What can I do as a Young Leader?
You are part of your unit leadership team.
You may be:
14 to 16 years and working on the Young Leader Qualification
v 16 to 18 and working towards the GGUK Leadership Qualification
v A girl who comes regularly but chooses not to work towards any qualification but is registered with the County YL Adviser.
What does being a YL mean in the non-guiding world?
· Team-working and team-building – you work as a team with the small group of Guiders in your unit, and as part of your wider District team.
· Leadership – you lead activities, games and discussion, with the whole unit and with smaller groups or individuals.
· Organisation and planning – together with the other leaders in your team, you organise weekly meetings and you may also be involved with the planning of other events such as District events and camps.
· Basic record keeping and accounts – you may be asked to keep individual records of the girls up to date, or be asked to keep the unit accounts for a period of time, or for a specific project i.e. for a holiday / camp. You should also keep a record of your own progress as a Young Leader through the various schemes offered to you.
· Communication skills – as a Young Leader you should keep in touch with your unit Guiders, your Young Leader Guider / Adviser, the girls you work with, and maybe also your District Commissioner and other Guiders within the District. This develops a variety of communication skills.
· Other skills and characteristics that you may develop through your time as a Young Leader include;
*Using initiative *Independence *Confidence *Enthusiasm
*Responsibility *Maturity *Awareness of citizenship and community
What can I do?
v Earn awards and certificates (see below)
v Programme planning with the unit team at your planning meetings
v Keep programme records
v Basic unit record keeping and accounts; mark register, count subs
v Lead games
v Lead a small group of girls; a BP group, Moving to Guides, or a group within the weekly programme
v Lead an activity planned by the adults
v Plan an activity or evening and lead it yourself or with another YL
v Pass on the Guiding skills you has gained
v Have a specific role on a Residential; assistant QM or FAider, supervise washing up, co-ordinate activities, play games with the girls
v Be encouraged to be the link between girls and adults, understanding when she needs to feed things back to the adult team
v Supporting the leaders by helping to supervise all activities during the evening, role modelling appropriate behaviour
What must I do?
v Be a role model to the girls in wearing Guide wear and general behaviour
v Let the leaders know if I cannot attend
v Be reliable
(if I am working towards either leadership qualification)
v Hold a FA certificate
v Attend a training
v Attend at least 1 district/division meeting
What can’t I do?
v Wear adult uniform
v Be counted as an adult in ratios
But still be treated as though you were an adult
Does the unit have to give me anything?
Yes – it’s a good idea to get a ‘Staring Senior Section’ leaflet to get the up to date contact details and for the parents to know about Senior Section.
It’s a legitimate unit expense to buy resources. I usually say to units that a copy of the SS CD-rom is a good idea and where possible to buy one for each YL as it contains their record book for YLQ, Look Wider, Commonwealth Award and Queen’s Guide Award.
I often suggest the unit buys you the SS badge tab to encourage the wearing of guide wear.
If you are working on the YLQ you are to keep a diary of unit meetings. You might want to ask for the SS notebook to do this in.
The starting SS leaflet, SS CD-rom, badge tab and A5 notepad
Do I have to make my Promise? No – not unless -
A member of the Senior Section MUST make her Promise if she wishes to gain her Young Leader or Leadership Qualification, to complete her Chief Guides Challenge or the Queen’s Guide Award.
To whom do I make my Promise?
You may make her Promise to any warranted leader of her choice.
I usually suggest that a Young Leader should make or renew her Promise in front of the girls with whom she works.
An SS promise certificate is available.
What if I am also a Ranger?
Girls can be YL’s and rangers. The uniform, badge tab and promise badge are the same. Sometimes girls like to make their promise for both sections – once with the young section they work with and once with their ranger unit. You do not have to make it twice but I usually allow mine to do so – usually with rangers it’s a group renewal at a special event.
What awards / certificates /qualifications can I earn?
Look Wider octant certificates – 8 nationally recognised awards – great on your CV!
Chief Guide Challenge – complete phases 1-2 on all 8 LW octants for this badge and certificate
The Commonwealth award Senior Section Permit
The Queen’s Guide award (16+) The young leader qualification (14-16)
The adult leadership qualification (16+) In4mer qualification
All these will be explained in the Senior Section CD-ROM
Under pressure – how can you fit everything in?
There may be times when you are a Young Leader that you think that you’re just so busy with school work / exams, keeping up with your hobbies and social life, holding down your Saturday job, and being a Young Leader that something will have to go.
If you are considering leaving because you’ve got GCSE / A Level exams coming up;
· You do not have to go to your unit every week. Work with the unit Guider and arrange what weeks you can and cannot make the unit meeting. Unit Guiders must not depend on you, you do not count as an adult leader for insurance purposes in the eyes of Girlguiding UK. Unit Guiders should be understanding to your needs and accommodate you accordingly within the unit.
· You may find that attending the weekly meeting and helping out with a couple of simple games and activities a welcome break from revision and coursework. It is a chance to get out of the school-work routine and do something beneficial to not only yourself, but also the local community. Don’t commit to running a whole evening, but do help out as and when needed. Don’t be afraid if there are a couple of weeks when you cannot make it at all.
· How about taking a break from the unit for a term, but still keep in touch by writing letters, or just popping in for five minutes if you can. This must be done in consultation with the unit Guider, and then inform you District Commissioner and Young Leader Adviser. That way you can still keep in touch and return to helping with the unit when you feel able to.
· If it is the night that the unit you help with has their meetings on that gives you a problem, (e.g. clashes with school band, too much regular homework that night of the week) please speak to your unit Guider, District Commissioner and Young Leader Adviser about the possibility of moving to help as a Young Leader in a different unit within the District or Division. There are always other units that are more than willing to have a Young Leader.
If the only solution to your busy life is giving up being a Young Leader, please inform the unit Guider, District Commissioner and Young Leader Adviser as soon as possible – please do not leave without telling anyone. If at any time you feel that you would like to come back, please do not hesitate in contacting in the first instance the District Commissioner and Young Leader Adviser.