One place I went to a lot in my early days was Delemere Forest near Tarporley, Cheshire where we did orienteering, and went on many a hike.
Understandablt it's a most popular choice for many Scout units in Cheshire to the point it has a camp centre where activities unto camping out are arranged and here the Tarvin cub packs are at Delemere's very own and convienent railway station.
The way we include people is worth taking a moment to think about not least for those of us who recall how organized activities tended to be back in the day.
The presumption very was one that firstly everybody had to travel together and that everybody had to do the exact same things with little or no recognition of individual needs and skills, one had to "fit in" or stay out.
Now Scouting was a good deal better than most in that good scout leaders would look at the requirements for awards and where needed make reasonable adjustements, looking at similar tests standards that you could do so it wasn't that you had an easier ride but more one of showing a level of ability or skill similar but the the same as your mates.
They included you.
Today in scouting we try to consider the impact of a lot of noise and activity on those who find it gets a bit too much and work with parents and carers to meet everybodies needs autistic, physically or learning disabled within the whole pack.
In scouts we get involved in many things, community fundraising, keeping the environment tidy, providing first aid cover but one of the oddest things we did was to to with technological changes.
In radio, individual wavelengths are allocated to Countries which in turn decide what should go where based on reception issues and priorities, some of which are very localized.
Now a series of changes came about as the result of agreement in 1977 to deal with an increased number of stations that required a series of changes to the BBC's national radio on Long and Medium wave which was quite popular in the late 1970's because of big patches in VHF FM reception.
This all happened from November 23rd 1978, swopping Radio 2 and 4 over from their long and medium wave frequencies, moving Radio one from 247 metres (1215khz) to 275 and 285 metres and taking radio 3 from 464 metres to 247.
You're away from Mum, dad and your family as much as they try to visit, your school friends are away as much as school may send on some work to help you keep on track for when you're able to resume school.
What might happen IF Scouts were running in their with an offering of arts, crafts perhaps explaining what you COULD do working towards a badge or award?
Do you think it might not just raise your spirits but actually aid your recovery, feeling more hopeful for the future?
You bet!
And it happens that a good number of Hospitals have scout units operating doing just that even if sometimes you might need to explain to some the difference you can make and how that has benefits to what a hospital is about.
Seeing we're just a week of Whit Bank Holiday and the summer, thought I'd share a few camp ideas that would be fun.
Make a tote bag from a t-shirt
Turn an old t-shirt into a handy bag for carrying your gear around camp. No sewing required!
Play musical sleeping bags
Just like musical chairs, but with sleeping bags! Set up one less sleeping bag than the number of players. Play some music, and when it stops, everyone must dive into a sleeping bag as fast as they can. The person left without one is out. Keep removing a sleeping bag each round until only one person remains!
Have a tent building race
Practice putting up a tent before camp and see who can do it the fastest. This will help you be a pro when you get there!
Generally I like to keep a certain amount of wild garden here with more of the aim of having a pleasant meadowland to look out and for our birds together with the pollenaters just ensuring it doesn't quite get to a jungle rather than the heavily mowed lawn.
It also is a bit more resilent when it comes to very dry hot periods for having some natural shade beneath as it doesn't take much for a lawn to become more a shrivilled parched mass of ex vegetation otherwise.
Pix credits: Routers Int.
Can't let this week end without something that really matters.
Scouts at Buckingham Palace, London celebrating and helping out on V.E, Day where we marked the 80th Anniversary of the end of the War in Europe and for some of us we reflected and paid respect to all those in Scouting who gave so much helping out in so many ways back then, making a huge difference.
A favourite haunt of mine growing up was the sandy beaches of Colwyn Bay, North Wales where I used to build sand castles and generally play in the summer months.
The pier remains although I feel it warrents some tlc.
While this blog doesn't go into gender identity issues notheless in scouting we do have to deal with them as they effect both children and young people apart from adults involved in delivering our programs so the recent Supreme Court ruling that Women are defined by their biological basis does have implications.
We are all working through what it means as at the sharp end it does very much into play such as providing appropriate provision in outdoor camps covering where you group transgender scouts and guides, changing and toilet provision.
Nobody wishes to exclude those who feel they are "different" than their biological basis and while it isn't unknown for youngsters to have a strong sense of conviction that they are (you often are searching in broad terms for your your own idenity at such ages) for some it is a passing phase and yet for others it leads to more permanent changes. Good luck to them.
We have that long running sore where Guiding is FOR and BY girls that transitioning male to females can join, Scouts is co-ed undermining B-P's original plans.
Current guidance is to carry on as we were while things are reviewed but only "safe spaces" really apply so I can't see major changes coming in beyond what we should be doing anyway keeping everbody safe having great experiences together.
