Jenni's Patrol
Children's Story
Jenni was very excited. It was Guides tonight, and she was Patrol Leader. She'd been a Guide for three years now, and was the oldest member of her patrol, although Ruth was only a month or two younger.
Jenni was a natural leader. She had a gentle authority, and the younger girls followed her every lead. Because she loved Guides so much, she was determined that her Chaffinch patrol should be the best in the whole company, and she was so enthusiastic that she carried the patrol along with her. They usually had the smartest uniforms, and they won most of the competitions because they took such care over them. Jenni was glad to have Ruth in her patrol, because Ruth was the fastest runner in the company, which meant the Chaffinch patrol also won many of the sporting events.
It was good to be a Guide. It was good to be a Chaffinch. It was good to win so often. And it was best of all to be leader of the best patrol ever.
Tonight there was to be a Scavenger Hunt. All the Guides loved Scavenger Hunts, where they were given a list of items. Some of them were everyday items like matchsticks or a newspaper, but others were quite obscure like a1980 penny or a picture of the Prime Minister. The winners were the first patrol to return with all the items on the list. Jenni usually organised her patrol with great efficiency. She'd put one older girl with one younger girl, and divide the list between the pairs. The more obscure items went to the more able pairs, which left the everyday items to the least able pairs. That meant everyone enjoyed themselves, and at the end everyone felt successful. None of the other patrol leaders had worked it out in quite such an organised way, so Jenni knew the Chaffinches had a good chance of winning yet again.
She hummed as she skipped along to Guides, and beamed when she entered the church hall. The Guide Captain smiled back, and beckoned her over.
"Jenni," she said, "we guiders have come to a decision. You'll be delighted to hear we're going to appoint a second for your patrol tonight. You've been so long without any help! All the other patrols have leaders and seconds; now you'll have a second too."
Jenni felt her heart drop. Then she realised her mouth had dropped too, and she was staring at the Captain. She forced herself to smile and asked who the second would be.
"Why, Ruth of course," answered the Captain. "She's about your age, and although she's quite a timid person, we think it will help her enormously to share some of the responsibility with you."
Jenni was horrified. Ruth couldn't do anything except run. She was a complete scatter-brain, with no idea about organisation. Worse, she didn't always take Guides as seriously as she might. She often seemed only to enjoy herself, and didn't seem to care whether the Chaffinches won or lost.
Jenni had an awful feeling that all the good work she'd done with the Chaffinches would be lost, ruined. She wasn't sure the other Guides would follow her lead in quite the same way when bird-brain Ruth shared the leadership. But she knew she must accept the decision of the Guiders, so she did her best to smile at Ruth, and congratulated her and wished her well.
Then Jenni held out the Scavenger Hunt list to Ruth. "Why don't you organise the patrol tonight?" she said generously. But her heart fell even more as she watched Ruth allowing friends of the same age to work together, and giving two of the youngest guides some of the most difficult items to find.
The Chaffinch patrol came next to last in the Scavenger Hunt. Jenni smiled bravely at Ruth and told her it didn't matter. Ruth looked at her with a puzzled frown. "Of course it doesn't matter who wins or loses," she said. "We all know that. But didn't you see how much our patrol enjoyed themselves? That's what matters."
"They always enjoy themselves," retorted Jenni.
Ruth nodded. "But they like it better when they stay with their special friends," she said quietly. Then she added, "I think we'll work well together, Jenni. You'll challenge the patrol to try harder and harder, and I'll make sure they have fun as well. It'll be good."
And to her surprise, Jenni found herself nodding. It wasn't easy to relinquish a share in the leadership, but perhaps it was a good thing after all to have two different leaders with two different styles. And perhaps in the end, thought Jenni, the Chaffinches would be a better patrol with Ruth there.
Jenni was a natural leader. She had a gentle authority, and the younger girls followed her every lead. Because she loved Guides so much, she was determined that her Chaffinch patrol should be the best in the whole company, and she was so enthusiastic that she carried the patrol along with her. They usually had the smartest uniforms, and they won most of the competitions because they took such care over them. Jenni was glad to have Ruth in her patrol, because Ruth was the fastest runner in the company, which meant the Chaffinch patrol also won many of the sporting events.
It was good to be a Guide. It was good to be a Chaffinch. It was good to win so often. And it was best of all to be leader of the best patrol ever.
Tonight there was to be a Scavenger Hunt. All the Guides loved Scavenger Hunts, where they were given a list of items. Some of them were everyday items like matchsticks or a newspaper, but others were quite obscure like a1980 penny or a picture of the Prime Minister. The winners were the first patrol to return with all the items on the list. Jenni usually organised her patrol with great efficiency. She'd put one older girl with one younger girl, and divide the list between the pairs. The more obscure items went to the more able pairs, which left the everyday items to the least able pairs. That meant everyone enjoyed themselves, and at the end everyone felt successful. None of the other patrol leaders had worked it out in quite such an organised way, so Jenni knew the Chaffinches had a good chance of winning yet again.
She hummed as she skipped along to Guides, and beamed when she entered the church hall. The Guide Captain smiled back, and beckoned her over.
"Jenni," she said, "we guiders have come to a decision. You'll be delighted to hear we're going to appoint a second for your patrol tonight. You've been so long without any help! All the other patrols have leaders and seconds; now you'll have a second too."
Jenni felt her heart drop. Then she realised her mouth had dropped too, and she was staring at the Captain. She forced herself to smile and asked who the second would be.
"Why, Ruth of course," answered the Captain. "She's about your age, and although she's quite a timid person, we think it will help her enormously to share some of the responsibility with you."
Jenni was horrified. Ruth couldn't do anything except run. She was a complete scatter-brain, with no idea about organisation. Worse, she didn't always take Guides as seriously as she might. She often seemed only to enjoy herself, and didn't seem to care whether the Chaffinches won or lost.
Jenni had an awful feeling that all the good work she'd done with the Chaffinches would be lost, ruined. She wasn't sure the other Guides would follow her lead in quite the same way when bird-brain Ruth shared the leadership. But she knew she must accept the decision of the Guiders, so she did her best to smile at Ruth, and congratulated her and wished her well.
Then Jenni held out the Scavenger Hunt list to Ruth. "Why don't you organise the patrol tonight?" she said generously. But her heart fell even more as she watched Ruth allowing friends of the same age to work together, and giving two of the youngest guides some of the most difficult items to find.
The Chaffinch patrol came next to last in the Scavenger Hunt. Jenni smiled bravely at Ruth and told her it didn't matter. Ruth looked at her with a puzzled frown. "Of course it doesn't matter who wins or loses," she said. "We all know that. But didn't you see how much our patrol enjoyed themselves? That's what matters."
"They always enjoy themselves," retorted Jenni.
Ruth nodded. "But they like it better when they stay with their special friends," she said quietly. Then she added, "I think we'll work well together, Jenni. You'll challenge the patrol to try harder and harder, and I'll make sure they have fun as well. It'll be good."
And to her surprise, Jenni found herself nodding. It wasn't easy to relinquish a share in the leadership, but perhaps it was a good thing after all to have two different leaders with two different styles. And perhaps in the end, thought Jenni, the Chaffinches would be a better patrol with Ruth there.
