Ladybird Scouts and Guides

There are some items that just bring me back to when I was a lad and they do include books, specifically the Ladybird series which were often updated.

They were a small an fairly short paged series of books often with colourful illustrations around certain topics such as buildings, cars, nature, history and famous people being a bridge between full on books for older children and adults and books aimed at the youngest readers.

The series had books on many organizations a number included Scouting in its different forms of which one, Cubs rightly was covered in the beginning of this blog for it's role with me and one of the three topics within it.

You normally move up to Scouts from Cubs at around ten and half years until a little after fourteen and so a part of this book was explaining where scouts fits in  apart from those who were joining for the first time as Scouts.

It was written with much input from the Scout Association at the time so it was all as accurate as possible.

Here we have two editions from different eras of the Girl Guides book, Girl Guides being the girls version of Scouts from which as with Cubs, the Brownies would fly up to at ten and a bit.

Remembrance Pt.2

Yesterday was Remembrance Sunday where the parade and service is marked here at the local Parish church to which local scouts, brownies and others attend.

 Flags are carried with care during the parade.

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: 

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them."

From For the Fallen By Laurence Binyon

Remembrance 2023

 

Having seen off Guy fawkes night and Halloween, we move to one the biggets most important days in the scouting calendar, Remembrance Day, when we think about those who give their all to keep us free and to save lives during war and other conflicts.

We sometimes forget upon the end of any conflict however big or small, it is not a matter simply of the living and the dead; The living have injuries that are not  even physical in nature.

Physical, mental or emotional injury or trauma; the absence of time with loved ones; or the pressures that come from serving, highlight why the Remembrance of service is so important. This year in Scouting we mark significant anniversaries united by the theme of 'Service'

Remembrance Sunday for Scouts isn’t about marching like soldiers or glorifying war. It’s about representing fellow Scouts who ‘did their best’ in frightening and dangerous circumstances for the sake of their community and their country. 

Last year, one lonely placard, waving above the heads of the crowd, read ‘The Young Are Grateful’ and let's not forget what scouts did "at home" helping out when out towns and cities were being bombed night after night assisting the emergency services, taking messages, guiding them to the quickest routes, saving lives.

That is what we are reflecting upon.

Penny For The Guy and other fun

It's not uncommon in scouting not least with younger children to run some Guy Fawkes night activities beyond your units fireworks display often involving arts and crafts such as covering a piece paper or card with random wax crayon colours, covering with paint and encouraging them to scratch sparkles from a firework on to it.

Another which is fun is making a Guy.

For this activity you get them into teams of 6 andmake a ´Guy Fawkes´. 

Get a judge to award a prize to the best guy.

Materials Needed

Old clothes, props and lots of old newspaper

Having got them all together with the materials you give the teams 30 minutes to make their guy and get a team of judges to award the prize for the best guy

You could just print out that illustration and colour it!

Five In a Bed - Camp fun!

As nights draw in memories of glorious camps and campfire sing songs and story telling before time to make your way back to your sleeping accomodation come flooding back to some of us not least the funny songs we sang sometimes improvising with the lyrics and sound effects as you had your sausages and marshmallows.

There were five in the bed

and the little one said roll over, roll over,

So they all rolled over and the one fell out,

He bumped his head and he gave a shout,

Please remember to tie a knot in your pyjamas

sleeping bags are only made for one, two,

three, four in the bed…

…three in the bed… …two in the bed… …one in the bed and the little one said goodnight, sleep tight!

Songs like that were what I loved.

Bonfire night

 We are approaching that most of us on this island know a lot of, the marking of the day Guido Fawkes and friends tried to blow up the King James I of England and Parliament in 1605 but they were found out before this deed was done.

Typically we hold a bonfire night where fireworks are let off in a safe manner and amongst groups that put on displays are local Scouts such as these in Mid Cheshire who also provide refreshments as often by eight pm it is starting to get a bit cold so hot tea, soup and hot dogs are much appreciated.

This is a picture I took from one I attended at a private party showing the colourful rockets flying across the night sky.

Winter hiking

Making ones way through the thick undergrowth we progress on our hike toward our destination.

At this time of year any foliage would of dropped off but you certainly need to push back the undergrowth if you're to avoid any grazes on your legs.

Personally I'd of worn thick knee length socks for this activity.