The french old school

 

Vintage Scout uniform as worn in France, showing the wide brimmed hats, short trosers, the bottoned shirt wih other accessories they way it was pre 1967 looking really smart and very much as B-P felt it should be, based on his experiences on what worked.

Something for the girls

 

Although emblems do change and so does the World Map  thanks to geo-politics, this nice set does go to show the extent that girls around the world have thie own opportunities though dedicated organizations in Scouting be it GirlGuiding or as in the United States of America, Girl Scouts.

Although the relationship with Scouts in some parts of the world remains tetchy with the latter departing from the views of Baden Powell who favoured having seperate bodies for boys and girls with collaberation it is good to know GirlGuiding for Girls remains popular.

Why shouldn't girls have thier on spaces and programs?

Onward

 

The world is very much a glow here with crisp colourful leaves as I stick my thick duffle coat on exploring, well wrapped up as temperature have drop and will be dropping next week with a possibility of snow even in higher parts.

Just being out, taking in that fresh air is really what matters.

Post 1,100+1

It says here we have reached 1,100 posts so this is one after that but given this last week was quite an important one in all forms of Scouting and I ought not to forget The Boys and Girls Brigades too, it was right to continue with that series of posts.

We've looked at scouting in the past,  today in world many of us would never of thought would of turned out the way it had and the third strand, the things I've done that relate to that.

For some of us 1979 was a important year in our own development, finding new interests, spending my first ever day in Keswick rambling, finding out more about myself, even enjoying parading.

Things in scouting were different, some such as safeguarding and having clear plans for activities for the better not that they should be a barrier to having fun and learning new skills, others such as what from my vantage point is a lowering of uniform standards more regretable.

It certainly isn't that we should be hung up on uniforms, the involvement and committment of children and young people do count for more but for more formal things such as parades, receptions  and award giving, being smart does matter.

This applies across both Scouts and GirlGuides.

The Cubs and Brownies and Scouts and Girl Guides in this picture look smarter than many today which isn't just about the uniform itself - although I have my reservations with elements of that like what resemble jogging bottoms, jeans and lycra shorts for Brownies for instance - but also the way it is worn.

While from the point of view of real uniformity - which is why we generally have uniforms I'd sooner all of these Beavers were in short trousers, actually for wearing a modern uniform they can and no doubt were aided to look smart on parade.

It does go to show that even accepting a few changes, some scout groups do manage to get what was second nature to us back then not just in Scouts or Guides but at school too.

Can we have more of that and some consideration of how a uniform looks in such situations?

The youngest do join in

 

Beavers on Parade at Ball Hayes, Leek, Staffordshire after no doubt learning all about why we do remember all who served.

Transmitting that message from one generation  to another is pricelesss.

Pix credit: Staffordshire Evening Sentinel.

Remembrance

 

This weekend is all about Remembrance, where we think of all who gave their lives to defend our country and those who otherwise lost their lives as modern warfare sadly isn't a distant affair reported on, it goes on all around you.

We in scouts think of what the wider scout family did from helping out at home running much need services to those who served in the military, those men and women who sadly did not come back and to that end we talk about that in our meetings.

There will be parades on Sunday, which I attended as a youngster and obviously later on where we pay our respects.

Do attend if at all possible.

Enjoying what's on offer

 

The mists of late autumn put in an appearence in the woods as you enjoy your ramble although I would recommend stout boots with good grip as you'll be going over carpets of leaves at this time of year.

Halloween may be over but did you have fun?