WELCOME
As 2012 is both an Olympic and Diamond Jubilee year, we’ve decided to focus on the theme of ‘achievement’ in this issue, and we’ve packed it with as many exciting articles and goodies as we could. You’ll also notice that in this issue of Pathfinder we’ve changed a few things. We did that on purpose . . . we wanted you to open this one! And we hope you enjoy it. Pathfinder in its current format is three years old and we think it’s time for a change. In fact, it is also time for us to review our communications with members in general, so we’ve cooked up a chance for you to win £50 worth of Scout gear: If you do nothing else, please fill in the Membership Communications Survey at http://svy.mk/comms2012. You will be entered into a prize draw to win a £50 gift voucher for Glasgow Scout Shop, where everything from the latest Bear Grylls utility knife to Vango rucksack is available in-store or online. More importantly, you will be helping shape how we communicate with members going forward. We want to deliver publications and resources that are relevant and useful to you, but to do that we need your help. So please don’t miss this opportunity to participate – as the saying goes, ‘If you don’t vote, you can’t complain.’ Getting back to the issue at hand, Kenneth Robertson puts it beautifully in his feature article entitled ‘Reaching Higher’ where he says, “Scouting excels in allowing our young people and our adult volunteers to achieve their full potential.” Read more on page 6 to find out why this is so important. After that we interview two Scottish athletes with real hopes for a medal at the London 2012 Paralympics. Stephen and Peter McGuire give an interesting insight into what it takes to achieve at the very top of your game on page 8. Our Chief Scout Bear Grylls also chimes in with his personal views on achievement on page 15. On pages 12 and 13 you will be introduced to B-P and the Riddle of the Chief Scout’s Award, a downloadable board game which we hope will make a fun resource for your Programme, especially when you want to teach your Scouts about different areas of achievement. We welcome your feedback on this, and of course any more ideas for future resources we could produce. We also have a very informative article by Ross Donald explaining how best to gain better recognition for our members by working with their schools – particularly relevant with the recent changes in the Scottish education system. Finally, don’t miss Stuart Hamilton’s interesting article about risk assessment where his Scout Troop camped on a live construction site, or Mel Brammer’s guide to Top Awards – both are short, sharp and useful reminders of a few basics many of us know, but can quite often forget in the never ending buzz of Scouting activities. The Events Calendar is also packed full of Scout activities you won’t want to miss. As always, we welcome your views on anything in this Pathfinder – please include them when you complete the Membership Communications Survey. The Editor
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CONTENTS SHQ News
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A round-up of the latest news, policy updates and forthcoming opportunities from SHQ.
Connect With SHQ
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Who to contact at SHQ for your different requirements.
Acceler8: Full Throttle
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Acceler8 is back this year and we’ve got even more planned for our adult volunteers to take advantage of.
Reaching Higher: raising aspirations and achievements through Scouting
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Depute Chief Commissioner Kenneth Robertson reflects on the importance of achievement and recognition within the context of Scouting.
The Achievement Issue
As Ithers See Us: Paralympians Peter & Stephen McGuire
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Scottish Paralympian brothers Stephen & Peter McGuire talk to Explorer Scout Andrew Smith about what it means to achieve at the highest levels.
Point to Point: join in Our Sporting Adventure
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An article introducing Our Sporting Adventure – a fun way for Groups to be inspired by the Olympic Games as they compete for points and places against other Groups across the UK.
B-P and the Riddle of the Chief Scout’s Award
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A special board game for Scouts. You can download the various elements to play with your group as part of your Programme, or just for fun!
Bear Grylls on Achievement
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Our Chief Scout speaks to Network Scout Isla Todd about what achievement means to him personally.
Awards for All
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ADC (Adult Training) Mel Brammer Guides us through the requirements and process for achieving Top Awards in Scouting.
Scouting in the Fast Lane: why risk assessment is your friend
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ASL Stuart Hamilton gives some valuable tips for proper risk assessments, after his troop enjoyed a rather unusual camping experience.
Prepare for Better Recognition
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Education Links Officer Ross Donald considers how we can build local partnerships with schools to ensure our young people get better recognition for what they gain from Scouting.
Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee: how we can celebrate with our Patron
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Ruth Bennett reflects on the auspicious occasion of the Diamond Jubilee and introduces us to some fun Programme resources to help us commemorate it.
Events Diary A list of Scouting events for young people and adult volunteers across Scotland.
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HEADQUARTERS NEWS - - - - - ------------- -- - - - ---- - -- - - - - ----2012 - A Year Of Achievement & Celebration
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This year marks a special achievement in the Scouting calendar with both the Explorer and Network 10th Birthdays taking place during June. 2012 is also the year of our patron Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, and will be marked by various events across the UK and Commonwealth throughout the year. To help us join in the celebrations UKHQ have developed a set of resources for the Jubilee, which you can read more about on page 22. On top of this we will also celebrating achievement with the rest of the world during the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics taking place from 27 July to 12 August. Furthermore, we’re delighted to announce that Scout Chris Pinnell has been selected to carry the Olympic Torch as part of its journey through Scotland. Details of this will be released in due course. Turn to page 8 to read our interview with two Paralympic athletes and page 10 for details on Our Sporting Adventure, a Programme initiative to involve our Groups in the Olympics this year.
POR Changes In Scotland Scout Active Support
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Please be aware of a recent update to the Scottish POR concerning the appointment process for members of Scout Active Support. Following in-depth discussions and consultation, the Scottish Board has intimated that with immediate effect adults applying for membership of Scout Active Support must be appointed through the process outlined in POR, The Appointment Process, section 4.4.4 (‘other Adult Appointments’). This means that in addition to a requirement for a criminal record check (through PVG Scheme membership) for this role, and other appointment enquiries, the involvement of an Appointments Advisory Committee in the appointment process is now required. Discretion may be applied to the requirement for a meeting with the Appointments Advisory Committee for adults joining Scout Active Support who hold a valid Adult Appointment in the same District (Region) at the time of application.
Funding Application Deadlines
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The Scottish Development Fund exists to help local Scouting through start-up, training, development and Special Needs funding support. Deadlines for applications in 2012 are: • 1st May 2012 • 1st November 2012
• 1st September 2012
The CashBack for Communities scheme continues this year, making start-up and Programme grants available to local Scouting. Deadlines for applications are: • 1st June 2012 • 1st December 2012
• 1st September 2012
More details on both these funds are available on the SHQ website or by calling 01383 419 073.
Scout Community Week 14th - 20th May 2012
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Scout Community Week is a UK-wide fundraising initiative aimed at helping local communities while raising funds for UK Scouting. The idea is to register your group to perform one community project during the week while asking the public to support it through donations. 25% of what you earn will be put into the UK Development Grants Board and the rest will be for your group to use as you see fit. Scout Community Week will be taking place during the third week of May this year and will be supported by headline sponsor B&Q. Unfortunately, this falls in the middle of the statutory examination period in Scotland which may limit the ability of the Explorer Scout Section to take part, so Chief Commissioner of Scotland Graham Haddock has suggested that Groups who can’t participate in Scout Community Week could undertake an alternative community project at a time more convenient to them, or get involved in the Digital Participation project, details of which have been sent to all Regional Commissioners via letter. More details and how to register for Scout Community Week are available at http://bit.ly/communitywk
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Bear In The Air 19th & 20th May 2012
- - --- ------ --- - - Our Chief Scout Bear Grylls is planning to visit Scotland on 19th and 20th May 2012 at the end of Scout Community Week. Plans for the visit are still being finalised, but this is what we know so far: The Chief will start the weekend in Northern Ireland. He will visit three activities near Belfast. He will set off for Scotland after lunch (probably by helicopter) and his first stop will be in SW Region. Thereafter, he will visit events and activities in West and Clyde Regions. His last stop on the Saturday will be in Highlands and Islands Region at a Region camp being held near Inverness.
After an early start on the Sunday morning, the Chief will visit events in NE Region, East Region, Forth Region and SE Region. He will leave Scotland from Edinburgh Airport late on the Sunday afternoon. Each Region has been working on planning suitable events to allow the Chief to see Scottish Scouting in action. Given that he will have to travel by helicopter during the weekend to visit all eight Scottish Regions, we are conscious that our weather may interfere with his travel plans. As such, we cannot guarantee that he will be able to drop in on all of the events and activities planned for the weekend. Let's hope that the weather is kind to us.
Scottish Awards Day 2012
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Every year we celebrate the achievement of our members by awarding Queen’s Scouts, Explorer Belts and Adult Awards during a special ceremony. This year, the event will be taking place at the Beach Ballroom, Aberdeen, on Sunday 10th June. Invitations will be sent to award recipients in the next few weeks.
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Blair Atholl Has A New Website
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Blair Atholl International Scout Jamborette has launched a new look website after winning a competition run by Easyspace, a web hosting and design company. Easyspace has given the website a much-needed overhaul to bring it on brand and make it much more engaging for our audiences. Visit www.jamborette.org.uk to see for yourself!
Lochgoilhead £199 Offer
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The Lochgoilhead Centre are offering discounted week-long summer camps for Groups during the summer of 2012. This offer is only valid on the dates shown below and includes full board accommodation, two 3hr activity sessions per day, two evening activity sessions during the week, and badge work courses. Book now to avoid disappointment. • Sat 30th June—Sat 7th July 2012 • Sat 7th July — Sat 17th July 2012 • Sat 14th July—Sat 21st July 2012
Acceler8 Is Back! - - --------- --- - - Acceler8: Full Throttle is happening on Saturday 25th August at Fordell Firs. Open to all adult members of The Scout Association, attendees at last year’s inaugural event will tell you that this is one day you do not want to miss! With even more on offer than before, Acceler8: Full Throttle will knock your woggles off! Read more on page 5.
Win A £50 Gift Voucher From Glasgow Scout Shop
- - --- ------ --- - - Fancy winning £50 towards whatever your heart desires at Glasgow Scout Shop? Then complete our Membership Communications Survey by Friday 13th April to be entered into a prize draw to win a gift voucher which can be used online or in store.
This survey will take approximately 20 minutes to complete and covers everything from letters and emails, to websites, social media and the general flow of information from SHQ to members. Your survey results will be anonymous and separated from your personal details for entering the prize draw, and we’ll be using the findings to help us develop communications for and to members going forward. You can complete the survey online at http://svy.mk/comms2012 or call SHQ on 01383 419 073 for a paper version to post in.
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Connect with SHQ:
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-how - -to-get - -------------what you need from Scottish Headquarters
Ever wondered who to speak to at Scottish Headquarters for something you need help with? Here’s a quick guide on who you can contact for your different queries.
Regional vs national: when to go local Before you contact SHQ, it is worth considering if your query would be better answered by your District or Regional team. In April 2008 Scouts Scotland introduced a new operational structure with the aim of strengthening support for local Scouting. The new structure divides Scotland into 8 Regions which in turn adds support to 56 Districts across the country. These Regions are responsible for supporting local Scouting and are normally the best place to go for help on: •
Adult Training - training dates are available on the main SHQ website but administration and delivery for training sessions falls under Regional responsibilities
are also available to give advice and support where needed. In addition, the Programme, development and communication staff team are on hand to handle your questions.
Contact SHQ when you need help with: •
Youth Involvement – for support on encouraging your young people to get involved with the strategy and direction of Scouting in Scotland email engagement@scoutsscotland.org.uk
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Section and group setup and development support and advice
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Funding support from the Special Needs Fund, Development Fund or CashBack Programme or other funding advice
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Programme support including advice on Top Awards and the Duke of Edinburgh Awards.
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Book or pay for your place at national-level events
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PVG/Disclosure Scotland queries
Communications & Press
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Technical charity finance and administration questions
The ARCs Communications for each Region are available to help you get publicity for your group’s fundraising and volunteer recruitment needs, as well as to give advice on any aspect of your communications mix. If they can’t help you, they will refer you to the SHQ Communications Officer, but your first stop should always be your ARC Communications. The ARCs Communications also assist on national press stories, so please do keep them informed of your group’s achievements in case we need some case studies when journalists contact us.
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Local events - both for help with running your own events or information on local events already happening
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Safeguarding training and advice
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Development support including recruitment and local development opportunities
Promote your services to Scouting
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Communications including support with local press stories* – see the insert below about ‘Communications & Press’
If you want to promote your products or services to Scouts in Scotland, or if you have feedback on any aspect of SHQ’s communications please email admin@scouts-scotland.org.uk .
For a list of current Regional websites which will have the relevant contact details for each area above, please visit http://bit.ly/ssregions.
National Programme support: SHQ volunteer and staff team The SHQ volunteer and staff team exists to administer, support, develop and promote Scouting in Scotland. The team is made up of nearly 30 highly experienced Scouts who
See a current list of the ARCs Communications at: http://bit.ly/arccomms
Book recruitment & event resources online
You can also book or purchase the following online at http://bit.ly/bookings1 • • • • •
Scouts Scotland promotional trailer Scout Active Support marquee service Scout Active Support event and Programme volunteers Welcome Pack Scottish badges
NEWS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
CENTRES ONLINE
Website: www.scouts-scotland.org.uk
Fordell Firs www.fordellfirs.org.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/scottish.scouts Blog: www.posterous.com/scouts-scotland You Tube: www.youtube.com/user/scoutsscotland Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/scoutsscotland/
social media icons from graphicsfuel.com
Lochgoilhead www.lochgoilhead.org.uk
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Explorers, Network, Scout Active Support: Option 3
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Adult support/training: Option 4
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Communications: Option 5*
Meggernie www.meggernie.org.uk
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Finance and accounts: Option 6
SHQ CONTACTS : Dial 01383 419 073
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Fordell Firs Activity Centre: Option 7
then option number below: •
General/ all other enquiries: Option 8
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Beavers, Cubs, Scouts Sections: Option 1
Details above correct at time of going to press. Email shq@scouts-scotland.org.uk for all queries or visit http://bit.ly/shqteam for a list of email contacts for specific contacts of the SHQ volunteer and staff team.
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Prepare for Acceler8: Full Throttle! - - - - - -----------
Following the tremendous success of Acceler8 in August last year, we are delighted to announce that Acceler8 is coming back for another year! Programme & Development Officer, Terry O’Neill lets us in on what to expect. On Saturday 25th August 2012, Acceler8: Full Throttle will take over Fordell Firs National Scout Activity Centre with an exclusive fun-packed open day for our adult volunteers. If you missed this excellent event in 2011, you won't want to make the same mistake twice!
Team Acceler8 We have a team of volunteers from a variety of Scouting backgrounds working very hard behind the scenes, planning and preparing to make Acceler8: Full Throttle bigger and better than last year; and ready to deliver the support that all of our adult volunteers need to run the 6-25 Programme. The team have reviewed all of the feedback received from Acceler8 2011 and are determined to keep and expand the areas that were most valuable to you and overhaul the areas that need some improvement. We will continue to update you on these plans through the Scouts Scotland Plus and Programme eNewsletters as the event approaches, so make sure your email address is up to date on the Membership Services System!
Gr8 Expectations We expect Acceler8: Full Throttle to have a larger skills zone with even more practical skills for you to learn; a bigger market place with lots more exhibitors for you to meet and products to purchase; a dynamic activity zone for you to try a wide range of exciting activities and a significantly improved ‘Fuel Stop’ where you can buy food and drink from a variety of catering outlets and replenish your energy levels to keep up with everything that is going on throughout the day!
Let’s Get the Party Started! Once again, we will also have our fabulous Post Race Party with a lively Programme of evening entertainment but also the opportunity to have a drink and a chat in our late night café. What better way to relax and network in the company of your friends and colleagues?
You can also stay overnight. With plenty of space available for camping, hammocks or building your own bivouacs, plus all of Fordell Firs’ indoor accommodation options for those that prefer the feel of a mattress under their back, it is the perfect way to end a fantastic day, enjoy the after party, and make sure you are refreshed and ready for your journey back home.
The Price is Right Last year, we were extremely fortunate to receive almost £7,000 from The Scottish Government’s National Voluntary Youth Work Organisations Support Fund to pilot Acceler8 as a skills training and capacity building event for Scouting volunteers. This year, we still recognise the massive value of developing our adult volunteers, so Acceler8: Full Throttle is being heavily subsidised by the Scottish Headquarters’ Development Fund allowing us to offer you this fantastic event for only £5 per person.* To book your place at Acceler8: Full Throttle, you can complete and return the Booking Form that is inserted with Pathfinder, complete the online booking form** at www.scoutsscotland.org.uk/acceler8 .
See You Soon So what are you waiting for? Book your place at Acceler8 today! We look forward to welcoming you! *Additional costs apply for camping fees, indoor accommodation, catering & anything you choose to purchase on the day. **There is a credit card surcharge of 2.04%.
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Reaching Higher:
By Depute Chief Commissioner Kenneth Robertson
raising aspirations and achievements through Scouting
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What is achievement?
The Oxford Dictionary defines achievement as “a thing done successfully with effort, skill or courage.” We all have our own views on achievement. For some it could be something very physically challenging, for others it could be overcoming a personal fear, but one thing is very clear: Scouting excels in allowing our young people and our adult volunteers to achieve their full potential. The education system in Scotland is currently undergoing another major change with the introduction of Curriculum for Excellence, which strives to develop effective contributors, successful learners, responsible citizens and confident individuals. Those of us who have been involved in Scouting for a number of years know that these high aspirations are part and parcel of a quality Scout Programme - see page 20 for an article detailing this. The purpose of The Scout Association is to contribute to the development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potential as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities. Scouting has for many years endeavoured to make our young people more responsible citizens to enable them to a make a contribution to their communities, to be more confident in their own abilities and to learn skills that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. As the education system moves more towards these goals, now is the time for us to ensure the value of Scouting for young people is fully recognised in the wider world. As an organisation we are not the best at broadcasting
the successes of our young people and adults, perhaps because it is just something that we have always done, and we maybe don’t always appreciate how much of a contribution Scouting can make to today’s society. In the current economic climate where jobs are scarce, university and college places are harder to obtain, and the future is somewhat uncertain, what will separate our members from the thousands of others applying for the same job or entry to further education is what Scouting has done for them, the skills they have learned and what they have achieved. We have a duty to ensure that what is so good about Scouting is recognised and valued.
Everyday achievements When we talk about achievement we aren’t just talking about our Top Awards. We can consider it to be anything that the young person achieves, whether it is personal or as part of a team. We also need to remember that things they do as a Beaver, Cub, Scout, Explorer, Network or adult member of the Scouts can be recognised externally as well as internally. A number of our Activity and Challenge Badges can enable a young person to gain credit at school. Many primary schools present Commendation Certificates for achievement and young people frequently qualify for these by achieving a badge at Beavers or Cubs. You can learn more about how to do this in Ross Donald’s article on page 20.
How to recognise achievement We need to make our members aware that they should be looking for this credit from external organisations but we must also remember that we as an organisation must be quick to recognise the achievements of our young people. This involves ensuring that they are presented with their badges as quickly as possible, giving them recognition in front of their peers and assisting them in setting new targets and new goals for the future. A Beaver spending a night away from home at a sleepover for the first time could be a major achievement for that young person, a Cub scaling a climbing wall, a Scout overcoming a fear of heights whilst abseiling, or an Explorer Scout climbing their first Munro are all personal achievements for the young people involved as part of the delivery of our Balanced Programme and worthy of
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our Top Awards, with the exception of the Queen’s Scout Award. The information is just not forthcoming.
recognition. It is important that we as leaders appreciate that we need to recognise these achievements also in addition to our regular awards of badges.
Recognition for our adults too! Scouting has a system to recognise the contribution our adults give to our oganisation through long service awards, commendations and gallantry awards. The special long service awards such as the Silver Acorn and Silver Wolf are given to those who have shown dedicated and valuable service to Scouting over many years. It is an acknowledgement of their achievement in inspiring the next generation of young people through their commitment to Scouting. As mentioned earlier, we Scouts are not always the best at blowing our own trumpets, and it requires local Scout Groups and leaders to make your local DC or RC aware of adult volunteers who deserve this recognition, many of them doing what is considered essential core work week-in, week-out at a local level. Is there somebody in your Scout Group who deserves recognition for their achievements? What are you waiting for?
Recognising Top Awards
Our young people deserve the recognition for their achievements and we are letting them down if we don’t acknowledge it. Every year SHQ send out a letter to GSLs and DCs requesting information from them on the number of young people in their Groups or Districts gaining the Top Awards in each section in the preceding year. We now also have an online form for submitting this information at http://bit.ly/topawards. Responses are at best sporadic, and we are devaluing the work and effort of our young people by not communicating their success to the wider world. We now have simple record cards which allow the achievement to be logged easily and it is our duty and responsibility to ensure that this is done accurately.
Be the best you can be. . . I had the pleasure recently of listening to a talk given by Dr David Hemery, Olympic Gold medallist in the 400m hurdles at the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games. He was an inspirational speaker, discussing his role in 21st Century Legacy, a charity to deliver a Schools' Programme “Be the best you can be”. What he said that day has great resonance with what we try to do in as Scouts. “All young people deserve our support to enable them to fulfil their dreams and ambitions. Every one of them has huge potential and to succeed they need to develop life skills, confidence and a determination to achieve and overcome any barriers that are in their way. This is important for all our futures and we as adults need to be on their agenda and help them plan for success”
Within the Balanced Programme structure we have Top Awards in all Sections. Beavers, Cubs and Scouts can gain their Chief Scout’s Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards respectively, whilst in Explorers and Network there are opportunities to achieve the Chief Scout’s Platinum and Diamond Awards, the Explorer Belt, as well as the highest award in the movement, the Queen’s Scout Award.
Our founder, Lord Baden-Powell, had great vision over 100 years ago when he established Scouting and many of his views and opinions still chime in society today. He once said “No one can pass through life, any more than he can pass through a bit of country, without leaving tracks behind, and those tracks may often be helpful to those coming after him in finding their way.” Let us hope that the achievements of our members in 2012 will inspire those who follow in the next 100 years to greater success.
Our top two Sections also have the opportunity to make their Scouting experience and achievements count towards the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards at bronze, silver and gold levels.
Resources for Recording Achievement
Many of you will now be aware of requests from local councils, funding organisations and HMIE to prove what we do to enrich the lives of young people. One way we can do this is by measuring the success we have in the number of our young people achieving our Top Awards. So, what is the problem with this? Well, if we are being honest, we don’t know how many young people achieve
Submit your Top Awards Records Here: http://bit.ly/topawards Beaver Record Card here: http://bit.ly/brecord Cubs Record Card here: http://bit.ly/crecord Scout Record Card here: http://bit.ly/srecord Explorer Record Card: http://bit.ly/erecord
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As Ithers See Us -- - - -- - - -- - - - --- ------------- -- -
Stephen and Peter McGuire are Scottish Champions at Boccia, an exciting Paralympic sport. As members of Team GB, they are current medal hopefuls for the Pairs event, and as individual competitors, at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Here they speak with Explorer Scout Andrew Smith about what it takes to achieve at the highest levels.
Stephen McGuire
Stephen got started in Boccia a few short years ago and has risen through the ranks at amazing speed alongside his brother who is also his partner in the pairs division.
Peter McGuire
Peter is the older of the two, but started playing Boccia after his brother Stephen had already been hooked and persuaded him to give it a try.
AS: Describe your sport in one sentence. SM: Boccia is a Paralympic target ball sport, belonging to the same family as petanque and bowls.
AS: What are your achievements to date? SM: I have been very lucky to be selected to compete for my country in many events. I have won the Scottish Open 4 times, the Scottish Nationals 3 times, and the British Championships 6 times. In 2009, I won the Czech Republic Open, as well as the Canadian Open in Montreal. My Biggest Achievements have come in the past 3 years. I won the European Gold in the Pairs competition in 2009. In 2010 and the World Championships I won Double Silver medal in the Individuals and the Pairs. In 2011, I again came second in the European individual championships in Oslo. I’ve won many friendly internationals in Holland, Barcelona, Lisbon, Cheshire to name a few but the important ones are the results above. PM: In Scotland and Britain it’s really hard to separate Stephen and I at the top but I must concede to him winning more golds over all as I usually meet him in the semis. I have won 3 Scottish Opens and 3 Scottish Nationals with a few silvers and bronzes thrown in too. I've only won the British once, but have come second once and third five times now. In the ‘majors’ as we call them, I have won gold in the Pairs with Stephen back in 2009 at the Europeans, then the following year we got silver in the Pairs at the World Championships in Lisbon. At that competition in Lisbon I came up against Stephen in the last 16 in which he went on to the final again to get silver. I'm sure if it was any other opponent I came up against that year I would have advanced a lot further! In 2011 I got a bronze at the Europeans in Oslo after meeting Stephen in another semi.
AS: How did you get involved and how long have you been participating?
AS: What are your aspirations/goals for the future?
SM: I got involved through Scottish Disability Sport. I was searching for sports which would allow me to pursue my dream of competing at the Paralympics. There were 3 sports which interested me, Swimming, Table Tennis and Boccia. I was fortunate that the GB Coach for Boccia was a lady called Jacqueline Lynn who lived only 6 miles away from me in Bellshill. Jacqueline invited me along to see if I found the sport interesting and I have never looked back since
SM: My goal for the immediate future is to represent my country at the home Paralympics in London 2012. Only a small number of athletes will ever get to compete on home soil in the pinnacle of their sporting careers. If I'm selected, I will go into the competition ranked world number 2. I began my sporting journey with dreaming of competing at the Paralympics, but I have reached the stage where I'm now a medal contender and hope to do so. Would be a dream come true and complete my medal collection.
PM: I've been playing Boccia for seven years now. I became involved through my little brother Stephen. He went to the ‘Europeans’ in 2005 but could only participate in the individuals as he never had a partner for the pairs, so with a little coaxing and saying the next majors was going to be in Rio, I picked up a set of balls and haven't looked back since.
What is Boccia?
Boccia (pronounced 'Bot-cha') was introduced as a Paralympic sport in 1984. Similar to bowls or pentaque, it is a target game of tactics, skill and accuracy, testing nerves and concentration at the highest levels. Boccia is designed specifically for athletes with limited motor skills divided into four classes of physical ability. It is played by both genders as individuals, pairs or teams. The aim of Boccia is to propel a ball towards a target ball called a 'jack'. Athletes must throw, kick, or use a ramp to propel the ball onto the court and points are awarded for closeness to the jack. Boccia is played competitively in over 50 countries and there are currently 7 medal events for it at the Paralympics. The game is played on a court similar in size to a Badminton court.
PM: My main aspiration for this year is to win a medal in the pairs with Stephen in London AS: Describe a typical day in the life of a Paralympian. SM: Being a Paralympian means I have to follow certain stringent processes throughout each day. On a typical day I rise around 8am or 9am. Make sure I have a healthy breakfast. Usually go to the gym or swimming for an hour. Make sure I re-fuel by having a high Carb lunch. In the afternoon it's usually a couple of hours of throwing practice. A couple of times per week I attend physio for sports massage and/or general maintenance. I also have access to sports psychology, performance analysis and data when required. It’s a full time job and every day is different but very enjoyable. PM: When we aren't at a competition the emphasis is still to train as you are at one. A typical day for me would be getting up around 8 to head to the gym for a session of cardio and weights. After I've come out of the gym I'd go to Hampden for physio that includes acupuncture and massage, then in the afternoon I'd send a few hours in the hall doing court work.
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AS: What advice do you have for young people in achieving their dreams?
AS: Do you plan to continue with sport as a career once you have finished playing Boccia for team GB?
SM: The best advice I can give any young person is: follow your dream. Some people approach obstacles in life and say 'why'? Others follow their dreams and say 'why not'? By following the 'why not' path, your dreams could come true.
SM: Yes, after my playing career is finished I fully intend to continue to work in disability sport, possibly as a coach. I am already coaching young kids playing Boccia once per week and love to see them progress and be enthused by sport.
PM: Be the best you can be. You might not win every game, but if you gave it your all you have succeeded. We take small victories to achieve greater things. In Boccia, we have a motto: “One Ball, One End, One Game.” Keeping things simple helps you remain focused. AS: What advice do you have for our adult volunteers in helping our young people to achieve their dreams? SM: Encourage young people that anything is possible. Dreams often seem like stars in the sky, in that you can never reach them. But by trying to reach them you create your own destiny and build your own path in this world. It’s better to try: you may fail, you may succeed but More about the either way you will enjoy it.
McGuire Brothers
The brothers are originally from Hamilton. They have a younger brother who is a Scout, having started as a Beaver Their first match at London 2012 will take place on the 2nd of September at ExCel.
PM: One thing that makes a great coach in guiding people is just to listen, to take feedback and that'll build great trust between you both. If the person believes that they have your total support in what they are setting out to do, it gives them great confidence. AS: How relevant do you think Scouting is today?
SM: I think the Scouts play a vital role in the development of young people. It helps young people grow and learn through participation and being active. From what I can see from my younger brother being in the Scouts, it has helped him learn in large Groups and learn to be part of a team. I believe Scouting is extremely relevant today.
PM: Scouting today I believe is very relevant, as it gives boys and girls a lot of social tools that will help in future life, some of which have been kind of been eroded away from the computer generation who seem to spend a lot more time isolated from human contact. AS: Three words that come to mind about Scouting? SM: Teamwork. Development. Opportunity PM: Fun, Learning, Achieve AS: What impact does being brothers have on your sporting life?
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PM: The life span of a Boccia player is similar to a golfer or snooker player so as long as I have the ability and drive in me I will continue for many more years. At the end of that road I would like to pass on my knowledge to those at grass roots and keep Britain on the top of those international ladders. AS: Where is the most interesting place you have had a Boccia competition and why was it interesting? SM: The most interesting place I have competed was Rio in Brazil. It was my first ever World Championships, and only my second year of playing. The organizing committee decided to construct a huge arena on Copacabana Beach. Not many people will ever get the opportunity to say that they competed for their country on Copacabana Beach. The experience of the Brazilian culture made it a fascinating tournament for me. It was the first time I had played against Boccia nations outside of Europe and with New Zealand winning Gold, I got to witness the Hakka being performed directly in front of me. PM: I have two places that comes to the forefront of my memories: Hong Kong and Rio. Waking up to that beautiful beach out on your balcony each morning really does spur you on, and playing in a tent on Copacabana beach is a once in a life time opportunity AS: Do you keep in contact with the people who you have played against in a similar way to what the Scouts do when we meet people?
SM: One of the benefits of traveling the world is that you get to SM: The one better thing than being an athlete that I can think of, is meet so many different people from different cultures and being an athlete with your brother alongside you. It helps to have backgrounds. I have very good friends from Brazil, Portugal, another high performance athlete to train beside day in, day out. As Slovakia, Spain and Canada. The access to social media sites and Peter continues to improve it encourages me to also improve to stay email allows us to keep up to date with everyone. ahead of him. My family are involved in the support they give us PM: I have met many people along the way; some of us keep in both. They allow us to travel the world and pursue our dreams. My regular contact on Facebook and have a good laugh on the circuit family come to certain competitions and have travelled to Rio, Brazil of competitions. It’s nice winning, but the friendships we have to watch us both compete in our first World Championships in made along the way help keep the memories alive as you talk 2006. I believe I have the best support team around me. As well as about the past. my family, I have great experienced coaches in Jim Thomson and Claire Morrison and the best sports assistant in Ruth Thomson. Without these FIND OUT MORE individuals I would never have been able to achieve • Disability Sport Scotland: www.scottishdisabilitysport.com the success I have done. • GB Boccia Federation: http://gb-boccia.org/ PM: Being brothers I think gives us a greater edge • Watch an example of Boccia in action: http://bit.ly/boccia1 over other countries we come up against. We fight tooth and nail for each other. We train together • Details on Boccia at London 2012 Paralympics:http://l2012.cm/boccia2 every day. Watch Peter & Stephen live at the Great Britain Championships at the Peak in Stirling on the 28th & 29th July. Details on http://www.scottishdisabilitysport.com
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Points Make Prizes
get involved in Our Sporting Adventure
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Anyone can embrace the spirit of achievement and values of sportsmanship that the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games teach us by using these resources writes Programme & Development Officer, Jon Canville. If you haven’t yet heard about Our Sporting Adventure, you’re in for a treat. This Programme resource takes the form of a UK-wide competition which will allow you and your Section to have fun and to compete with other participants, while striving for excellence in a range of activities.
Inspiring and inspired Focussing on the values of the Games and how they connect with the values and Programme objectives of Scouting, this fun scheme was developed as part of The Scout Association being awarded a London 2012 Inspire mark. The main idea behind Our Sporting Adventure is that any group or even any Section can compete with everyone else. All you have to do is to register your group on the website http://oursportingadventure.Scouts.org.uk, download the Programme resources, and get cracking!
How it works After signing up, each Group works towards medals as part of a team. Medals are earned by completing your choice of section-appropriate activities in the Programme resources. On logging your achievements, your group will be entered onto the Medal Table displayed online to inspire you to keep achieving more. The activities are weighted so that all Sections can compete with each other equally. What this means is that your Beaver Colony can compete with your District Scout Network Unit or anyone in between. The other great potential of this is that Groups or Sections can compete against each other to see who can score the most points and win the most medals throughout the competition, i.e. 7th Beavers vs. 7th Scouts. For the Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers, there are 28 bronze medal activities worth 50 points each, 14 silver medal activities worth an impressive 100 points each and finally 7 gold medal activities worth 200 points each. There is different range of activities for Network with similar weightings. This means that you have the potential to win a staggering 4200 points
throughout the competition. The team with the greatest number of points at the end of the competition will win a prize.
Values-based activities The olympic and paralympic values of respect, excellence, friendship, courage, determination, inspiration and equality are all built into this adventure and are detailed at the top of each activity showing which value it’s designed around. Each activity is also designed around the 7 Scout Programme zones namely creative expression, global, community, outdoor & challenge, fit for life, beliefs & attitudes and fitness.
Earn badges while competing The shrewder readers amongst you may have noticed that this has also been designed to closely match many of the challenge badges that we work toward in our Sections. This provides an ideal opportunity to allow your young people to enjoy the adventure of competing with other teams and potentially winning prizes, but also to work towards and even achieve the majority of their challenge badges. You can use Scouting activities you already have planned to work towards the medals where the activities are similar enough to those detailed in Our Sporting Adventure and can be counted. For example, one of the gold medal activities for the Scout Section (for 200 points) is to go for a weekend camp and leave no trace that your camp ever occurred - a regular Scouting activity that many of you will be doing throughout the year already! Overall, Our Sporting Adventure gives you and your section a chance to shine while having fun and enjoying a Balanced Programme. we hope to see you on the medal table soon!
Inspire mark Our Sporting Adventure has been granted the prestigious London 2012 Inspire mark, the badge of the London 2012 Inspire Programme which recognises exceptional and innovative projects inspired by the 2012 Games.
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B-P and the Riddle of the Chief Scout’s Awards. A Board Game for Scouts.
-- - - - --- --- -- --- --- --- - -----B-P has hidden the Top Awards all over ‘Scoutland’ and put different Scouts in charge to guard them. The only problem is that he has forgotten where he has hidden each award and who was in charge of looking after each of them Can you help him to find the missing awards and the people who are looking after them? This game is suitable for all ages and is designed as a fun diversion for those times when you want something a bit different to do with your group, and can open up a bigger discussion of the different Top Awards and achievement generally. You can download everything you need from the Scouts Scotland website, except for a few small items which you will need to provide yourself.
Younger Sections will enjoy colouring in the board and cards before solving the riddle, while older Sections might want to develop it into a live role-play game in the style of popular mystery-solving weekends. Whatever you decide to do with this game, we hope you enjoy it. Please send your feedback of how you liked the game to admin@scouts-scotland.org.uk with the subject ‘Game Feedback’. Cut out the six character cards from these pages and download the rest of the game (including the playing board) from http://bit.ly/bpgame1 (you can also download extra playing cards if you do not want to cut up your Pathfinder.)
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Download All Your Game Pieces from http://bit.ly/bpgame1
FANCY SOME BRIGHT & SHINY NEW KIT?
Complete our membership communications survey for your chance to win ÂŁ50 from Glasgow Scout Shop.
We are looking for your input to help inform how we communicate in future with our membership across Scotland. In exchange for your time, you will be entered into a prize draw for a ÂŁ50 gift voucher from Glasgow Scout Shop which you can use in-store or online.
This survey is open to all members of The Scout Association in Scotland over age 14 and the deadline for entry is Friday 13th April.
You can complete the survey online at http://svy.mk/comms2012 or call 01383 419 073 to have a paper copy sent to you.
The winner will be picked by lucky draw and notified by telephone on Monday 16 April 2012.
Bear Grylls on Achievement
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-- - - - --- ------------- -- Bear Grylls has achieved many amazing adventures in his lifetime from the freezing Antarctic to the blistering Sahara. Here, he takes some time out of the wild to talk to Network Scout Isla Todd about what achievement means to him. Not many of us can boast about such achievement as scaling the world’s highest peaks and taking unsuspecting celebrities on camping survival trips, but perhaps many of us can still pinpoint the moment when Scouting opened the big wide world of possibilities to us. Our Chief Scout is no different. He remembers his times as a young Scout and says: “It gave me a great sense of belonging and encouraged my love of adventure. After all, to me Scouting is all about fun, friendship and adventures.”
Never give up Bear Grylls was not only the youngest Briton to reach the summit of Mount Everest, but also the youngest person to be appointed Chief Scout ever. Yet even for this high level achiever, there were often times when he felt he couldn’t succeed. Now, having succeeded in so many aspects of his life, with even more big goals ahead, Bear’s advice is “don't listen to the dream stealers and never ever give up.” Coming from the man that climbed Mount Everest just 18 months after injuring his back, that’s got to count for something.
Learn it in the Scouts Bear gives his time in Scouting the credit for his achievements in the Born Survivor series as he “learnt the basics at the Scouts” and as the Chief Scout, he wants more young people to join in with the adventure. “Scouting needs to spread the message of what it does for communities and encourage more adults to volunteer as leaders. It would help reduce the huge waiting lists full of young people wanting to experience the adventure of Scouting.” He says. Bear feels he is “very lucky to get the chance to do these adventures around the world and to encourage others.” According to Bear, the Top Awards in Scouting such as the Queen’s Scout, Chief Scout and Explorer belt awards are priceless because they give a sense of pride and purpose to young people. And it might be worth heeding his advice. Bear Grylls was a Cub Scout once. Just think what Scouting can help you achieve.
Bear Grylls will be touring live on stage during 2012. For more information visit www.beargrylls.com.
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Awards For All -- - - - --- --------
A guide to who, what and when for awards in Scouting Awards help to motivate people, showing an appreciation for the effort and commitment that they show to Scouting, but are they being used enough where you are? Here, ADC (Adult Training) Mel Brammer gives us a run down on some of the awards that are available, and how to go about making sure those under your leadership receive them.
Top Awards for Young People Beavers – Chief Scout’s Bronze Award Cubs – Chief Scout’s Silver Award Scouts – Chief Scout’s Gold Award Explorer Scouts – Chief Scout’s Platinum Award Explorer Scouts and Scout Network Chief Scout’s Diamond Award and Queen’s Scout Award The awards for Beavers, Cubs and Scouts should be the pinnacle of their career within that section and should be awarded, received and worn with pride. To achieve these awards they must achieve all six of the challenge badges (requiring them to take part in, or take responsibility for, elements of the Programme) plus an extra challenge badge for the Scout section.
The Top Awards for Explorers and Scout Network require the young people to put in something extra, over and above the weekto-week Programme. The challenges are equivalent to the parts of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (which they can achieve at the same time), and there is also a membership commitment, a minimum number of nights away, and agreed values, environment or international activities. These awards are no walk in the park! They are prestigious and should be something for all our young members to aspire to.
How These Awards Are Achieved
In the younger Sections the leaders keep a record of the challenges completed by each member. On completion they can be awarded the correct Chief Scout’s award certificate at t ou Sc s n’ ee u a suitable occasion. Q : Case Study completed ict str Di n ra Ar d Ayrshire an In the older Sections, where the Ross, from North tal service, driving ailand, environmen Th to rt awards require significant pa as ng an expedition ini er’s tra g and Young Lead individual commitment outside lessons, kick boxin of Scouting, it’s a case of of his award. that plete it, and said m co encouraging them to sign up, to s th on m 12 award He had just over ferent goals of the dif supporting them as they work e th ds ar tow an he found working Having had such e. os through and record the award rp pu of e ns se gave him a great r Scout, Ross was re plo elements, and ensuring that Ex an as e k excellent experienc a Queen’s Scout too ing m they have appropriate training co be h uc m wa surprised by how xt level’. Ross is no ne e and supervision for their th ‘to e nc rie a his Scouting expe d his certificate as de ar expeditions. aw s wa d an mble Cub Scout Leader up ceremony. Hu ing go ine ut ro a t For Explorer Scouts, their special surprise at anding commitmen nothing of the outst s ink th o awards can be signed off by wh of , ys ss Ro outing, sa he has shown to Sc p, the District Explorer Scout ou gr n by his ow being presented it Commissioner or District d . I knew ha “It felt really good Commissioner and for Scout t ou Queen’s Sc accomplished the nt fro Network it is the District in it presented Award, but being Commissioner that signs off It d. not expecte of my group was t.” the awards. For the Queen’s en m ve e of achie added to my sens Scout Award, there is a d CSL, North 2n 10 c, sa cIs M Ross Ayshire & Arran
certificate request form in the ‘Reach the Top’ pack which needs to be signed by the appropriate Commissioner and sent to SHQ. This should be done in consultation with the assistant Regional Commissioner (Explorer Scouts or Scout Network). The award can be presented locally at a suitable occasion, and there is also a national presentation for the Queen’s Scout Award.
Other Awards for Young People - Explorer Belt This award is for older Explorer Scouts (over 16) and Scout Network members. It involves a small team travelling through another country for ten days under their own steam. While in the country they carry out project work and keep a diary. Afterwards they debrief and give a presentation. Could this kick-start gap year travel plans, inspire work for relief agencies or a career in travel journalism? It certainly gives some insight into travel and into a different country!
How Explorer Belts Are Achieved There are organised Explorer belt expeditions to sign up to, or a group of young people can organise their own. Planning ahead is vital; the best first step is to find the information on www.scouts.org.uk and to contact SHQ for more advice. An appropriate Commissioner can order the Explorer belt from Scout shops and present it at a suitable occasion. There is also a national presentation for the Explorer belt, as long as achievement has been notified to SHQ.
You can download further information and case studies on awards from http://bit.ly/awardscs
Awards For All ---------- -- ---- --- --- --- --- -- -- - - - - --- -
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Awards for Adults Our awards for adults recognise good service and length of service, giving our volunteers recognition for their hard work and dedication. Awards for length of service are automatically generated, providing your records in
the Membership Services System (MSS) are accurate. • The Chief Scout’s Commendation can be awarded for good service of not less than five years.
olf Case Study: Silver W ting for thirty
olved in Scou John has been inv strict time has been a Di years, and in that ioner, iss m m Co d an Area Commissioner an outing in Sc ow gr d velop an working hard to de airman for s been Regional Ch Edinburgh. He ha p Chief at and has been Cam South East Region mps. rette for seven ca Blair Atholl Jambo a Silver Wolf at he was receiving John found out th Atholl in air Bl own service at during the Scouts s wa d an lled to the front 2010. He was ca John d. ar aw presented this overwhelmed to be ean a m n ca u opriate thank-yo feels that an appr public a e ar ds ar rs, and that aw tee lun vo r ou to lot ions. A people’s contribut way of recognising d can add to ar aw to present the n sio ca oc ble ita su ceive the award John says, “To re As t. en om m e th mp as Camp during my last ca nour and to Chief was a real ho ovation from receive a standing gan my the staff when I be ts in the en m ce usual announ tation was en es pr e mess after th very emotional.”
• The Award for Merit is awarded for outstanding service of not less than 12 years (and 10 years exceptionally), showing that somebody is keen, conscientious, imaginative and dedicated. The Bar to the Award for Merit can also be awarded after a further five years outstanding service. • The Chief Scout’s Personal Award is at the discretion of the Chief Scout in consultation with the awards board to recognise achievement not covered by the criteria for any other awards. • A Thanks Badge can be awarded to those who are not Scouts as a means of expressing appreciation for outstanding help they have given to us. • The Silver Acorn is for specially distinguished service to The Scout Association over a period of at least five years after the award for merit has been
norary John Kennedy, Ho East Region Treasurer, South
Further Information •
More information on all these awards is available in “Badges and Awards” in the “Support and Resources” part of www.scouts.org.uk.
•
Reaching the Top – The Queen’s Scout Award – Information for Participants and Helping them Reach the Top – The Queen’s Scout Award – Information for Leaders and Commissioners are both available in the same place.
•
Certificates for Chief Scout’s Awards are available from Scout Shops, the Scout Information Centre and Badge Secretaries.
•
Applying for Awards provides useful guideline on awards for adults and for meritorious conduct, bravery and gallantry. This is also available in the “Badges and Awards” resources area.
•
Information on The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award can be found on the Programme Support page of www.scouts-scotland.org.uk
gained. A bar to the silver acorn can be awarded after a further five years of specially distinguished service. • The Silver Wolf is the unrestricted gift of the Chief Scout after a long period of most exceptional service, seldom less than 30 years however no length of service is actually prescribed.
How These Awards Are Achieved These awards are nominated by the District Commissioner and the Regional Commissioner. If you think that somebody might merit an award and may be overlooked, be sure to mention it to the appropriate Commissioner, who will complete the relevant form and send it to Scottish Headquarters.
Awards for Meritorious Conduct and Gallantry In addition to the awards above, we also give awards to both adults and young people for heroism and bravery, courage, endurance and devotion to duty under suffering. These are awarded by the Chief Scout on the advice of the awards board. Again, recommendations are made by the District and Regional Commissioner.
out’s Case Study: Chief Sc itorious Conduct er M r fo on ti da en Comm er. She was
ad t Beaver Scout Le Ceri is an Assistan year old Scout 13 e ard alongsid aw is th for ted ina nom e life of Group they both saved th as e, ac all W lan Lach Wallace, who was chlan’s father, Iain La d an er, ad Le t Scou ce while on a marked electric fen un an by ed ut oc electr that her first p Camp. Ceri says ou Gr a of s rt pa as hike ceive the award wa that she was to re ing ar he gh on ou t th gh thou ely for that!”, ve to brush up nic “Oh darn it – I’ll ha ri started her first Ce . ingly “chuffed” elm wh er , ov s wa she rl Guide aged ten aid training as a Gi ng ini tra s kept her and though she ha en, this is the only th up to date since ing to use it for anyth time she’s needed y! wa at th e to keep it serious. She’d lik e th in g members And now the youn do and maintain to group are keen ng as well! their first aid traini , North Angus Ceri Coates, ABSL
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Scouting in the Fast Lane risk assessment is your friend
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Scouting continues to seek out new experiences for our members that are challenging, not hazardous, and thrilling but safe. The 138th Glasgow Scout Group recently undertook such a search and delivered a camping experience on part of the new £445m section of the M74 motorway. Here ASL Stuart Hamilton shares tips for proper risk assessment from their experience.
As an active construction site, there was much planning, changing and tweaking needed to reach an agreement that enabled a camping experience to take place. This article details our experiences in arranging this camp and shows how risk assessment can be used effectively to plan for activities as unique as this, or for a more normal activity such as taking your Beaver colony to the park for an evening.
Why Do Risk Assessments? Risk assessments allow us to ensure that our Scouting is exciting but not dangerous. Most can be completed in 3 simple steps:
ided Image kindly prov
d by Transport Scotlan
classed as very low or low risk. Any risk that is purple on the matrix should not be undertaken within Scouting and red risks should be considered carefully, ensuring adequate control measures are in place. This matrix system proved to be useful and demonstrated to the contractor the nature of the risks as well as the effectiveness of the controls we use at camp that were perhaps unfamiliar. Our risk assessment and insurance cover were then submitted to the contractor for their final consideration. Four days before the camp commenced, there was a change in the contractor’s work schedule. It meant much of the planning and preparation work undertaken was no longer valid. There was a strong chance that the camp would be cancelled. However the prompt submission of an alternative plan, along with a third risk assessment meant that a secondary camp location could be brought on stream.
1. Look for the hazards or risks. Who might be harmed, and how? 2. Evaluate these risks and put control measures in place. 3. Record this, review and revisit if necessary.
Planning the M74 Camp An e-mail to the public relations department of the M74 Interlink project generated an enthusiastic and prompt invitation to some “scoping discussions”. These were basic in nature and incorporated a short discussion with the company’s health and safety manager. With an “agreement in principle” in place, the planning of a camp for May 2011 started.
M74 Risk Assessment In reality there were 3 risk assessments undertaken. First, there was a generic assessment covering the main risks, perhaps the most critical, as we used it to combat many initial concerns. It allowed us to highlight: •
Our competence in camp planning.
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The activities impact on others around us.
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Our appreciation of the mischievous Scout mind!
Once a camping site was agreed, we developed a detailed risk assessment. Each site had particular safety concerns that were managed with reference to local geography. Our risk assessments used the assessment matrix (Table 1), which allowed us to identify potential risks, what we could do to control each risk, and then justify if these were acceptable. The goal with any risk assessment is to control all risks so that as many as possible are
The day of camp arrived, 14 group members arrived at the main depot ready for an experience that could never be repeated. The camp was a success and included many of the activities you might expect of a camp, and some you would not. We had a campfire, hockey on the lanes, fencing, bagpiping, pioneering and camping under canvas.
Tips for Correct and Useful Risk Assessments. 1. Risk assessment is your friend. Use it at every stage to appreciate and understand the risks a camping project, a park visit etc. may bring. Risk assessment is an effective project enabler. 2. Be prepared (nothing new to a Scout Group!) Situations can change, so ensure your risk assessment is up to date with the actual physical conditions on the day of the event. 3. Be confident with your abilities to assess the risk and control your activity. A short list of bullet points of things to do is better than a long complicated list that doesn’t get used! 4. If you need help, a range of support options exist. Speak to your District or Regional team, or get advice from SHQ on 01383 419 073 or activities@scouts-scotland.org.uk 5. The first Assessment will be the hardest but thereafter risk assessment will become easier - and a useful part of your Programme planning.
Download a handy Risk Assessment Matrix http://bit.ly/ramatrix
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Prepare for Better Recognition -- - - - --- ------------- -- -
As volunteers we know our young people gain a lot from their Scouting adventures, but it can often be difficult for young people, and for us as leaders, to describe exactly what they get out of it. How do we ensure they are getting the recognition they deserve? Education Links Officer, Ross Donald, has seen a number of great examples of local Scout Groups and Districts engaging with local schools to recognise what our young people are learning through Scouting.
“As volunteers we often see the terms ‘earning’ and ‘education’ as dirty words or the preserve of schools, colleges and universities but we shouldn’t!”
Through Scouting young people are achieving great things, but we need to ensure that they are getting the recognition they deserve, both within and out with our Movement. Curriculum for Excellence – the Scottish Curriculum for children and young people aged 3 to 18 – presents us with an opportunity to do just that.
Curriculum for Excellence & Scouting
Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) is bringing a transformational change to Scottish Education, shifting the focus of success from being solely about what a young person ‘knows’ to being about the quality of the experiences they have, the transferable skills they develop and capacities they adopt. The new curriculum also focuses much more on the individual young people - their individual talents, interests and needs.
Every week across Scotland in local school halls, community centres, church halls, Scout halls, and at campsites and Activity Centres, young people are learning. Whether they are learning a new skill, learning how to work in a team or how to take the lead, or learning more about themselves by trying activities they’ve never done before… they are still learning.
But what does this all have to do with Scouting, you may ask? Well, it is really the first time that a curriculum has recognised that young people also learn a huge amount when they are away from school, be it at home with their families or when taking part in the various opportunities offered by organisations in their communities.
As volunteers we often see the terms ‘learning’ and ‘education’ as dirty words or the preserve of schools, colleges and universities – but we shouldn’t! Everything we do in Scouting is about giving young people the chance to develop, take acceptable risks and think for themselves – that is truly learning at its best!
The purpose of CfE is for young people to develop ‘four capacities’ through their learning – both in school and in their communities. The curriculum aims to ensure they become: -
Successful Learners
Scouting has been providing non-formal education for over 100 years, often enabling young people, who may not be as confident academically, to learn new skills, take on responsibility and achieve things that they may not achieve during the traditional school day.
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Confident Individuals
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Responsible Citizens, and
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Effective Contributors
Case Study: Greenock & District Scouts and Inverclyde Schools
These capacities fit incredibly well with the purpose of Scouting. In fact Rory Macleod, Director of the
Initially a partnership between one Scout Group and their local primary scho ol, this partnership has developed quickly and now sees young people who are involved in Scouting across the District sharing what they have learnt through Scouting, in school. The young people are the main route of this information – each one of them has a specially re-designed Scout Record Card (you can find this online at the address below) which they keep at school and their teachers give them time to update
these each week. They can update which badges they’ve gained and the awa rd work they have completed, with this beco ming part of their wider learning record. This has had a great impact, with the young people talking to their teachers and peers abou t what they have achieved in Scouting each week. Unsurprisingly this has led to a noticeable increase in requests to join from young people in the District as well as bringing in new volunteer leaders. We are currently working with Mor ay District in North East Scotland to deve lop similar partnerships with the Prim ary and Secondary Schools in Moray Council.
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Case Study: Young Leaders’ Scheme and Armadale Academy
Armadale Academy took the opportu nity to link up with their local Young Leaders’ unit to offer their pup ils the opportunity to gain a new qualification from the SQA, called ‘The Leadership Award.’ The award is at SCQF level 6 – the equ ivalent level to a Higher qualification – and is based on youn g people learning about leadership, and gaining hands-on experience of leadership through volunteering in their local commun ity. The staff at Armadale Academy saw the direct link the award had with the learning a number of their pupils were already undertaking through the modules and service elem ent of The Scout Association’s Young Leaders’ Scheme. At the end of the year the young people involved gained an additional qualifica tion, based largely on what they were achieving through being a Young Leader. Due to the success of the course, the school has chosen to offer the leadership award to more young people in the current academic year. We are currently working with the Explorer Scout units of Pentland District in South East Scotland to help them develop similar partnerships with local High Schools , so that more Young Leaders have the opportunity to gain the SQA ’s Leadership Award.
“The Scout Movement wrote an early draft of Curriculum for Excellence 100 years ago.” Rory Macloed, Director of the Community Learning and Development Standards Council for Scotland
Community Learning and Development Standards Council for Scotland, has said, “The Scout Movement wrote an early draft of Curriculum for Excellence 100 years ago.”
“Through Scouting young people are achieving great things, but we need to ensure that they are getting the recognition they deserve, both within and out with our Movement.”
But most importantly, CfE strongly encourages schools to develop meaningful partnerships with local community organisations, to help improve the quality of learning experiences they are providing, and to increase the recognition of their pupils’ wider achievement. Recognising Achievement in Partnership with Schools Developing partnerships with your local schools can have a number of benefits for everyone involved:
Resources Online
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It raises the profile of Scouting in the local community, often leading to increased recruitment of young people and adult volunteers
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Schools gain an opportunity to recognise the learning their pupils are undertaking as members of the Scout Movement
If you would like to find out more, or are interested in developing partnerships between your local Scout Group or District and local schools, visit the Education Links pages of our website at www.scoutsscotland.org.uk/education . There you will find:
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The young people who are involved gain a better understanding of what they are getting out of Scouting.
There are a number of different Scout Groups and Districts that have already begun linking with their local schools. Below are a couple of case studies which give a flavour of the different styles of partnerships that can be developed:
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full case studies of the partnerships mentioned in this article
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support resources for volunteers, including a guide to CfE and the re-designed record cards for Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers, and
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a guide for schools and teachers explaining how Scouting contributes to the learning of young people.
For advice on developing a partnership in your local area, contact Ross at SHQ on 01383 419 073 or by email at ross@scouts-scotland.org.uk See page 6, Reaching Higher, for an in-depth discussion by Depute Chief Commissioner Kenneth Robertson on why recognising achievement is so very important.
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Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee:
how we can celebrate with our Patron
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What does Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Agatha Christie’s play The Mousetrap have in common? They both celebrate their Diamond Jubilee this year. SHQ Commissioner for Cub Scouts Ruth Bennett reflects on this auspicious occasion and introduces us to some fun Programme resources to help us commemorate it. Her Majesty will celebrate 60 years as Head of State on February 6th this year, with celebrations being concentrated from 2nd - 5th June, while The Mousetrap will celebrate its 60th year of running on November 25th . There are not many people who have done the same job for 60 years and in the public spotlight as well -the last monarch to share this honour was Queen Victoria in 1897 – and we are delighted to be able to celebrate this with so many others around the world.
Jubilee Celebrations
Did You Know? Scouts and Guides have been involved in royal events right from the time of Her Majesty’s coronation including assisting at the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana, and of Prince William and Kate Middleton, as well as the lying in state of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. When the QE2 was launched in Clydebank, Queen’s Scouts and Guides had front row views of proceedings and Scouts have provided the Guard of Honour for numerous royal events over the years.
Such an anniversary always deserves major celebrations and in 1897 for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee; towns, villages and cities organised events like decorated bicycle competitions to mark the occasion in style, along with services of Thanksgiving, lunches for the needy and general fun and games to celebrate. The procession in London saw 46, 973 troops from all over the Empire taking part, with retired police officers being drafted in to cope with the crowds. In 2012, the celebrations in London will be along the same lines with a procession on Saturday 2nd June of all the charities and organisations which the Queen is associated with, including Scouts and Guides. Sunday will have the Big Lunch where individuals, streets and communities are being encouraged to get together for some food before a flotilla of 1000 boats makes its way down the Thames. Monday 4th June will see the lighting of 2012 beacons from the Shetlands to the Scilly Isles and on Tuesday, the Queen will go for a service of Thanksgiving to St Paul’s Cathedral. As in 1897, communities are organising their own celebrations for the weekend in June – hopefully with dry sunny weather for at least one of the events! Some of our Beavers have already been hard at work making special ‘jubilee postcards’ for the occasion!
Did You Know? Prince Andrew became a Cub Scout in 1968 – it’s not recorded whether Her Majesty sewed his badges on, but the fact she had been a Guide herself she probably could have done. Hopefully our newest royal recruit the Duchess of Cambridge also learned how to sew badges on when she was a brownie!
Our Wonderful Patron Her Majesty The Queen is patron of both The Scout Association and Girlguiding UK, and has therefore had 60 years’ involvement with hundreds of thousands of youngsters who have taken their Scouting and Guiding promises to do their ‘duty to the Queen’. Over the years the Queen has attended many of the Windsor Parades where Queen’s Scouts, including many from Scotland, are honoured for their achievements and in 1970 Queen’s Guides were also invited, to celebrate their own Diamond Jubilee. Many leaders have had the honour of attending Royal Garden Parties and perhaps even been introduced to the Queen, who is always so interested in people and has such a warm smile for everyone.
Jubilee Resources While Scouts and Guides have always had their own distinctive Programmes, there were joint badges produced to commemorate the silver, golden and diamond jubilees of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and this year for the first time there have been joint resources published to encourage all of us to celebrate and to work together. You can find these resources at http://bit.ly/jubilee1 It is hoped leaders would use these as starters for Programme planning and where possible to have a joint activity with a section from Girlguiding UK. All suggestions can of course be used as standalone ideas, but would be a great chance to strengthen links between the two organisations.
Send in Your Photos Please, please, please send photos to local papers and most importantly to SHQ so we can keep a permanent record as to how we celebrated this special year. A 6 year old Beaver Scout will obviously find it hard to imagine 60 years but we do need to try to explain the importance of this year to all our members. We hope you enjoy using the resources and joining in with the Jubilee celebrations this year. We send our loyal greeting to Her Majesty in this most special year. God save the Queen.
EVENTS DIARY
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EVENT
DATE
VENUE
AUDIENCE
CONTACT
Our Sporting Adventure
Jan - Sept
Local across Scotland
All members
http://bit.ly/osa2012
Aberdeen Gang Show
13th-17th March
Aberdeen Art Centre
All ages
gerardrattray@hotmail.com 01224 713 209
Cub Weekend
31st Mar - 1st April
Lochgoilhead National Scout Activity Centre
Cub Scouts
01301 703217 info@lochgoilhead.org.uk
Dundee Gang Show
3rd-7th April
Whitehall Theater, Dundee
5years+
ged@dundeegangshow.com 07803628455
Inverness Area Gang Show
11th-14th April
Eden Court, Inverness
All ages
info@invernessgangshow.net http://bit.ly/igs2012
Scottish Windsor Expedition
27th - 29th April
Windsor
Queen’s Scouts
scoutnetwork@scoutsscotland.org.uk 01383 419 073
Scout Community Week
14th-20th May
Local across Scotland
All members
http://bit.ly/communitywk
Parent & Cub Camp
18th-20th May
Meggernie National Scout Activity Centre
Cub Scouts & their parents
warden@meggernie.org.uk 01887 866231 http://bit.ly/parcub1
Scout PL/APL Camp
1st-3rd June
Meggernie National Scout Activity Centre
Scout leaders and assistant leaders
warden@meggernie.org.uk 01887 866231
Jubilee 2012 Celebrations
2nd-5th June
Local across Scotland
All members
http://bit.ly/jubilee1
Scottish Awards Day
10th June
Beach Ballroom, Aberdeen
All members
admin@scouts-scotland.org.uk 01383 419073
Cub Weekend
23rd-24th June
Lochgoilhead National Scout Activity Centre
Cub Scouts
01301 703217 info@lochgoilhead.org.uk
National Camping 23rd-24th June Competition Zonal Qualifiers
Various
Scouts
TBC - watch SHQ website for details
Blair Atholl International Scout Patrol Jamborette
16th-27th July
Blair Atholl
Scouts
admin@scouts-scotland.org.uk 01383 419073 http://bit.ly/blair2012
Blair Atholl Jamborette Satellite Camp
20th - 23rd July
Blair Atholl
Scouts
This event is fully booked.
National Camping Competition Final
16th August
Fordell Firs National Scout Activity Centre
Scouts
TBC - watch SHQ website for details
Acceler8 Open Day
25th August
National Explorer Scout Camp
31st Aug- 2nd Sept
Fordell Firs National Scout Activity Centre
The Craigs, Torphichen
All adult members
Explorer Scouts
admin@scouts-scotland.org.uk 01383 419073 http://bit.ly/acc82012 TBC - watch SHQ website for details
24
PATHFINDER
Here
To Advertise
Contact: The Scottish Scout Headquarters Tel: 01383 419073 Fax: 01383 414892 Email: shq@scouts-scotand.org
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The Scottish Council The Scout Association Fordell Firs Hillend Dunfermline KY11 7HQ Tel: 01383 419073 Fax: 01383 414892 Email: shq@scouts-scotland.org.uk Web: www.scouts-scotland.org.uk Scottish Charity No. SC017511