Why Do I Bother?

Sometimes when the Scouts are naughty or when I have to waste hours of admin time chasing forms & payments for the next Girlguiding trip , I do wonder why I bother.

But I smiled at my Brownie rose today, not because I like it’s colour, (it’s yellow afterall!) but because it was given to me as a thank you and I remember many many many fun times as a Brownie Leader.

Persuading girls to come on hiking adventures or adults to come to trainings can be an uphill struggle but once they are there, that’s when I see my reward. It’s the pride (and sometimes surprise) on their faces when they summit a mountain, the smile across their cheeks when they see the view, the realisation in their eyes when the penny drops and they discover they can walk on a bearing. It’s them taking a challenge and succeeding. And t’s also about sharing my passion,; passing on knowledge of flora, fauna or folklore and occasionally passing on the bug. That’s why.

As a bonus, occasionally, very occasionally, there’s a bit of recognition too: a Girlguiding award; an emailed thank you; a Brownie rose. This month there’s an even bigger pat on the back as Mary-Ann Ochota has written about a few of us Girlguide leaders in Trail magazine, following a walk we did with her in June. It’s blushingly complimentary and a fabulous PR / recruitment piece. It was really very kind of her.

Edit: now the date has passed and people have read my blip I’m adding a copy of the article as an extra so I can read it when I look back. Hoping that doesn’t enfringe copyright.