Return

Today I should be back from what has been a Camp experience where I have spent time away from my home region having travelled by road which does give you lovely views and the ability to take a twenty minute break from driving to stretch your legs and take everything in.

Because I am a Wolf Cub in Spirit, I have taken those values with my on this journey in my interactions with others in play with my friends and in exploring myself and the world around me.

A Scout is...Proud

Any member of the Scouting Family be they cubs, scouts or leaders of has every good reason to feel proud of themselves and their achievements  not just within Scouting itself but also in their roles in the wider community without falling into the trap of getting 'too big' in the head.

As a Wolf Cub in spirit, I am proud of myself, my achievements not just as they personally benefit me but for how they make a difference to the better for others not withstanding my own disability centred challenges.

The Wolf Cub Promise:

I promise to Do My Best.

To do my duty to God, and to the Queen,

To keep the Law of the Wolf Cub Pack,

and to do a good turn to somebody every day.

The Wolf Cub Law:

The Cub gives in to the Old Wolf.

The Cub does not give in to himself.

Our Motto is: Do Your Best

Camp food prep

The pack and its leader are altogether at on logs that are like improvised benches armed with the pans and billy cans ready to chop and peel food into in groups ready to go on the big fire to cook their meal.

Fresh food stuffs are generally speaking much healthier so provided you get from on location it makes sense to use them preparing yourself which is also a skill worth teaching through scouting even if it is just how to peel and cut carrots and potatoes. 

Our French Camp

Camping need not be confined to your own country while obviously age does come into it such as here where these scouts are on the French coast surveying the beach scene.

Travel it is often said, broadens the mind and certainly there are ample opportunities to do such things as learn and practice basic communication such as using the local language (an aside I did speak French while in Juniors), learn about the history and geography of  a country as well as wildlife and the environment.

Such opportunities for children and young people I feel are priceless.

Another year and scouting

In a week that saw my birthday as mentioned on the main blog, it is I feel incumbent to talk about how scouting and the spirit of being a cub scout is helping my life.

When I first looked at this subject, the first things that came into my mind was how I felt about missing out on what my siblings did because my parents did not care to enquire about me joining the local pack.
It was smoldering anger about something that my own difficulties aside and to which in the intervening years had learnt they could of coped with, that apart from providing boyish companionship while having fun also had the potential to teach me 'life skills' that no one else did that would of helped me be more independent and intergrated.

Taking a step back from that, I asked myself "If I met an Akela or Skip and said how I felt about this, then what would they of said?" and I came around to the conclusion they'd of and would encourage engaging in the sorts of activity I would of done then  and certainly not to wallow in self pity.

An expression of the difference hasn't just been in solo exploration and challenge but also in the time I was away being supported in undertaking hikes, helped to climber up to castles on hills one hand at a time.

I actually did things I never ever did in my life before, fighting my own nerves and conditioning developing more resilience too.

A year on and scouting is what this boy needed, got and benefited from,

Packing

While I'm away for a few days exploring no doubt heavy laden it's an opportune moment to talk about what you need to consider about packing because while we ought to have what we need with us to be prepared, you certainly cannot talk everything you might have a use for with you.

That boy has a lot with him but that will be reduced to just he might need to camp or use at a hostel, leaving anything that can be got and used as needed  out  based on knowledge of the area and where he is staying.

If you are staying somewhere where there are local stores or some provided amenities then you can use those and typically I will use complementary towels if I'm anywhere that has them as towels are bulky although essential to hygiene .

It's also a good idea to learn how to pack a backpack properly so carrying is less burdensome and keeps weight off your lower back.

Snow exploration

The week has been busy with checking over arrangements for being away the week after next for a few days however I did get out to do a bit of scouting

We had some snow this week so I went out to investigate it and one thing was the cold temperatures had given rise to very frosty ground in places which was coupled with good helping of snow such as on this hedgerow  next to a snow covered patch of grazing land.

I explored the local wood observing the movement of the wildlife and how the snow had impacted while at the same time relearning how to get about in it as my walking abilities even in less challenging conditions leave a bit to be desired.

I decided to play making snowballs, throwing them and also decided to leave a mark to show I had managed to get about and have fun in the snow.

I took my glove off to write"Cool Snow" on this snow laden stone

The winter scout

Winter it must be said is a challenging time for the scout for he faces hard frosty ground to walk upon, the possibilities of ice where he may not see it and snow which is forecast  for the upcoming week.

Your training part of which I am going through will equip you with the skills to keep yourself safe while being out, to make good judgment calls and develop a suitably boyish hardiness in you while respecting nature and her challenges.

Making a memory

Arriving as a group and taking a picture of it are rituals of themselves and for me such things are around having a permanent memory of the occasion you can refer to not least when your mind does wonder back to your achievements.

With the small number of school pictures I have I certainly find that as you put names to faces and add detail to what it was you were all doing.

I find a small pocket camera ideal as it takes little space to carry in your pocket, has less 'faff' compared to more specialist ones so you can just capture the moment.

There is something fitting then for all of these young people in having something that not only they can recall but they too can show others of the things they did and achieved learning for  life in Scouting.