2020 Guides and Scouts of Europe

Source: roverscout1love

Arrangements no doubt are being made a meeting of scouts across all Europe to get together and have fun.
It's good to see they've portrayed this as the traditional meeting of boys with most in traditional shorts based uniform rather than running with the fashionable 'gender neutral' gender inclusive ideas favoured by some.
Spaces for boys matter.

Pack outing 70's style

The early 1970's were a turbulent time in the United Kingdom with terrorism from and in  Northern Ireland and the Miner's Strikes and associated three day weeks with power cuts living through it at the same age as these children.

To them therefore to be away from that on a Cub Scout outing with Akela and all your friends was special beyond say seeing the countryside which some city boys would never have seen before.

The boy second left in the brown jacket is a deadringer for me in looks and demeanour with that era being the start point of this unique blog cos it starts from the boy who wanted to be a Cub Scout.

A Royal Parade

Queen Elizabeth II and Chief Scout, Lord Rowallan, at a parade of Scouts at Windsor Castle - April 28, 1957.

As is not uncommon the Chief Scout is wearing a kilt.

Original post by crownedlegend, corrected by me.

A forest hike

Woodland and forests are my first love being fortunate to be close to woodland that is in easy walking distance and to have hiked in forests including Delamere Forest in Mid Cheshire and around Cannock Chase, Staffs both at school and also with my folks at weekends.

The ability to use a compass and read a map was one that was prized at my school so we did a lot of this to the point we had proper walking boots and thick woollen socks.

The Boy's Brigade

Source: tedbangor

In the main this blog is centred around Scouting as practised by the Scout Association and other Scouting Groups but there are other groups for boys (and girls) that offer similar opportunities.

The Boys' Brigade is an international interdenominational Christian youth organisation, conceived by Sir William Alexander Smith to combine drill and fun activities with Christian values.
It was first established in Glasgow, Scotland on October 4th 1883 and currently has 750,000 members world wide.

Its objective is "the advancement of Christ's kingdom among Boys and the promotion of habits of Obedience, Reverence, Discipline, Self-respect and all that tends towards a true Christian manliness"


There are Four Sections to a Company:
Anchor Boys - 5 to 8 years of age
Junior Section - 8 to 11 years of age
Company Section - 11 to 15 years of age
Seniors - 15 to 18 years of age

Their  motto ‘Sure and Steadfast’ is taken from Hebrews ch 6 v 19 ‘'Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast' (Authorized Version)

Felden Lodge in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire serves as the main headquarters and England regional headquarters, while other regions have their own regional headquarters

The above photograph is of the Boys Brigade in Yorkshire circa 1971

Scouting in the Family

Pix source: tedbangor  corrected exposure by me.
A family scouting group picture taken just before the Autumn 1967 scouts uniform became available  and the abolition of Wolf Cubs and their mother in the then new Guilder uniform which was all a part of the response to the recommendations for Scouting report issued earlier.

It is an interesting time capsule that sadly suffers from fierce directional sunlight that over exposed the film negative burning out detail in the faces.

The look of achievement

That feeling you get when you've reached your destination is priceless climbing those hills and ridges with all the support you could muster.

His facial expression to me sums up what it is you get, I get, from scouting:confidence in dealing with challenges.

An aside is this adult Scout is Czech depicted as coming from a group in the capital, Prague.

The Winter Scout

This picture clearly was taken in the Winter judging by the snowfall on the ground  which is probably three months off  here if the usual trends hold firm but these Baden-Powell Scouts are a hardy breed in full uniform with the one on the right just carrying his coat where I am sure the air temperatures would be no better than about 6 degrees C having been out in my shorts in the winter months.

There also appears to be rail lines in this picture but I'm at loss to think why they'd be standing on one unless it was some kind of exhibit or museum as that's very unsafe ordinarily.

September mornings

It is very much the end of summer although having been out on a stroll today admiring the hedgerows and still seeing a good number of butterflies about we're moving toward the autumn with some leaves starting to fall off being crisp as they land.
This said the classic photosynthesis that many of us like to see and photograph as leaves change colours often vividly  has not happened in this district yet as it has been fairly mild so mild I had no need for a coat on and am still in shorts and ankle socks.

Challenges

There is nothing wrong the idea that people especially young people benefit from being challenged mentally and physically because not not only teaches skills but actively promotes personal growth in character that leads to greater maturity.

To climb up and along such a structure is daunting but the gains are so worth it having learned the hard things in life are the things that really benefit me. 

Award

An achievement for this boy on a proud day he will look back on in his later life maybe even sharing with his own children

I've gotcha!

Having a spot of horse play at Scout Camp as the tents and marques are being erected for what seems like biggish event taking place.

Present attitudes toward any kind of unregulated activity can lead to situations where complaints and even formal legal action can be started which can lead to a more risk adverse take on boys doing what comes naturally with the leader only stepping in where necessary.

I feel while bullying rightly shouldn't be tolerated, boys should learn to hold their own and resolve differences by themselves and sometimes horse play helps teach limits to boys and to make up afterward.

A Reflection on the path

Having been out today, that look at wonderment with the state of nature after a good hike is one I can easily identify with staring at all that's around you.

Many people find that being out in the open taking your time to absorb everything that is around you including the stillness of the air helps with maintaining a healthy outlook mentally whatever challenges you may be facing.

I find that solitude and the hard things like hiking with my physical disabilities helps me much more than any 'soft' options in learning to face up to those challenges in my life and the business of being the best boy I can learning resilience and showing real grit. 

Post 200 -Scouting and Space

Space and Scouting have gone together from studying the solar system, learning about planets to the technology involved in space flight

Scouting went into space some fifty years ago as shown here where the World Scouting Badge was carried to the surface of the Moon.

Even though I was a very young boy at that time I was well aware of it's significance and from that point on followed the space missions of the nineteen seventies and eighties.

That I think is deserving noting on what is the two hundredth entry on the blog Scouting and me.

Having a wild time of it

Source: roverscout1love

A love of animals is something well worth encouraging in boys from the earliest ages but it need not be kept to the level of a pet dog or cat but can include wild species that you may encounter on a hike or an organized scouting adventure.

Here these two boys are very much at ease with their curious friend no doubt being looked up by whoever took this photograph.

All for one and one for all

Source: totinchip

These boys are clearly signalling they feel being in the cubs is the most fun for them as they learn things and have fun with close friends even if one seems to have acquired a green wrist support somewhere down the line.

That to me always was the thing about being in all boys group the very intensity of the espirit de corps that exists between you all and the easy going fun.

Tom Hanks was talking recently about the all pervasive cynicism that is around today especially with adults and why it is he's chosen to play an adult who isn't like that for children.
I can't help but wonder how much of drip fed cynicism is actually harmful to children today and in that light it makes things like Cubs more vital than ever.  

Staying warm and dry scouting

As we move across Autumn, one consideration has to be staying warm and dry as while you might get away with just a pack a way cagoule  just to keep showers off you we often get heavy showers and with it cold which is  bad combination.

This Regatta jacket is pretty good as it has a built in fleece for extra warmth, a fully water proof outer skin and the main zip covered by a flap to keep the slightest rain away from you.

Another thing that is handy are zipped pockets so nothing falls out hiking and this has two plus two small intermal pockets for a wallet and mobile phone.

We're Here!

It's very intriguing to see these scouts and their leader out not with just their Standard but holding a shield and a old style lantern with flames rather like something from the early part of the last century or the eighteen hundreds even. 

Is it that they are reenacting some past event in the history of their unit???

Come and join us for a game

Source: roverscout1love

Scouts don't just camp, hike and attend scouts during the week they also so play sports either with it as sports count toward awards or as a recreational activity  alongside camp such as Association Football aka Soccer where one boy here appears to be holding a ball even though there isn't anywhere in view they can play.
A mixture of activities is important to avoid anything that might come over as unduly regimented or just a continuation of school which most boys are happy to forget come the end of the school day!

Taking advice

Pausing, we look through the glossy guide book he purchased looking up facts and figures as the two younger ones loon on in interest at what he is saying about where the visited.

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This kind of learning from older peers is a good thing to encourage the the older by learns to handle responsibility.

Practice makes perfect

In what looks very much like a vintage picture, the cubs appear to be practising balancing by walking on a supported piece of wood one foot in front of the other getting from one end to the other without falling off.

This I know would be very difficult for me personally as I disabilities that affect my co-ordination and balance apart from my difficulties in walking.

Serving the hot broth

Although at some camps at least conditions may not be so primitive the basics of camp cooking are it's either grilled or boiled if warm and in group quantities so soehing like a soup or broth would be ladelled out of a big pot to your bowl by a volunteer who brought it off the camp fire.

These Polish Scouts  are at the 1957 World Scout Jamboree.

There are few things more welcome than a warm meal when you've been out hiking trust me!