Becoming a Brownie

We have spoken a bit over the years on this blog around scouting, what scouting meant to me and some of the gender issues of the day as they impacted getting involved and indeed some of confusion over time on my part.

Imagine a conversation initially uncomfortable but ultimately helpful between you and your sister one day...

"Don't be silly!"

"There's absolutely nothing wrong with a boy like you who likes to wear pretty dresses." "What difference does it make anyway?"

"If that's what you like - then it's fine."

"So don't worry about Mum finding out. In fact I am going to make you stay dressed like this until she gets home so that she can see how cute you look you look as a girl. Oops, I mean as a petticoated boy."

"And you know what?" "I've heard Mum say a couple of times that she sometimes wishes you really were a girl, so maybe we can all start to have a lot of regular girl times together with you wearing my old clothes."

Well the thing is in with it all might be her old brownie uniform as she's flown off to be a girl guide.

Well wouldn't you of wanted to of been initiated as a Brownie for real, make your brownie promise and wear that uniform?

I certain would.

This is a bit about what happens when you do.

When you first join you will be put into a six. Your Sixer and the older Brownies will look after you.

For part of the meeting Mercedes will help you work through a special booklet that teaches you lots of "Brownie secrets".

You will find out about things like...

The Brownie Promise

The Brownie law

The Brownie story

The salute The Pack salute

The Brownie Smile

Brownie Bells

The Brownie Song

When you are ready you will make your Brownie promise.

When you are ready to make your promise we will hold a Promise Ceremony. You can do things differently, but this is how our traditional ceremony works.

All the Brownies form a circle. The toadstool is taken out from the centre and replaced by a 'pond'.

Your sixer will take you into the centre of the circle and spin you round whilst the Brownies say, "twist me and turn me and show me the elf, I looked in the water and there saw..." You look down into the 'pond' and say "myself". To find out why we do this you will need to read the Brownie story.

You then go to Brown Owl who will ask you to say the Brownie law: "A Brownie Guide thinks of others before herself and does a good turn everyday."

Brown Owl will then ask you to salute and make your Promise: "I promise that I will do my best, to love my God, to serve the Queen and my country, to help other people and to keep the Brownie Guide law." Brown Owl will then pin your promise badge to your sash.

You then shake hands with each Guider and member of your six. (Brownies shake hands with their left hand whilst saluting.)

You are then given your six emblem, Pack name tab and a certificate.

After the ceremony you can choose which game to play.

You can choose to make your promise in a special place or have a party afterwards.

*Tammy is an eternal Brownie.