This month we're talking about:

Tuesday 29 May 2012

Helene's cheers keep 1st Rosherville Brownies running at their On Your Marks fun day

Helene's been visiting 1st Rosherville Brownies in Kent. She had great fun at their meeting, helping the Brownies vote for their favourite at their pet show. All the pets had been brushed and were looking at their best - and as they were all fluffy toy animals, they were very well behaved!

On Saturday the Brownies took part in an “On Your Marks” Fun Day. Helene got to help carry the Torch at the Opening Ceremony.  She then cheered on the Brownies as they took part in different games and races - she says her support defintely helped them do their very best.

Helene watched from a distance as the Brownies decorated their own mugs - she didn't want any paint on her fur!  The highlight of the day came when the new Mayor of Gravesham arrived.  Together they watched the Brownies have fun.  At the end of the day Helene sat with the Mayor surrounded by the Brownies and had her photograph taken with them all.

After all her cheering, Helene was quite worn out, and wondering where she'll go next!

Helene, the Mayor and the Brownies having a great day


Monday 21 May 2012

Helene's been thinking about rights with Rainbows and buzzing with Brownies in Northern Moor


After arriving in Northern Moor on Tuesday afternoon, Helene was having a rest, when she was told she’d be visiting the local Rainbow unit! She travelled on the back of a bike nice and safely with her high vis jacket and cycle helmet.

The Rainbows were thrilled to see her and all wanted to say hello. The Rainbows were working on their Right to be Happy badge, and Helene joined in worked with one of the small groups.

What a great helmet!

Doing the Right to be happy badge
After the Rainbows had gone home the Guides arrived and Helene stayed to help with their On Your Marks… badge. Some of the Guides Googled this blog, and after reading about all Helene’s adventures they made her flag and medal which she wore with pride. The rest of the Guides were busy in the kitchen making energy bars. Yum!

Helene sporting her fabulous flag and medal
On Thursday I was taken to see the new County shop and was bought a mini Brownie Promise badge.

Making yummy energy bars
On Friday came Helene’s day to visit 5th Northern Moor Brownies. They were working on a Get the Buzz challenge. This is to get the Brownies ready for a big County camp they’re going on called Buzz. We made an edible bee, fruit and honey smoothie, honey butties and played a bee dice game - it was fun, fun, fun and Helene joined in everything.

On Monday evening Helene went to visit the Wythenshawe Rangers. They were having fun decorating mugs!

Helene’s had an action-packed week here in the North West – and can’t wait to see where she’ll be off to next.

5th Northern Moor Brownies
Buzzing!







Wednesday 16 May 2012

Helene's been in Maryland finding out all about Girl Scouts in the USA


Bears together!
Helene has had a busy week in the USA, Southern Maryland St Mary's County! She was disappointed to have missed Cookie Sales (which is in March) but was excited to hear that 2012 is the Girl Scouts of America's 100th Anniversary. She discovered that Juliette Gordon Low (a friend of the Baden Powell family) brought Girl Guides over to the USA.

At the beginning of her week, Helene made two new friends; Guide Bear and little Guide Bear. She enjoyed looking at all the fun things Girl Scouts get to do!

Helene found out that in Girl Scouts you start at Daisy level (5-6), move to Brownies (6-8) then to Juniors (8-11), then Cadettes (11-14), then Seniors and Ambassadors (14-17).

Lots of things Junior Girl Guides can do -
 a folder, badge sheets and one of three
 'journeys' girls can choose from
Helene was taken sight-seeing around southern Maryland and up to Washington DC. She saw Drum Point lighthouse (a lighthouse built to protect the Chesapeake Bay) and the Washington Monument. We even bought her a badge to say she has seen the lighthouse and she picked up a postcard to send on with her!


She then had fun at her first Girl Scout meeting. She did activities about roles of women and stereotypes. She also started two badges (Playing the Past and Animal Habitat). She had fun working with the girls making paper dolls and creating costumes from the past that they could wear.


Phew! After all that, Helene was rather worn out but was looking forward to joining the Girl Scouts at the County Spring Festival on Sunday before setting off on her next journey…



Thursday 10 May 2012

Pippa’s doing her best – to make ten million girls and young women’s voices heard!


In March I was lucky enough to represent the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. I was there as a member of a delegation to the Commission on the Status of Women – a global discussion about progress towards gender equality.

 As the chair of Anglia Region’s Youth Forum, ASSK, I’ve been involved in advocacy within Girlguiding UK for a few years. I’ve always tried to do my best to make the voices of my peers heard by the right people, to ensure decisions are made with girls and young women in mind. In New York this was scaled up and did my best to bring the voices of ten million Guides and Girl Scouts to international decision makers.


During the two weeks in New York I spoke to many ministers and ambassadors encouraging them to include the specific needs of girls and young women in the policies they were developing. I also got the opportunity to address all the country representatives at the commission by giving a speech during the panel on “Including young women and young men in achieving gender equality”. I certainly did my best, and it looks like the power of united ten million voices was felt - the speech was quoted in reports and summaries of the session.

I hope to do my best again this June, as I have been selected as an Event Coordinator for the WAGGGS Rio+20 Conference Delegation heading to Brazil. This time we will be advocating for sustainable development. I hope to ensure that decision makers understand the future that Guides and Girl Scouts want to see.


Pippa Gardner

ASSK Chair

PS Fancy doing advocacy for yourself? You don’t have to travel to New York! There are loads of resources available to help you make your voice heard. Find out more about taking action through WAGGGS here – or try out Girlguiding UK’s Together We Can activity pack on the Millennium Development Goals.

Friday 4 May 2012

Helene's been on her first Brownie holiday, and has seen this month's topic of 'doing your best' in action

This month’s global conversations topic is excellence, and Helene has seen some fantastic examples of members doing their best this week from making their Promise, to trying new things, to breaking records!


Great sling Helene!
Showing off our badges

Helene's week began with a first response training with three Leaders. Now she’s ready if anyone needs her help wherever she travels next. She’d be keen on trying her first aid badge one day!

The 3rdCheadle Heath Brownies were very excited to meet Helene, and they found out all about her travels and how she’d acquired her badges and tutu. It was a very special meeting for the two newest members of the unit, Abigail and Jasmine, who made their Promise – Helene saw how important it is to Brownies that they try their best at everything they do.
Lots of Brownies in the unit were also given a very special reward, as they took part in a successful world record attempt at the biggest ‘cha cha slide’ dance with 8,500 other members from North West England – what an achievement!

After the meeting Helene had some rest ready for the very busy weekend ahead – the Brownies were off to pack holiday…
18 brownies and four leaders headed off to the Girlguiding Stockport ‘Children’s Inn’ for their annual Brownie holiday. The girls’ chosen theme was ‘Tatty Teddy’ so Helene fitted in perfectly! Over the weekend the girls had loads of fun doing teddy bear themed crafts and activities, having a visit from wild roadshow animals (we were doing the friend to animals badge) having a campfire with marshmallows and planting a jubilee rose, Helene also got herself into a spot of mischief with the Inn’s bear! Luckily she escaped unharmed. She also helped out by being one of the clues in our treasure hunt. She was also presented with a brownies t shirt and a Stockport hatter’s badge.

Helene's time with us ended when she came to our Queen's Diamond Jubilee night. We planted another rose near our meeting place so that the girls that didn't come on holiday didn't miss out and the girls all did portraits of the Queen, origami, and designed their own jubilee t shirts. Word about Helene’s visit had spread so she was also visited by the Guide bear from a local unit!

We are now looking forward to finding out where Helene goes to next…

Eeek it's the bear!

Don't worry Helene, he's very friendly
Planting our rose


Congratulations to the Queen!


Our beautiful portraits