Of awards

Last entry of the month as the weather keeps alternating between cold sun and trying to rain here.

We don't talk about television on this blog as generally it has little to with Scouting although scouts and girl guides have featured on various programs usally those aimed at family audiences or for children.

One that has had a high level of coverage over the decades is the children's magazine show Blue Peter shown today on Friday's from either whole troups, individual girl guides and scouts and indeed one former presenter Peter Duncan became the Chief Scout and was succeeded by Bear Grylls.

Unexpectedly on last Fridays show after presenting the Blue Peter Gold Badge, the highest accolade the show can present to children who write in or a handful of adults who appear on the show to ten year old cub scout who'd do a lot of fundraising for the environment, he was presented with it himself by Shini, one of three presenters.

In receiving it, he reflected upon what he had loved watching the show himself as a child, the insiration to go on adventures, undertake challenges, learn more about nature and by going out of ones confort zone, learn more about yourself.

As Chief Scout he inspires scouts of all ages along their own journey apart from being a figurehead for the Scout Association and I feel that award is well deserved.

The meal before off

Guess what it's doing as I type this? Yes, raining again!

As I sit looking at the clouds through the window here indoors, my mind runs back to ones boyhood experiences at home - and for being at boarding school for part of that time they're different than a good many - and routines such as meal times specifically how that got into various activities we had.

These may of included going to things like organized trips, weekend scout activities or an evening session.

For reason I won't go into the nature of dad's employment could and did mean he could be called away on Saturdays for reasons we'd never be told of (not even NOW) so seeing your brothers in at least part cub or scouts uniform at the meal table with mum alone wasn't unknown and obviously at that point you're representing them.

After finishing eating and any last minute preparing, your coat and footwear suitably polished would go on as you then made your way out promising to let her know if anything changes which was different in the era of call boxes rather than mobile phones.

That kind of scene and it's emotions don't leave you, one reason you look back those times the way you do.

St. Georges Day

 

As the great sogginess continues here one can only think about the things I loved to attend or join in with such as marching  with or without drummers on warmer sunnier days or St. Georges Day which is today and we celebrate?

Here Beavers parade holding the Standard in Worcester.

And cubs  parading in York with their official jerseys with all the badges present and correct.

Will you be marking our Patron Saints Day?

Tin Tin

 

Herge may have his detractors today being very much a product of his times but I loved the Adventures of Tin Tin series and here Tin Tin is aiding the scout who's injured his leg, another example of how scouting has woven its way into fiction.

Halt and fall in!

 Just pausing and enjoying the view as you all march with your Standard on a pleasant if overcast day out with your mates.

Authenic new-old uniform looks

Uniform, always needed, was prescribed but the Scout Association and Girlguiding UK have added their own takes in the last fifty years and then for those of us more "in spirit" rather in chronological age where do you get yours from?

There are replica manufacturers about who obviously do adult sizes, that being their market but this is the actual current "official" one available in sizes upto and including 38 inches as the modern ten year old may to put things delicately be "well made" compared to many of us at the same age.

As it is I do fit a 38 chest well (my regular sweatshirts come from uniform suppliers) so while renewing mine, I did get this.

It has the current logo, which recently changed from where we were six odd years ago (and a number of times before then) and your purple badge goes toward the top right when garment is down in front of you sowing

I'm not that keen on the new logo not least because that stylizing soon becomes out of date where something more timeless is really a better idea but it is what it is.

Teamed up with some grey short trousers, classic knee length socks and garters, you can arrive at a new/old hybrid which mentally at least is where some of us are.

As with any kind of replication, think about where you might be if in public as the last thing we want to do is cause alarm or distress although in the late autumn/winter you'll probably have a jacket over it.

Maintaining the appeal

 

The age old question of how to promote and draw in would-be scouts has had many approaches over the year from open days to use of events to bring forward to people just what they have to offer.

An interesting modern take on this can be seen here with the popular remote controlled  robots being entered into an event not unlike the popular a few years ago Robot Wars laid on by a B-P Scouts group that highlights some of the fun that can be had when you make things working together.

It also sets out the sections the B-P Scouts have co-ed but fairly traditional following B-P's original and tested ideas and what the offer is including monthly membership as while you do want to the costs down, inevitably it does cost to run scouts.

Encouragment from within the pages

 More very damp days here I'm afraid.

For some the Berenstain Bears books were very much a part of early childhood, where you're trying to make sense of the adult world, devouring as many clues as you can.

Those Bears tended to inhabit your world so like with the Peanuts series, sooner or later something as iconic as Scouting was going to come into the series and in this book we go exploring and kayaking.

These aren't manuals for scouting, no replacement for your guidebooks but were a way of communicating what scouting had to offer so no matter where you lived the idea was planted you just might want to join and share in the fun.

The start of something big

 Despite the strong winds as experienced at the weekend and the continung rain, blossoms are out on the fruit trees which attracts the attention of such winged friends as Bumble Bees which I spotted several and the odd wasp rather less welcome.

I just love watching the seasons change across the year.

Outdoor games

 One wishes, as you sit and watch mainly attentively as the games course is being set out  before instructions for the forty minutes or of games, played more for the fun of it to start at your packs social event playing knock down the cans, bean bag target and obsitical course.

If you're like me this weekend you also got an hunt for objects with prizes!

Sat by the campfire

While I'll be honest and say I'm no good with a guitar myself although I was brought one around the age of eight, I do really enjoy a campfire sing song with folk songs or traditional scout favourites that might have actions we'd all join in with.

 

Real values

Envy and the competitive streak can show in Scouting as much that we may stress the importance of lending a helping hand and taking your turn apart from doing things for the right reasons which for her means helping out so everybody enjoys the fun of the Easter Egg Hunt and not just gaining a badge.

We don't go through life doing things just to tick boxes and collect a prize, its about what we put in to it.
 

Making a difference

 

While we all would think straight off about what we might get from Easter, these Cubs from Wrexham, North Wales decided to put things the other way around by sending Easter cards to residents of care home and spreading some good cheer.

They stopped off before attending their regular weekly meeting to make a detour aided by the Miss Teen  of this welsh town and in return they recieved cards and refreshments.