We all trooped off to attend a special Girl Guide ceremony for new Guides making their Promise and Junior Guides receiving the Junior Baden-Powell (BP) Award - the latter of which included Charly. It transpired that BP awardee's parents are also acknowledged for their efforts to help the girls (and taxi them around!).
Frankly, I think I also need a Very Large Badge specifically to recognise my dubious skill in sewing cloth badges on a Guide sash. I mean, I read so many crafty blogs and am in total awe of the talent out there, but I am all arthritic fingers and terribly cock-eyed when it comes to needles and threads. Just look at that collection of badges we've accumulated, and they all have to go in a particular order. I've been up two nights running doing variations on long stitch, blanket stitch, cross stitch (very CROSS stitch) and daisy chains. Needless to say, the quick unpick has had a work out and my finger tips are very tender.
For the modern working mother I note that some badges come with an iron-on backing. But tempting as it is, heaven help you if you place any incorrectly. How would you get them off?
I think Guide leaders should sit with the girls, quietly and patiently, and teach them how to sew the badges on themselves, or at least offer remedial classes for mothers (for it is still, I believe, mostly a feminine pursuit). The fathers I spoke to suggested military standard velcro attachments, not thinking of course that the fuzzy backing would also need to be sewn on in the first place.
Anyway, my badge is metallic with a neat little butterfly attachment. No sewing required.
Well done Charly girl!
