Flexible Rainbow Guiding Or How to do things differently

Aim of the session The aim of this session is to look at different ways we can offer Rainbow Guiding to all the girls who wish to join

Objectives At the end of this session, you will have had the opportunity to: Think about other ways we can do Guiding Come up with some radical solutions for your area Take away ideas and agree an action Ask questions

Guiding in 2014 Girl-led Guiding Good Guiding Growing Guiding Flexible Guiding

Growing Guiding – Underpinning Principles Our overarching aim is long term growth of youth membership Any drive to increase volunteer numbers derives from this National Every girl should be offered the chance to participate in the guiding programme. If this cannot be delivered in a unit setting, it should be offered in a different format Regional

Growing Guiding – Underpinning Principles Retention of existing & recruitment of new members is equally important Consistently high quality delivery critical National Growing (good)Guiding Regional

Growing Guiding – Underpinning Principles National Regional Local ownership is important

Winnie the Pooh, coming down stairs

Eliminate the negative! They won’t all get in!’ ‘We have run out of venues’ ‘Rainbows want weekly meetings’ ‘It’ll never work!’

Accentuate the positive Statement cards on table Tell rest of group Respond – positive statements only!

Rules of the game! No ‘More leaders – more units’!! No ‘They’! No complaints about ‘Join Us’ or GO

How flexible can we be? In one area of the Division, there are 50 5 year olds on the Rainbow w-t-j list, and as many 4 year olds. The only Rainbow Unit is run by new leaders and it took 3 years to find them. Places have been offered in other units but the list keeps growing. We now need a radical solution.

Things you might want to know Only one community centre One 1 hour space left after the Rainbow meeting A new community centre 1 mile away 3 other Rainbow units in the Division Area is a new housing development, cut off from rest of Division by a motorway

Your role Local solutions to local issues Innovation & imagination Removing myths, legends and barriers Taking action – getting on with it!

Your tasks Think about your priorities Think about radical, innovative solutions Resources (remember no ‘more leaders, more units’!) Selling it – to parents, girls, leaders

Your ideas, your solution What would work in your area, and why? What support would you need, and from whom?

Steps forward Practical and pragmatic Action-based plan Innovation & imagination ‘Get your retaliation in first’ Be informed - FAQs Sell the benefits Positive, forward-thinking

The longest journey starts with the first step…