ine The magaazders e for Scout La y 2011 M l/ ri Ap
Programmes in pictures
One Troop learns proper lashing skills
Flexible growth Recruit adults by letting them volunteer their way
E M I T D O O G Y L WHEE camp g n o l k e e w es to fill a g n e l l a h c f A series o
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ine The magaazders e for Scout La y 2011 M l/ ri Ap
Programmes in pictures
One Troop learns proper lashing skills
Flexible growth Recruit adults by letting them volunteer their way
E M I T D O O G Y L WHEE camp g n o l k e e w es to fill a g n e l l a h c f A series o
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Let your group be part of the only Disney event designed specifically for Scouts and Guides…
s i r a P d n a l y e n s i D 2 1 0 2 y r a u Jan Weekends includes: • Return coach travel from your preferred departure point in the UK • Return Dover-Calais ferry crossing • Accommodation (Bed and Breakfast) • Entry into both Disney Parks with a Hopper Pass
And much more... With prices from just £145pp, there really is no better way for groups of all sizes to enjoy the Magic of Disney. Visit our website at www.ventureabroad.com to find out more.
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Published by
WELCOME INTRO
The Programme Team The Scout Association Gilwell Park Chingford London E4 7QW Tel: 0845 300 1818
One vision
Contributions to: programme@scouts.org.uk Advertising Richard Ellacott richard.ellacott@thinkpublishing.co.uk Tel: 020 8962 1258 Contributors: Eddie Langdown, Louise Henderson, Laura McManus, Molly Fassbender Cover photo: Allan Baxter
Deputy UK Commissioner for Programme Graeme Hamilton outlines his hopes for the coming months – and asks for your help in shaping it
For ease of reading, this supplement refers to all variations of ‘county’ groupings simply as County. You can read all the section supplements, and the main magazine, online at www.scouts.org.uk/magazine
There is some further change in the supplement this issue as I find myself writing for leaders, commissioners and supporters in all five sections for the first time. This will be the pattern for the foreseeable future as I alternate with the five Programme and Development Advisers, who will provide a section-specific focus. Supporting the range of different needs and challenges of five diverse sections is not something to be taken lightly and certainly not without support. I rely heavily on you sending in your thoughts, concerns, ideas and, most importantly, success stories so that we can share these with others across the UK. Please email programme@scouts.org.uk if you have anything to contribute. We’re currently building a network of experienced leaders to form a support team – all of whom will soon be deployed across the UK. In the months ahead we’ll also look at how sectional support roles can best support frontline leaders. I’ll be out and about too. Cumbria has already booked me for a joint Cub and Scout leader session in May. If I cannot be at your event then we’ll aim to find a willing person from the support team or staff at Gilwell Park. I’ve recently attended the Development, Advice and Support day events in Wales and Northern Ireland so I’ll be maintaining strong links all over the UK as we work together to deliver a strong, effective and fun programme for every youngster who has chosen to take part in the Scouting adventure. There will be more in a future article about how we’re checking out what’s good and what’s not about the programme and how you can give us your thoughts.
Contents 4 News Updates and happenings from across the UK
6 Flexi-time How to apply the idea of flexible volunteering in your Troop
8 Lashdance One London Troop has an enjoyable evening with ropes
10 Programmes on a plate An evening of classic ideas
12 Firestarters Teach your Scout Troop how to use firelighters properly
14 Camp challenges Simple planning can easily fill a week-long camp
15 Sow seeds of charity Make a difference across the world with Bookbridge
16 Partnerships Opportunities, activities and resources for your Troop
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News and updates Camp challenge winner
Avon has launched a local award to encourage Scouts to do more camping. The challenge involves camping at least one night every month for a minimum of six months in a variety of situations, with different people, and in different types of overnight accommodation. Among the first recipients of this new award is Anthony, of the Peasedown St John Scout Group, seen here receiving his award from (acting) Assistant County Commissioner for Scouts, Alan Watts. ‘It was hard completing the award but it is great to achieve it,’ said Anthony. ‘I am going to go for the next level now.’ He is only the fourth Scout in Avon to be awarded this badge. Details of the camping award are at www.avonscouts.org.uk/campingaward 4
Are your Scouts taking the Entrepreneur Challenge? Troops all over the UK are getting into the enterprise spirit and it’s not too late for yours to join in. The Entrepreneur Challenge teaches Scouts important skills such as teamwork, perseverance and responsibility as well as allowing them to demonstrate a mind for business. There are a number of activities to try with your Troop available to download from www.scouts.org.uk/entrepreneur Order the accompanying resource pack from the Scout Information Centre and you will receive a free gift to help you along the way. Now is the perfect time to let your Scouts discover whether they have a talent which will help them in their future careers. The Entrepreneur Challenge allows them, and you, to have fun while doing so. To order your Entrepreneur Challenge resources, call the Scout Information Centre on 0845 300 1818
Scouts April/May 2011
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NEWS
Have you visited Scouts.org.uk lately? The new website is now live, so be prepared to be surprised. With a fantastic new design, logical menu, related articles, the most searched-for items and a one-click ‘email a friend’ option, you will easily find everything you need to help you in your Scouting role.
Scouts Question Time Got a burning issue that you want to share? Want to hear other points of view? Scouts Question Time will be in Leeds on 25 June for an afternoon of discussion on the main topics of the day with a distinguished panel of guests from the world of politics and media. Whether it’s the effects of the
recession on your Scout Group, how changes to education will affect you and your family, or even asking which football team the panellists support, Scouts Question Time is the place for you to have your say. To book your place, please register your interest by emailing citizen@scouts.org.uk .
Faith and awareness events June/July June June: LGBT Pride Month 1-7 Volunteers’ Week 2 Ascension Day (Christian) 5 World Environment Day 6 Dragon Boat Festival (Chinese) 8-9 Shavuot (Jewish) 12 Pentecost (Christian) 16 Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev (Sikh) 19 Trinity Sunday (Christian) 19 Father’s Day 20-26 World Refugee Week 22 World Interfaith Day 23/26 Corpus Christi (Christian) 28 Lailat al Miraj; The Prophet’s Night Journey and Ascension (Islam) July 3 Ratha Yatra (Hindu) 5 Birth of Guru Hargobind (Sikh) 5-11 Childhood Obesity Week (UK) 9 Martyrdom of the Báb (Bahá’í) 11 World Population Day 15 Lailat al Bara’ah; The Night of Forgiveness (Muslim) 15 Asalha Puja; Dharma Day (Buddhist) 19 17th Tammuz; fast day (Jewish) 23 Birth of Guru Har Krishen (Sikh) 25 Khordad Sal; Birth of Zoroaster (Zoroastrian)
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F l e x i- time You’ve probably heard about flexible volunteering but how do you make it work in your Troop? Laura McManus offers some handy ideas
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cout Leaders are often trying to find more adults to help them. But with busy lifestyles and so many demands on people’s time (theirs and yours), how can you encourage parents to support Scouting? Research has identified that the largest barrier to volunteer recruitment is the time pressure on adults coupled with anxiety over the demands placed on new recruits. Nearly 60 per cent of non-volunteers cite lack of time as the main reason why they do not volunteer. Scouting therefore must approach volunteering in a flexible way to get around these concerns.
Think about what you would like an adult to do If there was one thing you could have help with, what would it be? Draw up a list of tasks that you would like another adult to do, so you can concentrate on running the Troop. Maybe it is one of these: • Plan a meeting or visit • Run outdoor activities • Organise a camp • Support expedition training • Troop administration These do not necessarily have to be done by the same person. They can be done effectively as part of a team. If you ask an adult to do one task for a set period of time then they are more likely to say yes.
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It’s all in the planning Do you find it difficult to make time to plan each meeting and often find yourself turning up on a Troop night without a real idea of what you are going to do? Don’t worry, that’s more common than you’d think. Is there a parent that shows an interest in what you do at meetings, or who has an interesting job? Could they organise a meeting or visit around this?
Get outdoors Is there a parent of a Scout in your Troop who is a keen hiker or cyclist? Perhaps they could run an evening outdoors taking the Scouts on a night hike? Night hikes require a lot of organisation, so asking another person means that it’s something else you don’t have to do.
Simple tasks Are you holding a residential experience soon? Are there things that you could ask parents to help to organise? Maybe you could you ask a small team to manage the catering – taking one meal each, for example. This is a simple task, and something that parents will probably be more than happy to do. Again, it is now also one less thing for you to worry about.
It’s a record Is there someone who could manage the Troop administration for you? If you give them a copy of the programme and attendance records, they can work out
Scouts April/May 2011
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VOLUNTEERING
which awards have been completed. You’d be surprised by just how many people enjoy the paperwork-based tasks that you might dread.
Adult rotas Over 40 per cent of new volunteers come from the parents of youth members (or prospective youth members), so parent or adult rotas are a particularly effective method of getting new people involved in Scouting. One of the tasks in your to-do list could be coordinating a parent rota. Why not ask a parent who you know has younger children as they would not necessarily be able to attend a Troop meeting? A parent or adult rota is another great way for sections to benefit from the increased adult support that parents can bring, without requiring them to make a weekly commitment. The rota could invite parents or other adults linked to the child to make a commitment to attending one Troop meeting a term.
tools to help There are a number of resources to help you with encouraging adults to support your section in a flexible way. These are available by visiting www.scouts.org.uk
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Lashdance The Scouts supplement team visited the 16th Bermondsey to see how the Troop enjoyed an evening of developing their lashing skills
Ropes and knots can be used in any number of ways to lash together sticks, logs, branches or poles to make any number of useful structures, from shelters and rafts to simple camp gadgets.
The trick to maki ng strong and secure lashi ngs is to do them as neatly and as tight ly as possi ble. Practise with lengt hs of cord and a selec tion of staves, broom hand les or garden canes .
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Scouts April/May 2011
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PROGRAMME IN PICTURES
There are different lashings for different purposes so taking the time to teach your Troop properly is essentia l. Introducing elements of competition can enhance young people’s enjoyment and using a points system for things like fastest team to put up the structu re or neatest structu re can mean they will make a point of listening and learning.
For more inspiration che ck out scouts.org.uk / pol and enter ‘lashing’ in the key word sea rch . Alternatively to brush up on you r ow n ski lls, check out p16 4 of A Com plete Guide to Scouting Skills.
You can build a Jamboree gateway or, like the 16th Bermondsey, a catapult. If you construct a catapult, you can then have an additional challenge of who can launch an object the furthest. If space is an issue, scale the activity down using garden canes and twine.
HAVE YOUR PROGRAMME IN PICTURES nt
If you would like the suppleme team to visit your Troop to captu re a programme in pictu res, get in touch at programme@scouts.org.u k
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Classic ideas
The Scouts supplement team visited the 16th Bermondsey to try out this varied and interesting programme Table Top Challenges Sometimes going outdoors is not possible due to area constraints or the season you find yourself in, so why not have a go at table top challenges? There are plenty out there including edible pioneering, Kim’s Game and the tower challenge. To do the tower challenge, teams are asked to construct the tallest structure out of foods such as marshmallows and dry spaghetti. Give each team one packet of marshmallows and a packet of dry spaghetti and see how tall they can make their structure within an allotted time period. Let your Troop be creative with the structures. You’ll be surprised at what some of them come up with. You can even use this activity as a base challenge one evening.
15-30 minutes Programme Zone: Creative Expression
Sewing Scouts may groan at such a task, but as leaders we need to instil the importance of being able to sew. Badges form a large part of many a programme and being able to sew their own on their uniform is worth learning. It’s not just badges either. You can start with that, but sewing is a handy ability to have in an outdoors or survival environment. If you yourself don’t have the skills, you can ask leaders from other sections or even a parent to help out. If the sewing activity goes down well perhaps you can introduce elements of it for them to achieve the Creative Challenge. If you do sew badges on a uniform, make sure you sew them in the right places. See www.scouts.org.uk/por for uniform diagrams.
30-60 minutes Programme Zone: Creative Expression April/May2009 2011 10 Scouts June/July
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PROGRAMMES ON A PLATE
ShelterBox Challenge The Join-in-Jamboree theme for April is Make a Change, Make a Difference and what better way to do that than to get your Scouts involved in the ShelterBox challenge? The ‘Where in the world?’ activity will encourage Scouts to think about the places ShelterBox works in and possibly even challenge some preconceptions. Working in teams, Scouts will have to match countries to continents and, with only a small clue, identify what countries they think are depicted in photos. It will get them to think about different countries around the world and see where these are geographically. They will get to put pictures and faces to places they may have only heard mentioned before. To access everything you need to run this activity, including the How to run guide, go to the ShelterBox online activity library at www.youngshelterbox.org/library.php and select ‘Scouts’ on the left hand menu.
15-30 minutes Programme Zone: Creative Expression
Lashings Join-in-Jamboree in May is all about Scouting Skills and lashings is another useful skill which is always popular. The Jamboree booklet has instructions on how to construct a fantastic Jamboree-style gateway to really get your Troop in the spirit. Find out more about the Jamboree at www.scouts.org.uk/wsj2011 Scouts Or you could introduce an element of fun to the exercise by building a catapult and seeing which team can get their ball the furthest like the Troop on page 8.
ee Join-in-Jambor
1-2 hours Programme Zone: Outdoor and Adventure, Creative Expression
Send us your programme ideas, thoughts and photos too. Some of the best may feature in future issues. Also if your Troop would like to participate in a future programme, please let us know at programme@scouts.org.uk scouts.org.uk/pol 11
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It may not please the purists, but the fact remains that there are times when it is more useful to use domestic firelighters to get your campfire going. If you’re going to use them, you might as well do so safely and effectively says Eddie Langdown
Firestarters
get in touch Do you have any other top tips for teaching these skills? Are you planning on adopting some of Eddie’s ideas? Let us know at programme@scouts.org.uk
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SCOUTING SKILLS
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t is important for all Scouts to be taught the skill of lighting a fire with solid fuel firelighters. While illustrations abound of fire starting using sparks and natural kindling, for the average 12-year-old, using this method to produce a good hot cooking fire relatively quickly in a damp British field is tricky at the best of times. Therefore using common domestic firelighters instead is plain common sense. The skills of collecting and selecting wood, and of maintaining a strong fire stay the same, but the actual building of the fire is totally different.
Finding wood First, teach your Scouts about wood collection. You could involve Young Leaders or Explorers by asking them to walk around with the least experienced in your Troop and show them how it’s done. Look for whole dead branches, even small dead trees. Never damage living trees or shrubs. Never let Scouts go off with saws and axes, a short length of rope to timber-hitch branches together and drag back to camp will suffice. Wood from pallets containing dangerous nails is common on many sites. I tend to avoid this as it burns too quickly and can lead to a ‘bonfire mentality’. However it does have the benefit of leaving natural dead wood for those who can be bothered to collect it. The pallet question At National Scout Activity Centres, it has been site policy for a number of years to not accept pallets on to their woodpiles. Certain pallets constitute controlled waste due to the presence of preservatives and should only be disposed of appropriately. The Environment Agency has strict guidance on this. Check the Environment Agency website for full details www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Sorting wood Before starting any wood fire, collect and sort enough wood for an hour’s burning. You should accumulate quite a big pile – enough to fill a refuse sack. Snap, chop and saw the wood into four sizes: 1. thin as matchsticks 2. finger-thick 3. broomstick-thick 4. small logs Gather two handfuls of each. For ‘natural fire lighting’ you need to add kindling – a ball of pine needles, dead moss, fine bark and flower-stalks.
Time to begin Break-off two pieces of white block the size of a match box and lay one against the other, holding the burning match in the space under one. When using gas lighters, never hold them like a match; keep it upright. Hold one block and light it, it is slow burning and will not explode. Place it on the ground against the other piece. Do not break the block up into lots of small pieces as you need a concentrated fire base. Once it’s burning, divide the smallest wood bundle in two and gently drop each half in a criss-cross fashion onto the burning blocks. Immediately do the same with each bundle until all the wood is piled onto the burning fire blocks. Now leave it for ten minutes without poking it. After a while you can offer a little fanning, but not until the starter wood is in embers. Wash your hands and put the fire to work, but do not cook sausages and twists in the flames for at least an hour after using fire-starters.
TOP TIPS
• Show how to find starter wood; twigs that have dropped on to lower branches. They are always drier than those on the ground. • Teach your Troop not to break wood up when they find it, as they can carry or drag more back if it’s intact. • Parents need to be told that you are teaching their children to use lighters and matches, and to carry them on hikes. • Many children struggle to use lighters and matches. Allow them to spend relaxed, supervised time getting used to lighting them and holding them while alight. • If you are unhappy with the lack of natural wood, find a local timber yard and buy a load of hardwood off-cuts or bark trimmings. It might cost £10 a day but it’s worth it for slow-burning hardwood. • If you are camping on someone else’s property, always make sure you have their permission to build a campfire first.
Scouting skills Lighting a good fire is just one of the great skills covered in A Complete Guide to Scouting Skills, available now from www.scouts.org.uk/shop
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Camp challenges
Picture the scene: a greenfield site with an upper camping area, a steep slope and a river. Yes, it looks perfect but what on earth do you do to keep your Troop interested? Louise Henderson has some ideas
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t may sound too good to be true but, with just a little planning, Scouts can be entertained for a week in a greenfield with nothing more than a list of challenges. It takes at least a full day and a half to build a Patrol campsite complete with dresser, woodpile, chopping area, grease trap, fence and gateway. The week can then be further broken up with camp sports and a joint activity such as a camp craft fair (see Feb/Mar Scouts supplement). Inspection and cooking take up a few hours each day, leaving just enough time to complete a range of challenges to score points for the camp trophy.
Activity entertainment Ensure that all members of the Patrol must take part in all challenges to gain any points. Most will benefit from advance planning by Patrol Leaders. For example: 1. Plan for one of your meals to be of competitionstandard. Points will be awarded for quality, timing, presentation, hygiene, extra effort and taste. A Patrol Leader can prepare by bringing a starter, or things to make the table look nice. 2. Prepare Patrol entertainment for the campfire on Friday. This should include both a yell/chant and a short performance. New sketches will gain extra points. These challenges are fun and will ignite that competitive spirit in your Patrols. If you’ve planned a comprehensive challenge programme, then once the Scouts are up and running there is little for the leaders to do other than offer
help, score challenges as they are presented and sit back and enjoy the camp.
Other challenges
• Tie the following knots in under ten seconds each; reef, clove hitch, round turn and two half hitches, bowline, figure of eight, and sheet bend • Make a sundial and be able to tell the time with it • Do a good turn for the campsite • Make wind-chimes • Identify six different trees around the campsite and name something useful that each can do • Light a fire with the flint • Learn the symptoms, causes and treatment of hypothermia • Sleep out under the stars • Explain the causes, symptoms and cure for heat stroke. • Be able to give a six-figure grid reference • Set the map with and without compass • Make a musical instrument to accompany the campfire • Make a rope ladder and demonstrate its use (all Patrol members) • Make something to demonstrate a use for a block and tackle • Make a totem pole by carving a log • Walk to the closest village to buy ice cream
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Partnerships
Sow seeds of charity The Scout Association is launching a partnership with Bookbridge. This small charity was set up by Scouts in Germany to establish partnerships with local communities in developing countries and improve young people’s access to English language education. Molly Fassbender looks at how you can get involved
Undercover gardening
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he focus of the partnership is a book collection in June. This will be backed up by activity ideas on Programmes Online. Here is an activity to show how you can help Cubs understand how doing one small easy thing, like donating books or some undercover gardening, can make a really big difference. This is an easy and fun way to make flowers grow in a place that looks like it needs a bit of tender loving care.
Materials Bowls, clay soil (or potter’s powder), potting compost, water, flower seeds.
Method 1) Take a bowl and put some clay soil in it. 2) Add some of the potting compost, but not as much as the clay (the ratio should be about five parts clay to one part compost). 3) Mix the clay and compost with water until it is sticky. 4) Add your seed mixture and pat into small balls, about the size of a ping-pong or golf ball. 5) Now let all your flower balls dry for about two days. 6) Once your flower balls are dry, spread them around.
Choose a site Ask your Scouts to think of places that would look better with some pretty plants; perhaps near your meeting place, local campsite or in their back gardens. Make sure you choose a piece of land you know you are allowed to plant in. Then let them release their flower balls in that place and look at the difference it makes. Because they are a mixture of clay, potting compost, seeds and water, these ‘seed bombs’ are able to survive by themselves – the rain will water them. You can make this part a bit more fun by creating a game out of it; perhaps make the Scouts pretend they are undercover spies and they have to plant their seed balls without being caught. After a few weeks check to see if something is growing. Don’t be too disappointed if some of your seeds don’t grow, that happens sometimes. Just try it again.
more info If you would like to find out more about Bookbridge or to participate in the book collection this June visit www.bookbridge.org/scouts or see p68 of your copy of Scouting
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Force for good Scout Troops across the country are actively making a difference in their local communities thanks to the Community Challenge sponsored by the Police
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his exciting partnership provides an opportunity for young people and local policing teams to work together and learn more about each other. Using the resource pack, Troops and their leaders identify issues in their communities and, with the assistance of their local force and partner agencies, draw up and implement a plan to tackle it.
Perfect partners West Mercia Police, which was the driving force behind the campaign, is teaming up with Tenbury Wells Scouts to help its young people complete the challenge and gain the accompanying badge. Superintendent Gary Higgins, territorial policing commander for Telford and Wrekin is delighted with the potential for improving communities. ‘We are very excited about this partnership,’ he said.
‘Scout Groups all over the UK are signing up and helping us to deliver better communities on the ground. Their enthusiasm is infectious and an example to everyone in their respective areas.’ PC Tracey Wood of Tenbury Police agrees: ‘I am thrilled to be working with Tenbury Scouts as the local policing team is an important part of gaining their badge.’
To find out more visit www.scouts.org.uk/police
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PARTNERSHIPS
Coast is clear Spread a safety message and win money for your Troop
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he Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is on the lookout for Scout Groups who will produce material to promote safety at sea or along the coast to other young people. This could be a film, poster, leaflet, magazine article, radio interview or whatever you like. If it grabs our attention and encourages young people to stay safe, you could win £500 for a group activity.
Waterside preparation To help your Scouts with the task, some fantastic new resources on staying safe at the coast or the beach will soon be available. Some of the messages which your group may want to incorporate are: • Check the tides before you set out • Swim and bodyboard at lifeguarded beaches only
• Take special care if using inflatable dinghies, toys and lilos • Warn others about the dangers of jumping from high places • How to prepare for cliff walking • What to do in an emergency • Keep in touch with others.
Please send your competition entries to Sally Hilton, Corporate Partnerships, Gilwell Park, Chingford, E4 7QW or by email to sally.hilton@scouts.org.uk. The deadline for entries is 31 October. The winning entry will receive £500 towards an adventure of their choice while two runners-up will be awarded £300 and £200 respectively.
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Met gain for your Troop As a Scout leader, you’ll know all about the impact the weather can have on activities and how important it is for Scouts to understand it
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e hope the Meteorologist Activity Badge sponsored by the Met Office is helping educate Scouts in a fun and inspiring way. Another exciting way for them to learn about the environment is through the Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) project. OPAL is an exciting initiative that is open to anyone with an interest in nature. It aims to create and inspire a new generation of nature-lovers by getting people to explore, study, enjoy and protect their local environment. The Met Office is proud to support the Opal project. They have provided the scientific expertise for its climate survey which is now underway.
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And there’s still plenty of time for your Troop to take part, simply email the Met Office to order your survey packs. Your results will be collected and analysed to give us new insights which will complement and build on our existing research.
more info For more information on taking part in the climate survey visit www.opalexplorenature.org To order your survey packs, email opal@metoffice.gov.uk
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Walto IBC_N
WALTON FIRS ACTIVITY CENTRE Convent lane, Cobham, Surrey, KT11 1HB Owned and managed by Walton Firs Foundation
Warm & Friendly Welcome 3 Accommodation Buildings, 30 acres of Camping Ground Activities, Open Fires & Easily Accessible
Wardens:Sue Sue& & Dave Dave McIntosh 8632243 Wardens: McIntosh01932 01932 863 243 Email:warden@waltonfirs.co.uk warden@waltonfirs.co.uk Email: www.waltonfirs.co.uk www.waltonfirs.co.uk Walton Firs are pleased to welcome Scouts Please note that while we welcome Scouts, this centre is neither owned nor run by The Scouts Association
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09/03/2011 18:06 06/12/2010 04/02/2011 10:29 14:34 11:07 07/03/2011
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