Preparing for a night under the stars

Today camping may seem easier, a site may have all facilities in purpose built blocks, some may sleep less under the stars as in a hall not least younger children but for many a part of the appeal is being directly involved in your own survival.

This may well main physically erecting and securing your own tent on assigned but not otherwise prepared grassland which this probably German scout is doing, making sure ever peg is right down and the groundsheet is set up right to help keep the damp out.

Fire is light and a warm meal is underway

Spooky weekend edition

Having fun at halloween is something that's always been popular one reason it's in Scouting apart from using skills you can learn while doing so.

You could perform a little review with funny halloween based skits for everyone to enjoy

We can enjoy a b-bq and toasted marshmallows together while wearing fancy dress and singing songs while holding camp.

Even make lanterns with scouting based designs

Now who doesn't want to do it?

Restful views

 As I walk around the tree lined roads by woodland and fields here there is little escaping we are in autumn from the lower temperatures as much as they may rally by early afternoon as warmer coats and gloves are put on.

Nor as the low sun causes the richly coloured leaves in their final stages before departing for winter to look so attractive with a warm glow.

That captured in soft focus is one the things I just love to be surround in outdoors.

Halloween

Tis the season to be spooky and the various sections of Scouting organize events such as competitions, games and the like such as a fancy dress event.

 This was one organized by a Beaver Colony just over a decade ago with ghosts, werewolves and the like putting in an appearence which no doubt was an absolute hoot for all involved.

Sometimes older traditions such as "bobbing" the apple happen which used to be the case when we marked All Saints rather more as society adapted the mainly American rituals.

First Squirrels anniversary

 This week marks the first year since the latest program in Scouting was launched.

Squirrels is for four to six year olds where storytelling, routine and play to help young children learn vital skills in area Dray units and awards can be gained too, just like their older siblings in Beavers and Cubs.

It is the first new age range offered by Scouts in 35 years

There is a formal uniform with jersey but as you would expect with children of this age who may be still grappling with the sorts of fine control and co-ordination required for things like dressing, a less strict approach is taken

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SQUIRRELS!

Mastering skills

There are a number of ways of learning from osmosis to directed instruction such as in this classic Norman Rockwell picture - a guiding hand - where the older scout teaches the wolf cub one of several knots he needs to master to move up and gain a award.

Everyone from what I have read from people like Edward De Bono appears to have their own style of learning and fortunately in Scouts this is understood making life easier for those of us who are dyslexic struggling with the printed word and following sequences.

Learning to care

 

A love of animals can start from an early age from the first you may see out to as you get older having a pet of your very own such as my brothers infamous gerbil who escaped during one cage cleaning session to a all hands to the pump hunt in the bedroom for him before either he went of the room or encountered our cats!

Having a pet is not just a simple case of emotional attachment although you have that but is about caring for it no matter how you may be feeling or what else you feel like doing instead.

You just have to put it first and from that you start to bear the fruit sown of responsibility for another living creature and you become more mature.

It's telling how much this Scout from Cobham, Surrey cares for his hamster.

Sometimes that responsibility takes us out of the house such as walking your puppy and from that we also learn about nature, those things that may harm him and share in the magic of the seasons together.

You can gain awards for learning how to look after pets and caring for the environment.

Take two things

Two things I love together: the TinTin adventure books I devoured whatever some may say today by Hergé and scouting because the do have a lot of things in common such as adventure, resourcefulness and taking care of yourself.

It's great to head out for an Adventure especially at this time of year when you can treated to such georgous sights as this.

To feel alive in your own body is a wonderful thing.

Cubbing Autumn 2022 Style

 Somethings come round in circles at this blog and today is no exception.

It's that time of the year I pay homage to the past of Cubs Scouts aka Wolf Cubs while out admiring The Fall as it is better know on the other side of the Atlantic.

We started this blog after what was first major post about Scouting was made firstly on Tumblr and then on one of the other blogs that showed there was a place for things in and around scouting in the past, scouting today and how all of that applies to me.

It was in so many ways where we found The Boy I Was and the Boy Within Now some five years ago, what made him tick - Adventure- and his longing to ride that, learning new skills, developing self confidence as you moved along that.

It was what kept me together as Covid took a hold, adapting to changed circumstances just as children and young people did, finding the resilance we need.

In today's world it is easy to spend amazing periods of time staring at screens, even the screens of our smartphones which may be out of doors but really we're not engaged WITH the outdoors.

One thing I do is explore on foot the natural world which fortunately here does not mean long hikes or cycling because much can be accessed easily by foot so apart from seeing many mammals, birds and insects about, you do get to observe the seasons.

This autumn has come early not least because the abnormally high temperatures around July and August which underlines the importance of Climate Change and our responsibilities as Stewards of this land to change some of our harmful habits.

Across all levels of scouting the environment and our responsibilities to it plays a part and we play a part in encouraging others to care for this one earth we're living on.

The majestic sight of trees undergoing photosynthisis is all around us, in your local woods, parks or in some places even, the street where you live.

Trees support a lot of wild life, wild life we note, find out about by studying apart from helping to control C02 in the environment.

Trees are of course the more able of us can climb, our heads literally away in the clouds far removed from anything that may be one our minds.

Learning to appreciate nature and how we can look after our mental well-being by finding time to step away, reflect on how we are feeling  and use the freedom around us create better, more alife affirming activities and habits helps.

This long journey, sometimes as change is uncomfortable can be is my path, a path that is change me and by extension all I am in contact with for the good.

I have changed in five years due to the Spirit of Scouting and its message, a message that is as relevant in 2022 as it was in the early years of the last century.

The boy within is maturing.

Reflections on our late Patrons values

 

One thing the Scouting Movement has been blessed with is the support and patronage of the Royal Family over the years from its earliest days as here when HRH The Queen Mother and King George VI attend a Guides event in 1937 with HRH Queen Elizabeth II as an eleven year old Girl Guide and Princess Margaret as a Brownie.

One way Scouts today have been marking the passing of our late Queen has been in taking parts in acts of kindness such as leaving flowers in decorated pots people could take home or or helping with community facilities and services such as collecting for food banks or fence painting at a children's play area.

All tie to awards any beaver, cub or scout can earn.

It is a fitting way of honouring the care and love our late Queen and Patron stood for.

The memories forged

 

As I'm typing this, it is raining really quite hard here and my mind between reading this weeks Beano and one of my Cub Annuals is drifting back to the things I loved, not necessary because it was easy and running for somone like me is not, but more the comraderie and fun we had when we all tried things no matter how hard together sharing in the ups and downs of our emotions.

I think it's telling when we recall those people and places from the past just how many things like summer camps, scouts and the like soon drift into the conversation because the people we knew then, we really knew well.

No more aqaintances or fair weathered friends.

The road from where school and after school acivities lead us as boys always takes us back

 

On the river

Water was always a passion of mine and not surprisingly many youth organizations offer elements within their programs that involve rowing, sailing, kayaking or fishing and here we have an image of the YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) offering rowing to boys under adult leadership.

Revving up to go

Full of vitality, revving up to go the Scouts are clearly engaged with the spirit of their units program that combines real life skills delivered in a fun way that directly ties into their boyishness.

Today I spent ages watching two Grey Squirrels playing, hiding from each other and then chasing each other enjoying the sunshine while I was out scouting working on my attentiveness and identifying species of flowers.

Being a Wolf Cub in spirit I feel is helping me deal with the changed environment we are living in, something a few years back you certainly would of not expected.