How it was here

Pasts are a thing I've spoke of here over the years by that the pasts of many members of Scouts or that of those I knew.

The past sometimes seems a different kind of a place and here with Our Cubs it was because until the 1990's we didn't have a centre for youth, only a Community Hall and two places of worship that offered rooms when not in for services.

These are some of that generation I knew here the way it was with the 70's, early 80's cub uniform - well most are, two have very different ideas - with leaders at the Village Hall which they'd set up for a meeting enjoying themselves although the floor from emmory was always rather "glidy" and not that comfortable.

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What do you do?

 

There are lots of ways you can try to attract more to join your pack, word of mouth short leaflets you might arrange to placed around the area or there is this just listing everythung you do with a collage of photo's that illustrate them.

That's a busy pack.

Desktops

 

In the modern era we tend to use different forms of working.

We may of made covers for our guidebooks to keep them in great shape and we had - some of us still do have - various posters around where we sit to do work of which a few may well have connections with scouting.

It's very common for people to have screen savers and the like on their computers so some Scouts do have a few you can download that don't just personalize your computer but as with this one remind us of what our true standards are even when you're not at a meeting or taking part in an organized event.

I find it helps especially in more stressful situations.

Spouting...

 Officially January has been the wettest this year in many a while with the ground being really quite soft in many areas.

Recently I notices the Daffodils have began to emerge from their Winter sleep, not quite out but it won't be more than three weeks or so weather permitting when that sign of Spring will emerge along our greens while the snow drops are already out.

Snowtime!

 

If you believe some people we may have heavy snow and sub zero temperatures in a few days time but as these Canadian Scouts show that need not prevent you from being out and havin g fun with friends so long as you wrap up warm.

Snowfest

 

Just the kind of thing that would of appealed to me at the time and I'm sure all attendees of Camp Grizzly will have a great time with winter sports such as skiing and curling plus fun including camping options with fire.

Winter Fitness

 

It's a chilly morning as I go out but did you know there is such a thing as Winter Fitness Award as during winter it is easy to get into a more sedentary, calorie heavy lifestyle not least in an age of instant fun on our phones and tablets.

This one is run by Scouts Canada and I feel a great idea.

Knots

 

It's a cool day and time perhaps for a quick reminder of the many knots available when we need to fasten things securely out of doors as challenging with damaged hands as it is for me to do.

Cookery and scouting

 

While it is fashionable to deride anything connected to cookery on the grounds of sexism, not fittingin with  super fast lifestyles and that nonetheless in order to live well with less risks of becoming unwell, we need to eat good quality food and too much of ready meals and the like are just not healthy.

This vintage cook book from the U.S. is all based on things children from around 8 upwards could make perhaps with a bit of assistance from a adult or older sibling and while to modern eyes it may be wrong to single such attention to just girls, actually boys too need to be able cook rather putting things in the microwave for a minute.

Perhaps a modern form of this is needed?

Ice!

Depending who you believe we *may* have more cold and snow toward the weekend although the last threat for here was something of a damp squid.

Something you may well find is iclicles as I did several days back where you have strips of often on structures such as roofs and windows and these beauties were found by a Vermont Girl Scout while on winter camp.

As ever, if you're going out in very cold temperature prepare and do wrap up well.

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The Shaping Us badge

Straight from the tree, this week we have news about a new Blanket Badge for Squirrels  recently launched by the Scout Association in conjunction with the Royal Foundation.

The badge can be given to anyone who engages with the Shaping Us Framework, initiated by our Joint President, HRH The Princess of Wales.

The framework describes, in a clear and accessible way, the social and emotional skills that young people need to thrive and forms a part of passing on opportunities to discuss and develop particular social and emotional skills.

This might in game form where learning to play a game helps develop communication skills such as listening, speaking, taking turns and things like understanding each others feelings though empathy so we're able to complete the task and work with each other effectively.

This is fun!

 

Canadian Cubs out in the winter enjoying themselves on an organized day out in the woods.

Wayfaring

 

Finding your way really is a thing that matters and here these Canadian Cubs are doing an exercise armed with just what you need - a map with distinctive local features  showing and a compass - as part of a course on survival skills.

The tendency for children to be taken to everywhere by car does lessen the skills may of us aquired doing things like walking to school, our friends houses and the shop where you make a mental note of what roads and paths to cross, things along the way that we need to pass or turn into and so on which form the backbone of getting about independently on foot.

The freeze

 

Pix credits: BBC

Recent weather here resulted in snow earlier in the week and even a partially frozen canal on Saturday as temperatures plummited which has made getting about a bit akward having had a few near misses with the ice. 

That's where being prepared to do a "good turn" can be really appreciated as some people do struggle with things like getting to the shops locally or feel more isolated as tehy cannot visit friends as easy as they notmally would.

Skiing in the snow

 

We were supposed to have had a a major deluge of snow here but you know what?

It only showed up for a few hours and melted completely away but Winter doesn't mean in Cubs you cannot take part in sports as there's winter sports such as skiing that nearby we do have a ski centre for and that is what these cubs from Lancashire are doing, clearly enjoying the experience.

How does it help?

Seeing it is New Year and I'm wrapped up by the gas fire we might look really what this thing really is about beyond it's history and founder.

That is a simple summary of what it can do not least for those in their teens who often are bewildered by a seemingly endless set of choices, potential distractions and where peer pressure can replace careful thought and reflection in these matters.

Any notion of children being "chattle" has long gone socially and legally so you cannot "make" any child take any path be it to follow a cause, get involved in a specific interest or just do whatever as a parent or aunt or uncle you did.

Providing an opportunity to explore options, come up with a workable plan with support while they learn to take more responsibility for directing their own progress working towards achievements, badges and above all the confidence to take on challenges is what in scouting we can offer.

It's certainly possible to progress to poistions of real leadership in scouts but so much of what you do does translate well into things like seeing a course of academic or vocational training through or showing the kind of interest that helps secure a job.

That's why Scouts matters.

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Memories

 

There may be different ways of entering the New Year but something very much in it's past, over one hundred and ten years old with that sepia, beloved at the time but today often in black and white greyscales.

Uniform reflected the Edwardian era of Scouting in its infancy and not how the neckerchief is fastened too.

Sending wishes, the old school way by Postcard, in Twenty Twenty Six and endangered species and yet the fact we can see it is something that with current trends in 2126 we may not as sd's cards fail and file formats drift.

We can read a lot too into how it is written by the handwriting.

There is something to be said for us sending a Postcard even if we post updates  from our tablets and smartphones while we are visiting places: A truely permanent memory.