Did you know?

In our District of Upper Tweeddale we have over 120 girls in

• 2 Rainbow units (5-7 year olds)
• 3 Brownie units (7-10 year olds)
• one Guide unit (10-14 year olds)  

Units create their own programmes, within guidelines, – in the past year highlights have included treasure hunts, making cress-head people, all sorts of arts and crafts, creating chocolate pizza, Hairy Fairy nights, and tea with Princess Anne.

Think Guiding is just tying knots and sitting round campfires?

Think again!

Out and about

The Guide and Brownie units have all been lucky enough to have residential events over the last year. In January 2005, Netherurd Guides were at the Ranger Bothy for a weekend – the same weekend as 1st Brownies were enjoying a real girly time on their Groovy Chick pack holiday in the Garden House. In May, 2nd Brownies transformed Stanemuir into Hogwarts for a weekend, complete with sorting hat and a suitably magic programme. West Linton Guides had glorious weather for their camp at Vogrie in June, and had a fantastic time as Indians complete with head dresses and feathers, smoke signals and learning how to use a bow and arrow. In July, three girls and a Guider from 2nd Brownies had a superb time at the Scottish Brownie Holiday in the Garden House.

The Daffodil six and their Guiders at the Scottish Brownie Holiday – the West Linton Brownies are sitting in the front

The new Rainbow programme was introduced last session and is proving successful: the programme is now based on four elements – Look, Learn, Laugh and Love. The girls look wonderful in their new uniforms and enjoy working towards the roundabout badges. As both West Linton units meet at the same time the girls have the opportunity to join the other Rainbows; planning is done together to ensure that both units are using the same theme, but the results are always slightly different! Over the year West Linton Rainbow activities have included treasure hunts, dressing up, making smoothies, designing and planting cress-head people.

have enjoyed

Hallowe’en and Hairy Fairy parties

• All sorts of arts and crafts
• Pancakes for Shrove Tuesday
• A circus skills evening
• Celebrating Thinking Day
• Gaining badges – including

Brownie Traditions, Wildlife

Explorer, Agility, Cook, Dancer,

Swimmer

Plate spinning at 2 nd Brownies Circus Skills workshop

unit has had a busy year … making armpit fudge and chocolate pizza, partying at Hallowe’en, making sweet parcels at Christmas time for the older folk in West Linton, feasting on amazing dishes from around the world at Thinking Day, holding a daffodil tea, Go For Its and badges.

West Linton Guides had the major honour of being asked to take part in the events held in Edinburgh on 10 July to commemorate the end of World War II. Their Guider described the day: “The highlight of our year has to be when we were picked to have tea with Princess Anne. True to guiding form we had to sing for our supper (so to speak) by helping the war veterans at the commemorative service held at St Giles. The Guides and myself were fascinated by stories of the men and women, finding out what all the medals they wore were for. We even met a man who had won the Victoria Cross; it was a very humbling moment when all he wanted to know was what all the badges on my tab were for. We went to Holyrood Palace where we met Her Royal Highness. She was a charming lady and interested in everything the Guides had to say. Despite the heat it was a day that we will not forget for a long time. And true to form all of the girls were an excellent example of the spirit of guiding and did a great job of being ambassadors for the movement, the county and the Upper Tweeddale district”.

In October, Patrol Leader Fiona was presented with her Baden-Powell Challenge Award – the highest award in the Guide section. To celebrate the unit held a ceilidh for Fiona’s family and friends.

• Rainbows went to see a travelling theatre group in The Emperor’s New Kilt at Carlops

• Brownies went to the pantomime at the King’s Theatre

• All sections and units went to St Andrew’s Church for Thinking Day and took part in the morning service; West Linton girls went again in November for Remembrance Sunday

• Guides took part in the County Shield Competition

• West Linton Guides went to McDonalds and Mega Bowl

• Rainbows and Brownies celebrated the end of the session last June at the Happy Castle

• Rainbows had a great time at the Tweed Valley Rainbow Riot in Peebles

• Rainbows, Brownies and Guides celebrated Christmas Down Under at a disco masterminded by the Guides

80th Birthday

Our 80th Birthday exhibition in November 2005 was a great success and generated many favourable comments; it was a truly District occasion thanks to the work the units put in. Not only was the exhibition opened by the Scottish Chief Commissioner, Liz Pitcairn.