My Daughter wants to join the beavers. She loves adventurous stuff and will give anything ago and has never been bought up to think she cant be as good as the boys or not do anything because she is a girl.

The wife used to go to rainbows and guides but said it was a bit rubbish and always preferred the look of what the boys were doing. Fires. Arial runways etc.

I know girls are allowed in beavers, cubs scouts and I have spoken to the leader who is female who said that they have girls in all three. But speaking to a mother of a lad in beavers she said there is no girls and hasn’t been since her lad has been going.
She is not old enough for a couple of months and I will take her and let her make her own mind up but does anyone have any experience of similar?
I think she will love it but I’m not sure how the boys will respond if she is the only girl. My guess is that they may know no different as for all they know its just normal having girls there unlike previously. I’m not worried about the rough and tumble side as she gives as good as she gets.

We’ve had a group of three girls go through Beavers, Cubs and Scouts together over the last 8 years. They have mucked in with boys and never had a problem, but their presence has noticeably changed the dynamics of the units for the better. A little calmer and more considerate.

Mind you, they never, ever stopped talking!

We now have a solitary girl in Cubs and one in Beavers. Both seem to be fine.

Wife is a Guide leader and daughter has been through Rainbows, now a Brownie. Much more protected and less adventurous, but that is as much down to the leaders and what the girls ask to do. I know of units where the “rules” are interpreted more “flexibly”

Let her see for herself and see what she likes the look of.

My (Guider) wife feels that for some girls, a female only environment is better than a mixed one, especially at the more difficult Guide age, but all kids are different.

Just remember, units are desperate for leaders and helpers to keep giving the kids the great opportunities they get in Scouts and Guides. If you can spare even the odd evening to support them, or work behind the scenes like I do on the Exec Committee, please do so. We are all unpaid volunteers, nearly all of with full time jobs and families of our own.

Thanks for your reply. Has much changed with health and safety over the years? I remember most weeks we were out doing something dangerous like starting fires or making rope swings over the river. Shooting air rifles or learning how to whittle sticks with our penknife’s.
I wouldn’t mind helping out and will ask when I take her.

My daughter is in the Beavers.

Here it seems a pretty 50/50 split between the genders and the Beavers leader is a woman.

+1 MCTD- Mrs CB is also a guider, and they’re always looking for helpers (I do help). Please remember to support them no matter what they choose!

presence has noticeably changed the dynamics of the units

My (Guider) wife feels that for some girls, a female only environment is better than a mixed one, especially at the more difficult Guide age

I have seen and heard similar things from friends who are leaders/guiders. Most kids go to mixed schools so the (mostly) single sex nature of the scouting groups is a refreshing change for them, more so as they get a bit older. The change in the girls behaviour (eg less relaxed and worrying about how they look) when boys are around or vice versa is quite noticable with the guide/scout age group, less so with beavers/rainbows.

My daughter has been through rainbows and is currently a sixer in her brownie unit. We have discussed the options of guides verses scouts as she is quite keen on the more adventurous outdoor activities, but also enjoys the girlie activities too. It will be her choice, and no doubt be influenced to a degree by where her friends go as it is after all a social thing.

Having said that I think a lot depends on the unit and the leaders, as they do vary hugely.

I helped out at the local Beavers with my two sons and my wife is a Cub leader.

Lots of girls in both units – and lots of fun outdoorsy activities and camps. Much more so than the local Rainbows.

My only gripe was when mothers of girls became leaders they didn’t understand quite how hard you can run boys.

Our girl was in Brownies for a few months. She really enjoys crafty stuff, so we were quite surprised when she suddenly declared she’d had enough, and wanted to go to Beavers with her brother.

She’s been there ever since and really enjoys it. I’d say it’s probably three quarters boys, but she’s never been bothered by that. The outdoorsy stuff they get up to is very restricted in the younger age groups; less so when they get to Cubs.

She came home with a little trophy for ‘Beaver of the Term’ on Monday!

My daughter goes to Brownies and Beavers.

She likes them both in different ways. Rainbows was a bit wet for her, singing songs and colouring in. Beavers are a bit more active.

She’ll no doubt grow out of it, but in the meantime it’s no bit deal to take her.

My lad came home with the “Billy the Beaver” award his first night of Beavers. He proudly held up the toy beaver he’d been given and I just immediately said “Nice beaver!” Cue lots of disapproving stares from the mums and snorting from the dads.

Iirc, our group scout leaders daughter did Rainbows – as her mum was the Beaver leader and that gets a bit tricky – then did Cubs, and started Scouts with the other group of girls but decided that she wanted to do Guides instead to get away from the boys – the other girls stayed and had no issues.

Activities get more adventurous the older they get, obviously. I think Beavers are only supposed to go away for a night at a time and must sleep in a hut, don’t think Rainbows or Brownies sleep under canvas officially, but lots of groups do camp regardless. That said, my daughter often camps with her Mum’s Guide unit, she’s got her (Guide only!) badge for camping out in all 4 seasons, and God knows how she blagged her way onto some of the activities she did at the Peak jamboree last summer as her wristband stated her age but she had a great week.

It depends very much on the age, inclination, time and skills of the leaders, and what the girls want to do. There was a brilliant thread on this on Mumsnet last year, think it started with some Mum wingeing that her Brownie daughter had gone on a litter pick with the unit, and a whole load of Mumsnet Brownie leaders piled in and gave her an online kicking.

My wifes next weekend Guide camp they have been offered a range of activities to pick from, and they have chosen archery, climbing and abseiling, they weren’t interested in shooting and bushcraft. So the opportunities are there for girls whichever route they take, I guess they maybe come earlier and more often if they go through Scouts.

I just immediately said “Nice beaver!” Cue lots of disapproving stares from the mums and snorting from the dads.

My daughter is in Beavers, one of only 3 or four girls.
It’s good balance for her as everything else she does is pretty girlie, ballet etc.
Good activities and is part of a great Scout group, which is very active all the way up.

My daughter was a beaver and has now moved onto cubs she loves it but she does have a best friend doing it with her, the only downside is that i get roped into helping out and I,m quite strict with them so much so some of the parents have moaned that I take little jonnys to one side to tell them to behave.Same parents that help out 3/4 use it as cheap child care 🙁

Daughter is a cub. Loves it!

Has much changed with health and safety over the years? I remember most weeks we were out doing something dangerous like starting fires or making rope swings over the river. Shooting air rifles or learning how to whittle sticks with our penknife’s.

Thankfully not! Well, to be more serious (assuming you’re not joking), they are scrupulous about the health and safety and take their duty of care very seriously. They are committed to having and adventure and fun though so they do all of these things and just work very hard to make them as safe as possible.

Same parents that help out 3/4 use it as cheap child care

That’s a bit unfair. Not everyone has the option. I’d love to help out, but Beavers starts at 5 and I’m not home from work till after 6 or 7.

He proudly held up the toy beaver he’d been given and I just immediately said “Nice beaver!” Cue lots of disapproving stares from the mums and snorting from the dads.

I know it’s puerile, but I’m in my 40s and I can’t get past that. It still makes me giggle, albeit quietly and internally, and no-one knows. Er, oh.

Not being able to help is not the same as treating it as cheap child care.

If you can’t make it to help at Beavers, could you make it to Cubs or Scouts instead? Do you have a hobby or interest you could do a talk or demo on to be the main activity one night? Any accounting or IT skills that could help behind the scenes?

I can’t commit to be a regular leader, but help out when I can, and I’m on the Exec Committee so deal with fund raising, the premises, insurance etc.

Cougar – Moderator

He proudly held up the toy beaver he’d been given and I just immediately said “Nice beaver!” Cue lots of disapproving stares from the mums and snorting from the dads.

I know it’s puerile, but I’m in my 40s and I can’t get past that. It still makes me giggle, albeit quietly and internally, and no-one knows. Er, oh.

In my 50’s and its still an almost daily childish joke @ work

Middle_oab is a scout here, and the do spend most weeks lighting fires, building random structures, riding bikes and geocaching etc. lots of camp, including a brass monkey in -5 this winter. awesome stuff, and about 10% girls in the troop.

The other two are in Boys Brigade, who are equally busy and adventurous. Eldest_oab is doing the Kilbryde hike again this year – a marathon length run, camp and problem solving tasks. They are off to velodrome tomorrow.

There is an area of Southampton called Itchen.
The Beaver leaders from there always mumble when you ask which district they are from…

I’m on the helping out rota at my son’s cub pack. There are 3 or 4 girls out of a total of 20 and they love it. Until recently, when she moved up to scouts, the dominant cub in the pack was a girl. What Amber said the rest did!

There is a bit of rough and tumble but they get stuck in with the rest of them. Sure, there are always a couple of boys that want to take it a bit too far, but they tend to maul about with each other.

#1 spawn about to start Rainbows but they can start at 5 instead of 6 for Beavers.

they can start at 5 instead of 6 for Beavers.

Our local Beavers leader is happy to take “mature” 5 year olds if the parents think they’ll be okay. My daughter started when she was 5½ and hasn’t had any problems fitting in.

We’d be struggling, then. #1 bright, but emotionally not quite as mature as she should be (not actually starting Rainbows until she’s nearly 5½ as we didn’t think she’d have coped).

Fair enough. We ummed a bit about whether she’d be okay, but she had other school friends starting or already there so that helped a lot.

Plus the hall is literally across the road from us, so it’s pretty handy as kid’s activities go!

Our daughter went to Rainbows but as mentioned above didnt like it much as nothing they did was overly challenging. Beavers on the other hand she loved and went from when she turned 6 right up until she was about to turn 8 and decided she wasnt sure any more. The boys were fine with her with some acting like they were her big brother and encouraging her to take part in things if she wasnt sure.
Now she prefers brownies!

All in all she enjoyed it and they can always go for a few weeks before commiting to anything

Whichever they go for, be sure to brush up on your sewing technique 🙂

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kvs2zL8_cKY[/video]

I’m an assistant Scout leader amongst over roles within Scouting, and our Scout group is about 60:40 boys to girls
Cubs is about 25% girls and Beavers a bit lower than that I would say.
We have more girls in our Scout section that the Guide group in the village.

It’s more down to what your child wants to get out of it, last week we asked the Scouts to suggest items for next years programme, which I’m writing today and it looks blooming fantastic.

Daughter, now 17, went through Cubs, Scouts, Explorers and Young leader in cubs and scouts. Loved every minute of it. Probably mix was about 3 in 20, and they do much more interesting stuff than guides etc in her opinion, and mine!

ref the cheap child care they manage to drop them off and pick them up so ……I am saying its cheap child care!!!

Not everyone has the spare time, energy or willingness to get actively involved with every single club and activity they send their kids to, postierich.

That doesn’t mean they just think of it as “cheap child care”.

Personally speaking our child minder drops our daughter off at Beavers and we pick her up, so that’s child care we’ve already sorted & paid for that we’re not fully using because we think getting her involved with groups like Beavers is important and worthwhile.

My group is lucky that we have a fair few leaders, but having been around groups who do need to use parent helpers these can be more of a pain than a help. Not every parent makes a good helper.

I am an assistant scout leader and we are due to get our 1st girl up from cubs in September. She has been involved since Squirrels (group before beavers but I think its only in Northern Ireland) and she loves it.

She is the only girl but it doesn’t seem to cause any problems at all. I’d say send your daughter and let her make up her own mind 🙂

Graham i,m talking about the cub pack I work with ! one good thing about helping out you get to chose some activities 🙂
[url=https://flic.kr/p/EK5m6f]Untitled[/url] by Richard Munro, on Flickr

Have been Scout leader,Venture scout/leader and lot of other roles over years ,never had any problems with girls in groups .
Although we had local guide group complain to our group leader once that we were “poaching older guides into ventures” not our fault their program was not as good as ours.

My wife was a venture scout too,28 years ago so who knows who you’ll meet ?