Guides
The 1st Warley Guides meet in the church hall on Tuesday evenings. The guides are a very busy group - see the report below for an account of their activities in 2007. If you would like to join please use the contact us page - please note there is currently a waiting list.
Girl Guiding web site - http://www.girlguiding.org.uk/
News in July 2010
On 21st May, 21 members of 1st Warley travelled to the Guide Camp Site at Chigwell Row for a very special event. We were joining about 500 other Guides and Senior Section members from Essex West Guides for our own Centenary Celebration. After setting up camp and a good night’s sleep, Saturday dawned and after a hearty breakfast cooked by Doc and Elizabeth, we were ready for the day!
In the morning we took part in activities based in the area set aside for bouncy castles, gladiator challenge, bungy stretch and the new horse racing inflatable, which proved very popular and great fun. It wasn’t just strength that counted, but being able to stay on your feet! We returned to camp for lunch and a break before getting ready for the afternoons games and activities organised by the ‘It’s A Knockout’ team. The most popular games involved water, as by now it was very hot!
We weren’t part of the winning team but had great fun and enjoyed meeting lots of other Guides. After a short break for a drink and to catch our breath, there was a Treasure Hunt all around the site with sweets as a prize for every team. There was just enough time to return once again to our tents to get into party wear for the Bar B Que and disco. It was marvellous to be part of such a large group in the marquee all having such a good time. All too soon it was 9.30 p.m. and time to return to camp and for the day visitors to make their way home. Getting ready to cut the birthday cake, which was in the shape of a bouncy castle, and to sing “Happy Birthday” to Guiding
On Sunday morning we had made time for an activity – crate stacking – before taking the tents down and preparing for going home. We were so lucky with the weather, probably the best week-end so far this year and every one including those who were camping for the first time, had a really super time and will have memories to last for many years of a very special time celebrating 100 years of Guiding.
Sylvia Partridge
1ST WARLEY GUIDES 90th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
On 25th September, 1st Warley Guides will be holding an ‘Open House’at the Christ Church Centre, Warley Hill. If you, or anyone that you know, has a connection with the Guide Unit we would be delighted if you could join us for the Celebration.
News in May 2010
We have yet again had a very busy and enjoyable year, the Centenary Year for Guiding. We have welcomed several new girls but still have quite a long waiting list.
Last summer we met at the Guide Camping ground for all the summer term. We really enjoyed the out-of-doors cooking, wide games and campfires.
In May we held our annual camp at Chigwell Row- with a circus theme. Completely by chance, there was a visiting circus near by and this added to our activities and helped to make a really enjoyable week.
Other highlights were water zorbing at Thriftwood, the Scout Centre. At a visit to the ice rink in Romford, several girls made their Promise standing on the ice - I, however, stayed on terra firma!!
On 5th September, we joined with around 300 other Brentwood Guides in South Weald Park for a Rally ro mark the Centenary of Guiding.
In the autumn term our centenary activities included a party for 2nd Brentwood Brownies, complete with home made party bags made at Guides the previous week. The rest of the term was spent in crafts, bread making and preparing for our own Christmas Bazaar.
Several girls took part in the final District celebrations by travelling to Colchester Zoo to see Father Christmas. Our last meeting before Christmas was held at IZUMI - a very enjoyable and happy evening.
Since Christmas, the girls have carried out their own choice of activities from a Centenary 'GO FOR IT'. This involves the girls looking at a series of activities, choosing four different ones, planning when to do each and deciding who will bring the materials needed on each week. This gives the girls a lead in planning our programme and helps them in team work and evaluating what they have done.
In January, we joined 750 others for our special trip on Eurostar to Disney. This was the largest, single group of Guides to travel abroad. We had a fantastic week-end culminating with a show put on by some of the girls on the Disney Fantasy stage: a truly memorable event.
At the Division Thinking Day Service in February, we had tasting exotic fruits, looking at how Fair Trade works and finding out about Guiding around the World. For Mothering Sunday we made cards and painted china plates. We ended the term with a film and popcorn evening.
Sylvia Partridge, Guide Guider
1st Warley Guides trip to Disneyland
As part of Girlguiding’s Centenary and our 90th Anniversary celebrations, 12 members of the Unit joined with over 700 others and set out on Friday 29th January for Disneyland, Paris. Our journey on Eurostar went quite quickly and after a short coach ride we arrived at our Disney hotel.
On Saturday morning we awoke to a covering of snow, which only added to the magic of Disney. We had a fun-filled day of rides and shows, making some time for a bit of shopping before returning to the Hotel for dinner. On Sunday morning we found time for more rides before the very special show on the Fantasyland Stage. Several members of Essex West put on our own show before a very appreciative audience. We also had an exclusive photo shoot with Mickey & Minnie – as you can see below! After lunch, we set out for the return journey.
We were all very tired by the time we reached Ebbsfleet, but we would all have memories to last a lifetime.
Sylvia Partridge
Girlguiding Celebrates 100 Years!
On the 5th September 1909 a few groups of determined girls 'gate crashed' the first Boy Scout Rally at Crystal Palace in London and demanded 'something for the girls'. Just a few months later, the Guide movement was formed.
In an age when skirts were ankle length and young ladies never ran, the idea of girls being involved in camping, hiking and similar activities received a mixed response. Angry critics denounced ' girl scouting' as a 'mischievous new development', a 'foolish and pernicious movement' and an 'idiotic sport'.
Baden-Powell's letters from this time show that he had a scheme in mind for the girls. The pioneers who turned up at the 1909 Crystal Palace rally called themselves Girl Scouts, but when he founded the girls' movement, Baden-Powell decided that the name should change. He wanted to create a separate identity for the girls so that they could work for self-development independently, not in imitation of their brothers.
In 1910 he formed the Girl Guides, asking his sister Agnes to look after the new organisation. A few years later his wife Olave became involved and, in 1918, was appointed Chief Guide. Such was the enthusiasm for guiding that it soon spread worldwide, and since those early days, millions of girls and women of all ages have made the Guide Promise. Today there are ten million girls and women involved in guiding worldwide.
On Saturday 5th September 2009 Brentwood West District, in conjunction with over 640 events across the country, celebrated the launch of Girlguiding UK's Centenary. Our celebrations were held in South Weald Park and were attended by over 400 Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Senior Section members. There was something for everyone, with a range of activities from face painting, arts and crafts, speed stacking and bouncy castles. More importantly, the girls also enjoyed activities ranging from tug-of-war, hula-hooping, kite flying and skipping which our predecessors would have enjoyed 100 years ago.
The Girlguiding Centenary is a chance for the guiding family to push boundaries, pick up challenges, live a dream and remind themselves and the wider world what they're really made of.
Fiona Coleman, Warranted Guider, 1st Warley Brownies
Report for 2008
We have again had a very busy and enjoyable year.Some girls have left and we have been pleased to welcome some new girls keeping our numbers quite high.We do still have a waiting list of several girls.
Activities during the first half of the summer term included working on the County Chocolate Challenge. This included many activities and not just eating it.As part of the Challenge we had to compile a scrapbook of our activities for a competition.This carried on into the autumn term.The girls also worked on badges and other activities.
The second half of the summer term was spent making the most of the out-of-doors including a treasure hunt around Brentwood, cooking at the local camp-site, an evening in Thorndon Park and a picnic in South Weald.
During the autumn term we explored crafts using ‘autumn materials and made bread.In November we spent a week-end in London, staying at the Guide World Centre called Pax Lodge.We visited London Dungeons and Madame Tussaud’s on Saturday and went for a river trip and lunch at Planet Hollywood on Sunday.During out travels around London, we took photos at different underground stations to spell out ‘chocolate’ – all part of the challenge.All this effort proved very worthwhile, as we won the Guide Section for the best scrapbook.
We were also very successful in the Division Handicraft Competition and won the Guide Shield for most points. The Guides worked very hard both at Guide meetings and at home to produce some very high quality items.
During the Autumn term we helped at the Church Christmas Bazaar and held a successful evening ourselves.We finished the term with an evening at TIMBUK2
Since Christmas, we have looked at the International side of Guiding, including an African themed evening to celebrate World Thinking Day with other Guides, Brownies and Rainbows in the District. We made cards, gifts and gift bags for Mothering Sunday, enjoyed a musical evening using boomwhackers and made Easter chicks and edible nests.
Our last meeting of the Spring Term was very special when the four girls who had been working very hard towards their Baden Powell Challenge – the highest award they can achieve – were presented with their Awards by the Division Commissioner in front of Parents and invited guests.We congratulate Rachael Franklin, NinaHumphries, Hannah Keely and Sophie Sutherland-Harper on their Awards.
The summer term will again be busy with girls taking part in local and Regional events.We will also be looking forward to our next big adventure – a visit to Hong Kong in October.
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(21st June) In the lead up to the Girlguiding centenary in 2010, every Rainbow, Brownie and Guide, is being challenged to “Change the World” in which we live by raising both awareness and funds for leading national and local charities. The “Change the World” project is designed to give all girls a chance to take part in meaningful community action through fund and exciting activities.
1st Warley Brownies has chosen a number of charities to support through 2009, which include the Willow Foundation.
The Willow Foundation is a national charity that funds and organises special day experiences for seriously ill young adults aged between 16 and 40 years of age. In its 10th year, the Foundation is running its annual June campaign “Piece of Cake”. Organisations and individuals are encouraged to hold tea parties to sell cakes in order to raise funds which are donated to the Foundation.
The 1st Warley Brownies thoroughly enjoy participating in the Family Services at Christ Church, especially when providing and serving the refreshments. They even love the washing up! So, I felt it would be a great idea to marry the two events together at our Family Service on 14th June 2009.