Welcome J
ust like the best Scouting, this Get Active! supplement is all about great teamwork. It’s now nearly two years old and in that time, Get Active! has featured an incredible 171 contributors. More than 40 different Beaver Colonies, Cub Packs, Scout Troops, Explorer Units and Scout Networks have got involved too, showcasing their knowledge and skills or by trying creative activities, fun games, crazy experiments and amazing adventures. It’s fitting, then, that this issue focuses on teamwork, presenting a range of ideas to help you build trust and strengthen friendships among the young people in your section. There should be something for all Scouts, from 6 to 25. Thanks to all the Scouts, volunteers and other friends of Scouting who have been part of Get Active! since 2012. If you’d like to get involved, or have a great feature idea, get in touch. Enjoy the issue!
scouting.magazine@scouts.org.uk
4 6 7 8
Hadouken Have fun with the latest internet photo meme Shoot a short film How to make a mini movie about your Group Perform your own stick puppet play Create a cast of characters to act out your stories Create your own dragon Recycle waste into an awesome dragon
Discover… 9 Communication challenges Fun games to build on trust and teamwork 13 Team games Turn your Section into a well-oiled machine 16 Weld… with chocolate!
Engineer a chocolate bar into a box-tunnel bridge
Learn…
Build and race a model Grand Prix car with K’NEX
The national magazine of The Scout Association, Gilwell Park, Chingford, London E4 7QW Tel: 0845 300 1818 Get in touch at scouting.magazine@scouts.org.uk. Read Get Active! and Scouting online at scouts.org.uk/magazine Please note that the views expressed by members and contributors in the magazine are not necessarily those of The Scout Association.
ISSN 0036 – 9489 © 2014 The Scout Association Registered Charity Numbers: 306101 (England and Wales) and SC038437 (Scotland)
Create…
17 Team pioneering Conquer the wilderness with Scouts, staves and sisal 21 Have a crack at cartography Explore maps and record your own route to school 22 Design a racing car
Matthew Jones, Editor
Get Active! Editors Lee Griffiths, Matthew Jones and Vicky Milnes Content Advisers Laura Butler, Ashleigh Grimes, Sally Hilton, Jess Kelly, Michael Regan and Kevin Yeates With thanks to... 3rd Glasgow Scouts, 4th Kenilworth Scouts, 16th Bermondsey Scouts, Helen Adams, AXE Air Explorers, Pippa Barber, Joly Braime, Gilwell Park Scout Activity Centre, Stuart Heaton, Kenilworth District Scouts, Eddie Langdown, North Yorkshire Scouts and Nick Schofield Cover illustration Steph Baxter Cover inspiration (in order of appearance:) James Wall, Amanda Hathi Causer/Nick Thomas, Barbara Beck, Michelle Buckle, Sarah Bradbury, James Roberto Upton, Simon Burgess, Tina Knight/Veronica Woodhouse, Shelley Hawkins
Contents
Get Active! is produced by Immediate Media Branded Content, 6th Floor, Tower House, Fairfax Street, Bristol BS1 3BN ADVERTISING Advertising Manager Tom Parker Email: tom.parker@immediate.co.uk Tel: 0117 314 8781 116,700 average circulation of Scouting (1 Jan–31 Dec 2013) © Immediate Media Branded Content. Printed in the UK by William Gibbons. All rights reserved. Unauthorised reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission. Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright material. In the event of any material being used inadvertently, or where it proved impossible to trace the copyright owner, acknowledgement will be made in a future issue.
Explore… 23 Team paddlesports Get into dragon boating and bell boating 27 Plan your own event Young people learn how to plan and budget 28 Sailing Teamwork is at the core of sail-powered success 30 Set up your campsite
Can your Group identify the best place to pitch camp?
On the cover
Have you read the whimsical campfire tale on our ‘teamwork’ cover? You wrote it yourselves, in a fun game of digital consequences. We came up with the first line, passed it on via social media... and you wrote the rest, one line at a time.
PEFC/16-33-795
This magazine can be recycled, for use in newspapers and packaging. Please remove any gifts, samples or wrapping and dispose of it at your local collection point.
scouts.org.uk/magazine
We are proud to say Get Active! is PEFC certified. For more information go to pefc.co.uk. Promoting sustainable forest management.
GET ACTIVE! 3
‌ e t a Cre e ternet mem in y a -r y g r e en orldwide ed with the w lv l o a v ir in v s e t n u o o sg Get Sc pan and ha Ja in d e t r a that st al Suitable for
l
Point Blippar here to see the hadouken shots taken by our amazing Scouts so far!
4 GET ACTIVE!
June/July 2014
TOP
Shoot TIP! w camer ith the low to a down maxi impac mise t. What is hadouken?
Hadouken is a meme craze originating in Japan. You basically stage a photo in which one person pretends to zap another using a ‘magic energy ray’ of the type found in video games.
What′s a meme?
An internet meme is an image, video (or even just a word) that mimics or ‘hijacks’ an original idea, style or action and then spreads online via social media. Two well-known examples are ‘Lolcat’ photos and ‘Harlem shake’ videos.
How to do it
Choose a zapper, a jumper and a photographer (they can swap around after each photo). The zapper shoots an invisible energy ray and, on the count of three, the jumper jumps and the photographer snaps.
You will need s A camera s Scouts
Point Blippar here to add your own special effect via smartphone.
s to You can then send your clip s.org. out @sc zine aga g.m scoutin , Flickr tter uk or post straight to Twi g hta has the or Facebook using en. ouk #ScoutHad scouts.org.uk/magazine
Pictures: 30th Glasgow Scouts/AXE Air Explorers
What can Scouts earn?
Scouts and Beavers can work towards their Photographer badges with this project.
GET ACTIVE! 5
Badge
Shoot a short film Turn your Scouts into a film crew by showing them how to make a mini movie about your Group Suitable for Beavers+ You no longer need expensive equipment to make a film. Most digital cameras and mobile phones are able to record video. A short film, made by your young people, would be a great way of promoting your Group to parents and potential adult volunteers.
You will need s Digital camera or something able to take a short video recording
What to do
1
Plan an activity that showcases how exciting your meetings can be.
2
Read out the top filming tips (see panel to the right), to your Group.
Picture: Thinkstock
3
Give each Scout a turn with the
camera. They will all record one film each.
4
Organise another meeting to show the films to parents and potential volunteers. If you would rather make a longer film, spread this activity
over a few weeks. Split the Scouts into groups and ask them each to film a meeting. You can then get them to storyboard their short film. They should think about what they will film, what questions to ask and what camera angles to use during filming.
Top filming tips How to make your filmmaking professional s Ask people to introduce themselves and always say thank you. s Ask clear ‘open’ questions – if you ask someone ‘why’ they like something instead of ‘do’ they like it, you will get much more interesting answers. s Share your own opinion, but be polite. s Hold the camera still and the microphone close. s Each Scout should spend no more than 60 seconds filming.
More info This activity is provided by Nesta, the UK’s innovation foundation. It is an independent charity with a mission to help people and organisations bring great ideas to life. For more information about its partnership with The Scout Association, visit scouts.org.uk/nesta.
6 GET ACTIVE!
scouts.org.uk/magazine
Badge
TOP TIP
All these it ems are available fr om your lo cal Hobbycraf t store. Find yours at ho bbycraft. co.uk/stor efinder.
Perform your own stick puppet play Make puppets of your favourite characters and perform a play as a team Suitable for Beavers and Cubs
What to do
1 2 3
Colour in your egg using a ProMarker colour. Make a hole in the pointed end of the egg for the dowel.
Attach roving felt to the rounded end of the egg using the sequin pins or, if using felt sheets, cut out squares and attach them using the pins.
4
Stick googly eyes on to the face. Cut out a mouth shape from the card and attach with pins.
5
Cut the dowel to size and glue into the hole you created earlier. Leave to dry.
6
Now create an outfit for your character. Fold a felt sheet over and draw one side of an outfit. Cut the outfit on the fold to create a double-sided outfit, and make a hole for the dowel.
7
Once the glue is dry, attach your character’s costume and fix with glue or some sticky dots.
You will need s Polystyrene eggs (one for each puppet) s Roving felt or felt sheets (for hair) s Felt sheets (for clothing) s Wooden dowel s Googly eyes s Sequin pins (for securing hair and mouths) s Coloured card (for accessories and mouths) s Tacky glue s Pencil or pen (to make a hole in the polystyrene egg) s ProMarkers (to colour the egg for skin tone)
More info Hobbycraft sponsors the Beaver Creative Activity Badge and the Cub Artist Badge. Visit scouts.org.uk/hobbycraft to download activity packs for both these badges.
scouts.org.uk/magazine
GET ACTIVE! 7
Pack
Create your own dragon Celebrate the cinema release of How to Train Your Dragon 2 by creating your own firebreathing dragon! Suitable for Beavers and Cubs The thrilling second chapter of the epic How to Train Your Dragon trilogy returns to the fantastical world of the heroic Viking Hiccup and his faithful dragon, Toothless. The inseparable duo must protect the peace and save the future of men and dragons from the power-hungry Drago.
What to do
Ask everyone to bring recyclable household waste from home, eg cereal boxes, crisp packets and milk bottles. Look around outside for decent leaves and twigs – you could even spend the first 20 minutes of the session gathering suitable materials outside. Also look out for other things that could make fur, hair, spines or tusks – interesting stones, grasses and so on.
Use the craft materials, household waste and natural resources to make your own dragon. Each dragon has eight attributes: attack, speed, armour, firepower, shot limit, venom, jaw strength and stealth. What are each dragon’s strengths and weaknesses, and how are they reflected in its appearance? Get them to score their dragons out of 10 for each attribute.
DreamWorks ©2013 DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved.
You will need
s Quick-drying paints s Paint brushes s Glue s Pencil crayons s Leaves, stones and other natural materials s Recyclable household waste
About the movie At howtotrainyourdragon. com/explore/dragons you‘ll be able to meet the amazing, fire-breathing dragons that appear in the film. How to Train your Dragon 2 is released in Scottish and Irish cinemas on June 27 and nationwide on July 4.
More info Leaders can download some fantastic ‘How to Train your Dragon 2’ activity resources from scouts.org. uk/fox. These resources guide young people through all the skills and imagination needed to create their favourite animated film and characters.
8 GET ACTIVE!
June/July 2014
Picture:s Jon Challicom
…
Good teamwork relies on communication between team members. These fun games will get everyone working together Suitable for Cubs+
Draw my picture Skill: Communication No. of players: 2+ You will need s A group of Scouts – the more the better! s Paper and pens
Pictures: Jon Challicom
Ask Scouts to pair up and sit back to back. Each Scout has a piece of A4 paper and a pencil, and must draw a picture on one side of the paper. Then, without looking at the other player’s picture, they must describe their picture to the other person and have them draw it on the other side of their paper. Then compare the two pictures to see how closely they match. scouts.org.uk/magazine
To get the picture right both Scouts need to talk and ask questions, rather than just one player talking. After one go, the group can discuss strategies for improving communication before repeating the activity – such as dividing up the page, repeating the instructions in your own words, or giving an overview of the big picture before talking about the details.
GET ACTIVE! 9
Minefield Skill: Sharing knowledge No. of players: 5+
Point Blippar here to watch a group of activity centre service team volunteers enjoying these activities.
You will need s Chalk or masking tape, to mark out a grid (or square paving)
What to do
This works well with an 8 by 8 grid on the floor or ground. Map out a safe route through this minefield on a piece of paper, with some of the squares mined and others clear – but don’t show this to the Scouts. There is only one safe route across the minefield, and the team must all get across the minefield using those squares. When they
TRIED AND TESTED
step on a mine, shout out ‘boom!’ – they must go to the back of the group. Only then can the next team member set out across the minefield. Success requires trial and error as the team remembers where the mines are and discovers the safe path, learning from each other’s mistakes until the whole team completes the task.
‘We tried this as part of a volunteer training day. It took us a while – when we tried to cut corners we got stuck. We got better at it when we communicated and listened to each other.’ Benji, 19, Activity Centre volunteer
10 GET ACTIVE!
June/July 2014
Bomb disposal Skill: Effective planning No. of players: 4+ You will need
s Ropes s Cones s ‘Bomb’ – eg a bucket of water
What to do
The team must remove the ‘bomb’ from a marked area, without setting the bomb off, or stepp ing inside the area. Mark out a large circle or square, and place the bomb in the middle. Tell the team to remove the bomb safely. If the bomb goes off (ie the bucket of water spills ), or a team member or piece of rope touches the floor, the team must start again. The team may take as long as they like to plan their method, but as soon as anyone touches any of the equipment the bomb will start ticking and they only have three minutes to deac tivate it. After a couple of attem pts they will realise the importance of the planning phase, and assigning different jobs to different people. Make the task harder or easier by increasing or reducing the size of the circle, time limits and equipment available.
MISSION: POSSIBLE
Marble relay
SCOUT BOMB DISPOSAL SQUAD
Ref. No: 4629-982787
Shrinking island Skill: Supporting each other No. of players: 6+
You will need s A large tarpaulin, groundsheet or blanket
scouts.org.uk/magazine
What to do
Your tarpaulin is an island – but it’s rapidly sinking beneath the waves. The whole team stands on it, making sure all body parts remain on the tarpaulin, and cannot step off for five seconds. After that time, get everyone off, fold the tarpaulin in half so the island is half the size and repeat the exercise.
Keep folding it in half after every five seconds. If anyone steps off it within that time they must all start that stage again. To succeed, the team members have to support each other – physically and mentally. How small can you go? Increase the challenge by doubling the time limit each time you fold it.
GET ACTIVE! 11
Discover more
Three great challenges to help your Scouts become an unbeatable team Working together is the key to success in life and in Scouting. To complete these fast and frenetic fun-packed challenges, your Scouts will need to co-operate and communicate by planning a strategy, interacting with each other and working in harmony to beat the clock.
Hands in Suitable for all This challenge is a cost-free camp classic that requires close observation and quick thinking.
You will need Pictures: Jon Challicom
s A group of Scouts – the more the better
What to do
Everyone kneels in a circle, with both hands placed flat in front of them. Then each Scout in the circle scouts.org.uk/magazine
moves their right hand in between the Scout on their right’s hands. This creates an alternating hand pattern, as shown in the photo. To start, one person calls out the tapping direction, left or right, and slaps their hand once on the ground. The hand closest to the first slap (in the named direction) slaps the ground, then the next closest, and so on. If hand A slaps, hand B can either single slap or double slap. A single slap keeps the slap going in the same direction,
but a double slap changes the direction so the slap travels away in the opposite direction. If someone slaps out of turn, they must remove that hand. All other hands stay where they are, even if they are no longer crossed over. A person is out of the game when both their hands are out. The game is over when there are only two people left. Try and go faster as the game progresses. If you make a mistake, you leave the circle.
GET ACTIVE! 13
Ramshackle railway Suitable for Scouts+ In this challenge, the aim is to create a railway from bamboo canes or newspaper and cable ties to move a ball from one end of your HQ to the other.
You will need s Footballs – one per team s Bamboo canes or sheets of newspaper s Masking tape s Cable ties
Point Blippar here to watch a group of activit y centre service team volun teers enjoying these act ivities.
What to do
Take one or two sheets of newspaper and roll them tightly from the longest side to form a long, thin tube. Secure with masking tape. Make as many tubes as you can – or use bamboo canes cut to about 40cm. Take four tubes or canes and
14 GET ACTIVE!
place them in two ‘X’ shapes. Secure each ‘X’ across the middle using cable ties. Take two more tubes and place these on the top two arms of each ‘X’ shape (see above, right). These are the rails that the sponge ball will roll along. Secure the rails to the ‘X’
shapes with cable ties, ensuring the rails run inside each arm, so the ball can roll off the ends of the section. This structure forms one section of the railway and should be controlled by two Scouts. Ask Scouts to get into pairs and then form two equal teams. Each Scout June/July 2014
Marble relay Suitable for all In this challenge, the aim is to roll a marble down a series of pipes or tubes, so that it lands in a jar placed at the far end of your HQ or meeting place.
You will need s Marbles s Plastic PVC piping or cardboard tubes, eg from kitchen rolls, posters or gift wrap s Jar or bucket
What to do grasps the bottom arm of each ‘X’ and stands opposite their partner. By moving closer together or further apart and tilting, raising or lowering their section, they can control the speed and direction of the ball. Pairs of Scouts should take a section of railway each and form a long line or a large circle. Place the ball on the first section and start the clock. Can the Scouts make the ball travel from one end of the line to the other or go around the circle without dropping it? What’s the quickest time they can manage? scouts.org.uk/magazine
Split the Scouts into two teams. Scouts take their pipes or tubes and form two lines, leaving about half a metre or 2ft of space between them. Each tube should be at least 30cm (1ft) long, but don't worry if some are much longer; this adds to the challenge. To start, the first Scout in each line places a marble in their tube and rolls it down and into the tube of the next Scout in line. The teams race to get their marble to drop into the jar. If the marble is dropped at any time, it must go all the way back to the start.
Too easy? Go three or more rounds. When the marble gets to the end of the line, that Scout must balance it in their tube and walk back to the beginning of the line to start the route again. The team that completes three rounds quickest are the winners. Alternatively, you can create a ‘neverending relay’ – after the ball has rolled off one section, the Scouts holding that section run forward and add it to the front before the marble gets there. Time the teams to see how long each marble can keep rolling.
GET ACTIVE! 15
Badge
Build… with chocolate! Teach Cubs the essentials of bridge-building with this tasty traverse! Suitable for Cubs and Scouts Using only chocolate bars and a simple heat source, Cubs or Scouts can make a ‘box girder’ bridge – a bridge which is made from a long beam in a box shape instead of just a plank.
What to do
• Fill the plastic bottle up with just-boiled water. • Hold one of the long edges of two of your chocolate bars against the hot plastic bottle until they melt slightly. • Press the melted edges together in a right angle, and leave to cool.
• Melt another two bars and make another right angle piece. • Put both sections in a fridge to cool. When both sections are completely cool, melt the four long edges so you can join both sections together to make a box section. Leave to cool.
Test your bridge
First, unwrap one chocolate bar and place it between two objects to form a ‘plank bridge’. Place the yoghurt pot on top and drop coins in to it. How long before the bridge breaks? Try the same thing with your ‘box girder’ bridge. Does that bridge last much longer?
You will need s 5 chocolate bars – ideally something light, without grooves or additional ingredients eg fruit or nuts s Kettle s Plastic bottle s Yoghurt pot s Coins
Picture: Thinkstock
More info Rolls-Royce sponsors the Cub Scout Scientist Badge, and is also creating extra resources for budding Beaver scientists. For information on both resources, visit scouts.org.uk/rolls-royce.
16 GET ACTIVE!
June/July 2014
…
uts rages Sco u o c n e y t vi uting acti three simple team o c S c i s s a l e This c r. Try thes camp programme e h t e g o t k to wor in your s t c je o r p g pioneerin
ojects For all pr ed ne you will sal string es s Si s Scout stav
r Scouts+ Suitable fo
rried in a rollerbox. Water is ca eir Scout carries th barrel and each ith W . ck ba their sleeping bag on , they must head kit al im in m is th erness. of f into the wild nt is to find rta po im Most venue; ideally a suitable, safe accessed by a small campsite ar footpath cle of about a mile woods. Road through fields or stroy a travois surfaces will de a wide path to d in minutes. Fin ll with ropes pu to ts allow Scou set of f on a real What to do either side, and and es av st t ou e! Sc e eering adventur You’ll need som zel poles pion ha o tw f late of us pl ng s, Consider setti sisal lashing d a few e evening an th g ng lo din en 5m sp 4– at least afternoon, er ng ing lo e Th g. pullin ge tarp and cook shor t ropes for putting up a lar age er ing lev rn e tu th re r en tte e, th the poles, the be dinner over a fir no toilet will slide. Build orning. If there’s m e and the easier it lat to on e, rtapotty’ and A-fram a long, narrow nearby, bring a ‘po nt te its s tie en th up in advance. which the team tent, or set one food d an t en pm ui or tarp, camp eq
ts of f on an Pack your Scou venture for awesome real ad e idea behind Th ! almost no cost es from Native the travois com nsport a load Americans; to tra d by animals or on a frame pulle Scouts to build ge en people. Chall e it to transport a travois and us kit to a nearby all their camping fun and a ge camp site. It’s hu ge! en all ch g really excitin
Al Pictures:
amy, Th
ondsey Sc 16th Berm inkstock,
La ds: Eddie outs Wor
ngdown
Build a travois
scouts.org.uk/magazine
am e skills of the te Depending on th d fie tis sa be ay m and leaders, you activity from a to supervise this at intervals. distance, visiting
Safety notes
sure progress and en Keep an eye on eck Ch s. ail nse prev that common se d an e nc va in ad out the campsite risks accordingly. ial nt te po ss se as
GET ACTIVE! 17
Flagpole raising This is a great activity for a group of six using about four Scout staves, or can be scaled up to a small Troop activity using up to nine staves with adult supervision. It requires skill, concentration and teamwork. While it would be nice to think of a team working with silent concentration, the reality is often a very noisy and frantic time with the pole bending and twisting almost in spite of the orders being called.
What to do
The basic idea is to construct a flagpole as high as possible. Have two Scouts double sheer-lashing staves end to end and four Scouts holding long sisal guys, pushing it skywards, until a time limit is reached, or until the first four staves are vertical and a patrol flag unfurled… or until total collapse! Success and safety is all in the preparation. Hazel staves are best for this and are light and a more naturally renewable resource than ash. Use ready-cut sisal string lashings. Take some time to
18 GET ACTIVE!
measure and cut these to length in advance: four for a four-stave, eight at two levels for more than four staves. Lay the staves end to end on the ground with a generous overlap and run your sisal guys out at 45 degrees to gauge the length you need for the proposed height of your pole.
Safety notes
The four-stave version is pretty safe with adult supervision, however, larger groups who virtually see the sky as the limit can have quite awesome results, but will require a serious risk assessment. The sheer weight of up to nine staves thundering down has to be seriously considered. A spectacular but carefully planned ‘end drop’ can be made reasonably safe if, on command, one adult runs in the agreed direction holding a top guy and literally pulls it down after them. Safer would be for two adults with a Stanley knife and gloves to quickly drop it vertically by slicing the sisal lashings.
Did you know? The tallest flagpole in the world stands in Dushanbe in Tajikistan, at 165m (541ft) high. It’s constructed from 12ft lengths of steel tubes, fitted together by cranes and flies a 30 x 60m Tajikistan national flag.
What can Scouts earn?
Once knotting, lashing and basic pioneering skills have been mastered, these activities help Scouts and Explorers complete the Pioneer Activity Badge.
June/July 2014
Sedan chairs A bundle of hazel Scout staves and sisal string make great sedan chairs! This is great fun to try at camp but could also be an indoor evening activity.
What to do
You don’t necessarily need a fixed plan or design in advance – as part of the experience you can get patrols to draw a plan for transporting someone around a short course, then build their sedan chair. To increase the challenge, you could swap the plans around, so patrols build to each others’ designs, which encourages them to interpret written and drawn instructions and stops them making it up as they go along!
scouts.org.uk/magazine
You may decide against the chaos and possible danger of a race and award points purely on design, teamwork, quality and how well each chair survives the course. A final challenge could be to see if they can transport your leader, perhaps with several more people carrying them!
Safety notes
Practicing basic knots and lashings in advance is essential as you may need to use dozens of them in this exercise; all Scouts can get involved and see how good they are. Leaders should check the finished contraptions are safe and will not collapse, entrap or drop the passenger.
GET ACTIVE! 19
ENTER THE FIRST LEAGUE ®
®
Suitable for Cubs+
The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) is the UK and Ireland partner for FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®). FLL is a global science and technology competition for teams of students, to encourage an interest in real-world issues and develop key skills crucial for their future careers. The students work as a team to explore a scientific topic and plan, programme and test an autonomous robot to solve several missions. The competition is open to all young people, Scouts included, aged 9 to 16. One lucky and very talented Scout team travelled to this year’s Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair to show off their handiwork to thousands of enthusiasts. Here’s what Scout volunteer Alan Herbert had to say: ‘The
20 GET ACTIVE!
Creative Expression programme zone is all about learning new skills, teamwork and problem solving, and so is science and engineering. This sort of commitment does not fit the usual chaos of Troop night, so the BEASTs (Boreatton Engineering And Science Team) is a Troop activity club, which meets on a separate night through the autumn. ‘You need enthusiasm, some LEGO®, and a LEGO® Mindstorms® robot (the latest EV3 kits cost around £300 but the older NXT kits are on eBay for about £100). You do not need to be a professional scientist or engineer; the IET can help put you in touch with a mentor. For the project, all you need is a good imagination and a pile of junk! If you do go for it, your Scouts will earn the Creative Challenge, a CREST Award, and have lots of fun!’
Get involved The theme for 2014/15 FIRST® LEGO® League will be:
World Class: Learning Unleashed! This is your chance to design the future of learning, with young people teaching adults how they learn best. Registration is now open – visit firstlegoleague.co.uk or email firstlegoleague@ theiet.org.
June/July 2014
Have a crack at cartography
Badge
Maps can lead to all sorts of discoveries and now your Cubs can create their own Suitable for Cubs+ Map reading is an essential skill that can also be loads of fun. This great activity from Ordnance Survey will not only help your Cubs appreciate the importance of maps, but will also show them how to create their own as they draw their journey home.
You will need
s Colouring pencils and pens s Paper s Real maps to use as examples
What to do
1
Show your Scouts examples of other maps for inspiration, highlighting the geographical details featured. Explain that they must now draw the route from their house to school, showing buildings and landmarks they pass on the way. Make sure they know they will have to share it with the Group. Once finished, let each Scout show the Group their picture.
2
3 4
More info To download the Ordnance Survey’s brilliant resource pack, Map Reading Made Easy Peasy, go to scouts.org.uk/ordnancesurvey, where you will also find activity packs to support the Scout and Cub Navigation Badges.
d and Youth Groups Big Weeken Visit during the dedicated efits, exclusive ben NAL ITIO ADD c asti make the most of fant g: to Youth Groups, includin cted SEA LIFE centres sele FREE goody bags at & The Blackpool Tower at Alton Towers Resort EXCLUSIVE early ride time rt & THORPE PARK Reso d perks such For more details or to PLUS all the usual year roun merlingroups.co.uk/specialoff book, visit as FREE LEADER PLACES!
er or call 0871 222 6944+
*Terms and conditions apply. Prices and benefits vary by attraction and are correct at time of going to print but are subject to change without notice, please check www.merlingroups.co.uk for more information. All prices are based on the youth group child rate for a group booking of ten or more. Please note, some attractions are excluded from the Youth Groups Big Weekend. LEGO, the LEGO logo and LEGOLAND are trademarks of the LEGO Group. Š 2014 The LEGO Group.
Pack
TOP TIP
Share pics of your Cu bs’ creations with K’NEX and you’ll be en tered into a quar terly draw to w in great K’NEX prizes. Entr y deta ils at scou ts. org.uk/kne x.
Design a racing car Work as a team to build a mighty racing machine Suitable for Beavers and Cubs To celebrate July’s British Grand Prix, here’s a challenge to let Cubs in on the excitement. With this activity they can spend time investigating racing-car engineering and design, and create one of their own. Find out more about the brand new Creative Challenge downloadable resource at scouts.org.uk/knex thanks to our new partner K’NEX® building toys.
What to do 1 Discuss ideas around what
makes a good design for speed, such as aerodynamic design, low profile or powerful engine.
2 Provide materials for Cubs or
Beavers to try building their own racing car.
3 Ask each team to talk the
Patrol through their design.
4 If you have time, use a piece of
wood to set up a small ramp at around 30 degrees.
5 Hold a racing challenge to see
which design travels the fastest.
You will need
s K’NEX construction pieces if you have them (or junk modelling materials if not) s Piece of wood
K’NEX at the Fundays You can meet the K’NEX team at the Beaver and Cub ‘Fundays’ at Gilwell Park on 20-21 June, where Cubs and Beavers can build a K’NEX racing car and test it on the K’NEX track. The activity will count towards the Creative Challenge Badge and there will be competitions and fun throughout the weekend!
More info K’NEX sponsors the Cub Creative Challenge Badge. Visit scouts.org.uk/knex to download fantastic and more detailed resources to guide Cubs through creating their own car and earning their badge.
22 GET ACTIVE!
June/July 2014
…
All aboa rd for a day of floating boating fun
TRIED AND TESTED
Get your teams pulling together with a day out on the water Suitable for all
‘This is a great way of getting Scouts together and having a fun competition between Troops. We can’t wait for the next one.’ Nick, Group Scout Leader, 4th Kenilworth Scouts
People of all ages and abilities can enjoy paddlesport adventures anywhere where there’s water – whether it’s a lake, river or estuary. With both dragon boats and bell boats, the key to success is teamwork. Young people will learn to listen, give instructions, develop strategies and compensate for each other’s strengths and weaknesses; and enjoy competing as a crew. It’s a great way to build strength, fitness, friendships and fun. scouts.org.uk/magazine
GET ACTIVE! 23
Blipp here to watch Scouts enjoying a day of dragon boating in Kenilworth.
Dragon boating Originating from China and traditionally made out of teak, dragon boats are gaining popularity in the UK as both a competitive sport and an energetic, team-building activity suitable for all ages. In Scouting, dragon boating can be organised either as a Scout-led activity or externally led. When Scout-led the activity normally falls within the Adventurous Activity Permit Scheme, which means that someone within Scouting will be assessed to have the skills and knowledge to safely manage and lead this activity with members. When using an external partner, check they meet the requirements as laid down in the A-Z. For full details of both processes go to scouts.org. uk/a-z and select dragon boating. It’s great fun, involving a crew of 12–16 paddlers plus a helmsman and a drummer to keep the beat. Everyone gets to be involved, and crews need to work together to get the rhythm right. The races are
24 GET ACTIVE!
Dragon boat racing is the pin nac le of the day
physically challenging and crews also need to be able to listen to instructions and carry them out. Why not arrange a full day on the water with team races? Organise Scouts into mixed-age crews – rope in some Explorers to help if you can. Cubs might find paddling challenging due to their size, but can still have a really good time. It’s best to try and balance teams in terms of size, but a good team of younger Scouts can still beat a poor team of older Scouts.
Leader view
Stuart Heaton, District Commissioner, Kenilworth District ‘Overlooked by the majestic ramparts of Warwick Castle, our sunny day at Warwick Boats started with a safety briefing and kit-out. After practising techniques on land, the crews took to their boats to put their new-found skills into use. They soon became welloiled machines! We finished with a series of races, culminating in a final heat for the District Trophy.’
More info
Find out more from the British Dragon Boat Association at dragonboat. org.uk and bell boating via the British Canoe Union at bcu.org.uk. Both these sites allow you to search for registered providers in your area. You can find information about safety, permits and badges at members. scouts.org.uk/a-z. Details of external providers can be found at aals.org.uk/aals/ provider_search.php or, if they’re exempt from AALS licencing, by contacting the relevant National Governing Bodies listed above.
June/July 2014
Bell boating A bell boat is a twin-hulled craft that seats 8 to 10 paddlers plus a helmsman or two, whose job it is to steer and manage the crew. Bell boats are very stable, so offer a great introduction to paddlesport for children and adults alike, and crews can move around the boat safely. All age groups can start learning with basic strokes, and work towards more steering and manoeuvring as they progress. There’s more to bell boating than just paddle skills; the central deck can be used as a platform for games, singing, dancing and more, and the helmsman can lead confidence-building games involving moving around the boat. River or canal trips allow for longer voyages, with overnight camping on the riverbanks. These trips really encourage the spirit of Scouting. Negotiating canal locks requires co-operation and discipline, while games, songs, races, splashing matches and debris-collecting competitions add extra fun. Many waterways also pass through scouts.org.uk/magazine
Bel l boats are stable enough to sta nd up on
cities, making for exciting shore excursions – and are bound to attract public interest, showing how much fun Scouts have! Harbours and estuaries also offer an exciting challenge thanks to obstacles like mud, tides, ships and sailing boats – and carry the reward of fish and chips on a quayside, or a trip to the beach.
Leader view
Helen Adams, UK Technical Adviser (Bell Boating) ‘1st Barton Scout Group are the proud owners of two bell boats. We use them regularly on Beaver and parent water days, Cub water adventure days, bell boat cruises, county camps and summer evening sessions on local rivers – which are so popular the Guides join in! We encourage leaders and older Scouts to obtain an Adventurous Activity Permit, which is easier than you might think. If you have lots of enthusiasm and a repertoire of games and songs you’re halfway there.’
What can Scouts earn?
All sections can earn badges, from the Adventure badge for Beavers to Dragon Boat badge for Scouts. This sport also contributes to Challenge Badges for all ages. Many Explorers progress to undertaking training and become bell-boat helms.
GET ACTIVE! 25
Pack
Plan your own event Events can be a great way to fundraise and promote Scouting, and a great learning experience for Scouts Suitable for all This issue of Get Active! is all about teamwork, and nothing calls for teamwork quite like organising an event. It involves everybody taking on roles that reflect their strengths, while simultaneously helping others to fulfil their roles. This activity helps Scouts learn to plan cost-effectively, before doing the real thing.
You will need
s Photocopies of the items and prices listed, one for each Group
What to do
Split your section into four teams. Give each team one of the following activities/events to organise: a cake sale, a concert, a disco, a football match. Give each team a hypothetical budget of £200, and provide them each with the list of items and costs (right). Each team must discuss and
decide what the most important items are for them to spend their budget on for their event. The teams then present their decisions to the rest of the Troop or Unit and explain how and why they made them. If they decided to cut costs in certain areas, why did they think that other areas were more important?
Order form
----------------------------------Band Drinks PA Cake ingredients Kitchen hire 200 cakes Town hall hire Local football pitch with
£60 £30 £30 £20 £200 £60 £20
markings provided DJ Concert venue with PA, sound engineer, electricity and lighting provided Sound engineer Referee and linesmen Doorman Tables Nightclub with PA, electricity and lighting provided Concert/disco lights Tablecloths Plates
£120 £50
£160 £30 £50 £20 £30
£150 £20 £10 £20
----------------------------------------TOTAL
£_______
More info MoneySense is an impartial financial education service provided by NatWest, providing tailor-made resources for Scouting. Resources for all sections are available at scouts.org.uk/moneysense.
scouts.org.uk/magazine
GET ACTIVE! 27
Explore more
Sailing Get your teams pulling together with a day out on the water Suitable for Cubs+ What do you think of when you think of sailing? Ben Ainslie winning gold at the Olympics? Actually, sailing isn’t often about one person alone in a boat. Even in small dinghies, when more than one person is on board teamwork is essential. Going sailing can be easier than you might think and can be enjoyed by all ages – including leaders. A good starting point would be your local sailing club or Royal Yachting Association (RYA) recognised training centre – both can be found via the RYA website (rya.org.uk).
Safety Most (but not all) sailing activities are covered by the Adventurous Activity Permit Scheme; info can be found at scouts.org.uk/a-z. Within Scouting there are various activity centres and Sea Scout groups who can help you out and maybe run an introductory session for your young people. Alternatively, get in touch with your local sailing club. Both the Adventure Offshore and Discovery Sailing Project are part of The Scout Association and set up to provide voyages and experiences for most age groups.
28 GET ACTIVE!
Cubs
Dinghy sailing is ideal for younger sections, as the boats are smaller and more manageable. Cubs can head out in pairs to experience sailing, finding out by trial and error what works and what doesn’t. There are two basic controls in a single-sail dinghy: the steering and the sail control – which, handily, gives one thing for each Cub to do. But both Cubs must work together to control and move the boat. Once they’ve mastered the basics, the usual Cub games can be used to provide a bit more of a challenge, such as follow-my-leader or tag.
TRIED AND TESTED
‘I’ve had some brilliant times sailing; helping Scouts to achieve what they had felt was impossible.’ Pippa Barber, Docklands Scout Project
June/July 2014
Scouts
Slightly larger dinghies or small keelboats can provide more of a challenge for Scouts. Adding a second sail into the equation means there’s more to do to get the boat sailing properly – and often more hands required on board – so communication between the crew becomes even more important. There’s also teamwork involved in preparing the boats for the water. With this age group it can be useful to introduce a racing element to encourage a bit of competitiveness – this will encourage teamwork between boat crews, and you can also devise ways of getting the crews of different vessels working together. After mastering the basics of boat handling and safety, Scouts can progress to work through RYA dinghy sailing courses, working up to the point where they can pass on their own knowledge and skills to younger sections. This can help to develop their focus on how other people learn and function. scouts.org.uk/magazine
Explorers+
For Explorers and Network, all options are open – small boats can still be really good fun to teach the basics, but the teamwork challenge is really focused when acting as a crew on a larger sailing boat or yacht. Yachting is full of tasks that need more than one person to complete them: even raising a sail can require up to five people – one to steer the boat, one to control the leading edge of the sail as it goes up, one to control the sheets (which control the power in the sail) and two people working together to hoist the sail. You can get quite a good competition going between different teams over a weekend to see who can complete tasks the fastest or the best. On a weekend or overnight trip, a yacht crew will usually be split into watches – teams that must work together to sail the boat while the other watch rests, sleeps or sorts out the next meal – the watches then swap over.
What can Scouts earn?
Sailing skills can work towards the Basic Nautical Skills Activity Badge; Dinghy Sailor Activity Badge and Nautical Skills Activity Badge.
What can Scouts learn?
In a basic introductory session Scouts will learn water safety, how to control the boat, and how they need to work together as a team to achieve their collective aim.
GET ACTIVE! 29
Offer
Set up your campsite
Suitable for Cubs+
with this quick quiz
If you’re spending a night under the stars, the first thing you need to do is set up your camp. Cotswold Outdoor has helped put together this checklist to identify the ideal spot to pitch your tents. In the boxes below, get your would-be campers to write down the reasons why they think it might be a problem to camp on or near each of the locations listed. Discuss their answers with the Group then go out to your nearest park or green space. Use their conclusions to find the best spot for camping and pitch your tent.
Answers 1 Rainwater running down into tent 2 Grass less cushioned, twigs damage groundsheet, dangerous in storm 3 Risk of flooding in heavy rain 4 Damage to back and groundsheet 5 High winds can blow tent over, reduce heat inside and cause noise inside the tent
Test your Group’s campsite common sen se
1. Steep hills
2. Trees
3. Lakes and rivers
4. Stony ground
5. Large, open spaces
More info All Scout Leaders are entitled to a 20% discount* at all Cotswold Outdoor stores. To find your nearest store visit cotswoldoutdoor.com/stores. *For full terms and conditions, see the member’s area of the Scouts website
30 GET ACTIVE!
June/July 2014