A one woman army in the making.

Last night and today, I've found myself alive with ideas. For those who don't know, during term time, I help out once a week at a local Brownie Pack, but this September the original Brown Owl is leaving, and so there will be oppotunity for some changes, as despite being a really nice lady, the girls would never do activities and instead wasted away a lot of time talking. So, yesterday evening, I was watching a programme on the 100 years of Girlguiding- admittedly for the second time, and it really struck me what an oppotunity our Brownies had been missing, they very rarely do badges, and even then it was all arranged for them and done as a pack. At the risk of sounding much older than my years, even in my day us Brownies were expected to do badges on our own; I have a hand decorated plastic lunchbox which contains several pieces of badge adorned cardboard as proof of my collectors badge, and I famously dropped a mug whilst practising making tea and coffee for my hostess badge. Yes times have changed, but if anything the capacity for girls to independantly doing badges has increased, not diminished. As such my mind is racing with ways to encourage the brownies to take iniative, as well as planning so many more activities than the repetitive group games they've played the last term.

In addition to my new found energy in guiding, this morning I discovered that pretty soon, the London 2012 Olympic Games will be appealing for 70,000 volunteers to help run the games, in all manner of activities. No, you don't get free access to watch the events, no, they won't pay for your travel and accommodation costs, and yes, you will probably have to work non-stop for your 10 days of service. All you take away with you is the memories, a story to tell the grandchildren and they graciously allow you to keep your uniform as a souvenir. So, as you can expect as soon as they open application, I'll be signing on the dotted line. How often do the you get the chance to go watch the Olympic events in person, let alone how often do you get take part in the Games? Even then how often is the Olympics in your own back garden, making it all possible? I personally cannot wait until the moment I tell my children and then their children what their mummy did before heading off to university, and I can show off my uniform with all the over-exaggerated pride my elderly mind can muster.

xxxx

P.S if anyone else is interested in applying to volunteer in the Olympics check out the volunteering website