Kite flying

 

All being well and organizationally speaking it's been a bit all over the place I should be away this weekend with friends which apart from sharing a picnic lunch should cover playing games and even flying kites together rather like these Cubs do.

I wouldn't blame them at all as it is so much fun and you can learn about about the physics of flight into the bargain.

Tis the season to be out

 It's the time of year when you spend more time out alhough in the last few days it was either way too hot or raining very hard which all being well I should be at the weekend which may affect posts as I don't take computer kit with me.

Generally I favour cotton t shirts or the long sleeved sort if in wooded areas to help keep bugs off your arms, a waterproof mac on you in case you do get one of those torrential downpours and shorts cos at least with short trousers you can easily wipe doen your legs rather be obliged to carry the soggy legs of longs especially denim jeans next to your skin.

There is little difference when it comes to how I dress exploring today than when I was much younger simply because I found that worked better and ourdoor wear fashion trends like Hi-Viz clothes don't figure in my world.

Trying matters

 

That stick with friends or through things through think and thin attitude sometimes appears to be at odds with what we see when it's all too easy to turn upon someone when the outcome wasn't what you all wanted, or things may be proving more difficult.

Some just drift away at the slightest problem along the way.

It can be easy to give up but while it is important to learn from all you do including any mistakes, the bigger thing is is to be prepared to give things you may not know a try, understanding much can be gained through perservance.

This is one thing you do learn through scouts.

Looking ahead

 

There's nothing quite like being on board a boat of any description, having to master controlling it, looking after every detail by yourself for fostering a sense of learning to depend on your own skills and abilities.

I  always enjoyed spending time as a youngster onboard learning new skills.

New meets old

 Making our way between the locks in a more built up part of the area, the skipper looks ahead.

One interesting feature of this development is how gardens back on to the canal bank, which are covered by restrictive agreements witrh rights of access by the Canal and Riverside Trust for maintainance if needed.

A game of two halves

Today I very much suspect will be a day of two halves, one where I do get out earlier on this morning and the other one you'd end up looking rather like a drowned rat as the period of very warm weather drops off with heavy rain and thunder.

Cycling aided by poor balence and a weak left side from my physical disabilities wasn't something I could take part in as much as I kept close to mates who did in most conditions.

Sleeping out

 

What you might sleep on while camping can vary.

Some many be tempted to make a hammock in the ummer months but for many the sleeping bag with its warm insulating filling is it.

Modern sleeping bags can be thinner and therefore more light weight than in the past due to the use of more modern materials to the point you may not notice carring them that much and fold into a smaller shape.

Time out under the stars

 It's the time of year many minds turn to camping out, exploring along the way so if you've not done this for a while it's a good idea to aqaint ones self with the does and don'ts before embarking upon it.

Packing correctly your rucksack and ensuring you are carrying correctly is a must at any age.

And we're off

After successfully getting through the last lock system and getting aboard following operating it, we are off.

While along a productive morning stroll I came by this couple and took this picture.

The allure of Flowers

Weather has been more conducive to being about this week and while out I took a couple of pictures .

The Foxglove as every schoolboy knows is poisonious has a most interesting fluted shape to its petals and is relatively common in the UK  and one the first flowers I identified while I was younger living nearer farms.

Walls provide a structure mosses and ivy can grow among often with flowers very close by such as here and this wall certainly dates to mid Victororian times.

Many people like flowers even as with Oak Cottage here they have no front garden so the owner of this has a small rustic window basket  by a short path that faces the road.

The growth of Squirrels

Squirrels burst onto the scouting scene as we left one the most challenging periods both within the scouting family but also across the wider community dealing with the pandemic and its impact on both mental well-being and child development.

Mnay young children missed out on the opportunities to learn and socialize, make new friends and learn new skills which given the period of to the the age of eight that are so critical in their personal growth in later years.

Many of our youngest children have been left feeling more anxious, struggling to socialise and not knowing quite what to do in different situations.

This is where the Squirrel's program really can help from learning to socialize more effectively making friends, learn new skills through things like archery, take part in nights away learning and gaining the first steps of independence and engage with the wider community in things like fundraising.

Being active not just physically but mentally.

It's also about developing a curious mind, keen to learn about the world around them and how they fit into it. Having a can do, prepared to get stuck in mind set.

There is good evidence this new program for four to six year olds is delivering  what was envisioned.

Some 953 Drey's have been set so far and we all hope there will be more to come.

Into Summer

 

It was not the best build up to the weekend experiencing chest pains around Friday and early Saturday but I was able to get out yesterday seeing the many small birds about and admiring the blossoms that add to the sight and smell of this time of year.

Walking along a lane just as you enter open countryside you could hear the church bells being rung in the distance calling people to attend.

Scouting: A bridge on the road of life

 

The transition towards adulthood and the ability to take on increased responsibilities for oneself and others, learning what we call today "lifeskills" has always been an area of interest in and around scouting through the various programs offered and in such things as the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme many take part in whilst in Scouts.

Recent research by the independent think tank Demos in what is called the Employability Badge Award report showed  young people who take part in extracurricular activities, such as Scouts, feel much more prepared for the world of work, and are gaining the skills that employers want right now.

These things include teamwork and leadership skills they learned in Scouts which many feel have helped in their careers together with transfer skills using skills gained in one role in a newer setting.

Some 53% of those who were in Scouts felt prepared to start work for the first time, compared to 37% people who didn’t take part in any extracurricular activities at school or college and taking that last point 78% of full-time employed people say extracurricular activities had a big impact on their lives, compared to 62% of unemployed people.

Building on the known advantages in such milestones in a persons life as gaining and holding down your first job from what we learn as older scouts will be something I am sure will be worked upon to even better equip our children and young people be successful, balenced and confident adults.