An example to us all?

 

Something that by British standards seems a tadge old-fashioned but very welcome, the U.S. Scout, this one from Raleigh, North Carolina, out in the woods looking very smart.

Just why is it presently over here we seem to have a problem of being practically dressed AND smart?

Back to the seventies

 

Memories from the past include seeing and knowing Cubs know at the time as Cub Scouts at church at various services looking smart like these two posed ones did, common place in many suburban and country districts .

8 Fun games while hiking

 

8 Fun Hiking Activities for Kids (and Adults)

Scavenger Hunt Hike

Penny Flip Hike

Fit on a Penny Hike

ABC Hike

Monogram Hike

Insect Hike

Sketching or Drawing Hike

Nature Friends

1. Scavenger Hunt Hike

Make a list of things the Scouts will look for, but these won’t be things they’ll pick up and take home. They’re things they’ll experience. List 3 or 4 items in these categories:  Smell, Texture, Sound, and Sight.

For example, your Sound category might include a bird chirping and leaves rustling. Smells could be dirt and flowers. 

2. Penny Flip Hike

Flip a penny to decide which direction you’ll take on your hike. You might say, “Heads, we’ll go toward the creek, and tails, we’ll walk toward that big tree.” 

Flip your penny for silly stuff too like, “Heads, we’ll sing Yankee Doodle Dandy, and tails, we’ll moo like a cow until we get to that rock.”

3. Fit on a Penny Hike

For this hike, walk to a designated spot and give each Scout a penny. They have 5 minutes to find as many things as possible that will fit on the penny. 

Remind the Scouts that they should only pick up things that are on the ground. Cub Scouts should always follow Scouting’s Outdoor Code.

4. ABC Hike

Pair up the Scouts. They are looking for items that start with each letter of the alphabet. When they find an item that begins with A (acorn, for example), they’ll call out the name and begin looking for the next letter.

5. Monogram Hike

Scouts try to find something that begins with each of their initials. The items don’t have to be physical–they can be sounds or smells too.

6. Insect Hike

Each Scout should bring a camera. If all of them don’t have one, you can pair them up. Tell the Scouts to take as many pictures of different kinds of insects as possible.

7. Sketching or Drawing Hike

Bring along paper and pencils or crayons. Hike to a scenic location, and have the Scouts draw what they see.

8. Nature Friends

Each Scout picks up an item from the ground to be their “friend.” As you hike, have each child explain why the item is their friend.

Spring fundraising

 

It looks highly likely last weeks fundraiser raised over 1K including direct contributions along the way and that but apart from a sponsered overnight hike there are other ways groups do such as this group of scouts who are doing a sponsered cycle ride around their district.

It doesn't matter how you do it, it's that you undertake a challenge in your own time to raise fund yourself that counts rather than waiting on somebody else.

It's over there!

 

That classic moment when on your group hike where we attempt to relate the physical features such as lakes and streams before us to the map and detirmine exactly where we are and in what direction to proceed.

It's over there!

Chefs Badge 2026 style

 

Monday saw the new launch of the Chefs Badge which has always been a part of scouting and not just doing hot dogs and toasted marshmallows over the campfire as much as some of us adore all of that.

No, aided by Ainsley Harriet promoting it, this badge requires you to plan a meal including the shopping bit, learn some basic cookery skills to turn all of that into a meal that is presented so it tastes good while staying safe around sharp knives and hot ovens.

It's not really fancy cookery but really a essential life skill that with less being taught in schools, even less going on in the home, you do need to life beyond putting ready meals in the microwave.

When you consider beyond the issue of so many people including children and young people feeling unable to cook, the sheer amount of wasted food that gets tossed away, this is so timely.

Fundraising locally

Today, something that matters, fundraising, and our local Scout leaders went on a 24 hour sponsered walk to see how far they could go, fully supported of course.

The £500 target was smashed!  So far £970 was raised. I made a substancial donation given it was my birthday weekend feeling it could really do some good.