How is it June already?! It’s a particularly busy time of year for Guide leaders, as they prepare for summer camps as well as plan for the new term in September.
This month, nine units from Caterham, Chaldon, Chelsham, Hurst Green, Lingfield, Oxted & Limpsfield, Warlingham and Whyteleafe are joining Guides and Scouts from all over the county for Scoutabout weekend. This three-yearly event reaches almost mythical status within the Scout and Guide community as the young people arrive pale, shy and withdrawn on the Friday, and within 24 hours they are running around with colour in their cheeks. And dare I say that the leaders have as much fun as the children?!
There’s a saying that volunteering is just ‘an hour a week’, but we have long since stepped away from applying this to Girlguiding (or Scouting!). While you are 100% welcome to simply help out at a meeting and go home again without fear of judgement, the truth is that Guiding gets under your skin and this leader is happy to allow it to play a much larger part in my week!
June is also a big month for celebrating the amazing contributions made across the country, with Volunteers’ Week from 3 – 9 June. This culminates in The Big Help Out weekend, where people get a chance to experience a range of volunteer taster sessions. In Caterham, our members will be litter picking at the carnival, and we welcome adults of all ages to visit a unit meeting to see what goes on.
I have plans to hold a drop-in taster day in one of the shops in Church Walk and elsewhere. Meanwhile, in my own units, we would love someone to help us sell overstocked badges, update records of what our young people have achieved, and chase subs and consent forms. And, of course, there is always space in the meetings for another pair of hands too!
We would also love to start up a new Rainbow unit in Caterham on Tuesdays, and provide for Rangers on Wednesdays. Two units in Warlingham are about to close and Godstone has recently closed Rainbow and Brownie units for which you can bet there is still demand. We will be at the Godstone Donkey Derby in August, so come and say hello.
To find out how you can be the difference to a unit near you, contact our Facebook page, mail Sue at godstonedivision@gmail.com or visit the Girlguiding website.
