BedsBuzzSPRING 201 0

Welcome fromDebbie

I hope you all celebrated CentenaryWorld Thinking Day in a memorableway. I know lots of people enjoyedOne World One Beat. The Angliaevent at Stevenage was organisedby Emma Wright an adult Leaderfrom Bedfordshire, well done to her.Others attended the WorldThinking Day Service at WestminsterAbbey and lots more had localDivision, District and UnitCelebrations. Please send in allyour Thinking Day stories andphoto's for Bedsbuzz.

Best wishes

Debbie DochertyBedfordshire County Commissioner

Gill LakeCounty International Adviser

During my three and a bit years asthe County International adviser Ihave organised several Internationalweekends for Guides & senior section- the themes so far being 'Aroundthe World', Africa & Russia. The 2010weekends are taking us 'Down Under'.

In 2008 I took a group of 16 girls to ajamboree in Iceland. I am currentlylooking at possible trips for 2011.

I have also put forward several girlsfor Regional Opportunities and theyhave gone to places such as India,Australia, Japan, Mexico, Korea andSlovakia to name a few. We havetwo girls going to the next WorldScout Jamboree in Sweden in 2011.Any Guider considering taking agroup abroad should contact me andI will be as helpful as I can.

Happy travelling - Gill

“Do you think she’s in” Find out what 1st Willington

Brownies got up to in London - page 2

Golden Girls of Guiding

A golden team with 350 years Guidingbetween them!

The Golden Girls were awarded their 50 year brooches atour Annual Review and warmly thanked by the CountyCommissioner for all their commitment and dedication toGirlguiding in the county. Rhona was unable to attend, butrequested that her award be presented by Marion Prior ona visit to the Crystal Palace Maze, the place where Guidingfirst started. Luton North Trefoil Guild organised the tripthis February. A short celebration was held in the centreof the maze and Rhona was presented with her award.From left to right: Valerie Cousins, Mary Taylor, MarionPrior, Wendy Rider, Betty Young and Jeanne Wain. Inset picture: Rhona Anderson far right.

It’s Halloween and 1st Willington Brownies visit London for

our Brownie Centenary takeover London event.

We spent a fabulous morning at the ICANDO activity centre

at Guiding headquarters. After lunch we visited Buckingham

Palace and had a leaf fight in Green Park.

Our afternoon was spent at the BBC interactive tour. We

had a smashing time, we met, hugged and danced with

Pudsey bear as you can see in our picture. We were one of

the last groups to visit the Blue Peter Garden before it’s

planned move with CBBebbies to Manchester. The studios,

green room and weather studios were next in line for a

visit. A highlight of our day was spent in a small studio

where we practiced presenting Newsround and played the

weakest link using cameras and a sound studio. We also

managed to see a few stars from Strictly Come Dancing

enjoying a well deserved break!

Karen Murray - Brownie Guider

1st Willington Brownies

Brownies Takeover London

Big Dig!

Mayors Award to Janet, Sarah, Christina, Laura & Kelly- adult Leaders from Luton South Division

I have just seen the Luton News and would like to say

Congratulations on your Mayors Awards. Well done all of you it is

good to see so many Guiding people being recognised for the work

they do in Guiding.

Sue Champkins - Assistant County Commissioner

Girlguiding Bedfordshire

A few words for ‘Thinking Day'

from Kate Briscoe

Thinking is remembering...

Remembering is discovering ...

Discovering is understanding ...

Understanding is learning ...

Learning is listening ...

Listening is hearing ..

Hearing is seeing ...

Seeing is looking ...

Looking is feeling...

Feeling is caring ...

Caring is Thinking...

CongratulationsAt the Annual Celebration in

November, awards were made

to members who had provided

outstanding service within

Girlguiding Bedfordshire

Good Service BroochKate Briscoe

Sophie Dackcombe

Bedfordshire BroochJoan Barrall

Caroline Dickman

Jan Fuller

Christine Hayward

Pat Maddison

Cathie Stewart

Katherine Sulch

Mavis Whiteway

Your Snippets!

Biggleswade Brownies

raise £300 for hospiceAfter a talk on the work done at St John's Hospice, Moggerhanger,

1st Biggleswade (St Andrew's) Brownie Pack raised money by bag

packing in Asda, Biggleswade. They presented Danielle Brandon

from Sue Ryder Care, St John's Hospice, with a Cheque for

£300.00 watched by Bernard Sullivan, Duty Manager at Asda.

As part of the run up to the Centenary, Brownies took part in the

Changing the World Challenge. A challenge in which Girlguiding

UK supported 19 charities both in the UK and abroad and each

Unit in the Country was encouraged to support one or more of

them by raising funds and awareness of their chosen charity.

After the huge County Centenary Launch Party in September

attended by over 2500 girls and leaders, Biggleswade and

District Girlguiding will be continuing celebrations with events

throughout 2010, including a Gang Show, together with Biggleswade

Scout Group to be held on 20 March 2010 at Stratton Upper

School. For details visit: www.biggleswadegangshow.org.uk

Babs Gurney - Brown Owl

To celebrate Girlguiding

UK’s Centenary, 1st Henlow

Station Guides, Brownies

and Rainbows set about

planting 100 bulbs into

a trefoil-shaped flower bed on the grassed area in front of

the Hive.

‘The Big Dig’ to make the flower bed and plant the bulbs took

place on Sunday, 29 Nov 09. Babcocks had kindly scanned the

area to ensure it was safe for the Guides to clear and dig the

ground ready for the bulbs to be planted. The day was grey

and chilly, but with spades and trowels in hand, the girls soon

had the job done – just in time for the rain to water the bulbs in.

Now it’s a waiting game until spring when, hopefully, the

flower bed will bloom into colour. The Guides, Brownies and

Rainbows would like to thank the Station Commander for letting

them plant their bulbs and Babcocks for scanning the area.

Sarah Tuckwell

Assistant Guider, 1st Henlow Station Guides

Brownies Starburst Butlins

Dunstable Trefoil GuildHow pleased we are to be involved in the Centenary celebrations. A good

number of us were present at the Launch in September and we enjoyed

every minute. We enjoyed watching and reminiscing about previous

anniversaries. Our older members were still active adult members when

Girlguiding UK celebrated 75 years – seems like just yesterday!

Our visit to the British Schools Museum at Hitchin was another trip down

memory lane. There are classrooms to illustrate elementary education

from 1810 to 1969, lots to see and someone on hand to explain how one

teacher coped with 100 pupils in one room! We also had a lesson in the

Victorian classroom and were tasked with copying text, using nib and ink –

mine was full of blots! We found sums of pounds, shillings and pence much

more difficult than decimal currency. Well worth a visit.

We’ve had a visit from a hedgehog – accompanied by its carer! Until she

moved recently, Angela Smith had been taking in maimed and sickly hedgehogs,

nursing them at her own home in Caddington. It’s a complete fallacy she

informed us that they are crawling with fleas and the one she brought with

her was certainly flea free.

British Red Cross – they do first aid don’t they? Well yes, but what a lot else

besides! Our visitors outlined the various ways that the British Red Cross

get involved all over the world and did you know they also specialise in

locating missing people, including runaway children who end up living

homeless in the big cities?

For a number of years we have been collecting money for charity by filling

up film pots with small coins, choosing a different charity each year. In

2009 we decided on local Guiding and we raised enough to buy a sign to go

on the outside wall at Windy Sayles. Look out for it next time you visit.

We are looking forward to joining in the Centenary events and are currently

working on some of the challenges. No doubt we will also be making tea

on occasion! We’d love to have more members, some of us are still actively

guiding – why not come and meet us?

Tricia Litton - Chairman, Dunstable Trefoil Guild

Luton South Division had a brilliant time at Starburst

Anglia region. 40 excited Brownies from 12th Luton,

25th Luton, 36th Luton, 3rd Stopsley and their leaders

climbed aboard a coach on a very cold January day. The

journey took us 4 hours when we arrived we were all

allocated our accommodation.

Once we had claimed our beds, the weekend really began.

We started with Dinner in a self service restaurant, the

girls really enjoyed being able to choose their own

meal, this was followed by a quick change into disco

gear and then off to Reds to the Disco. After it had finished

it was time to have a drink of hot chocolate and then bed.

Saturday morning found us enjoying a swimming

session, a visit to the cinema, learning party dancing,

eating and lots more. The day went by really quickly

and ended with a celebration party where we all

enjoyed entertainment from the Red Coats, Same

Difference and renewed our Promises.

The next day again found us eating, shopping, going to

a show and singing. We had a lovely lunch and then

sadly it was time to board the coaches for the journey

home. We arrived home tired and full of many happy

memories of a good time.

Sue Champkins

This Super Safari Sunday will be held on 11th July 2010 at Woburn Safari Park The fun packed day includes

• A Super Safari Trail • Play areas • Animal close encounters •

• BBQ • Quiz • Gaz and Babs from Heart FM - DISCO!

• plus an optional visit to the Abbey for adults

Look out for your booking form in the mailshots and on the website.

We had 2,700 at our launch party - can we beat this! From Rainbows to Trefoils

ThERE’S SomEThIng FoR EvERyonE!

Don’t miss our SUPER SAFARI 100!

1st Caldecote & District Rainbows held a ‘Bring your Dad

to Rainbows’ night – it was brilliant! All the dads (and

some Grandads) had to do everything the Rainbows do. They

sang our ‘welcome’ song, then did a craft – making edible

hedgehogs, then played games, sang songs, listened to a

story and then sang ‘our song’ at the end. Some dads were

embarrassed and kept helping their daughters but they

were soon put in their place and it was voted a great success

by girls and dads!

Sue Parrish & Catherine Spencer -Joint Leaders

1st Caldecote & District Rainbows

Bring your dad to Rainbows...

Wacky Adventure 100

On Saturday 30th Jan, Limbury District Guiders past

and present along with Luton North Division

President Margaret Chalmers had Afternoon Tea at

Luton Hoo to commemorate the retirement from

Guiding of Carol Jordan of 2nd Limbury Brownies.

Sharon Wilson-Limbury District Contact

Retiring in style at Luton Hoo

Girlguiding Leighton Heath had lots of fun over

the festive season. We kicked things off in style by

decorating a tree for the Leighton Buzzard

Christmas Tree Festival in All Saints Church.

Our theme was the Twelve Days of Christmas

and the tree looked stunning decorated with

pictures drawn by the girls.

A chance to meet Santa on a cruise along the

Grand Union Canal also proved popular with

both girls and leaders alike. A lot of Christmas

fun was had by all!

We rounded off the festivities by going to the

theatre to see Jack and the Beanstalk. The

girls were certainly the best in the audience at

making a noise and stamping their feet, espe-

cially the Guides on the back row who made

sure everyone knew we were there (oh yes

they did!)

Leighton Heath are looking forward to 2010

and all the fun and adventure that it will bring

in this exciting centenary year!

The Santa Cruise!

3rd Brickhill Guides - enjoying the outdoors weekend

included a 7 mile walk where we qualified for the

Centenary Walking badge because we covered over

100 miles between us. A circular walk from Mollivers to

Stagsden and back across the fields included walking

through the golf course... think we missed a turning

somewhere... Gill Lake

100 Mile Weekend!

www.bedsguiding.org.uk website email: sue.champkins@cool-icon.com

Beds Buzz - Editor Diane Butler email: diane@collingwood-design.co.uk

Buzz

ing

arou

nd..

2nd Maulden

Brownies

attend the

Remembrance

day parade.

Remembrance Parade

2nd Maulden

Brownies held a

special Friend to

Animal event.

Where didyou getthat hat!

Here is a screen shot

of our photo taken by

Chantelle, our Unit Young

Leader. By sending it in

to adventure 100 we

gained 20 extra points.

A slight title error, we’re

Goldington Rainbows (not Goldingtom!) but

hey... what’s a letter between friends.

Anyone in the Unit who has been to all

meetings and events has already gained

120 points across 9 of the 10 sections.

Not bad for five and six year olds!

Stella Good - Goldington Rainbows