Packing up a Guide Company

I felt I was called to start the Rays of Hope Guide Company so it wasn't easy to close it.   I had prayed about it though and, as the 4th term progressed, fewer and fewer girls attended.  When on the last day only Samantha turned up, I felt at peace about closing the company.

It was only yesterday when I went to empty the cupboards at the hall that sadness crept across my consciousness.   I went through workbooks and was again impressed by what the girls had learned, their art work, the enthusiasm that shone through a lot of what they had done.   It was three years of my life and I don't think it was in vain.   I believe their time as Guides made a difference to at least some of the Guides and it certainly changed me.   As I looked through some of the photos of the girls, I realised how fond I had become of them.   I understand more about poverty and about the different ways different cultures think.  There will always be a place in my heart for the girls of the Rays of Hope Guide Company.

Going Wild at the end of the year

We managed to get a booking for a Night visit to the Zoo in early December.   The interest was amazing and in the end we had over 40 Guides, parents and friends arriving the Johannesburg Zoo just as it was getting dark.   Many of the Waverley Guides had contributed to the cost for the Rays of Hope Guides – even to the extent of providing money for a picnic supper, drinks and treats.   Even their driver was able to visit the nocturnal animals.   Exciting moment when a lion cub made a lunge at a little sister.   He obviously thought it was prey just the right size for him.

Unfortunately only 3 of the Rays of Hope Guides attended as the interest had been waning steadily ever since the camp and when at the last meeting I only had one Guide arrive, I felt it was wise to close the company and not split my energies any longer.

Everybody thoroughly enjoyed the zoo tour.   We had a shuttle to transport us to all the different areas and a guide who told us all about the animals.   My favourite was the Tiger and I now know what noise a tiger makes.    Meow!

We ended up with a campfire and we ate our picnics around it.

Air, water, earth and fire

This term both companies are working on the Eco- Green adventure.   We have learned about the big 5 and little five, endangered species, alien invaders and we have to do an activity from the 4 elements, Air, Water, Earth and Fire.

For Air we made paper frogs and held a frog Olympics, fanning  frogs with newspaper.   Then we had air ball races.   Most fun was the balloon popping game.   Each Guide had one or more balloons attached to her ankles and the goal was to pop everybody else’s balloon but keep your own intact.

 

 

 

 

Last week the Rays of Hope girls played balloons again as our environmental expert couldn’t make the earlier time.

Next week we will be working with clay (Earth) and the week after we will make candles (Fire)

Starry Night Camp

Most of last term has been preparing for camp - learning knots, learning how to make bedding rolls, learning how to make tripods so when camp finally came, it might have been a bit of an anti-climax.
Nine girls from Waverley and six from Rays of Hope arrived on Friday at Trefoil Park.   There were serious traffic issues resulting in camp starting late and the programme being swopped around to get the tents up before dark.

After supper a Guider who was knowledgeable about astronomy and her husband came to teach the girls what they needed to know for the astronomy badge.   All the girls can now identify Scorpio, Sagittarius, the 1st Magnitude stars Antares, Alpha and Beta Centauri and Vega.

 Saturday morning was cook your own breakfast in patrols.   On the menu was Omelette in a bag.

After duties, inspection, making gadgets and an early lunch, we celebrated a birthday with a party.
A beautifully decorated fruit cake had been donated to us after the District fund-raising morning market in August.   It was a red tent next to a river and a fire.

We played party games - "Captain's coming", pass the parcel, muscical chairs and then a scavenger hunt to earn supper ingredients

 .Any lost property found lying around at camp was put into the "Manya box"   and the owner had to Manya to get it back.   This caused some consternation and even some tears but at the end of the day there were only 2 items of lost property left at camp.

The rule applied to Guiders too

Sunday was Guides Own (just a very short time of turning our thoughts to God) and then the start of the pack up.   Tents came down much faster than they went up and before we knew it there was nothing but open ground, luggage in piles and equipment ready to be collected.

Finally we had closing horseshoe and (importantly) handing out of awards.

Guide Sunday 2014

It't that time of year again.   Every year our Region gets together to celebrate Guide Sunday.   It is a time for ceremony, renewal of promises, turning our thoughts to our duty to God.   Unfortunately I couldn't make it this year as we went away for the weekend.   After the hike, I didn't let my Rays of Hope Guides go without me but I organised for a colour party from 1st Waverley.   Unfortunately only Gemma actually came and she was allowed to carry the flag without a colour party (and was brave enough to do so)

Gemma representing 1st Waverley

Brownies and Guides with their pennants and flags

Marching the flag to the front

The colour parties

Inspirational words from our Regional Commisiioner

Teddies renew their promise

The Regional Standard is marched off

The Waverley flag is marched off

Much concentration for a responsible job

Another Guide Sunday ends