LIPHOOK DISTRICT GUIDES

Activity Days

Brownie Revels is another more traditional name for Brownie Activity Day, and Liphook has had a long tradition of organising these events.

In the past, Revels tended to alternate every year with badge testing days but although there was more of a sense of purpose on these occasions, there was always a lot of fun involved.

Over the years Brownie Revels and badge testing days have been held at the Rectory garden in the village, in the garden of the District Commissioner, at a local village hall or in a field. They were always great fun and an opportunity for all the Brownies in the District to do things together.

After we moved into our new hall in 1999, we had a ready made space on the village green outside to organise bigger and more ambitious activity days. The Friends of Guiding played a big role in organising our event in 2004 and it was a great success. Rainbows were also invited to attends this day so we had moved on from Brownie Revels to District Activity Days.

Guides were asked to come along and each helped to look after a group of Brownies and they played an important role in the day, also organising the campfire singing at the end.

For the first time in 2005 we held Holly's Fun Day, organised by Rainbow Leader Beth and her team of Young Leaders, in memory of Holly Woodage, a member of our District who sadly passed away. See Holly's Star.

Activity Days are joint events run by the Guiders and the Friends of Guiding. In recent years they have been held outside our hall on the village green, but in the past, Brownie Revels and badge testing days have been held at various locatons around the village. We plan for Holly's Fun Day to be a biennial event.

The Fun Day in 2005 was a great success with well over a hundred Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers, Young Leaders, Friends of Guiding, Guiders and VIP visitors.

There was a great atmosphere and we achieved our aim of having lots of fun together as a District to remember Holly.

We were lucky with the weather as it was a beautiful day. There were 5 teams of girls, each team being a mixed group of different sections. Each group visited the five zones, which were: Circus skills, Sport, Craft, World and Fun.

Everyone had lots of fun trying new activities. The day ended with a BBQ for and a chance for brothers and sisters to have a turn on the bouncy activity centre.

We made a good profit to add to Holly's Fund, which was set up to help girls participate in Pack Holidays and camps, and it was lovely to have an event in which the whole District was able to join together. We were pleased that Andy Woodage, Holly's father was able to join us for some of the time. Anushka and Felicity who were Holly's special friends, said a few words about her for the benefit of girls who had not known her.

Every girl went home with souvenirs they had made themselves such as juggling balls (made with balloons and rice), beaded bracelets and necklaces and an mini 'aquarium'.

Best of all everyone had a smile on their face.

And then when all the Rainbows, Brownies and Guides had gone home, and they thought no one was looking, the leaders had their turn on the activity centre!