So you're a Young Leader, but what does this mean in the real world?

Being a Young Leader is rewarding and fun. There are so many skills that you learn and develop through being a Young Leader that are transferable into your school / college life or, later on, into the workplace. These skills include;

• 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 based on the principles and programme of Guiding, and you may also be involved with the planning of other events such as District events and holidays / 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 that can be both formal and informal.

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, including the global community of Guiding

For more information, please ask your District Commissioner or Young Leader Adviser for a copy of the Guide Association leaflet "When The CV Says Guiding".

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 at Rainbows / Brownies / Guides, that something will have to go.

Please think things through very carefully before you decide that being a Young Leader is the one thing that has to go out of your life. Take a look at the previous page and think of all those useful skills that you can learn and develop that will be useful later in life. Think of how rewarding it is to work with younger people, to see them achieve their goals, and how this is helping you achieve your goals.

If you are considering leaving because you've got GCSE / A Level exams coming up and you want to concentrate on them, bear in mind the points below;

• You do not have to go to Rainbows / Brownies / Guides 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 the Guide Association. 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 for the Rainbows / Brownies / Guides, 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.
• If things really are getting on top of you, 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.

We hope that this information leaflet is of use to you, but please feel free to contact your Division Young Leader Adviser if you would like to discuss any aspect of being a Young Leader.