Girls apply for international, get offered a place and then refuse it

[stephrutt]

For the second year running a girl in my county has been offered an international place and then turned it down.

Last year it was because it clashed with a family holiday.

This year she's just changed her mind (though I have a feeling this may not be the case - her mother didn't want her to travel outside the country, she was given a place at Centenary Camp and has now turned that down)

I'm thinking of putting together a booklet for girls, their parents and guiders about what to expect when you put yourself forward for selection. This year there was a couploe of other girls who just missed out going to Welsh selection and who could have taken that place.

Has anyone had this experience. How did you deal with it? Is this anything I can actually fix?

I'm just a bit frustrated. I worked really hard to put the selection day together without much support.

BTW I'm County International Adviser.

Thanks
Steph

[Cazbly]

How frustrating!

I suppose you operate a reserve list and try to fill the vacancy left?

Your idea of a booklet is good, although in all fairness, it is should be patently obviously what the girls are applying for. Personally I would be disappointed if I thought I were being offered an "international" opportunity to find out I was staying in the UK so you would expect anybody going for an international selection to be expecting travel to foreign parts.

Please everybody, do not beat me up, I have been on world camps and think they are fabulous so I am not putting down the centenary camp in any way and in fact will be involved with the Branch camp at Waddow the following week.

But international, to me, offers the wonderful opportunities of travelling to a new and foreign place, with all the experiences that come along with it.

[catdrew]

can you offer the place to one of these other girls.

i think you maybe need to get her guider to have a word with her. if this has happened again she needs to seriously think about if she wants to go or not.

could you make it so they cant back out.

[Nell Gwyn]

Stupid I know, but why put yourself up for selection in the first place, if you know that are not able to travel out of the Country (I hope you mean the whole of the UK, rather than just Wales?)

Personally, I would try and explain to the girl and her mother that this is a fantastic opportunity and a once in a life time experience. She is lucky to have been chosen in the first place (and twice running, that's a first). I would properly dig a little deeper and you may find that it's not a case of not wanting to go and more of a money issue which she would prefer not to discuss or let known.

I will not shout at anyone, honest, but any experience, whether it's within the UK or Aboard with a group of girls you don't know (from other units or even other Counties/Regions) is an international experience in itself. When you go to large organised events (Jamborees), the norm is that other participants from across the world attend, making it special and one bit family. You could be in a field in the middle of nowhere, does not matter whether you are in UK or Holland for example, it would make absolutely no difference to the experience you get. The advantage of being in the UK is that any problems with girls, at least they are not that far from home.

[Cazbly]

I know what you are saying Nell Gwyn, and can tell you were seeing where I was trying to come from.

But if you go forward for an international, I think the first automatic assumption would be that it is likely to be abroad.

But I am excited about the Branch and Division Camp and Waddow and want to make it a special, memorable experience for the girls we are taking from burnley.

[fenris]

I would agree that a leaflet would be a good idea, laying out what is required and what the benefits are. I know that in my area, some people are surprised that you can be part of an 'international' group at a camp within the UK, so that even if you are picked at the selection, there's no guarantee you'll actually go overseas. It could also be helpful to give advice on potential duration, unfamiliar food, costs and fundraising help required/available towards costs. Leaflets could be supplied to the unit Guiders as well as the girls, so the Guiders were clued up on what's involved (because we don't always know anything about it).

[stephrutt]

Sorry I wasn't very clear - its two different girls. Though the first has gone up for selection again this year.

I can't substitute unfortunately. We select girls in County who then go to Welsh selection, so its a Welsh group she's turned down. She was the lower end of the age range, but she stood out on the day we held so I didn't have any worries about putting her forward. Its just annoying.

[Marie]

I think a leaflet would be a very good idea - and it might be worth mentioning that there are a lot of girls and only a few places (when I was County International Adviser, there were between 2 and 3 times as many girls at the Region selection as we expected to have places for on trips) and that parental support really starts with the initial application to go to the selection event. The girls themselves were probably disappointed that they couldn't take the offered place.

[ker-stee]

we got a booklet pre selection, like what to expect, where people have been in the past and also things like fund raising ideas (To give you an idea of what you will have to do to get the money!)

[Smiley]

We've had girls turn done opportunities from Wales selection too to go on holiday. Also we had one refuse to go to Wales selection because her friends weren't selected to go. You'd think after giving up 3 weekends for selection they'd be committed to going.So many girls are heart broken when they don't get selected and girls who aren't committed take the places.

I always tell the girls in my unit to keep rough dates free in advance before the start the selection process e.g. Country selection - weekend early july, Wales selection - weekend september/october, Bonding weekend - weekend early april, Trip - up to 2 weeks end of july/early august. Therefore no excuss for prior arrangements.