Remembrance Badges for whom?

In the past, different companies have produced their own cloth poppy badges (and other poppy-decorated products), and marketed them directly or indirectly at Guiding Leaders.  And I've tended to be uncomfortable with them, mainly because in most cases it was not clear whether they had gained permission to use poppy logos, Girlguiding UK ones, or both, nor what proportion of the proceeds (if any proportion) were going to the relevant charities (both RBL and PoppyScotland, not just the former).  I feared, rightly or wrongly, that the companies might be more focussed on profits for them rather than proceeds for the cause.

This year, Girlguiding UK have produced their own official poppy badges, and have stated that all profits will go to the relevant poppy charities.  So the concerns about copyright design, and about destination of funds, have been dealt with.

But for me, one concern remains.  Who gets a badge - and who doesn't?

Ideally, each unit thinking of issuing them would do some sort of activity about remembrance, however brief, and then issue them to all members who had thus participated in remembrance.  Or at the first meeting after the 11th, the Leaders would ask each girl whether they participated in the silence either on the Sunday nearest, or on the morning of the 11th itself, regardless of wherever they happened to be when doing it - and would then issue the badge to all who had taken part in one or both of the silences.  Whether that was in a place of worship, at school, at home, or somewhere else.

But I fear some units will only be issuing it to those who opt to take part in the one specified remembrance parade and/or service nominated by the Leaders.  Regardless of whether some of their members may have taken part in other parades or services on the day, and regardless of whether some of their members may have marked the silence in other locations and in other ways.  And there is an immediate problem, because even if there is an option of just the parade and not the service in the church, many of the ceremonies held at war memorials include Christian prayers and/or Christian hymns, which can be a barrier for any girls or Leaders who are not Christians.

The implications of the badges only going to those who parade?  That there is a reward issued to those who mark remembrance in one way, and no reward for those who mark it in any other reasonable way.  No badge if you attend a remembrance service or ceremony at another war memorial or in another religious building, instead of the chosen one.  Or you maintain your regular commitment to your Sunday morning class or club, rather than truant it, perhaps having checked that they plan to pause at 11am to have a silence.  Or if you visit a war veteran relative, or the grave of a relative injured or killed through war.  Or if you respect your family's view that a public parade with flags and bands isn't the right way to remember the war and it's effects, in general, or on your family in particular.

So while I am glad that there is now an official badge we can get and issue without having to worry about whether the proceeds are going to charity or to private profit, I don't feel that all the difficulties are resolved.  Because I believe that either the badges should be issued to everyone who remembers - or to no-one.  Not only given to those who remember in one particular way.

Awards for All?

Guiding has always had a system of awards to present to it’s membership.  Awards for long service, for gallantry, for fortitude, and for ‘good service’.  The first is awarded to adults automatically regardless of what type of role(s) have been held.  The next two categories are nowadays only for youth members, and the last of these categories, whilst notionally available to all Leaders, is in reality only ever awarded to Leaders who have taken on roles at County, Country/Region, National or International level.  Not to those who have only served at Unit Level.

In addition there is a piecemeal selection of local awards in different parts of the country.  These can be at County or at Country/Region level.  Some are open to nominations, others are in the personal gift of the appropriate Commissioner.  Some are aimed at grassroots Leaders, most at those who have taken on roles at County or Country/Region level.  But some localities are covered by more than one local award, whereas other areas have none.  And some awards are given out more frequently than others. 

I do not want to knock those who have gained awards.  I can think of a large number of instances where awards were indeed well deserved.  But I would question the fact that so many awards do not recognise the efforts of those Leaders who, year by year, provide ‘Good Guiding’ in the units.  Many Leaders and volunteers work away quietly, many are the backbone of Guiding.  But the awards structure as it currently stands - does not serve them.

So I would suggest that two steps are needed.

1) Create a parallel set of awards to the existing ones which are awarded for ‘higher level’ service, with the new ones designed to specifically recognise Unit Leaders and volunteers, and their grassroots work in local communities.

2) Each Commissioner, at some point in her term of office, should be expected to nominate someone (or more than one person if she wishes) in her area for an award.  The nomination would naturally have to be considered at a higher level as at present, and there would be no guarantee that nomination would result in an award being given, but it would mean Commissioners being required to consider the Leaders and volunteers in their patch, and consider whether, actually, there is quiet, significant achievement which is going unrecognised.

I wouldn’t want quotas.  Or a set date when each Commissioner nominates, with people waiting to see ‘who will get this time’ and being disappointed if this year no award is made.  And I wouldn’t want Commissioners to have to nominate someone every year whether there is an outstanding candidate to put forward or just a good one (‘Buggins’ turn’).  But in our rush to focus on the recruitment half of ‘recruitment and retention’, and given that the average length of service for a Leader in the UK is only 2 years – we need to value the Leaders we have who give more than two years, who consistently go above and beyond at a local level, provide the continuity in our units and form the backbone of our Districts – and show them that they are valued, and awards aren’t just for the ‘high heid yins’.