Hello Autumn

For me the first weekend of November marks the height of autumn; the trees are usually colourful with autumn leaves, the weather turns crisp and the fireworks mark my birthday, or that is what I like to think. This year was different, though, as I spent the weekend in Vienna. Vienna is beautiful, walkable, the cakes are fabulous but it is very expensive with the exchange rate as it is. The highlight of the weekend was a four course meal and concert of Strauss and Mozart. OK it was a bit touristy but absolutely great. I didn't think about Guides at all.
When I got back, three days later, I was allowed to open my presents and there was a cake....pretty good, eh?

Surrey West Influential Folk Team

SWIFT is the possible acronym for the VIP Hit Squad we got together last night. Recognising that the Centenary year gives us excellent opportunities at County, Division and District level to promote Guiding to people with influence, we felt that we needed to be able to do it to the best of our ability. So last night Julia, our Centenary Champion helped by Lesley, former Lady Mayor of Guildford so has been a VIP; Cindy, my predecessor as CC; Rachel and Natalie, Chairs of M&I, met a group of young and enthusiastic girls and Leaders to talk about what was required. We got them to think about how to make people welcome, what they could say, how they should act and so on.

Their first outing is the County Service on the 22nd and we are confident this aspect will now be well looked after.

There are a couple of carrots for them too;

1. the Lord Lieutenant has asked us to provide her with a Cadet next year. This is a real honour as it means accompanying her on visits in Surrey including meeting royalty (she is their representative). Open to 15-18 year olds, we will be looking for candidates in the next few weeks.
2. CHQ have offered Counties the opportunity for five people to be trained as Media Spokespeople. The SWIFTs would be ideal for this.

If you read this and you know a 15-18 year old who would be suitable as the LL Cadet helping Mrs Goad with her bag, make polite conversation etc then please let me know. Details will be on the Weekly News.

Everybody was away this weekend

This weekend was a very busy Guiding weekend generally. A large number of girls and Leaders spent their time in capitals round Europe at Capital Jig. I really liked the fact that several Leaders-only teams went, spending quality time in Prague or Copenhagen with friends. I am going to look on the LASER website and see if there are any photos. I am sure it was a fabulous weekend wherever they went.

I was in Weyside at Lizzie's test residential. I can now admit that I have never QM'ed for more than one day at a time. This was a weekend and I think it went well - both food and everything else. We started with some craft activities and then sent them to bed only to get them up again an hour later (well they weren't asleep) to play a wide game which I called Hammurabbai's vision. I was dressed up with a mask and lots of gold cloth, sitting in the wendy house surrounded by candles (couldn't move because of the fire risk). Not all of them guessed it was me and two of them ran away when I started to talk! Saturday saw us helping Enid with chores in the rain, eating home-made pizza for lunch, trail laying in the afternoon, toad in the hole for tea (their favourite) and a campfire in the evening. Sunday was the assault course, various games, kite making and finishing the walking challenge and other badges.
Not much sleep, very little rest (all QMs know this), but great fun. Congratulations to Lizzie for organising it.

Oh yes - the Guides gave me a Kelly Kettle for my birthday. I tried it out but the wood was a bit damp. Nevertheless I made a reasonably hot cup of tea. I am going to try again when it is a bit drier and I can collect dry twigs and leaves.

Odd happenings

I don't want to comment on the postal strike apart from to hope it means fewer trees are felled, but something odd is happening in my road. I had heard, but never really believed it, that Adam Crozier (Royal Mail CEO) lived there. This morning - and yesterday afternoon -there were photographers stood out a particularly grand and lovely house. Putting two and two together, I guess the rumours are true.
I don't live in a grand house, can I say, but would aspire to when I win the pools or lottery - neither of which I do - so it will have to be an inheritance from a very rich but hitherto unknown relative. I can dream, can't I?

QM - to be

Next weekend I am spending my first weekend as QM for my GIC's Test Residential. I have QM'ed lots of time on overnights and regularly cook for 16 at home so it ought to be OK. The Guides have chosen their menu - or at least as much as I have asked them. I am also trying to add some bits for Adventure 100 (eat up-side-down food..) so it has been a test for me too. I hope I haven't been too ambitious. The Guides love cooking so I think it should be OK although our star cook, Olivia, won't be there. Olivia last year, when we cooked Christmas dinner in tin foil because the kitchen had no pans in spite of having a proper catering cooker, made stuffing from scratch with the barest of equipment - and it was delicious. I have a lot to live up too.

The "Hammurabai's vision" wide game that is currently living in my head will be written down in the next few days.

Then all I have to do is buy the food....I have got rid of the last two bags of (unnamed) lost property from my boot. It was shoes and old clothes and my car was starting to smell really bad so it was time for them to go. The things we do in the name of Guiding- still we wouldn't do it if it wasn't fun and we couldn't laugh about it.

Just chill!

It is a little while since my last post because I have been very busy. Not with particularly pleasant things either. Is it the time of year, I wonder? Is the worsening weather leading to worsening moods? Suddenly everyone is having a go at everyone else. So much for being a Sister to all Guides! Look, people! It is easy to find something to complain about but why make the effort? In the greater scheme of things the things that upset us are mostly trivial and with a quick word in someone's ear can be resolved quickly and amicably. Why let it escalate? After all, what ends up happening is that I have to deal with it. Anger does not solve anything on any occasion. I mean - not on any occasion, none whatsoever.

Remember what Enid said - Smile, dear, or you'll make everyone miserable.

Next time something irritates you, why not take a couple of minutes to work out whether it is really important. Why not put your feet up and have a glass of wine or cup of tea while you ponder. Then either let it go - or have a quiet, friendly word in someone's ear and explain, gently, how their action/words made you feel.

If you want a fight, take up boxing not guiding.

(if anyone is upset about this posting then I am very sorry and I promise not to put negative postings on that often. This is, though, a plea from the heart)

Lots of goodbyes

This post is about work rather than Guiding - I hope you will forgive me. We are currently in that rather odd limbo where we know 19 people are being consulted for redundancy and we know most of their names - but we have to pretend we don't until they tell us themselves. Of course they will be moving on soon and there are many I will miss very much. In a recent round in New Zealand a very good friend lost her job, so this month will be difficult.

Next week a good number of people are taking early retirement and some of them have already gone.

All in all there are a lot of goodbyes. Of course, it impacts morale but I have to praise these soon-to-be redundant employees in that they are all, or at least the ones I have spoken to, positive. They often say that those who leave can be the best ambassadors for your organisation. Let's hope so. I have never regretted leaving an organisation but always look back with fondness at the time I worked there.