Trainers Conference 2015

April has been a fun month for Guiding and I really enjoyed the GG UK Trainers conference up in Staffordshire a couple of weekends ago - it was inspirational to realise there are so many dedicated Trainers across the UK. We were all very cleverly helped to experience what it is like to be a brand new learner at a training. My Saturday afternoon new challenge was a session of Taoism on the lawn between the bedroom blocks. I admit I was sceptical but I actually really enjoyed it and it was beautiful with the sun shinning down, and a slight breeze blowing around us, as we all relaxed. It also felt like a bit of a celebration too with a gala dinner on the Saturday night with an excellent speech. More to follow soon.

A Fishbone on Glos County Training Day

Example of a Fishbone diagram to illustrate the issues around transitioning between the sections

 

I was fortunate enough to attend a workshop this month on using a variety of techniques to encourage attendees to participate in discussion so I thought I would give this idea a go. At our recent county training day I was given 1 hour to run a workshop on celebrating a smooth transition process - it was cross section so I had to try and get something in for everyone. I thought by charting all of the pitfalls on the fishbone we could usefully use the hour to focus on the positives and the celebration aspect. However I was knocked off course immediately in that the preceding workshop overran so both I & the Leaders were waiting outside the classroom to go in. Which meant I didn't get time to prepare so was literally facilitating the workshop in the order it came out of the bag for life - not good. There was plenty of discussion but there were some very very experienced Leaders who had a lot to share, so it was difficult to get the majority of the group contributing,

 

Next time I will insist on either being the first workshop after lunch or having an empty classroom to set up in advance. I would also split the group for part of the workshop into their section to make the sharing of experiences more meaningful. From some of the conversation I overheard whilst waiting for Taps I suspect there had been an overlap with the content of the afternoon workshops and some of the morning trainings - it will be interesting to see the feedback forms.

 

The first training on "Good Guiding is ....." and Adventure & Challenges - despite being bigger than I had anticipated went really well. The groups had to overflow into the corridor to work and I had to trim material from the end of my plan in order to finish on time. The old GG book on Wide Games was a real hit and I pointed them to a USA site selling a copy for $20! 

Guide Challenge Badge - Unit Guidelines

I visited the annual County Leadership Qualification Training weekend yesterday to do the Guide section training. It was lovely to see so many new young leaders, and the enthusiasm was infectious but what was alarming was the percentage in our small Guide group who didn't know about unit guidelines! So I thought I had better check to make sure we are correct (we re-do the guidelines at the start of each September) and all the guides sign them. Here is the extract from the Guide Challenge badge online:

 Over a 12-month period, be a reliable member of your Patrol.

• Talk to your Patrol about what it's like to belong to that team and make one suggestion for improvement.
• Sign and keep the unit's Guidelines.
• If you have sometimes found the Guidelines difficult to keep, discuss this with your Patrol and make suggestions for changes.

Girlguiding Emergency File

Happy New Year for 2015!

This is a new resource sent to the main unit contact (and featured in the last Trainers' mailing on email). It is A5 size and designed to be kept with the unit at all times and needs to be populated with unit emergency contact details, healthcare plans & activity risk assessments. It also includes templates for Emergency Contact Information, Witness Statements, & Fire Evacuation Information. It's the first time I've seen the risk management flowchart, risk assessment matrix & members' benefits scheme so widely published - I do hope there will be some publicity & explanation to come.
Extra blank forms can be printed from the forms area within the resource library once logged onto the members area.

   

Being Prepared!

A really good Risk Assessment resource updated in 2013 after 10 years.It's a lot lighter but is a downloadable resource rather than a purchased one. The case studies have been updated, but the art work is identical so well worth retrieving before recycling the one on the left. The old one had a rather extensive table of things that could go wrong which is missing from the new version but not a great loss. There are now some separate flow charts (not included in the resource) on risk management & "Can I do an activity with my unit?" and a Risk Assessment Template which are useful training tools.

A way to display the Brownie Promise

This was given to me by a very resourceful Leader I met at a training in Newent last month. A split pin has been used so the flower can be turned and the lines of the Promise have been numbered to help the Brownie learn her promise - a lovely idea.

Thank you.

A Prayer for an AGM

Extract from "A little Book of Prayers" by Lilian Woodward 1996. Mrs Woodward died recently and had been very active in Mid Glos guiding for many years. This is a super little book with many prayers for different guiding occasions including last night at camp and around the camp fire. We used this one at our recent AGM:

O Lord God we come before you at the beginning of our Annual General Meeting to praise you for all the good things that have taken place in our Division/District since we met last year.

For the friendships that have been made and the good that has been done in caring for those who needed help.

We thank you for those who have served the Division/District so faithfully during the year, giving of their time and energy and not sparing themselves in any way. Help us not to take it all for granted.

So often we take what Guiders have to offer without acknowledging their dedication to the Movement, and often forget that the service offered is voluntary, not seeking any reward.

May all that is said and done here tonight be for the furtherance of our Movement and prove to be a blessing in the days to come.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord

 

Amen