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)