Free Writing

This was the final reflection session of 3 and this one was all about getting in touch with your subconscious thoughts. This technique is used by writers to clear writers block and for collecting initial thoughts on a topic e.g when first given a topic for a new training. The technique involves writing solidly for a set period of time, to see what flows - no stopping to check or read work, or even taking the pen off the paper! Some folk benefit from a period of relaxation or moving to a quiet area.

You can use a stimulus - we tried it with items from newspapers to get initial thoughts going - no reason why you couldn't start off with some GG UK resources or activities.  

The Girl Guide Officers' Training School (GGOTS)

 

 

Page 65 from the above "Girl Guide Album"

I picked up this book from Amazon for £3 plus shipping, it bills itself as a "brief pictorial review of Guiding from 1910-1985 drawn from newspapers, books, song sheets, photographs and a wealth of other material." 1985 was the year I started my guiding career and I was really struck how little change there had been in the first 75 years of Girl Guiding; and just how fast the pace of chance has been in the last 30 years. 

 

Page 65 featured above shows a Girl Guide Officers' Training Camp in 1917 at Windy Sayles, Boxmoor, home of Mrs Agatha Blyth who was the pioneer of Guide Training. When Mrs Blyth resigned in 1918 the school became part of HQ, by then there were other Training Schools in different parts of the country. The start of Training in GG UK?

 

If you get chance to look through a copy do so as you will be amazed how much you recognise still from today's guiding.

 



Pacechangers, Icebreakers & Energisers

I had to dig this out this week for a colleague - it was originally compiled by the Midlands Trainer Support Group back in 2003 but I have dipped in and out many times over the years. The ones that go down the best are the sweets ones "Yes and No" (p11) and "Smarties" (p17). I recently promoted at my Trainers Support Group and at the next meeting a former Midlands trainer turned up with some to sell so they are still around. I paid £2.50, and yes you probably could trawl up a lot of these ideas on the internet but it is useful to have them all in one place so you can dip in and out. I've made some notes on the inside cover as to how to adapt one of the most popular ones.