September – Getting to know you activities
Here are a couple of activities you could try at the beginning of the new term to help everyone get to know each other.
(1) (Based on “I went shopping and I bought”). Everyone sits in a circle. The leader starts by saying “My name is … and I like ….” She then points to someone in the circle and they say “My name is … and I like and the leader is … and she likes …. ” You then continue round the circle with each person adding their own name and something they like and repeating everyone else’s. If anyone gets stuck, the others can help out. Leaders / Young Leaders can speak for anyone not confident to do it themselves.
(2) Passing the ball (or teddy) Everyone stands in a circle. One person starts with the ball (or teddy). She says her own name and throws or passes it to someone else in the circle. They say their own name and so on until everyone has had a turn. Before starting, ask everyone to remember who they pass the object to as they need to keep passing it to the same person. The second time around, everyone says the name of the person they are passing to. You can then continue passing it round a few more times with everyone answering a question each time (for example something they did over the summer, favourite food etc). (We usually get the girls to suggest the questions.)
July – Growth and Retention:
Did you know that getting girls from your feeder units (and/or on your waiting list) to visit your unit before the summer break means that they are more likely to join you in September? There’s no rocket science here is there?
Lots of units currently offer ‘try-it’ sessions, during the last week of their summer term, for girls who will be joining them in September. This is a super idea, but can sometimes mean that those girls miss out on attending what would be the end of term ‘treat meeting’ (eg, picnic, visit to crazy golf or activity such as canoeing) with their current unit.
So here comes the rocket science… if your ‘try-it’ sessions take place just a week or two before the end of term, then girls who will be joining you in September can come and have fun with your unit and still get to enjoy their final ‘treat meeting’ with their current unit. Yay – everyone’s a winner now!
Just a quick reminder… please coordinate with their existing unit when transferring a young member into your unit or when ending their role as they move onto the next section. If one unit ends a girl’s role at the end of the summer term and their next unit doesn’t transfer them in until September then that is potentially 6 weeks of membership lost. This will affect GO’s recording of their time in guiding when it comes to giving them anniversary badges.
PS. We’d love to see your pictures of try-it sessions and fun end of term treat meetings. Please double check the photo permissions of anyone in the pictures that you send to: social@Girlguidingleeds.org.uk
