Girl Guides vs. Girl Scouts?

One of the things I miss most about living in London is interaction with kids.  Back home, I had nieces, nephews and a whole host of kids I would babysit...and I loved every minute of it.

I was thinking about maybe getting involved with Girl Guides and working with a troop or whatever they call it here.  Does anybody know much about the differences between them and Girl Scouts back home?  Is it something a non-parent could get involved in?  What sort of activities do they do?  Do they have weekly meetings and that sort of thing?

I looked on the website and it seems to be *very* different here (besides not selling cookies, I mean.) The website is a bit confusing and jumbled so I didn't get much info there...seems they assume you already know the basics!  

Anybody have any experience with this?  Any suggestions for something else I could do on a part-time volunteer basis with kids?  Anyone wanna loan your kids to me for the weekend so I can get my fix and get this outta my system??  

I have always been involved in Scouts ...so it was only natural that my daughters would be also. Because of the history of Scouting and of course the "Thinking Day" programs, I was already aware that England had Girl Scouts, known as Girl Guides here before we moved over.

Erin didnt stick with Brownies very long ...I think it became a little boring for her, lol.    

Sarah attends regular weekly Girl Guides meeting and thoroughly enjoys it.  The past couple of years she has participated in the Camping Trips...which she says is loads of fun.  

When we first moved over I was eager to help out with their scout troops, but they already had all the help they needed.  So now I am a stand-by helper      From what I've seen with Sarah they do alot more activities outside the normal meetings, in fact she is off to a sleep-over/hike this weekend.  

Steve is also involved with Scouts (something he never did as a child).  He helps every week with both the Beavers and Cubs.  I think he is looking forward to going to camp this year more then our son, LOL.  

Not sure which site you've been reviewing...but here's the one I look at every so often.  

http://www.girlguiding.org.uk/Default.asp?bhcp=1

As far as borrowing kids.....mine are ALWAYS available, LOL. And if all else fails....you'll have to come down this summer and go caneoing & tent camping with us.  We have a great time.

I wish they would sell Girl Scout cookies....that would be awesome.  

My experience with Guides (don't call them 'Girl Guides'........that was my first faux paux ) was not a very good one. Perhaps it was my overexuberance and that fact I'm a 'strange, bubbly American??? After 25 years as a registered GS (both as a child and as a leader and PR rep for our council), I thought I knew the game.......boy, was I WRONG! I was corrected and chastised almost immediately on anything I tried to help with. Perhaps it was just the situation, but I ended up leaving after about 4 meetings and never returned.

I hope it was a one off, but one thing I did learn- we may be all one part of the larger organisation of WAGG, but that's where the similiarities end. Hope others experiences are better.

Sherry
(who can't wait for her friend to arrive from the US.....bearing cookies )

Hmmmm....sounds and looks like being a leader isn't quite as easy as I'd hoped!  Thanks for the website, Pam.  That is indeed the one I was looking at before.  

Back when I was growing up and in Girl Scouts, we were always desperate for leaders and helpers.  Maybe because less mums work outside the home here they don't have that problem.  Dunno tho!  

Pam, I'm so glad to hear that there are active programmes here for kids and that they enjoy them so much.  If/when we have kids, I definitely want them involved in things like this.  Sounds like you can really get involved with it as much as you can back home...as long as you're young!  

I'd love to go tent camping sometime!  Hamish and I went camping in the Smokies the last time we were in the US and had such a great time.  It was his first time camping....*ever*.  Of course, we had a cabin rented with cable tv and hot showers so I don't know how he'd cope with the tent thing.  Might be interesting, anyway!  

Sherry, I wondered how people might react to an American attitude towards these sorts of things.  I'm sorry to hear that your experience wasn't very good.  Thanks for sharing it with me...and thanks too for the tip on what to call them.  I hate that look people give you when you do something so obviously American as use the wrong words.  These tips are invaluable for saving face.  

I'll have to look into it more, I guess.  Maybe I'll give them a call and see what kind of reception I get and go from there.

 Ta ladies for the info and the link as well Pam.

I have saved this for A to look at She wants to play football and rugby over there ,so this might be another idea.

 She is the sporty spice   lol

Wishstar, did you see this article in todays Guardian?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/parents/story/0,,1393382,00.html