Cubs - The magazine for Cub Scout LeadersFebruary/March 2010

aders ub Scout Leh 2010 C r fo e in z a rc a The mag February/M

WIN R

ÂŁ500 FO YOUR PACK

Blue sky thinking

Using clouds to read the weather

Recipe for success Nettle bubble and squeak

S N O I T A G I V A N , KNOTS NO SWEAT AND s that will last a lifetime ill Building sk

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Editors: Graeme Hamilton, UK Adviser for Cub Scouts Nicola Ashby, Programme and Development Adviser for Cub Scouts programme@scout.org.uk

Intro

Days of glory

Published by: The Scout Association, Gilwell Park, Chingford, London E4 7QW Contributions to: scouting.magazine@scout.org.uk This issue’s contributors: Nicola Ashby Charlie Dale Graeme Hamilton Dave Wood ADVERTISING Tom Fountain tom@thinkpublishing.co.uk Tel: 020 8962 1258

NEW SCOUTI NG BOOKS Scouting Skil ls, the essentia l guide to all things outdoors contains an introduction from Chief Scout Bea r Grylls. A new Cub Scout Games book will also be ava ilable mid Febr uar y. Both books are ava ilable from ww w. scouts.org.u k/shop

Your UK Cub Scout Adviser Graeme Hamilton reflects on the recent development days We’re nearly at the end of another round of development advice and support days around the UK, and once again we have witnessed a great deal of enthusiasm and passion for all that we do together to make Cub Scouting fun and adventurous for thousands of young people.

These meetings are open to all Assistant County Commissioners or their equivalents and Assistant District Commissioners. Some Counties have actively encouraged everyone to attend, others only a few representatives.

In all cases though, the topics discussed are being followed through at County, District and Group meetings. In 2009 the focus was on topics identified by leaders in surveys like Your Programme, Your Voice or gathered through focussed discussions. These have included Development Action Plans, setting up and running practical skills workshops in Districts and in Counties/Areas, what the role of the Assistant District Commissioner of Cubs is in managing Young Leaders in the District. All very useful and helpful, but only if fully cascaded and shared with every leader, and then followed up with continuous support.

We’re planning the development advice and support day programmes for 2010-11 and we’d like to make sure that the content of the sessions meets everyone’s need. Please email me at programme@scout.org.uk with anything you’d like to see included.

Finally, please take up the national Cub Scout challenge (p4) and send in your entries. I look forward to seeing what camping activities every Cub Scout Pack in the UK takes part in this year.

Contents 4 News The latest national and local news

5 Nature’s larder Nettle bubble and squeak

6 Skills and thrills Sharpening your Scouting skills

10 POP A thoughtful programme on a plate

12 Cloud atlas Learning by looking up

14 Competition Win £500 for your Pack

16 When a plan comes together...

Successful succession planning

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News

News and views in Cub Scouting. ions Email your stories, reports and opin g.uk t.or scou to scouting.magazine@

ZING Cub Scout Challenge 2010 The most popular choice among Cub Leaders for a 2010 national challenge was to camp or have a sleepover in an unusual place.

Now is the time to get going with your plans and preparations. Where will you camp? What’s the most unusual location that your Cubs can think of? How will you involve them in the planning?

You could treat this as a separate camp or tie it in with one you have already started planning, including any Big Adventure events (www.scouts. org.uk/thebigadventure).

Stuck for ideas? You could try a ship, in the mayor’s garden, up a tree, in the school, at the docks, in the airport terminal, on stage, or in even in a science centre.

Run a session with the Cubs to gather their ideas and see how wild their imagination flows. And don’t put barriers around those.

Ask your Cubs to write in and tell us what they did, where they camped and include some photographs of their experience.

Every entry submitted will receive a certificate and we’ll run a feature later in the year. Email: programme@scout.org.uk

Diane Abbott MP visits Hackney Cub Scouts The MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington took time from her busy schedule to visit 12th Hackney’s meeting place, as part of their Community Challenge. There she spent an hour with the Cubs, explaining to them what her job involved and answered questions about her role in Government.

Badge business Some 1,539 people responded to the October Your Programme, Your Voice questionnaire, which focussed on the Athlete and Athlete Plus Activity Badge.

Key findings: • Over 1,000 people have awarded the Athlete Activity Badge in the last two years, with the average leader handing out 16 per Pack.

• Less than half of these leaders go on to award the Athlete Plus Badge.

• Over 700 people felt that the badges need to be looked – either altering the requirements or switching to become a staged badge of some kind.

We will be looking at badge requirements in much closer details based on these results.

The next YPYV questionnaire will take place in February.

Visit www.scouts.org.uk/ypyv

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DIVERSITY DATES Beliefs and Attitudes is often considered one of the more challenging Programme Zones, and spiritual development is a programme area that can be daunting. Tying an activity to a significant date can make it easier to incorporate.

April 2 – Good Friday (Christian) 4 – (19th for Orthodox) Easter Day (Christian) 5 – Ch’ing Ming/Festival of pure brightness (Chinese) 8 – Hanamatsuri (Buddhist) 12 – Yom Ha-Shoah (Jewish) 14 – Vaisakha/Baisakhi (Sikh) 21 – First day of Ridwan (Bahá’í) 23 – St George’s Day (Patron saint of Scouting) 25 – Save the Children week 26 – RSPCA week

May All month - National Share a Story month 2 – Lag B’omer (Jewish) 3 – Deaf Awareness Week 3 – Red Cross Week 9 – Christian Aid week 13 – Ascension Day (Christian) 19-20 – Shavuot (Jewish) 23 – Pentecost/Whitsuntide (Christian) 23 – Anniversary of the Declaration of the Bab (Bahá’í) 27 – Vesakha Puja/Wesak/ Buddha Day (Buddhist) 29 – Anniversary of the Ascension of Baha’u’llah (Bahá’í) Visit www.scouts.org.uk/pol for programme ideas.

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Nature’s larder

Skills

to life, and it’s also In spring the countryside comes s bounty. This the perfect time to raid its deliciou ty. By Ruth Hubbard recipe is a healthy and fun activi Nettle bubble and squeak Ingredients • half a dozen good sized potatoes • 1 pint of young nettle tips • grated cheese to taste • butter, milk and flour • ground black pepper • cooking oil.

Equipment • large pot • campfire • small pot (to boil nettles in).

Serves approximately 20 Instructions 1. Peel and boil the potatoes. Once cooked drain and reserve.

2. Wash the nettles in two or three changes of cold water (wear rubber gloves!).

3. Drop the nettles into a pan of boiling water for one minute only.

4. Quickly drain the nettles in a sieve and run it under cold water (to preserve the colour). All the stings will now be destroyed and the nettles will be beautifully green but horribly slimy.

5. Finely chop the nettles.

6. Add several knobs of butter, a splash of milk, cheese and pepper to the spuds – mash them together.

7. Add the nettles to the mash and mix them in well.

8. Roll the potato mixture into balls the size of golf balls and flatten into cakes – use a little flour to stop them sticking.

9. Fry the cakes in oil until golden brown and eat immediately – use a campfire for maximum wow factor.

more info Ray Mears’ Wild Foods and Bob Flowerdew’s Complete Fruit Book are both excellent.

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Skills and thrills Sharpen those Scouting skills, with Dave Wood

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e call them Scouting skills but I prefer to think of them as life skills. I can attribute so much I know today to what I learned as a young Scout.

I could read a map before I could drive a car, and which still means I am confident navigating without relying on GPS; I could tie knots to secure parcels whereas my colleagues in the warehouse of my first job couldn’t. When someone in that warehouse had a very nasty injury, I knew exactly what to do until the ambulance arrived. When I left home I knew that potatoes took longer to cook than eggs. When running

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my first barbecue party for a group of 20 friends and family, I knew that flames made food charcoal black, partially raw and inedible, whereas glowing embers were perfect. It was thanks to attending a Jamboree that I first learned how to use a public washing machine, how to boil water in a paper bag, and how to scare grizzly bears away.

Here are a few activities that can be seen as being popular Scouting skills and which will stand your Cub Scouts in good stead for their futures, whatever they choose to do (I’ve left out the grizzly bear-scaring bit though).

Cubs February/March December 2008/January 2010 2009

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Programme ideas

KNOTTING Knotting board: After teaching the Cubs some basic knots (reef knot, sheet bend, bowline, clove hitch, round turn and two half hitches), let them make a knotting board by glueing the finished knots (annotated with the knots’ names), to a piece of stiff card or hardboard. Add two lengths of string at the bottom of the board and they will be encouraged to practice the knots at home. Having a robust version as a permanent fixture on the wall in your Scout meeting place is a great asset for Cubs to play with during odd spare moments before or after meetings.

Knotting cricket: Divide the Pack into two teams, seated down either side of the hall. On the word ‘go’, player one in team A runs to one end of the hall, touches it, runs to the other end, touches the wall and returns to tag player two, who repeats the process (when all have run, player one starts again).

Meanwhile, a length of rope is given to

player one in team B. They try to tie a given knot (relevant to their age and skill) as quickly as possible. When done, it is untied and passed to player two, who ties another knot. When all in this team have successfully tied a knot, the leader calls ‘stop!’ and the current runner stops. How many runs did they achieve? Swap roles and see which is the fastest team.

Magic knots: Why not invite a local magician who can perform rope tricks down to the meeting to show an entertaining, exciting side of ropework?

Knotting with spaghetti: Instead of using string or rope, see if the Cubs can tie simple knots using freshly cooked, cold spaghetti.

Footwork: For those Cubs who are proficient knot tiers, challenge them to tie knots behind their backs or with their bare feet. You could pair them up, with one using their left hand and the other using their right hand to tie a knot.

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MAP READING Setting a map: Invite some Explorer Scouts to come to a meeting so that, in very small groups, the Cubs can be shown how to set a map and identify the best routes to get them from a start to finish point, using footpaths and minor roads.

Orienteering: Set a simple orienteering course in your grounds, the local park or campsite.

Use metal tent pegs with a card attached. Each card gives the compass bearing of the next peg and the number of paces needed to find it. The pegs are hard to see unless you are within a metre or so of them.

COOKING Spud eggs: Cut the top 1.5cm off a potato.

Scoop out most of the potato with a metal teaspoon, leaving a wall of about 0.5cm (you may need to have microwaved the potatoes for six minutes or so to soften them and make this scooping easier). Crack an egg into the hole, pop the top back on and wrap in two layers of silver foil. Put in glowing embers for 20-30 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove, allow to cool briefly and enjoy.

Boil water in a paper bag: Yes, it can be done. Create a holder from a wire coathanger and suspend a small paper bag with a few centimetres depth of water in it over a lit candle. Who can get their water to heat up?

The water prevents the bag burning.

Mini toffee apples: Cut apples into chunks, removing their skins. Dunk in water, then roll in sugar. Put a few chunks into two layers of silver foil and pop into hot embers for 5-10 minutes.

Remove, allow to cool and savour the flavour.

Counts as part of your five-a-day.

Kebabs: Always great to do on glowing embers, but it is always best to use either German bratwurst or frankfurters, as these are already cooked and, if undercooked by the Cubs, should not pose a health threat.

Encourage them to add vegetables to their skewers – use lots of unusual vegetables for them to experiment with.

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Programme ideas

CAMPING TRIALS

FIRST AID Using plasters: Practise how to correctly clean wounds and apply plasters to small injuries.

Extend this by getting a local make-up expert to come and apply some fake injuries to some of the Sixers for the others to treat.

999 practice: Cubs take it in turns to use a phone to call a leader or parent who is pretending to be the 999 operator (obviously without anyone actually dialling 999!). The Cubs are told or given a written description of an incident. They have to describe what has happened, and where, so that the correct emergency services can be summoned.

Tent making: Cubs are challenged to make a tent using an old bedsheet, scissors, stapler, string and bamboo canes, plus metal tent pegs.

Tent pitching: Challenge the Pack or Sixes (or individuals) to pitch a tent in an unusual place as a challenge. The local paper would love pictures of your efforts – remember to get permission from landowners before pitching the tent.

Tent pegs: Experiment with the best angle to bang in tent pegs, relative to the guy ropes.

Get the Cubs to bang wooden pegs into the ground at a variety of angles, and with the hook part either up or down. Challenge them to pull the pegs out – the best ones should be 45 degrees to the ground, with the guy ropes pulling at 90 degrees, and with the hook part down to prevent slippage.

HELPING OTHERS Checking on elderly neighbours: Discuss with the Pack if they know of elderly neighbours living nearby that they could perhaps keep an eye on and help out, under the guidance of the Cubs’ parents.

Feeding pets: Helpful Cubs may be able to look after neighbours’ pets while they are away.

more info For more skills order your copy of Scouting Skills at www.scouts.org.uk/shop at £9.99

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Top 5 Programmes on POL (December)

Ref

Activity name

Activity/Game

Time

Sport Relief 2010 – Sporting Heroes

Opening ceremony

10 mins

Beliefs and Attitudes

Th

52143 21520

Marshmallow polar bear

The golden rule

50 mins

Beliefs and Attitudes

Ac oth

181

Father Christmas’s reindeer game

52680

Flag relay

415

Brown paper reindeer

Zone

Community Creative

Programmes on a plate

He pe

Pra an

Sin sto

Tea cha

This issue’s theme is Thinking of others, compiled by Nicola Ashby

POP

M

Th

Try

Compliments envelopes

20 mins

Beliefs and Attitudes

Praye and r

Community

Test it out

Let us know what you think of this trying it programme on a plate. If you are il us ema to tes minu 10 e spar out, please role, e, nam your ide Prov . ghts your thou course Group and number of Cubs and of ’t. didn what worked and if anything Email programme@scout.org.uk

Closing ceremony

5 mins

Beliefs and Attitudes

10 Cubs February/March 2010

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Them wors refle

Method

Instructions

tudes

Themes

Discuss the theme for the meeting

tudes

A ctivities with others

Give one of the following sample situations below to each Six: Examples of situations: (a) Packed lunch left at home – do we laugh at the individual or share our lunch? (b) A friend is useless at a sport – do we laugh at the individual or offer to change the game? (c) A new boy/girl at school/Cubs finds it hard to mix – do we ignore or encourage? (d) Someone with a disability joins school/Cubs – do we keep away because they seem different or make an effort to understand? (e) Leaders are obviously tired and some Cubs are messing about – do we all mess about or show more enthusiasm? (f) Someone has dropped their shopping – do we laugh or help them?

tudes

Help other people Prayer, worship and reflection Singing, stories, drama

A variation might be to ask Cubs to think of their own negative/positive responses.

Team challenges Themes Try new things

Extensions: (a) Making the link with ‘thinks of others’ as in the Cub Scout Law. (b) Making the link with any individual faith view of attitudes to one another. (c) Making the link with bullying. (d) Making a prayer/card for a friend being bullied.

Notes: - Allow time for Cubs to make up, rehearse and perform a short play or mime to show the situation and a negative response.

- Re-assign the situations so that each Six has a different one but the overall collection remains the same.

- Allow time as before, this time acting out a positive response.

- Contrast between the two representations of each situation.

- If you want to break the session up you could always have a game or refreshments between the two sets of acting.

- If you prefer to prepare some role playing situations yourself, ensure each situation has a positive and a negative response to be acted out in turn.

Prayer, worship and reflection

You will need: an envelope for each person, plus enough pieces of paper to fit in each envelope for each member of the group, pens.

- Sit in a circle.

- Give each member of the group an envelope and ask them to write their name on the front. Give each of them enough pieces of paper for every person in the group, not counting themselves.

- Ask them all to pass their envelope clockwise to the person on their left.

- The group members then need to look at the name on the front of the envelope they have been given, and on one of their pieces of paper write a compliment to the person whose envelope it is. When they have finished, they put the paper in the envelope. You may need to help them think at first what sort of things they can write. For example, it could be something about the way they look, a thank you for something they have done or a compliment about something they are good at.

- Each envelope is passed on to the next person on their left, still in a clockwise direction. They then write a compliment to the person whose name is on the front of the envelope and put it inside.

- This activity continues until everyone’s personal envelope goes round the circle and back to them.

- Ask everyone to seal their envelope and take it home with them. They should wait until they are somewhere private to look at what people have written for them.

Important note: This activity requires you to trust the young people to write positive things. If you are at all unsure about this, you should collect the envelopes at the end before they are sealed to check them when the young people aren’t looking. You could suggest that you will seal them and give them out at the end or post them to everyone so they get a nice surprise in the post!

Used with permission of the NSPCC from their No Bullying! resource. www.nspcc.org.uk

Themes; Prayer, worship and reflection

For more great ideas visit www.scouts.org.uk/pol scouts.org.uk/pol 11

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s a l t a d u o l C

ting skill and if you ou Sc t an rt po im an is n io at rv se Ob . By Charlie Dale ts lo n ar le n ca u yo y sk e th to ok lo Stratus

Cumulus Nimbus

Cool cloud names Cumulus clouds are puffy, looking like

Cirrus

blobs of cotton wool. Sometimes you may think you can see a shape forming in cumulus clouds, perhaps an animal or bird.

Stratus clouds are flat and look layered.

W

hat can clouds tell us? Perhaps rain or snow is on the way or the wind is moving fast and from a particular direction. Clouds can also give us an idea about the temperature of the ground or the sea beneath them. All clouds are made up of water vapour and the size and shape of clouds depends on how much water is in them, how warm it is and whether the water is frozen or not. This activity will help your Cubs predict the weather.

Nimbus clouds are dark and look heavy, meaning rain is on the way. If they are dark and fluffy, they are called cumulonimbus. If they are dark and flat, they are called nimbostratus, taking part of their name from the two clouds above.

Cirrus are made of icy particles and are found high in the sky, above 5,000 metres.

They are thin and wispy. Cirrocumulus clouds are also found at high altitude and are fluffy while cirrostratus clouds are flat and layered.

12 Cubs February/March 2010

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Make and do

Cool cloud chart you will need

• 2 A1 sheets of bright blue paper • grey felt-tipped pen • cotton wool • glue or sticky tape • black marker pen.

• Lay the sheets of paper side by side on the ground or on a table and join the two sheets together to make one long sheet.

• Ask some Cubs to grab some cotton wool and tease it out until it looks like puffy, fluffy clouds. Fix the clouds as a group to the paper on the far left of your chart, about half way up the sheet. Ask a Cub to write cumulus in neat clear lettering underneath the clouds using the marker pen.

• Other Cubs can now make cumulonimbus clouds by

Camp Pack Item code: 1025727

puffing up three pieces of cotton wool and then dotting the bottom half of each puff with the grey felt pen – these should look heavy with rain! Stick these clouds to the right of your cumulus clouds, at the same height up the page.

• Stratus clouds are made by taking small pieces of cotton wool and stretching them out to make thin layers. Stick them next to the cumulonimbus clouds, at the same height. You could also make rainy nimbostratus clouds to go next to them, using the same technique and adding some grey felt pen dots to the lower half.

• Cirrus clouds could be puffy cumulus or flat stratus cloud shapes, but you need to stick them higher up on the sheet to remind everybody that cirrus clouds are found high in the sky. Label these cirrocumulus or cirrostratus.

If you are walking out high on a hillside with your Pack, see if they can name the clouds from the chart.

£40

Save £10 against items purchased individually

The pack includes sleeping bag, daysack, sleeping mat, inflatable neck pillow and torch – everything a Cub needs for a short camp.

Gelert Inflatable Flock Neck Pillow

01903 766 921

Item code: 1024804

Vango Stellar Sleeping Bag Item code: 1027519

Foam Sleeping Mat Item code: 1021985

RRP £6.99

Our price: £5.50

RRP £16

Our price:

£13

RRP £2.99 Scouts be Prepared 35-Litre Daysack

Item code: 1027424

£25

Our price:

£2.50

Handy for camping or travelling, this pillow takes up virtually no space in your rucksack.

Inflated size 46x28cm

Vango Mini Dynamo Wind Up 3 LED Torch

This essential mat gives comfort, protection and thermal insulation.

Suitable uses: camping, keep fit, picnics and garden.

Size: 1800 x 500 x 8mm Weight: 2.5g

The two-season is for all cost conscious campers. Polair polyester shell with terylene/ cotton lining.

Two way X-Lock Zip Stuffsac supplied Max. user height: 205cm Size 210x80x50cm Colour: Ensign

A great value 35-litre daysack, with the Scouts logo - ideal for a short camp.

Removal back plate gives an optional stiffer structure to the pack Raincover in top lid pocket Volume: 35 litres Weight: 0.9kgs Colour: Navy/Grey/Black

Item code: 1027542

£4

Great value and suitable for young people, this compact torch needs no batteries.

1 minute winding =18 minutes of light approx.

All profits go back into Scouting. The Scout Association Registered Charity number 306101 (England and Wales) and SC038437 (Scotland).

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Everyday science Win up to £500 with Scientist Activity Badge sponsors Rolls-Royce

T

o help celebrate National Science and Engineering Week 2010 (12–21 March) and the Rolls-Royce Scientist Badge, we are launching a competition that asks how you use science in everyday life. To enter, Cub Scouts must either write a diary, a story, or draw a cartoon describing how they have used science as part of their day.

We will award three cash prizes to the best entries of £500, £300 and £200 for your Cub Scout Pack to purchase equipment.

To get you off to a flying start here is a diary excerpt from a Rolls-Royce engineer, which you can share with your Cub Scouts:

or posted to Sally Hilton, Scientist Competition, The Scout Association, Gilwell Park, Chingford, London E4 7QW.

‘Hi, my name is Laurence and I make jet engines for Rolls-Royce. I am an aerospace engineer, and I use my science knowledge every day at home and in my job.

Designing jet engines is important as they are used to fly people and materials around the world. Aeroplanes are very important to me because my family live in Switzerland. At Christmas I flew home to see them on an aeroplane powered by a Rolls-Royce jet engine. The jet engine spins a fan, which blows air out of the back of the aeroplane to push it forwards.

Please ensure all entries include the following details: • Cub’s name and age • Group name • Cub Scout Leader’s name and contact details (email or phone number) The closing date is 31 March 2010 and details of the winner will be published in the June/July issue of this supplement.

Full terms and conditions can be found at: www.scouts.org.uk/sponsors

‘I lead a team of engineers who are designing a new fan for Rolls-Royce jet engines. At the moment, fan blades are made from a metal called titanium. Heavy things made from metal are hard to push, so my team is inventing lightweight fan blades. These new fan blades will be made from a special material called a composite that will be easier to push and so aeroplanes will use less fuel. Less fuel means less pollution, which makes our world a better place to live in.

To enter Entries should be emailed to: sally.hilton@scout.org.uk

14 Cubs February/March 2010

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Competition

‘I woke up early this morning at seven o’clock. I used to live in Scotland and I like porridge for breakfast, so I lit the gas cooker to heat up some milk. Even burning gas is science because it turns chemical energy into heat energy and soon my porridge was ready, which was great because I was already late for work. So where did the gas come from? It was pumped through huge pipelines from far away by Rolls-Royce gas compressors – we make them too.

‘My team spent the whole day doing an experiment that we have designed to test our composite fan blades. We used lots of different tools to shape parts, like drills and lathes and mills. These are all powered by electricity that comes from a socket in the wall. Have you ever wondered how it gets to the socket? Most electricity is created by burning coal to turn chemical energy into heat energy, just like the gas used to make my porridge. The heat energy is then used to boil water, and the steam spins a turbine to make electricity. Burning coal makes pollution, so engineers at Rolls-Royce are looking for better ways to create electricity that are more environmentally friendly. Earlier this year I worked in the Rolls-Royce Tidal Turbines department, which is investigating ways of making clean electricity from the tides in the sea.

‘I enjoy my work and I like to use science every day, so I worked hard and I arrived home late at night.

My friends were all asleep, and I was looking forward to bed too. There was one last job to do, and that was to write this story to pass on the message to you. Good luck with your Scientist Activity Badge, and let’s see how you can use science to improve the world that we live in.’

more info To find out more about National Science and Engineering Week visit www.britishscienceassociation.org/web/nsew/ To find out more about the Rolls-Royce sponsored Cub Scout Scientist Badge, visit www.scouts.org.uk/rollsroyce where you can download some great activities and order the new Scientist Badge activity pack.

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When a s e m o c n a l p together… ging the Moving-on Looking after new leaders, mana ne can be the ultimate process, and keeping ourselves sa on plan can help to juggling act. But a simple successi pping prevent any of the balls from dro

‘I

nitially I created a succession plan to help new leaders in our District. It was also part of my training for the Assistant District Commissioner role,’ says Adrian Ribnell, an Assistant District Commissioner for Cubs. ‘It is really simple and means that important information for leaders is in the one place.’

Adrian’s succession plan covers five main areas: 1. Retaining new leaders Emphasise that new leaders need support in the beginning, and encourage them to use the skills and knowledge that Group Scout Leaders, other leaders and Training Advisers. Adrian says, ‘The Group Scout Leader has an important part to play to ensure succession planning is in place to maintain an overlap of leaders.

This will allow parents and Cubs to get used to the new leader as well as allow the new leader to become comfortable and fully aware of conditions and arrangements at the group. It should never get to the point that a leader is appointed at the same time as the other leader leaves the Pack.’

Adrian also feels that it is up to all of us to provide enough support. ‘As leaders it is our responsibility to encourage new volunteers to increase membership and maintain a healthy succession programme.’

2. Moving-on While all age ranges have increased over the last few years, we still see a high drop-off rate at ages 10, 11 and 12. To make the transition as easy as possible, a Moving-on system is essential. Explain the process to everyone involved. Tell them why it is important and what happens (see Adrian’s best practice checklist opposite).

3. Moving away To prevent Cubs disappearing from Scouting altogether when they move house, a section on how to deal with Cubs moving out of the areas is useful, and could include a sample form. Adrian says, ‘Ensuring a moving away form is filled out aids the successful transfer of members and records from Group to Group. It includes a list of all badges, awards and camps and is also proof of membership. I include a sample form in my plan.’

16 Cubs February/March 2010

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Feature

4. Using Young Leaders New leaders may not be fully aware of exactly what Young Leaders do and the role they play, so it can be helpful to have a paragraph or two covering this.

Emphasise that these young people are a positive option when looking to complement any leadership team as they often have prior knowledge of Scouting and personal experience of running the section and its programme.

5. General information Always include success stories and inspirational ideas to illustrate each area. And include a space for adding key contacts for the new leader.

Who should be writing a succession plan?

Succession plans can be written at any level, but ideally they would be put together by the leaders in a Group, as they have first hand experience of the Group, the young people and adults involved, and any local factors that may affect them. Both District and County volunteers should be able to offer their help and support with this, and it may be worth seeing a copy of the development plans and use these to guide you.

Nicola Ashby, Programme Adviser (Cub Scouts) adds, ‘Creating a succession plan such as this means that when the time comes for new leaders to start, or young people to move up everybody is aware of what is happening. This can really lessen the pressure in what can be a confusing and unsettling time’.

Moving-on checklist Whether your Group uses a succession plan or not, these questions are useful to check you are doing all you can to make the transition from Cubs to Scouts as seamless as possible. Many of these questions can also be adapted to ensure Beavers are moving up to Cubs without any problems.

1. Do the Scout Leaders come on Cub camps to build up relationships?

If not, invite them all on every camp – extra help is always a good thing.

2. How often does the Scout Leader come to Cubs?

They could come at least once a term.

3. How often does the Scout Leader run the Cub programme?

Once or twice a year is usually enough.

4. When new Cubs go up to Scouts, does the Scout Leader plan the programme with them in mind for the first few weeks?

Work out the number of Cubs due up and when that way it gives the Scout Leader time to plan their programme. scouts.org.uk/pol 17

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5. Do you as the Cub Leader have a copy of the Scout programme?

The Group should have regular meetings, even if you don’t you can ask for a copy of the Scout programme.

6. Do you as the Cub Scout Leader go with the Cubs for their first night as a Scout?

Doing this helps the Cubs settle in and is a familiar face for the parents.

7. Have the Cubs worked on the Moving-on Award?

Before moving up it’s often good to share details about the events Scouts have been up to and to offer a short membership badge pack for Cubs to look through. Remember to keep it short but show some of their badges, challenges and the activities they do.

8. Has the Scout Leader sent the parents a welcome pack?

This could include what’s next, how much the Scout shirt is and where to buy it. These are simple things that leaders take for granted, but parents may know nothing about.

9. Does the Scout Leader have all the details and background knowledge before the Cubs join the Troop?

Make sure they know personal history, type of activities they have done with the Cubs and above all emergency contact details, address and any health conditions.

10. Do they get invested within four weeks?

Agree with the Scout Leader a timescale so that both the Cubs and parents know when and where they are invested (usually the first four weeks). Why not invite the parents to witness it too?

Swimming up Good communication is crucial to success, both within and between sections. Caron Tull, a Beaver Scout Leader, shares her story.

‘When my Beavers are nearly ready for swimming up to Cubs I speak to the Cub Leader and we decide the best time for the process to begin (dependent on what she has planned for her Cubs).

‘I then give out a letter to the parents explaining that their child is nearly eight and will be soon going up to Cubs and has to do a swimming up process. This involves their child going to Beavers and Cubs for three weeks on the dates enclosed in the letter and on the third week there will be a swimming up ceremony.

‘The parents are invited to watch. As the swimming up is usually held on a Cub night I ask four Beavers to join them on the night (if it is held on a Beavers night, then the Cub leader would ask some of her Cubs to join us for the evening).

‘As the Cub Scout Leader and myself have a lot of contact with each other, she knows most of my Beavers and I know most of her Cubs, so the Beaver who is going up is familiar with her too. All the Beavers records go up to with him or her to the Cubs.’

more info • Create your own succession plan.

• Download the Cub Scout development booklet at www.scouts.org.uk/ cubdevelopment.

• Email programme@scout.org.uk

NEXT ISSUE: Can camping help us to retain older Cub Scouts?

18 Cubs February/March 2010

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12/01/2010 16:43

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