Happy New Year - fancy a walk?

Happy New Year to everyone in Surrey West. After an exciting and busy year in 2010 with so many things going on, now it really is back to real Guiding. This year we are going to focus on our volunteers to thank you for everything you do, and to help build a strong community of supporters. Without you all there is no Guiding - you are the most important people in Guiding and we shouldn't forget that.
We have 1600 volunteers in Surrey West and there is no way I can know you all. Neither can I send an email to everyone. So, I know it is late notice but it was in the last Weekly News although not everyone received it, do you want to join me for a walk on New Year's Day? If you would, then meet me at Waverley Abbey car park (or if it is closed, Crooksbury Hill) at 1130. We will work about 3 miles to Sands where we will stop at the Pub for lunch - they are doing an all day breakfast. The pub is dog friendly so bring yours along if you want. Then we will walk over Crooksbury Hill back - another 1.5 miles.
If you are going to be too busy partying to get up then have a fantastic time - don't drink too much and, if you are driving, please keep safe.

Happy Christmas

List of things still to do:

• Make stuffing
• Make stock for gravy
• Make mince pies
• Make red cabbage
• Cook ham for Boxing Day
• Clean cutlery
• Check we have enough napkins
• Make mother-in-law's bed
• Make bread
• Make non-alcoholic punches
• Read all the paper work just received from CHQ (Yes really)
• Deliver presents
• Go to a party in our close
• Move table into dining room to add to the one in there
• Move garden table into kitchen.

I may have forgotten something.

I hope you, like me, will find time to relax between Christmas and New Year. What ever you do, I hope it is a happy time for all of you.

Snow

Last Thursday 14 of us went to see the Railway Children at Waterloo Station. It was very well done and we had a fabulous time. We were lucky that the very bad weather hadn't set in properly so the trains were still running - had it been on Friday or at the weekend we may not have been so lucky.
That same evening my daughter returned from University with a friend due to fly home to KL at the weekend. And that is when Heathrow was, more or less, closed. As she hadn't seen her family for some time she was desperate to go home although we told her she was welcome to stay as long as necessary. We tend to have a revolving door policy in our house and are not often sure how many mouths we are feeding. However, she preferred to go to Terminal 4 and wait there on the off-chance of a flight. We loaded her up with a pack lunch and a sleeping bag. 24 hours later it seems she has got a flight although until she has actually taken off we shouldn't make assumptions. I am sure she will be home before Christmas though.
If I don't blog before Christmas, can I hope you have a happy and peaceful time.

Team Twenty Ten publicity

Today I received a copy of Girlguiding Today. I don't know what the circulation list is but I got it as a member of the QG database. There was a whole page on Team Twenty Ten and swimming the Channel. I don't know if you can get hold of a copy yourselves so I hope it will also be in Guiding magazine which, I understand, is due out shortly.
Well done - everyone and, yes, Lindsay, you are mad to want to do it again but solo.

Student protests

As I was walking to work today across Parliament Square the barricades were out again and police were being transported in - although I don't know if a student protest is expected today, it looked like there was something in the wind.
Looking back on the student protests in the past few weeks I believe that the right to protest is a sign of a democratic and civilised society. However, that does not include the right to violent protest which is why the protests last week were so disheartening. In the second protest there were pictures of a police van being attacked but a group of teenage girls took up position around the van to stop the violence. What courage that must have taken! Would you have stood up to a teenage boy (probably), angry and causing criminal damage? Yet these girls - who looked like they were school girls rather than university students - did it. What a great sign of good morals.
How sad that the criminal damage and defacing of national symbols last week got so much publicity. How much did it damage their cause?
The stronger message was the defence of Right NOT the attack on authority.

Every (snow)cloud has a silver lining

It might be cold and my son might be driving me mad throwing snowballs at the window but there is one bright spot - my floor is being installed two weeks early so will be finished well before Christmas. The fitter was due to work in Reigate but couldn't get up Reigate Hill in the snow so he reorganised to do our work. Of course it is quite noisy working from home with the drilling, sawing and hammering and I am contemplating sitting in garage for a conference call in a minute but at least it will be finished by the weekend.
I understand Margaret's op went well. Let's hope she makes a swift recovery on her new knee.

Felting and the Trefoil Guild Quiz

I spent a lovely Saturday learning how to make felt with my mother and sister. It was quite therapeutic. It was held in the Sunbury Millennium Embroidery Centre. If you haven't seen the Embroidery then it is worth a special trip. It was created for the Centenary and tells you about Sunbury and its histrory. It is housed in a beautiful walled garden. You will be amazed by the skill, the artistry and the sheer beauty of the embroidery and the walled garden looks gorgeous whatever the time of year. The Centre also has an excellent cafe!
On Thursday we went to the Trefoil Guild Quiz for an evening of competition and fun. My mother, daughter and I attached ourselves to Emberbrook for the evening; thanks to Margaret, Bridget and Valerie for putting up with us. Fortunately we won due to some quite amazing knowledge about old films and other things.
I would also like to wish Margaret Nelson good luck as she goes into hospital for a knee replacement tomorrow. A week with my feet up sounds like luxury but I know Margaret is an active body and may not like sitting still for too long.

Lord Mayor's Show and Remembrance Sunday

It has been a busy Guiding weekend for many people. A team of 9 from Thameside Division shadowed our friends from Surrey East manning the feeding station for the Lord Mayor's Show on Saturday. Next year it is our turn to front it. It is a massive effort and involves feeding those involved with the Parade - rumour has it 6500 packed lunches. So next year we will be looking for 35 people to help.
Today many of us will have been taking part in Remembrance ceremonies whether laying wreathes, joining parades or attending church services. It is good for the girls to remember that round the world many young women and men are dying for others. I think it my even mean more to them than it did to me when I was a child and, looking back, there was a sort of silence about war.

Life after a few days of good sleep

As the month has worn on my stress levels have risen. I have a lot of work, losing my laptop was stressful (I got it back with a broken screen), I have had several Guiding meetings this week with late finishes, my husband has been away again......but I eventually decided enough was enough. I haven't slept well and it was a vicious circle (less sleep = more stress = less sleep). So I decided to focus on getting a good night's sleep. I am not a good sleeper at the best of times so this is never easy. I went to bed early having had a glass of milk. I tried to relax before I went and I made myself as comfortable as possible. As my husband was away there was no-one to disturb me. Result - a reasonable night's sleep. The next night was better and last night you would have struggled to wake me. I feel so much better. I have more energy and next week at work looks manageable even though it is still packed.

PS - If you want to go to the Railway Children then I have 14 names but I need to confirm the booking and pay next Friday so let me know asap so I get enough tickets.

Lost laptop

Yesterday I had a meeting in Liverpool from 8am until 4pm. When I left I forgot to pack my laptop. I thought my bag was a bit light but I had handed out a lot of paper so that was what the difference was, or so I thought. On the train back I decided to do a little work - that is when I found out. Fortunately the laptop was located and is going to be couriered back to me tomorrow morning. It means a day off at last! I will catch up tomorrow.
UPDATE; - the Courier failed to collect the laptop as the lady who had it wasn't there. If they pick it up on Monday I should get it on Tuesday morning but I will have to start having things sent to my hotmail address as I can't afford to lose anymore days of work. There are times when you wonder if it is worth it!

Back to proper Guiding

I have at last cleared out my car of almost all camp things. The tent is hanging in the kitchen and everything else has been put away having been washed.
Camp was very cold (at least -3 the first morning I would estimate) but bright and sunny which was lovely - until Tuesday when it rained. Rain is miserable - no escape and gloomy. It rained on Tuesday night and the wind accelerated down Herons Wey and hit my tent and the walls were close to horizontal. It also drove rain in so I was wet. At least it was warm so I didn't need the blankets. Miraculously the rain cleared to give us a dry strike - that is why my tent has been in the boot for nearly a week and I haven't hurried to get it out.
Don' think it was a miserable camp, though, lots of camaraderie and activities. The team whooranised it did a brilliant job. Thanks, everyone.

Off to camp

On the 19th October I went to the 1st Weybridge Guide unit's 100th birthday party and this weekend we are off as a District to camp and celebrate 100 years of Guiding. I think 1st Weybridge is the oldest existing unit in Surrey West and is still thriving in a District where Guide units are also doing well.
The camp will also involve Brownies and Rainbows visiting. Let's hope for fine weather and no rain or frost. However, even poor weather won't spoilt it for me because I really need a break from clients and phone calls. Fortunately mobile reception in Herons Wey can be very patchy....
See you in November!

Vision

Tonight I joined Woking East and Woking West for their Vision event closing the Centenary Year. I would like to thank them very much for their hospitality as I did rather invite myself. I would also like to congratulate them for the successful link up with the Community Channel. I hope everyone else had the same success and, if you didn't, that you had a great time anyway. It is lovely to remeber that we are all part of a massive worldwide family who can change the world if we want to.

Census all in - at last

Well it took bit of time but we have finally achieved 100% payment of census. What is more it appears that in the middle of July the count of Surrey West members exceeded 9,500 which is rather more than I thought. The downside of that is that Margaret has 9563 badges in the office that need to be got out to Divisions and Districts by the 20th. No mean feat I think you will agree.

In case you were wondering.....

BTW - Stars and Sparkle, our planned Gala Dinner, has been postponed as we felt everyone needed a break after the exertions of the Centenary Year. We will let you know when the new date has been confirmed.

Still busy....well no!

I was sitting in a training room yesterday morning wondering where everyone was. At 9.30 I went to see the client account manager who was on his second day back in the office after holiday. He left a message with the client to find out when we were to expect her trainees. At 10.00 she returned his call to say that the training course had been postponed and didn't we know.
So all of a sudden I had 2 days free so I put the work I was going to do on Saturday and Monday into the now-free time yesterday. That left today so I decided to complete a piece of work I have left off for a while and then I decided to take the rest of the day off. You can not believe how good that feels apart from a sneaking sense of guilt that I am not doing anything! I expect I will survive.

Busy again

I had intended to write something every week but time has rushed on with the start of the Guiding year as well being extremely busy at work - 6 days a week instead of the 4 I am paid for.
Anyway here are some of the things I have done this month:

1. Been at the opening of Guild Wood at Herons Wey
2. Climbed the playframe at Weyside together with several ladies in their 60s who are still yong enough to want to try.
3. Run a Japanese evening at Guides
4. Bought a new Guiding sweatshirt
5. Discussed with the Exec how to focus on volunteers next year. One Division suggested calling it "Year of the Leader"
6. Taken daughter to Manchester University
7. Picked sloes for sloe gin (for my husband you understand!)

More about Year of the Leader later.....

Welcome back!

I hope you did get a break over Summer. I did and it gave me some time to actually think about my unit and meeting plans. Now it is back to Guiding - a little refreshed.

Channel Swim - WELL DONE!!

After a weekend of waiting, Team Twenty Ten finally set off from Folkestone at 3am on Monday 2nd August. 15 hours 24 minutes later they arrived in France - not quite a national record but definitely a record for Surrey West!
Well done to the team of six and their very numerous band of supporters.

Now we really are closed for Summer!!

CLOSED FOR SUMMER

As we have all had a long and exhausting year I think we all need a complete break - or as complete as it can be allowing for the camps, swims etc due in the next six weeks. Today the office closed for Summer and I am closing down the County for six weeks as well. From today:

1. I will pick up emails but not reply except if it is an emergency
2. I will answer the phone but only deal with emergencies

So, if it can wait until September, it should do.

See you in September - although I can't pretend to leave this blog unaltered until then.

Beautiful Gardens

This weekend I spent Saturday and most of Sunday at Hampton Court Flower Show helping at the GirlguidingUK Centenary Garden. What a busy two days as people came through the garden in droves. They were very complimentary and many ladies had wonderful memories of Guiding. If you didn't know, the garden won silver gilt and also was the people's Choice. There were also the balconies - Hinchley Wood Guides' Icelandic Balcony was highly commended. We also had several entries in the container category although I haven't discovered whether we were successful there.
It was a splendid event and excellent publicity. Although it was exhausting it was also exhilarating.

Wise words

"A 'No' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'Yes' merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble."- Mohandas Gandhi

Brave the Waves

At the end of July six intrepid ladies will set out from Dover Harbour and will swim in one hour slots to Cap Gris Nez in France. This is 22 miles on a good day but wind and tides might add to this. For two years they have been working hard training week in, week out while still having to go to work, support their families and do "normal" Guiding. What an enormous venture this has proved to be.
Now, dear readers, it is your turn to support them. Channel Swims do not happen without a great deal of cost attached for hiring boats, arranging insurance, covering training costs etc etc. The bill is substantial and fundraising is ongoing.
Before they set out we are holding a sweepstake which will give a £30 prize to the person who guesses how long it will take them to swim across. Please take part - it is £1 a guess and you can give Hours, minutes and seconds. If you want to take part please email me on Countycommissioner@girlguidingsurreywest.org.uk with your guess and then pop £1 a guess in the post to me at 4 Pineridge Close, Weybridge, KT16 9SP.
The sweepstake will end on August 1st so email me now.

Thank you

To all those who read this blog!
If you know anyone who helped at or came to the Herons Wey Fair or made a donation or contributed in any way at all, please will you pass on our warmest (!) thanks for their help in such a busy year. We ask a lot of our volunteers and in such a busy year I am sincerely grateful you could find a gap in your diary to help.
I would also like to thank the brave man who cooked the pig on a very hot day, the Brewery staff who sat quietly most of the day and our superb Announcer who made a great impression on everyone.
I would also like to thank Godalming Band who entertained us on a very warm evening with skill and good humour.

HW Fair

What a hot day! I am burnt to a frazzle.

We had a splendid day at the Fair yesterday with a wide variety of stalls and a great concert in the evening - what, you missed it? Well so did most people because we had very few people came. Whether we made any money we have yet to find out.
In case you missed it (which you probably did) The Cabin at Herons Wey has been renamed "Enid's Cabin" as an XXXth birthday present from Countyto Enid Brewer who has been an extremely able warden for many years. What better than to name a building after her. We thought she would rather have the Cabin named after her than the toilet block!

A notable day

Today is:

1. my 27th wedding anniversary (and they said it would never last)
2. my daughter's 21st birthday (it seems only yesterday she was a tiny baby crying if she wasn't carried around all the time)
3. the day she gets her degree grade (first class in Natural Sciences from Cambridge)

Thank you to Margaret Froome who asked after my Father after I reported he was unwell several months ago. For anyone interested, yes he is now fine and recovered from the stroke which was, fortunately, mild. Suggestions from my stepmother that this has caused dementia, untidiness and aggression are not apparent when we see him as he has always been forgetful, untidy and grumpy (at times). I asked him about it and he said he can't remember if he has dementia but the doctor hadn't told him he had it - but then he may just have forgotten. Same sense of humour, then!

Wales

I had a lovely week in Wales - mainly good weather; lots of visiting and walking; beautiful countryside; unusual cottage. Daughter (19) drove down with son (12) on the Saturday and my husband and I joined them on the Sunday at lunchtime to be greeted with all the reasons she was unhappy:

1. there was nothing to do
2. there was no mobile reception
3. she had to drive 5 miles for fish and chips
4. the pub was no good
5. It was cold
6. It took a tank of petrol to get there...and then you had to pay to get into Wales!
7. all you could see out of the windows were graves
8. She couldn't sleep because of the noise of the sheep...

Then she went home less than 24 hours after arriving with the parting shot "I should have known what sort of holiday you would go on".

Other daughter (20) joined us for a few days later in the week and we saw lots of things and went walking and had a fabulous time.

Can I recommend the area south of Monmouth? It doesn't take long to get to and is very beautiful. We were particularly impressed with Caerwent which we had never heard of but has the best preserved Roman City walls in the UK - practically complete and several metres tall. They now surround a village with areas of excavation such as a temple and a bit of the forum. More impressive in many ways than the better known (and signposted) Caerleon.

Herons Wey Fair and Holiday and things

Just before I head off for a week's holiday in Wales and then three days in Frankfurt I thought I would bring you up to date;

• Herons Wey Fair - beginning to worry that no-one will come so please, please come yourself AND make sure your girls know they can come even if you can't.
• Also worried about raffle prizes - I have generated nine but, apart from one very generous gift, had none from anyone else
• We hope to get builders quotes before the Fair...
• Census is nearly paid - just NINE units still holding out.
• We invited a few selected VIPs to the Gala Dinner and am looking for Divisions willing to host - they don't have to pay we just need spaces.
• Then there is the office move which Alison Watson is managing with Margaret because I am away. If you don't know the office is moving then you need to know we will be based in Guildford after half term c/o the YMCA near Dapdune Wharf.

Herons Wey Fair and Concert - June 26th

You are invited to come to or to help at the Herons Wey Fair on June 26th. This is a big effort this year to raise funds for the new toilet block we have planning permission for.

REASONS TO COME
A wide range of brilliant stalls
A great race programme with fantastic prizes
A chance to enjoy Herons Wey and share it with your friends and family
A fabulous concert in the evening
Excellent food available to buy
Meet old friends; make new ones.
and.....contribute to a great cause.

Watch out for information on the Weekly News.

Parent help

I went to Cobham District Activity Day yesterday, wonderfully organised by Leigh Hopper. Each group of about ten girls (mixed ages) was accompanied by a parent leader. There were also parents running activities and cooking dinner. How did she find so many? Simple; on the acceptance form there was a short sentence about the daughter coming to the event - and then a very big bit saying "I can help at the day in the following way......"
When the responses were analysed a lot of parents had volunteered to cook so she asked some to do other things.
I spoke to one Mum taking a group round and she said she used to help at Cubs but it was pandemonium. She couldn't believe that girls were so different; doing what they were told and being quiet! Perhaps she will offer again.

What my work colleagues didn't know....

Last week I presented, at very short notice, at a "Third Sector" conference. I was given no briefing but had a title - Responsible Reward. As that isn't much of a guide to content I just decided to talk about getting more from less - i.e. how to make sure people do the right thing at the right time in the right way. To do this I had to establish credibility so introduced them to Surrey West (9000 members, 1300 volunteers, 2 staff and 1 campsite) and my role. I then talked through what we are trying to do making sure our volunteers know what is expected of them and introducing them to the idea of performance management for volunteers.

It went well but what surprised me was how many of my wok colleagues came and said they didn't know that I did all this in my spare time. I was amazed as I have occasionally worn my uniform to work, am always borrowing things and doing copying. Still, some people are just not that observant

Spring is sprung

What fabulous weather we are having. Today I planted chard, beans, rocket and squash in my veg patch; tomates, courgettes and blueberries in pots; salad leaves and herbs in wooden boxes. We also had the winter spinach still growing in the veg patch from last year as part of our dinner. Personally I don't care for spinach but the small cost of a packet of seeds has paid us back manyfold.
Recently I went to a day at River Cottage on urban kitchen gardens and Mark, the gardener, urged us to plant cut and come again crops and also planting lots of seeds (well there can be hundreds in the packet) and then eating the seedlings as they taste as good and sometimes more intensely than the full grown plants.
I have also created the most fabulous compost - there is something magic about putting rotten old peelings and newspaper in a heap and then a year later finding it has turned into lovely crumbly stuff. I have three compost bins. I fill the left one and then when it is full transfer it to the middle bin having moved the contents of the middle bin into the right hand bin - which is likely to be empty by that stage. The turning the compost gives you the air bit you need - no need to turn every few weeks - or if there is then someone else must be doing it when I am not looking. I also encourage my son to wee in the left hand bin, which he seems quite happy to do. Boys are far better designed to do this than girls, of course.

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.

Still busy - looking forward to Easter

Life continues at a hectic rate for me with work still very manic. Today I decided to take a day off - well not really a day off as I am only paid for 4 days a week and this is the 5th day. I have sat down and done all (well nearly all) those things that I have been meaning to do for ages like finding someone to cut the hedges, booking a dentist appointment - and so on. For me the simple ticking off of things on a list can be really motivating because I feel I have achieved something. I am also making bread and will make biscuits this afternoon. Then there is ironing to do.

Tomorrow, or today if I feel like it, I am going to set up a questionnaire for Commissioners on Survey Monkey which will help us understanding what soft skills Commissioners need.

Oh - and I have just booked a carpet cleaner to come. The new kitchen has created quite a lot of dust and the carpets need a bit of brightening up.

Lastly, I am going to phone my father who is in Tasmania and had a mild stroke some weeks ago. He seems to have recovered well but his wife tells us he is still very ill. It is very difficult to judge from a distance. He is back in a few weeks so I will be able to make a first hand assessment.

An extremely busy fortnight

Having worked for 16 days of the past 21 and been in Cambridge for 2 of the other days, One World One Beat on one day, another day with four events (and I only got to three) and I think that leaves one day free, so I hope you will forgive me for not having blogged recently.

Here is the news:
Herons Wey Fair
June 26th - to raise finds for the toilet block. Wanted stalls run by members, stalls to be run (at a cost) by traders, raffle prizes and advertisers for the programme. Also needed preformers for the arena and providers of food. All offers most welcome.

Gala Dinner - Stars and Sparkle
As a thank you at the end of Centenary (November 19th in this case) we are holding a "posh frock" dinner at Kingston County Hall. Wanted sponsors so we can keep the cost down - if you know businesses who might sponsor, flowers, wine, canapes or provide raffle prizes, let us know. All profits to HW Water project.

Weyside Playframe
We hope that the playframe will arrive next week and will be erected soon after that. Keep an eye out. There are still spaces to hire Weyside later in the year so you can be one of the first groups to use this equipment.

Lord Lieutenant's Cadet
Congratulations to Bronwyn White who beat tough competition to be selected as the Cadet for the next year.

Queens Guide
Congratualtions to Augusta Theorachous who has become a Queens Guide just as her sister, Olympia, did eighteen months ago.

Chief Guides Award
Well done to our Chair of Junior Council Helen Clark on getting her CGA.

I am sure I have forgotten so much.

I have also had the sad job of writing to two Leaders who have each lost their teenage daughters through illness. Out thoughts go out to them.

Lastly - Well done everyone - we have over 80% of our units registered as paying their subscription. The reason this is good is because the magic number when we would get money refunded is 80% so we will be paid this year. Our Treasurer will be pleased (when she gets back from holiday)

One World One Beat and Dittons Exhibition

Today I went to One World One Beat at Cobham. I know that it is not a Surrey West event but it was in Surrey West and a large number of Surrey West members went and, importantly, helped in a variety of capacities including on the organising committee. I went, unusually, as a Leader which was great because I got to really join in. It was fun! The girls had a brilliant time.

The previous day I went to Ditton Library to see the opening of the Dittons Centenary exhibition. What a lot of hard work has been put in! I hope this will really raise Girlguiding's profile locally. I hope other Districts and Divisions will do something similar - all those vacant shops would be fantastic for putting a display in. Just a thought.

Voyage Round the World

Another triumph for Surrey West! 1200 members came to Charterhouse School to voyage around the WAGGGS regions doing a wide variety of activities. They seemed to be having a great deal of fun whether it was making something, eating something, making music - or making mess! Again our VIPs saw a number of excellent activities before joining us in the Chapel for a closing ceremony in the morning. And then we did it all again in the afternoon.
Well done to the Committee - rather more extensive than for Wet and Wacky but still relatively small.

More about fundraising

Tonight we held a fundraising evening and it was a success! We raised nearly £170 which, when added to our penny collection means we have raised £268.64 for Herons Wey. One father thinks he can get matched funding from his work so that means £537.28 for the Hot Water Competition. So we have thrown down the gauntlet!

Subscription received, correct, paid

I don't suppose 98th Old Palace Guides are the only unit in the country who received a correct subscription invoice - which we have now paid. Well done, Lizzie, for getting details on Go at new year.

Justgiving

Please look at the Surrey West website www.girlguidingsurreywest.org.uk and click on the "make a donation" button on the right hand side. You will be helping several people to have a mountain top moment as you will be funding their Channel Swim. Please give what you can.

Planning Permission

We have got planning permission to build a new toilet and shower block on Herons Wey and to put up a fantastic playframe. We already had PP for a large toilet block but we revised this as it was going to be tough to find the money for; the new PP replaces this and makes the building programme more manageable. We still have to find money though. The playframe should go up shortly. It will be behind Weyside but we are adding to the copse between the playframe and the gate to shield the neighbours from noise of the screaming variety (their words).
It is good news for all of us and will allow us to modernise the facilities as well as being "green".

I'll keep you posted of details

The pleasures of letter writing

So often now we just wing off an email to someone in response to something but how rarely do we sit down and craft a letter? Maybe it is a generational thing because the Trefoil Guild are very good at writing letters and we had many lovely thank you letters after the Tea Party last year. I am not complaining now, but this contrasted to the event the next day when we got a few emails saying it was lovely but these were very few and no letters at all so far.
Following last week's rather gruelling Parish Council meeting, I have carefully drafted a number of letters addressing most of the points raised. What a pleasure it is to develop an argument and create proper sentences to explain yourself. To respond courteously and reasonably. To be clear and concise.
I write the letters then read them out loud to make sure they flow well. It may be old-fashioned and slow but it is so cathartic and creative. I also like to write the things I really want to say just to get them out of my system - and then delete them. Or sometimes I write them to my friends and we have a good laugh then I write my very proper letter.
I find this works with complaints too - you appear eminently reasonable while saying "no".
No doubt you knew all of this.

Patience is a virtue

They say that having children teaches you patience but I find that actually it is working with adults that does that. Interpret that as you want!

Snow

Snow looks very lovely and is a joy unless you have to travel or work. We have two snowmen in our front garden, one of which is 6 feet tall and has ab muscles.

The snow is gradually melting now, of course, so we may be able to walk to school and the railway station without slipping and sliding! I prefer working at home anyway and it has been acceptable in the last few days, but tomorrow I will go to the office if only to print things for my Guide meeting on Friday. I also have to go to Tilford tomorrow for the Parish Council as I am trying to get to know our neighbours at Herons Wey. Having had to be pushed out of roads in Guildford this morning, twice, in my car I am keeping a careful eye to make sure it is safe to go.

2010 and regular Guiding

I have sent an email to all of the Exec to passon so I hope that within the next few days you will recieve something from me telling you about all of our plans. However, if you don't get it then I am attaching it below (if technology permits) for you all to read...

To all my friends and colleagues in Surrey West – Happy New Year!

What a year we are entering as we celebrate the Centenary started last September at Wet and Wacky. How many fabulous events and opportunities lie ahead of us! But we shouldn’t forget that every week Guiding continues across Surrey West just as it does every year; hundreds of Leaders delivering the Guiding programme supported by hundreds of Commissioners, Advisers, Co-ordinators and other Helpers; thousands of girls learning new skills and developing their potential.

In 2009, A group of Commissioners, Advisers, Trainers and others from across the County got together to decide what Surrey West was for – what we had to do to help all those Leaders working with girls. What we visualised was that every girl who wants to and could benefit from the Guiding programme in Surrey West should be in the position to do so. However, that makes some demands on us at County, Division and District level; are there enough Leaders? Can we help them develop skills to deliver the best programme? How do we inspire those Leaders to carry on helping?

A small group, the Guiding Development Group, have been thinking this through and have come up with lots of ideas that should move us in the right direction. As we enter 2010 I’d like to tell you a bit about what we have planned – it is not a complete list as we will be working further on the ideas throughout the year but I hope it will give you a flavour of what is to come.

Attracting people of all ages to help the girls who join us participate in our distinctive, stimulating and enjoyable programme of activities;
We will help you recruit more adult helpers by offering you the guide to recruitment we wrote last year with Surrey East; Take a look and use it!
We will take advantage of PR opportunities to publicise what we do – you can do that locally too.
We will promote flexible Guiding.
We will encourage potential helpers to give whatever time and skill they have as a Leader or in some other way.

Training adults and Young Leaders in the skills they will use in Guiding;
The new Leader packs introduced last year will be used to welcome new volunteers;
New to Guiding trainings will be available throughout the year.
We will find and train mentors in all areas of Guiding – would you be interested?
We will find and support “trainers” and “Trainers” to strengthen our training team. Is this something you could do?
We will offer training courses as required. One of our members suggested Minibus training and we have organised it – is there something else you think we should offer?
We will start to train Commissioners to support their Division or District as best they can – if they need it.
We will make sure everyone knows about and can take part in training sessions, so keep an eye out on the Weekly News.

Inspiring them to continue giving us support;
We will make sure we recognise what you do and thank you for it; celebrating your success publicly. You can nominate and thank your own local heroes as well.
We want to keep your skills even if you can no longer be a Leader so we will make sure someone talks to you about it long before you leave and we will keep in touch.
We will make a special effort to keep in touch with our Senior Section as they go off to University – and we will make contact with Students at the Higher and Further Education Institutions in Surrey West.

Facilitating delivery of Girlguiding UK’s programme through the provision of and access to essential resources;
We will make sure you have the funding to do what you want to do, if it is available – look on the website or Weekly News and if you hear of funding then why not let us know?
We will make sure you have the advice and support you need from our advisers and co-ordinators by making sure we have the Advisers we need and they have the skills they need.
We will make sure you know where to find help – the County website is up and running and we hope you will use it more and more this year.
We will offer an exceptional Programme of activities for all ages – this year the Centenary will be the theme and you will be hearing a lot about it through the year. This will include things for adults which we hope you will support. If you have ideas then let us know. We can’t promise we will do everything but we know that out there people are saying “why don’t County....?” so don’t let it be a rhetorical question!
We will manage Herons’ Wey so that it provides an exceptional place for all our members.

Underpinning all of this is our wish to provide a flexible and supportive environment; and combine respect for the individual with having fun.

You will be the best judge of how any of us match up to this! At the end of the year look back and see whether we have done what we said. Have you shared your thoughts with us? Are we meeting up to your expectations?

I always love to talk about Guiding and you are welcome to email me on countycommissioner@girlguidingsurreywest.org.uk or phone 07884 110 677 with ideas, comments and news.

In the meantime can I thank my wonderful Guiding Development Group for these ideas; Alison Watson (Chair of Adult Support and Assistant County Commissioner), Denise Clark (County Treasurer), Bronach Hughes (Esher Division Commissioner representing Commissioners), Rachel House (joint Chair of Marketing and Information) and her predecessor Julie Alexander. This year we hope to add a Chair of Programme to our team who will represent Advisers.

Happy Guiding in 2010.

Georgina