Things are not always as people think

 Sometimes people do rather get the wrong of the stick regarding Children and Young People.

Never mind the numbers that are in things like Girlguiding and Scouts, are involved in sports or community work or even these mythical creatures are offspring of the children that we brought into the world or even their own of whom we often speak with pride, we often hear of "Young people these days...".

We read about their contributions in the local press and seemingly forget all about it.

Recently some of ours here created these knitted tapestrys and attached them to street signs joing with the knitted post box covers older people made.

It's good to see people marking their mark in good way, showing just what the community is really like.

Togetherness

Closeness in spirit is something that grows very much with you as you spend more time together learning white makes each one of you tick, trusting each other with the most important of things.

Making sure the evening meal is well cooked is important when everyones welfare depends upon it.

Being sure we are on the right path matters.

The seasons change

Going about in the last week shows we are almost ready for the greatest free show of all that comes around this time of year.

I just adore being out during the autumn watching the leaves change colours so vividly before ultimately falling down to the ground.

Indeed the mixture of Remembrance day parades along tree lined routes in vivid colours upon the early afternoon sun shining down on all remains strong in me.

Ukraine

It's been some seven months or so since Ukraine has been a Word, a Place on our minds since the Russian Invasion.

I can't help but think about what may of happened to many of the Scouts and Girl Guides of that country either within their family homes or even in the military for those of age to have been called up.

Over here Scouting has been helping available for Ukrainian children who have come over to escape the conflict and learn about life in our country until such point as they feel able to return.

Taking it in

With a major storm warning around us I'm not sure if I'll be out today but these two look to be thoroughly enjoying themselves in the open air after a long challenging hike in the summer admiring the view.

Memories and things on the day of the Funeral of Queen Elizabeth

As today we prepare ourselves for the funeral service for our Queen, Elizabeth II, minds are cast back to that of the funeral  for her father George VI which my father recalls as a Cub at the time here in North Staffordshire with the alterations made such as renewing The Oath.

It was something he was telling me about yesterday after speaking to my Aunt on the telephone who had been in Norfolk with the Trifoil Guild which is a branch of Girlguiding with around 20,000 members, which enables men and women to maintain their links with guiding. She's renewed her Oath.

Their aims are: To live in the spirit of guiding. To offer practical help to Girlguiding. To support guiding worldwide.

Scouts of the ages 18 though to 25 have been assisting in the arrangements for people wishing to pay respects by directing attendees, providing assistance, talking with people and so on  and public feedback has been highly positive. We can be proud of them.

Pictured is a then eight year old Wolf Cub, Micky Bran attending the filing past the coffin during the laying in wait of George VI on February 15, 1952 who lived in the Colliers Wood area of London.

Amazingly he's 78 years of age today!

Photo credits: Murray Sanders/Daily Mail.

Fictional adventures of Cubs

 Today we are looking at fictional adventures in the lives of Cubs, the kind of thing we used to enjoy reading about.

The six volume Dan Carter Series was written by Mildred A. Wirt Benson and was published by Cupples and Leon from 1949 to 1953.  The books follow the adventures of 10 year old Dan Carter and the other boys in Den 2 of the Cub Scouts.  Dan Carter is considered the most responsible Cub in Den 2 and is the pack leader.

Daniel Carter Beard was a naturalist who led an organization called the Sons of Daniel Boone during the early 20th Century.  After the Boys Scouts of America was incorporated in 1910, Beard's Sons of Daniel Boone was enfolded into the organization.  Beard became the national Scout commissioner, and Beard helped to design the original Scout uniform.

Dan Carter and the other Cubs from Den 2 of the Webster City Cub Scouts sorely wish for the never-ending rain to cease so that they can explore the outdoors.  Finally, the weather clears temporarily and the Cubs decide to hike to Mr. Silverton's pheasant farm.  When the boys arrive at the farm, they are threatened by the caretaker, Saul Dobbs, who orders them away from the farm.  Angered, the boys visit the office of the owner, Mr. Silverton, and plead for permission to visit the farm.  Mr. Silverton grants permission so long as the boys stay out of the restricted area.

During the boys' visit to the farm, Red and Chips wander away from the other Cubs and accidentally enter the restricted area!  Red and Chips pick up a few pheasant feathers which they plan to make into an Indian headdress.  Little do the boys realize that their innocent mistake is to cause them endless trouble.

The Cubs find themselves accused of killing some of Mr. Silverton's pheasants.  With no way of proving their innocence, the Cubs are treated hostilely by Mr. Silverton and others in the community.  The boys must exonerate themselves, and so begin watching Mr. Silverton's property in order to discover what is happening to his pheasants.  After more rains cause Mr. Silverton's property to flood, the Cubs help Mr. Silverton save his pheasants, regain his trust, and solve the mystery of the missing pheasants.

Scouts on a real life adventure!

Guide books

In the modern age no doubt there would be people who'd say "Who needs a Guidebook to Camping?"  thinking they could just look it up online as needed but many studies show we retain information better reading from paper.

It is just possible there may be limited mobile broadband  in the area - numerous deadspots abound in the UK - and all the information is gathered under chapters making it easy to find just what you need in a approved fashion.

The Union Flag Emblem

The world of the Scout may have moved on but Badges remain a part of it, an achievement we sow onto our jersey with pride.

I have from time to time touched on Badges in connexion with scouting in its differing forms 

but there is one I hadn't introduced.

The Union Flag Emblem is one to be worn on uniform when travelling abroad to show that you are from the UK when you're taking part in something like an International Scout Jamboree and would then be sown on your tunic top.

This is the Scout Association version that until a few years ago would of only of been seen on boys.
The girl guiding version is similar except for having their symbol to the left of the inscription. 

R.I.P Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth IInd

Yesterday afternoon it was announced our Queen, Elizabeth II had died.

In gratitude for everything she did for the Scouting Movement both as a Girl Guide and a Patron of the the Scout Association, I would like to post this in gratitude for all she did for scouting and especially the example she set to us.

Rest in Peace.

Mowgli and the Jungle Book

 The influence of Kipling in Scouting is quite considerable not least for being a major influence on the Wolf Cubs and Modern day Cubs so I think it is good idea to remind oneself of what Mowgli was.

Mowgli is a fictional character and the protagonist of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book stories. 

He is a feral boy from the Pench area in Seoni, Madhya Pradesh, India, who originally appeared in Kipling's short story "In the Rukh" and then became the most prominent character in the collections The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book (1894–1895), which also featured stories about other characters.

 Lost by his parents as a baby in the Indian jungle during a tiger attack, he is adopted by the Wolf Mother, Raksha and Father Wolf, who call him Mowgli (frog) because of his lack of fur and his refusal to sit still. Shere Khan the tiger demands that they give him the baby but the wolves refuse. Mowgli grows up with the pack, hunting with his brother wolves. In the pack, Mowgli learns he is able to stare down any wolf, and his unique ability to remove the painful thorns from the paws of his brothers is deeply appreciated as well.

Bagheera, the black panther, befriends Mowgli because both he and Mowgli have parallel childhood experiences; as Bagheera often mentions, he was "raised in the King's cages at Oodeypore" from a cub, and thus knows the ways of man. Baloo the bear, teacher of wolves, has the thankless task of educating Mowgli in "The Law of the Jungle".

The process of learning requires you to accept being taught and otherwise following their rules as you take them to heart and apply that knowledge trusting them and giving your learning its best shot as you begin to grow, learning to take more responsibility for yourself.

To a young Cub, Mowgli is in many ways a great example follow, learning while having adventures.

Preportation for the months ahead

Summer may be over with and already night is drawing in early but not just for our general well beings sake but to get through Winter we need to make the most of the opportunities to undertake outdoor exercise to maintain our fitness.

Making the most of the Sun matters too to reduce the chances of developing winter health complaints such as colds and flu.

It's time to devise and stick with your autumn/winter fitness plan.
 

The end leads to the beginning

Summer has gone for another year and all we have is our achievements and memories now and it's that I'm turning to today.

That's one of biggest things about this adventure we are on, it's what keeps on going forward as learn to do more for ourselves.

Eating while away at Camp or on other activities usually involves choices which may involve say making sandwiches for eating out or if say at base camp either cooking something if not a cold buffet.

Sometimes though the allure of a hot dressed burger, hot dog or fish and chips eaten out can be too much as with this smartly dressed member of the British Boy Scouts in his traditional uniform.

Personally I just love eating outdoors so frankly I don't blame him!