Scouts help

 As a Scout during WW2, you could be asked to help in great number of ways as the war had taken many from general society from fixing repairs, running errands or helping up up air raid shelters.

Scouts contribution was formally recognized at the end of WW2 apart from individual contributions where awards were issued and rightly so as it all helped this Country survive and from that free Europe from the scourge of Nazism.

Things are different today, thank goodness but we're helping to make things better, saving lives, training the next generation to ensure we can look after each other.

Getting Stuff

 

Scouts do things in extra ordinary times and non so than during both World Wars and here durng WW21 where food was in short supply and men were generally called for  Military Service, scouts assisted in growing food, preparing plots of any usable size such this outside a teaching hopsital.

2,000th post

When I started writing this piece temperatures had started to climb so we'll be keeping cool, drinking much and with the fans running but there is something really special about today that we're marking.

The blog started out of a tumblr during the period of great tumblr purges of 2018-20 when I discovered that I was increasing blogging around scouting and related topics and felt that really it needed a focus so a tumblr was launched with a blog elsewhere that would have more extended posts on as with tumblr you tend to eith make original posts or you reblog perhaps with a extra bit.

That went in suspicious circumstances in 2020 but that did leave a legacy issue of posts whose images were "hyperlinked" that either went or for various reasons blocked.

It was never just a blog about past scouting or heaven's above just uniforms although past connections to Scouts, knowing those who were in GirlGuiding too were a part of but about how we take that on be that formal involvement fundraising, helping your local group or perhaps doing more of those activities seeing yourself as that eternal scout.

We also look at interests such as hiking, camping, visiting places and places that I remember in that context as a young boy and what they mean to me, the things I learned.

Obviously things in my lifetime have changed, the rebranding of and creation of new scouts programs open to girls and boys, the changes in the programs and perodic changes in Guide uniforms which you, like me may have opinions on but nonetheless we must focus on what their achievements and the amount of effort they put in have done for them.

Scouting in its differing forms is above a program, a way of life that helps you be the best you learning things that will help you throughout your life it's the adventure of life we joined.

What I learned picking up from where things were parked have helped me immeasurably in recent years deal with many challenging situations. Being the eternal cub is good for me.

Here's to the next set of posts.

On the march

 

While I'm not these days up to carrying a lot on my back, not being helped by it being somewhat curved and in pain most days, if say you off on an overnight hike that's very much the right way to go about the task of distributing the load so you're not in agony after a few miles on the go.

Eggcellent things

 

Easter in scouts means easter based activities such as variations on rolling eggs which may be played inside your scout hut or out of doors as with this group of American Scouts or making things like cards or Bunny Ears.

What kind of a scout are you anyway?

 

Lucy may scoff but Snoopy has the last laugh he runs a scout section in the end but as things were here pre 1967 he's doing his Tenderpaw first which always was the first stage.

An out of this world Badge!

 

For Explorer Scouts aged 14 through 18 recently the UK Space Agency and the Scouts Association teamed up with a new Space Badge covering learning new skills centred around the STEM (Science,Technology, Engineerering and Maths) disclipines showing evidence of practical knowledge.

Young people will be encouraged to learn how to control something remotely, replicating the skills used by scientists and engineers to guide the Perseverance Rover across Mars’ surface, as well as embracing their curiosity and discovering ways to grow plants without soil – a task undertaken on the International Space Station to test different watering methods.

Staying warm at night

 

The things we learned from our nights under the stars at this time of year included a lot about dealing with the cold so I often wore a hat to bed as that accounts for a high proportion of heat loss and thick dry pj's taking care to remove any damp sweaty stuff from the day as that just leaves you cold and having thick woollen bedsocks.

Meet Mr Claus!

 

Santa sure gets about such as holding a meet and greet session aided by scouts that also helps promote the work of the local scout unit and the differing sections with display boards being set out with pictures and cuttings illustrating what we do.

Does Santa earn a badge?

Collecting on the doorstep

 

From one continent to another and yesterday we were treated to Mr. Claus and his many helpers from the local scouts wishing everybody a Happy Christmas while collecting funds to help replace equipment and support children and young people in scouts locally.

Needless to say I contributed generiously.

Fairs

 

Something that I can recall is fairs often Christmas Ones many bodies organized around this area, attending a good many and Scouts and Girlguides wasn't missing from that and indeed sometimes would co-operate, selling both new branded products such as cards or donated items of high quality.

This is a picture of one from the 1980's with cubs, scouts and girl guides working as one.

Tree planting

 

One thing you and for that matter local scouting associations can get involved in is conservation work of various kinds from clearing a site to, as here, planting saplings so that over time we restore some of our woodlands lost to deforestation and encroachment on old woodlands in recent years.

Such things are righly worthwhile both in terms of the wildlife trees support but also for capturing our carbon emmissions.

It does matter through this process that co-ordination between everybody is involved to avoid situations such as that which did occure on one project in New Zealand in 1970 that when clearing up the land, bulldozers failed to see the newly planted saplings!

I'd of been right annoyed upon finding our abour that had I had undertaken the planting.

The Great Adventure

 Life is indeed an adventure and these young Wolf Cubs are learning more about it from their leader accompanied by their dog in this classic drawing by the American artist Norman Rockwell from 1950 entitled "The great adventure" which is a personal favourite of mine.

He seemed to capture so well the spirit of Boyhood perfectly.

Things to do outdoors

 As we enter Autumn, you may well be thinking "that's it I've had my fill of being outdoors" but really there's so much you can do in all but the most inclement weather which typucally ir is as I type this, raining hard.

For one thing you can play out doors and super serious point here too many people drop off play even in their early teens missing out the exercise, fun and socialization benefits due to the whole "everything must be serious and purposeful" idea that comes over and yet some of most balenced adults do still engage in play.

Indeed personally I would go as far as to say every adult has the right to play in much the same way as a child has and we all need to be getting off our sofas and smartphones and doing it at home or when away.

Thus you could play hopscotch.

Hopscotch is a timeless game that never fails to entertain. Take this classic a step further by creating themed hopscotch games. You could make it longer, draw the board in a different shape, such as a circle instead of a straight line, or leave bigger gaps between the squares for people to jump across. You could also have a silly hopscotch version, where certain numbers mean you have to do silly challenges, such as singing a nursery rhyme backwards.

You could organize with friends a Scavenger Hunt mixed in with bit of a get together, build structures from sticks, do chalk art or go for a short hike.

If your feeling arty, how about making Leaf Animals.

Collect various types of leaves in different shapes, colours and sizes and then use them to create animals or even invent new creatures. Try making our leafy hedgehog, leaf crown, leaf squirrel or leaf art.

You could also practice identify different types of leaves, maybe taking turns at it.

How about playing with shadows?

On a sunny day, head out to somewhere where you can make lots of shadows. Use chalk or pens and papers, then trace the shadows of various objects, from trees to benches to each other.

As the sun moves, you could observe how the shadows change, showing how the Earth moves around the sun and time.

After tracing, you could use the shapes to create unique abstract art pieces.

You could go Geo Catching, search for Wildlife, go on a story stroll or although you you need to do some prep bbefore have a boat race like this:

Make a tinfoil river, or use a piece of rain guttering to make a river, then make some small boats to race.

You could make them from sticks and leaves, rubber ducks, kitchen sponges or paper boats, then decorate the boats before racing them. 

Obviously we need to remember to have a start and finish line, and stay safe when running activities near water.

All in, there's a good twenty one things we could be doing outside so how about doing some?

The badge

 

Like many I guess, I have been moved upon learning more about the D-Day Landings this week having watched several programs on BBC Television looking at the planning and how it worked out in practice, looking athe roles of different groups involved.

A joint Royal British Legion and Scouts Anniversary Blanket Badge has been issued and is designed as a symbol of honour and respect for all that took part in that essential part of the liberation of France and of Europe.

Getting from a to b

 

I seriously doubt we'd have him do this this very breezy morning but this is just the sort of great summer activity cubs and scouts would be undertaking most likely to be at a weekend session away from your hut, learning how to get across from one side of a stream to another.

In certain parts of the U.K. insect repellant is strongly recommended for keeping creapy things off you like Tics which are real issue for some of us as much as we love outdoor life.

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.

 

Hiking in the snow

 With more than a nod to conditions outdoors with temperatures below freezing and snow one can only imagine a organized scout hiking expedition in the winter months and yet they survived!

I cannot see any UK scouts being allowed today to hike in such conditions due to health and safety concerns and the threat of litigation should *anything* go wrong.

Joint activities

Here's a great idea, a combined Brownies and Cubs Christmas pantomine show with everybody not in costume looking really smart and some scout groups do Christmas performances.
 

Scouting ties it all together

 When it comes to being able to fasten things together, often out of doors knowing your knots really does come in handy and in scouts we don't just learn of them but practise making them so you'll be able use thta knowledge effectively.