all lying in bed reading their books until we put the lights out. It took a long while for them to go to sleep but they were never noisy and so those who couldn't sleep didn't disturb those who could.

The leaders went to bed at 1:00 and there were still some Rainbows awake but eventually they all slept. Only one Rainbow woke up crying during the night and wanted to go home but my very capable young leader sat with her until she settled again though in my mind I was already going through the "come and collect your daughter" phone call. The most annoying part of the night was my airbed going down but fortunately one of the other leaders was in a very cold part of the room and was freezing, so I sent her upstairs to a warmer room and pinched her air bed.

The first Rainbow awoke at 7:00 but again just lay quietly and as they one by one started to wake up they read their books until I said they could get up.

For Sunday morning we changed the focus of activities to the summer (a girl can only take so much of snowmen and winter). A few Rainbows  were a bit more subdued on Sunday due to lack of sleep but they still joined in. Before we went home I asked if they wanted to do another sleepover and one Rainbow said she wanted to do the whole sleepover again and do it exactly the same.

I am so relieved it was a success but that wouldn't have happened without the fantastic team that supported me. If they saw anything that needed doing they just did it without being asked and kept everything ticking along so that I could concentrate on keeping the whole event on track. So thank you to Kate, Irene, Gail and Janis, without them it wouldn't have taken place.


Its probably fitting that the badge we got was "My first Rainbow overnight" as I don't think I slept.  I might have dozed for a few minutes but that hasn't put me off. I now need to complete the paperwork to gain my Overnight license and then look forward to planning the next sleepover (after buying a new airbed of course)

12 months of the Trefoil Guild

I thought it was fitting to do an annual report for Forest Hall Trefoil Guild in the spirit of Christmas. I've spent many hours trying to do something that on the face of it seems quite simple but I'm not a poet or a songwriter so some of the lines don't scan quite right so as long as you don't try to sing it out loud (and believe me I've tried using youtube as my backing music when the house is empty) and take it in the spirit that its intended it kind of works.

In the 1st month of 2014 the Trefoil Guild agreed to plan an exciting year of activities

Collingwood Monument

In the 2nd month of 2014 the Trefoil Guild agreed to be detectives by the North Sea and plan an exciting year of activities








In the 3rd month of 2014 the Trefoil Guild agreed to relax and find with their inner animal,
play detectives beside the  North Sea and plan an exciting year of activities

My egg turned out nothing like this!

In the 4th Month of 2014 the Trefoil Guild agreed to celebrate Easter with eggs, balloons and string, find inner animals, play detectives beside the North Sea and plan an exciting year of activities








In the 5th Month of 2014 the Trefoil Guild agreed to sample Fairtrade food and wine
4 String Eggs
3 inner animals
2 detectives and
an exciting year of activities

In the 6th  month of 2014 the Trefoil Guild agreed on a trip to see the Vicar of Dibley
5 Fairtrade wines
4 String Eggs
3 inner animals
2 detectives and
an exciting year of activities

In the 7th month of 2014 the Trefoil Guild agreed that Mexico was the place to be
6 theatre visits
5 Fairtrade wines
4 String Eggs
3 inner animals
2 detectives and
an exciting year of activities

In the 8th month of 2014 the Trefoil Guild agreed to go to the Shire Horse for a meal,
7 Mexicans
6 theatre visits
5 Fairtrade wines
4 String Eggs
3 inner animals
2 detectives and
an exciting year of activities




In the 9th month of 2014 the Trefoil Guild agreed to paint pigs for a Rainbow charity
8 Shire Horses
7 Mexicans
6 theatre visits
5 Fairtrade wines
4 String Eggs
3 inner animals
2 detectives and
an exciting year of activities

In the 10th month of 2014 the Trefoil Guild agreed to celebrate 50 years with 50p's
9 Painted pigs
8 Shire Horses
7 Mexicans
6 theatre visits
5 Fairtrade wines
4 String Eggs
3 inner animals
2 detectives and
an exciting year of activities

In the 11th month of 2014 theTrefoil Guild agreed that our first birthday called for food and drink at Amicis
10 50p challenges
9 painted pigs
8 Shire Horses
7 Mexicans
6 theatre visits
5 Fairtrade wines
4 String Eggs
3 inner animals
2 detectives and
an exciting year of activities

In the 12th month of 2014 the Trefoil guild agreed to once again eat and drink merrily,
11 birthday wishes
10 50p challenges
9 painted pigs
8 Shire Horses
7 Mexicans
6 theatre visits
5 Fairtrade wines
4 String Eggs
3 inner animals
2 detectives and
an exciting year of activities

A brilliant year with some lovely friends and I look forward to 2015

Sunday is a day of rest!

Another day, another Christmas trip. This time I was off to Whitehouse Farm near Morpeth (www.whitehousefarmcentre.co.uk) with the Division Brownies for their Christmas outing. I have taken Rainbows here before so knew that I was in for a good but cold day and I was not disappointed. Three layers on top, two on the bottom, thick coat, hat and gloves, I was determined not to be cold. It was a lot less stressful for me as I was helping a Brownie unit but didn't have any of the added responsibility of organising anything. I just had to turn up and herd them all around.

The Brownies started by writing letters to Santa and going to see Santa and the Good Fairy then it was off to Elf School and before you knew it, time for dinner. 

The day was not without its challenges

1. Going to the toilet with 3 layers of clothes on

2. Trying to drink my coffee at lunchtime before it all leaked out of the crack in the bottom. 

3. Trying to take a selfie to show I was there without the sun blinding me. As you can see from the photo it was very sunny but that photo is deceptive, it was a biting cold wind.

Despite these personal challenges there was still time for the Brownies to see real reindeers, feed some of the animals in the barns and very quickly walk past the rather smelly pigs. We also saw a rather large bird but couldn't decide if it was an emu or an ostrich, whatever it was it was big. The Brownies decided to ride the toy tractors as if they were Formula 1 cars before going to the Animal Barn. This seemed to cause more excitement than seeing Santa when the Brownies had the chance to hold, pet or squeeze animals, wear a very large snake round their shoulders or a tarantula on their head. I supervised from a distance. The day ended with a ride on the real farm tractor and the warmth of the soft play (this won over going to watch an owl display in the very open, cold, windy field I cannot understand why) Then, after getting a reply to the letter that was written at the beginning of the day, it was back home.

Another 7.5 hours on the Service element of the Voyage award.

Where are the dancing waiters?

For the Benton Division Rainbow Christmas outing we went to Tanfield Railway (www.tanfield-railway.co.uk) for the Santa Express. It all started way back in September when I co-ordinated the application for the tickets from Girlguiding North East England.

I cannot believe it was 2011 when we last did this trip but it was such a success I had no hesitation in doing it again. So with all my numbers and credit card at the ready I went to book the tickets on-line. First problem: the on-line booking system wouldn't let me do it for the numbers I wanted. Second problem: I e-mailed the organisers to ask how to get the order done and the reply was "we don't actually have that many tickets left but leave it with us" Hats off to all who sorted it out behind the scenes and arranged for an extra train to be put on so we could all travel together.

So on 5th December 105 excited adults and children and one harassed Joanna left for Tanfield. Apart from the coach driver missing the well signposted turning and a Rainbow with a desperate need for the toilet we got to Tanfield in time.

All we had to do was get them on the train, in the right carriages, in the dark and without losing anyone. It was going well until I was standing in the cafe passing on messages, my units safely on the train.........so who was this standing in front of me, a Rainbow who was supposed to be on the train! One Rainbow leader summed it up as  "its like herding kittens" and she is right.

Eventually we were all on the steam train and off we went. It was like a mystery trip as it was so dark outside and not much lighter inside as the carriages are all authentic and had very little light. It didn't seem to bother most of my Rainbows. Out of the darkness loomed the North Pole station all brightly lit and off we jumped to go and see Santa. Its lovely taking the Rainbows as they are so excited about it all. Santa talked to them all and they all got a present then it was time for snacks, drinks and opening presents.

Then back on the train to return to the bus, waiting to get our goodie bags the Rainbows loved the steam coming from the train and the sound of the whistle. It all added to the magical experience.

We all got goodie bags with presents and badges from Girlguiding North East England and it was time to get back on the bus to go home. I couldn't believe how fast the time went. I thought the excitement would have worn them all out and they would sleep going home. Silly me, they were even noisier going home with the added excitement of the game - how often can I drop my present/sweets/gloves on the floor without Joanna getting annoyed.

And the dancing waiters? One Rainbow said the train journey was boring as there were no dancing waiters like the Polar Express film. Well if she had only said sooner I would have done a dance for her in the aisle. Do you think that would have satisfied her?

That is another section of the Voyage Award completed "Plan and participate in an event of at least 10 hours' duration"