Life in the woods

 

While it is still pretty cool around here as after all we remain in Winter, we are seeing a good deal of Winter Sun beyond those frosty or indeed snowing days  we have had just over a week and a bit ago and some folage is holding up although it'll take a few months before most of that returns.

While there remains some bird activity in the woods, unfortunately I have yet to spot the grey squirrels that you would normally expect around.

Get set to go!

 Making our way off the bus, we put on our back packs, fully loaded before we stretch our legs ready to start off on a good few miles worth of hiking for which we are wearing proper boots for comfort and good grip.

European and very much of its era this is a well observed image.

A restful view

 Yesterday I was about which given how I have been since just before Christmas was pretty good going so I went on a short exploration as much for trying to improve my breathing since I had this chest infection as slowing down and enjoying being in "the moment".

The scene is tranquil which is nice before the busy season of late Spring and Summer comes before us along the canal the narrowness of the towpath is in evidence which back when it was used commercially, was where the horse would taken it  at least as my late granddad explained it who had worked from the age of seven on the narrowboats.

Caring for others

 There are certain times where you may be called upon or feel it is a part of your responsibility to care for others most directly through getting such things as provisions for them or through providing personal care and supervision enabling them to do as much as they can for themselves as much as you or others around them may need to undertake those things they may struggle with.

Being prepared to step in and make a difference not least for those we care for is I feel a fundermental quality of the Scout of any age.

Snow activities for Scouts

Winter very much arrived Wednesday with drifts of snow up to four inches here which is unusual given the ridges higher up usually take the liones share of any snowfall here

Winter for scouts isn't a matter of running in and staying warm and so many do things such as building your very own snowman, look at Winter survival techniques which is an important part of bushcrafting and winter sports.

Whatever your age tobaggoning is a load of fun, getting down with the aid of gravity

I just love this time of year.

The royal cub

 From less complicated days in the life of Prince Andrew, taking part in the Grand Howl and making your salute, very much the way that it was, royal or not.

Royalty has a strong involvement in scouting from the earliest of days.

Swaledale, North Yorkshire

One of the more remote northern dales of Yorkshire, Swaledale runs west to east to the town of Richmond (from where the River Swale flows in to the northern end of the Vale of Mowbray).

Besides its stunning scenery it is also famous for its Swaledale blackface sheep  being a local breed which is particularly well suited to life on the high fells and its wildflower meadows where natural flowering plants thrive.

From Thwaite and near the head of the dale the famous Buttertubs Pass leads upward over the moors and down into Wensleydale well known for its cheese which is a favourite of Wallace in the Wallace and Gromit animated films. 

Another road from Keld leads north over the moors to Tan Hill that is well known as the site of the highest public house in England.

The Cost of Living Crisis and us

 Many of us are aware of the increased costs of living not least energy costs as they affect individuals and businesses, we may change suppliers, look at heating our homes more efficiently and so on however this major hike in the cost of living does effect voluntary and charitable organizations including the Scout Association and Girlguiding UK because where we own our Scout Huts, we of course need to heat them whenever a session is running.

Some of our huts may be getting on in years and so less well insulated to keep warm air in while if we share as in this area we do a community building, the cost of heating comes into the booking contracts.

Scouting will be recieving some support in meeting the heating costs through the new government scheme which is a bit less generous than the previous scheme.

These are all things we balence to try to ensure Scouting is affordable to all who would benefit, keeping subscriptions as low as we can.

Winter exploration

 As some may of been aware, I hadn't been too great recently but at the weekend I did venture out  with a wind chill temperature of some five degrees out to the wood.

The soft glow of the Winter Sun, fortunate given the very wet weather overnight to had come out really comes over in this picture.

Often you see the resumption of life in the tree canapies although it must be said I hadn't seen the grey squirrels about this year so far.

Promotion

 

How you recruit often invites questions.

In this country our problem tends be less of selling the idea of membership but more of some Scout Packs being oversubscribed and of having long waiting lists for members to have a position come up as such matters as volunteer to child ratios are extremely important in running a safe group which is a must.

So it is rare to see posters put up although information concerning how to apply and just each section such as Cubs does is available.

New Year Honour for Scots Scouting personality

 It is the New Year so today as in past years I'm looking at just one person in Scouting who has made a huge difference over four anfd a bit decades.

Gillian Macdonald Caldwell was shocked to find she was awarded an MBE for ‘Services to Scouting’ in the 2023 New Years Honours list. Gillian started volunteering 45 years ago. She began volunteering with her local scout group in 1997 in Netherlee as a Cub Scout Leader. For over four decades, Gillian has supported scouting in and around Glasgow (as well as nationally) across a variety of different voluntary roles.

This included her  former role of Deputy Chief Commissioner of Scouts Scotland which she held from February 2019 to July 2022.

Speaking of her contribution to scouting in Scotland, Andrew Sharkey, Chief Commissioner of Scouts Scotland said: “Gillian has made a significant contribution to Scouting in Scotland and we are delighted that she has been recognised for her efforts with an MBE in the King’s New Year’s Honours List.

“Gillian has dedicated 45 years of service to helping young people develop important life skills through Scouting, both in Clyde Region and across Scotland. It is wonderful that her hard work and dedication have been recognised with this honour.”

Gillian remains actively involved with her local scout group in Crookfur, the 35th Glasgow, as the Group Scout Leader. Upon hearing the news of her award on Hogmanay, the group including representatives from all sections (Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers) made a surprise visit to her home to congratulate her. The Scout leader is supported in her endeavours by Karen Imrie, the Deputy Scout Leader.

The former headteacher was visited by members of the 35th Scout group to congratulate Gillian on her MBE

Gillian, a retired Head Teacher, said: “I suppose my first reaction was one of disbelief, but it is certainly a huge honour to be recognised in this way. It is also great recognition of Scouting and the commitment of so many volunteers.

“My volunteering is a mixture of working with both young people and adults, but every volunteer activity is ultimately about providing fun and adventure for young people and contributing to their skills and development. That’s why volunteering with Scouts is so varied and fulfilling - more adults should have a go!”

Through the Scouts Gillian has reached the lives of generations of young Glaswegians - and made a massive impact on their development as well as making the 35th Scout Group a recognisable team in the local community supporting projects and local initiatives.

Visits and Award work

Things that remain a constant in Cubs between the visable and no so visable difference from how things were in the seventies and eighties and today are things connected around Awards.

Few of us who have had the misfortune to be a witness to Fire underestimate the importance about learning fire safety from how to reduce the likely of a fire breaking out to what to do should one happen and you are at hand.

Here cubs are on visit to a Fire Station (US: Firehouse) learning about fire in their part of the County of Lancashire in the North-west of England.

Most boys fancy themselves doing things like driving trains or fire engines but they soon realize as valuable as this role is, it certainly isn't all about looks and status as what you going to is a very dangerous environment and in fighting fire you need to keep safe yourself.

Here a whole pack is posed by a modern fire fighting appliance vehicle with intergrated ladders, hoses, radio and other equipment needed for fire fighting effectively.

Many Fire Services in the UK are connected around other work such as rescue work and often this can include errant cats and dogs who get stuck up trees or on roofs.

"Makes" in Cubs

It's 2023 so the first point of order on this blog is to wish everyone a Happy New Year and all the best in their endeavours this year, whatever your goals may be.

Unfortunately I'm quite ill at the moment with a mixture of flu and covid like symptoms so I won't be mixing in public or going beyond the garden but as it happens this kind of ties into the post as we are looking at arts and crafts in Scouts.

The average boy at least in my experience finds modes of transport fascinating, often researching them and that does go the point of making kits such as these aeroplanes either totally from scratch with supervision or using on of the many supplied kits with instructions, decals to apply and paint.

The balsa wood ones I made had the bonus we could gather together and do test flights which was always fun.

Working on arts can be more of a small personal thing such as doing painting by numbers with supplied acyrics or mug painting but sometimes it can lead to bigger things for the whole pack such as a colour banner such as this halloween one a cub is carefully working on.

Given the risk - only too familiar from the past - of getting paint on you, wearing short trousers makes sense as legs can always be easily cleaned as you rest upon it although perhaps an overall might not go amiss to avoid spots on your jersey too.