Recent Brownie Activities
Last year was a very busy year for the Pack as it was the Big Brownie Birthday, to round of our Celebrations 9 Brownies, 1 Young Leader and 2 Guider’s joined 2003 other Rainbows and Brownies at Chester Zoo for Wild Encounters. We travelled by tram and train to Chester, visited the Cathedral and then travelled out to the Zoo, once we had deposited our bags and had our tea we joined the others for a Lantern Parade through the Zoo after dark. It was fantastic listening to the animals in the dark and adding our Guiding Wish stars to the Wishing Tree in the Zoo. Then we returned to the Marquee and set up our beds for the night, after our bed time story we all bedded down to try and break the Guinness Book of Records World Record for the biggest Sleepover. The following morning after a good night’s sleeps [much to our Guider’s amazement and our parents too when they heard] we then had our opportunity to spend the day in the Zoo and two of our number made their Promise at the Tiger Enclosure. It was obviously meant to be as there was a huge Brownie Trefoil by the enclosure and it was made very special because two other units arrived at the enclosure whilst our girls were preparing to make their Promise. They and their Guider’s stopped talking and all saluted along with the rest of our Pack as they made their Promise and then they all gave our two rather red-faced Brownies a big round of applause. Everywhere we looked there were other Brownies – in fact there were over 5000 Brownies took part in the weekend event, other visitors to the Zoo said it was lovely to see so many of us though we think they were a little bewildered to see us all. Then it was time to make our way home on the train and tram, the homeward journey was a lot quieter than the journey the previous day as everyone was very tired.
In November the Brownies alongside the Rainbows did some work on the meaning of Remembrance – discussing why it is important to remember and learning about some of the men and women commemorated on the Hollinwood War Memorial from Snowy Owl who is currently researching all those commemorated on the Memorial. They also produced a paper chain with a link for each person whose name is engraved on the Memorial, which they laid at the War Memorial on Remembrance Sunday and which will be used at other points during the commemoration of the hundredth anniversary of World War 1 at both Guiding and Church events.
In December we did a lot of fun and rather messy craft activities. We made Santa’s Reindeer and his Sleigh, complete with handmade Chocolates and then we made Handprint Snowmen baubles for our Christmas Trees and rounded the year off with a Onesie night complete with Pizza and Chips, Hot Chocolate and Popcorn as well as making our own Christingles. In February we celebrated Chinese New Year and took part in the Bloomsbury Publishing Harry Potter Night – we got our Wands, heard about Olivia and Eagle Owl’s visit to Harry Potter world and then were sorted into our Hogwarts Houses. We even had a Potions lesson where Professor’s Eagle Owl and Snowy Owl showed us what happens when you mix Mintos with Diet Coke. We were warned not to try it at home. On Sunday 8th March we took part alongside the Rainbows in the Girlguiding Comic Relief Danceathon. This was a 6 hour challenge and we had a lot of fun trying out different dance styles from Line Dancing to Old Time Dancing, Scottish Country Dancing to Bollywood and Wi Dance to Cheesy Disco dances. So far we’ve raised £475, there’s still a little bit of money to come in but we hope we will pass our target to equal or surpass the £500 we raised last year for the British Heart Foundation. If you would like to support our Comic Relief Danceathon please visit our Just Giving Page at https://www.justgiving.com/MagsnChads60thOldhamRainbowsandBrownies or give Via Vodaphone JustText Giving service by texting our code SMSC60 followed by an amount e.g., £1, £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10 to 70070. The Brownies are currently working a number of Interest Badges, 6 girls are working towards their Speakers Badge after taking part in the March Church Parade when we made our presentation and said goodbye to Brown Owl. Whilst the whole unit is working towards their Number Fun Badge as part of this they are re-designing their bedrooms on a budget of £500 using catalogues. Other badges we are working on include the Home Skills, Fire Safety and Communicators Badges. And of course on top of all these special events and activities we’ve been playing games and singing our favourite songs and most importantly having FUN!