I.Scout – do you?
The Scout Association has now launched a new non-uniform range of clothing and accessories to help you advertise your Scouting interest.
Latching onto the I-<whatever> branding that is so “now” the range I.Scout can be found on T-shirts, jumpers, wristbands – and on a really groovy woggle.
Whilst my personal view on many I-<whatever> brands is “I-couldn’tbebotheredtothinkofanythingwhilstmyIpodisplaying” this is one of those few exceptions where I.Scout could be actually accurate (how do you “pod” anyway?).
I didn’t think that the prices where unreasonable (the woggle was £2), but I suspect the main market will be older Explorers, Scout Network and Adults rather than anyone who is worried about what their mates may think of them.
For more on the range, go to: www.scoutshops.com/acatalog/i___scout.html
“Being Green”
A good night with some difficult subject matter for the Scouts to deal with. With the exception of two more dedicated Scouts, the evening was attended by mostly younger Scouts, so some of the complexities of the issues weren’t really apparent to them.
We focused on three main headings:
- Recycling, re-using and Landfill
- The use of carrier bags
- Litter both in urban and non-urban areas.
We started the evening with the trailer for the BBC Panorama programme “Notes on a Dirty Island”; then each patrol took a subject and discussed it. After a short feedback, we challenged the Scouts to develop a poster that would look at a specific item.
As noted it was a difficult subject matter for the Scouts, but I think that they did really well. For more information on this subject:
The Campaign for Rural England – http://www.cpre.co.uk/home - has the trailer, plus the writer Bill Bryson going on a litter sweep
Encams (The Keep Britain Tidy Group) – http://www.encams.org/home/
What can be recycled – http://www.recyclenow.com/what_can_i_do_today/can_it_be_recycled/index.html - a useful guide to what doesn’t and shouldn’t end up in landfill.
Yarr! Tharr be Pirates at the Campsite then!
Well, what a fun weekend that was! The motley crew of Oliver, Lewis, Matthew, Oskar, Sam, Aaron, Shane, Jamie, Anand, Jordy, Bradley, Thomas and Rory joined Ivor, Ash, Alan, Bruce, Simon and myself for a weekend of high jinks and fun!
We landed at Paccar Scout site and the crew’s first challenge was to get their patrol tents up. Mutiny seemed to be the order of the day, and it seemed to take ages to get the tents up. Anyway, the moon cast a clear light to work from…
Saturday morning saw a parade of Cubs, Scouts, Explorers and Leaders in a variety of outfits and costumes. I had raided my wardrobe for stuff, but looked more like a highwayman (or Van Helsing according to some) than a pirate (whether the pirate of the roads would count… hey ho!)
It was really good to see so many had made the effort (well done Jamie for winning the Scout entry!) – and the leaders really had gone for it! Once the parade was complete, we set off into the woods to run the cycle cross course. A tricky circuit, causing a few to attempt to fly rather than pedal, but no major injuries (although a couple of very nasty-looking bruises). Out on the main field, the sun beat down giving everyone chance to bask in the rare heat. It was also good to see so many Beavers and Cubs that had come out for the day.
On the cycle cross, Shane managed to work hard to get the fastest Scout time… also beating the fastest Explorer Scout!
In the evening there was a brilliant campfire circle that everyone could join in with.
The evening (although still clear) seemed much warmer than Friday night.
On Sunday the Scouts took part in a scavenger hunt challenge – and whilst the sun rose steadily, the leaders marked from inside a large marquee. Not much chance of a sun tan in there! Well done to some from our team (especially Jamie again) for putting the effort in and coming third! After the hunt had finished, we saw a very interesting dog agility display, before lunch and then packing to head home.
Whilst the Scouts did need a little prompting, generally they knuckled down and did well.
The secret to happy camping
Camping is the bread-and-butter bit to Scouting – if you’re not going to camp, you’re missing out on one of the most important bits.
But hey, there’s only so many minutes in your life, and your parents will govern nearly 9,460,800 of them (that’s working on 1,440 minutes in a day, for 365 days for eighteen years. Yes, it doesn’t include leap years, but you get the point I hope)
But following from comments I heard about the up and coming themed camp (theme is Pirates and Smugglers) I heard someone say “I won’t dress up, I won’t look out of place”. It got me thinking to what is the “key” ingredient to camping… and this morning I realised it.
It’s living in the moment.
It’s about going to camp, dressing up, throwing yourself 100% into whatever fun, weird wacky memorable activity there is. It’s about having fun, not holding back (unless that’s the sort of person you are). You shouldn’t think “what will people think of me” and then guess their perceptions. How about this for a thought – what will people think if I don’t take part? At best, you are seen as a party pooper – at worst everyone else starts to think like you.
Camping can be a memorable experience. I can remember eating birthday cake at the top of Snowdon, I can remember a Cub pack walking up the ridge of my bivouac as they hadn’t seen it, I can remember getting so much army kit for camp that I looked like a recruitment campaign… and I can remember going to camps in walking and climbing trousers that made a clown look like a goth. I can still remember the fun I had going to camp, and the things that we did on the way (we used to travel in the back of a removal lorry).
Effectively, I remember that I had fun because I lived in the moment – and didn’t sit back wondering what people thought of me.
Remember, a weekend is only 2,880 minutes long…. and you won’t get them back.
Preparing for Camp
a “challenging” evening for the leaders.
We didn’t manage to get everything planned – and I’d found some lovely pictures of water-born bacteria too! – but the Scouts did get to check their patrol tents for camp next week. At least, I hope they did – in case the weather turns “interesting”.
We managed to get a good turnout – I think we’ve now hit our “core group” which (pleasingly) is the majority of the Troop. Still, next week should be fun as we attend the District’s Centenary camp – Scouting in Harrow has been around now for 100 years; and whilst I hope it will be a camp that the Scouts will remember, for me it will be something special - having been involved with the District for 32 years (starting as a Cub) – but for 3 of those years as one of the many District Commissioners that have held the wheel. I’m glad to see some of the changes that had started when I began, reinforcing the thoughts that I had even if they were too early at the time.
But then I digress, Scouting should be about the “now” and the “future”… but you can’t help but look back and learn, can you?
Get your voices heard – Scouting Sunday
The Scout Association is setting up discussions at all the major party conferences – allowing young people to debate big issues with the politicians. Whilst you may not want to go to one of these (or not be able to), there are online opportunities that you can go to and register your opinion.
For more information on the debate: http://www.scouts.org.uk/bigissues
To go to the Big issues for debate: http://www.scouts.org.uk/debate
Term Introduction evening
Welcome back everyone – or at least those that actually attended!
With a massive amount of badges to hand out, it was a real surprise that we were able to do so without taking the whole evening! Ash handed out DVDs of the camp to all who attended, David handed copies of the pictures taken with a small badge (to be pinned onto the caps issued at camp).
With Ivor checking the badges, Ash and Malcolm talking to the Scouts about the term’s programme, David issued the rules for Scouts to gain their Heritage Badge. Details are listed below – and on the “Badge Challenge” page to the right.
Heritage Badge Challenge.
Each Scout has to provide information on:
- where his parents lived when they were his age
- where his grandparents lived when they were his age
- (if possible) where his great grandparents lived when they were his age.
So that the locations can be plotted on a map, just saying “London” or “Manchester” isn’t enough; however I don’t need to know the house number. This could prove interesting, especially if any of the family members were displaced during the war….
The deadline for getting the information to David is by Half term. Good luck!
Hog Wild Snap Watch II
snap watch image
http://www.hogwildtoys.com/funfashion.html#surfwatch
Following on from the (apparently necessary) addition of the wristwatch to the kitlist, I’ve been looking around for a second watch to pack in my kit (working on the Be Prepared motto - and a need to know the time, all the time!). I did have a similar “rubber band” watch, but the battery died and I wasn’t able to replace it.
This watch is available in the UK from a number of places and costs about £6. Some websites allow you to buy the watch bit and the strap separately – and you can buy additional straps as well. It all “poppers” together quite simply, so replacing the strap isn’t difficult (unlike putting a velcro strap on a Swatch watch for example).
From a distance it doesn’t look like a watch, but more like a friendship bracelet (great if like me you don’t have any friends. 
) Being a digital watch it isn’t complicated to work out the time – although it does have a day/date function but you need to do some mucking about to see it.
The other thing – which is great for camping – is that it’s waterproof.
The watch is available in three strap sizes - small (6.5 inch), medium (7.5 inch) and large (8.5 inch).
So, if you’re looking for a watch that doesn’t look like one, or you need a second “spare”, or you don’t want to take your best watch, this may be a neat alternative.
