Being Leader in Charge at Brownies

Every week I help to run my local Brownies group. I am not the Brown Owl of the pack, but I am second in command and known to the girls as Otter. This week our Brown Owl phoned me the day before Brownies to let me know she is unwell and unable to attend this weeks meeting. Meaning I would be leader in charge.

Although I regularly make jokes that I will become the next Brown Owl, I had never lead a whole meeting as leader in charge. I was a little nervous but I was also excited about the opportunity. I knew I could do this as I have been doing brownies for 8 years and I would have another leader with me.

Because I had very little prep time and I knew we would be a leader down, I decided that we would have a very relaxed meeting. We started the meeting as normal but then explained to the girls that we were a leader down and they would need to be a little more patient with us.

We played a couple of games that the Brownies loved. Because we were not rushing, we were able to give many more of the girls the opportunity to have a go being the catcher or having a turn running then normal which I think the girls liked.

Once they had run off all their energy, we sat them down and got them to make a get well soon card for Brown Owl. We emptied our craft cupboard and told the girls they could make a card or poster and could used anything they could find. As a result, these cards ended up a lot more 3D them we had imagined. They had found pipe cleaners, pieces of fabric, stickers, cupcake cases and one girl had even attached a balloon to her card!

I think they really enjoyed the freedom of making a card completely from scratch, their imaginations really thrived and all the cards where awesome.

After the card making, we played another game that the girls had never played before. Luckily they got the hang of it quickly and really enjoyed it. I have had requests to play it again.

Overall the meeting went really smoothly. I am so happy that their were no major issues and no casualties! This meeting has really given me a confidence boost. Now when I say I am going to be the next Brown Owl, I know I can do it.