Old patches

 

While the daffodils may well be out, the trees have yet to regain their leaves here as I went walking near where I used to live where every day I saw this very tree in a green oasis surrounded by development.

Given there wasn't a playing field just this patch and a courtyard by a group of houses we played in it played an important part not just as a backdrop to our games but also for seeing wildlife close up such as birds observing the seasons.

Fastening ones shoes

The one real bane in the doing the same as any other boy no matter what life I had as a boy was and remains my inability due to dexterity and very poor hand-eye coordination to fasten shoes in an era where unlike sandals which I loved as a younger boy I simply could not fasten the laces.

This also would work its way into such staples as football boots given that was obligatory for boys not that I took any issue with as it taught me resilence big time but also hiking boots which went into scouting type activities so having to take a pair of due to say stone getting lodged was difficult.

To do what I did I always needed a 'shoe boy' prepared to fasten them back up even if I had to do everything else.

A bit of kickabout, chaps?

We may be in our uniforms but get past the usually scouting things and we're also boys who love our Footie and actually we might well have a kickabout today actually as the exercise is good and it does develop our teamwork.

One of the great things about the Scouting programs is they are wide ranging covering things that develop mental and physical well-being, are not academic centred and are about cultivating a well rounded individual.

Cubbing Autumn 2019 style

Rovering, exploring call it what you want, it's all a part of scouting and so this week gone I was out exploring the woodlands near where I live.

The impact of The Fall can be seen but surprisingly it seems a little late this time of year even if some foliage has gone

The lack of seasonal colour is telling in this picture although the shapes of the branches caught me.

These leave do show signs of autumn being very familiar with me as they were on the way to and from my Junior School which I walked to at the time.

The spirit of the young cub

This may not be the best photograph out there of a younger cub scout although I have tried to enhance it a little but to me it's the spirit of how I may of looked in '71/2 just eligible to become one, gangly, thin and possessed of a cheerful outlook wanting to hum or sing short songs for the sheer fun of it.

Walking along today I heard two children of the same sort of an age merrily doing just that walking back with Mum and a dog in tow and it came over me to question where all that tends to go and why those I knew in cubs kept more of that.

I think because it recognizes work is better when looked on as an opportunity than unwanted downer and that scouting especially in cubs accepts children are just that and plays to your juvenileness creating spaces for it rather than trying to knock it out of you.

The obvious examples to me are cub games, campfire singing and gang shows.

Thank goodness B-P understood that!

Looking back at Remembrance

Sunday is Remembrance Sunday this year so I thought in this blog I'd post a a bit about that as it applies with Scouting.

For a good many years from childhood with my older brother I did go from door to door selling Poppies which in this country are made for the Royal British Legion and I'd join him parading as he was an older scout

Parades were rather like that, in groups such as Scouts, Girl Guides, Boys Brigade, then people like the Roayl British Legion, local notables and politicians followed by the Member of Parliament and their security people.

Although I wasn't good on my feet I enjoyed marching and joining in with it all as remembring the people who died for our freedom and country matters.