A Guide is honest and can be trusted

Here is a conundrum for you:

• Surrey West has now got more units than in 2009.
• Surrey West has 300 fewer girls ( note this is a similar proportion in other Counties) on Go! than in the 2009 Census

Well maybe we overdeclared last year - but as we had more control over what was declared in 2009, is that likely?

This is a serious problem. I know one unit which is a full and thriving one who has only two girls on Go - I don't know what they have declared for their subscription. The impact is this: the fewer members we declare the less income we have. The County budget is carefully worked out to break even on the basis of 9000 members, itself somewhat lower than the 9200 in 2009. Yet we now have 8700 according to Go. That is a loss of income to County of £1500 or, to put it in terms you can relate to; the cost of renting the County Office, reduces our ability to support girls going on International trips by 25% , would reduce the number of copies of Air and Share by one half. You get the picture, I am sure.

I know that some people have been resistant to using Go and we have done all we can to support them and provide them with alternatives. There are still some units not on but it now appears that some units are entering a few girls just to say they have. Ladies, this is not good enough!! I am going to spend an unhappy few days finding out who you are by looking at your 2009 Census numbers against the numbers on Go! I didn't volunteer in Guiding to do that! If you are an offender then you will hear from me for an explanation.

Sorry for the rant. Food Poisoning has made me tetchy.