cubs

GUIDE OR

RESOURCES F YOUR ROLE

aders ub Scout Leer 2009 C r fo e in z a b tem The mag August/Sep

Fresh starts

Get ready for the new Scouting year

Brain trainers

Puzzling puzzles

P U N O MOVINGdo to help an What you icn Scouting keep Cubs

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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 Published by: The Scout Association, Gilwell House, Gilwell Park, Chingford, London E4 7QW

Intro

A growth story As Cub Scouting records a growth for the third year running, we should all be proud of our achievements, says Graeme Hamilton

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

Top tips Here’s a some more of your top tips from the Your Programme, Your Voice survey Attend leader meetings to exchange ideas.

Be firm but be fair. Do not become you over familiar with the children or n will lose respect. That does not mea re whe w kno just , you can’ t have fun to draw the lines.

Expect some evenings to go better than others so have spare ideas or s games to produce if something doe l. not seem to be going wel

It was thrilling to see that over the whole UK our section (along with all the others) had grown again – for the third year running. Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and England all grew and 45 of the 60 English Counties celebrated having more people than last year. Every County in the North-East region saw a growth in Cub Scouting – the only Region to achieve that for our section.

It makes all the effort feel worthwhile, but there is no room for complacency. There are plenty of Counties and Districts where numbers fell, where adult support declined, where joining lists continue to grow and where leaders struggle on trying to deliver a high quality and effective programme week in, week out. Our work, and our support cannot end until we have established a sustainable and developing section for the long-term.

Summer fun I had a brilliant day at the Buckinghamshire County Cub Camp in early May, where I joined over 900 laughing Cubs at Phasel’s Wood. I really enjoy these events – it’s a simple but effective way of meeting leaders in their own backyard and to discuss the highs and lows of running or helping at a Pack. I also noticed the effect such organised fun has on adults. A dad said to me that he would definitely be taking out an appointment in his son’s Pack – the Big Adventure definitely works!

I also met Joshua, who is only eight, but the best kudu player in the Pack and as such was selected to officially open the camp, in a style reminiscent of Baden-Powell opening the experimental camp at Brownsea island. The kudu horn is over 70 years old and came across from a Scout group in South Africa many years ago. It made the camp particularly special.

Contents 4 Lasting impressions Ideas for the new Scouting year

8 The right moves Helping Cubs continue their Scouting journey

15 Safety first Competition results

16 Puzzled? You will be!

10 POP An autumn programme on a plate

12 Tune in, camp out A jammin’ jamboree for Cubs

Crafty crosswords and other cunning make and dos

18 Get creative in the kitchen Ideas from Dutch Edam

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Lasting impressions Start off the new Scouting year with some help from Dave Wood

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here did that Scouting year go? It’s hard to believe that those young people who joined the Pack this time last year may well have risen to be Sixers or Seconds by now.

My wife bumped into a senior teacher recently, who seemed to recognise her. It turned out that she had been his Cub Scout Leader some 20 years ago (and many miles away). He excitedly told her of the camp at which I had shown off my skill at ‘stomach rolling’ – a 30-second diversion at a campfire – and had subsequently learned to do it himself. The fact that he remembered this tiny occurrence at a camp 20 years ago reminded me of how every little thing we as leaders do in front of the Cubs – both good and not so good – can stay with them forever.

We should never underestimate the influence we have on these young people as they pass through Scouting. When we reprimand a child, would we want the way in which we do it to be remembered in 20 years’ time? If we have a crafty beer at camp in the evening, is that the memory of the camp the Cubs walk away with?

My two youngest sons are starting their adventure with the Cub Scout Pack this autumn and I’m sure they’ll have a brilliant time, thanks to the team of motivated, enthusiastic leaders. No doubt they will gather heaps of memories, skills and experiences of

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their own for the future which will make them the citizens we, as parents, want them to be.

With all that in mind, here’s a selection of games and activities to help get the new Scouting year off to a swinging start and to provide some great memories…

Wave machine you will need

• soft drinks bottle • cooking oil • water • blue food colouring.

1. Half-fill the bottle with water and add a few drops of blue colouring.

2. Carefully top it up with cooking oil and screw the lid down.

3. Lie the bottle on its side and gently rock it to and fro – the water and oil will slowly mingle like waves on the beach.

4. Swirl the bottle and, if you’re lucky, you’ll get a whirlpool effect.

5. Shake it and it will all mix, then you can watch as the oil and water slowly separate.

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Programme ideas Intro

Microwave chocolate cake Here’s a brilliant quick recipe for Cubs to make by themselves. I suggest that the Cubs make one each and they are cooked while a game is being played.

you will need • 4 tbs flour • 4 tbs sugar • 2 tbs cocoa • 1 egg • 3 tbs milk • 3 tbs oil • 3 tbs chocolate chips (optional) • vanilla essence • 1 large mug that is microwave-safe.

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together.

2. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.

3. Then add the milk and oil, mixing well.

4. Pop in some chocolate chips and a splash of vanilla essence if desired.

5. Put the mug in the microwave and cook for 3½ minutes (800w).

6. Don’t worry if the cake rises over the top of the mug.

7. Allow to cool (beware, the handle may be hot) and either tip out onto a plate or eat from the mug with a spoon.

8. Two or three mugs can be cooked at the same time, but you’ll need to increase the cooking time a bit.

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Instant omelette-in-a-bag Another great individual cooking project.

you will need • a large egg • grated cheese • sliced mushrooms • a zipper sandwich bag.

1. Put a pan of water on to boil.

2. Crack the egg into the bag (perhaps line a mug with the bag if the Cubs are a bit clumsy).

3. Close the bag and shake it around to beat the egg.

4. Mop up the mess caused by the Cub who was extra-clumsy.

5. Add the cheese and mushrooms to taste and reseal the bag, trying to squeeze out all of the air.

6. Pop the bag into the boiling water for five minutes… the bag will inflate but shouldn’t burst.

7. Remove carefully and tip onto a plate.

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Money making challenge Here’s a great fundraising challenge over a few weeks, possibly encompassing half term holiday (so they have more time to work on it).

1. Give each Cub Scout a £1 coin, taped to an instruction card.

2. They are challenged to return in six weeks’ time with as much money as they have been able to turn their £1 into. Perhaps they can buy some food ingredients, make cakes and sell them to family and friends, investing the profits in ever more ingredients? Maybe they can use the £1 to buy craft materials to make items to sell? Or they can simply do jobs around the house and not actually use the money! Award prizes for the most money raised and for the cleverest ways of making money.

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Programme ideas

In the pond

Line of coins Another simple fundraiser.

1. Each Six is challenged to collect (with permission!), copper coins from family and friends, and which they bring along to a Pack meeting.

2. Each Six then makes a continuous line of their coins on the floor.

3. Which Six can build the longest line?

4. This can be great fun and you could turn it into a race to see which Six gets to the end of the hall first.

you will need • a large circle on the floor using chalk, the ‘pond’ • masking tape or a length of rope.

1. Players stand in a big circle around the outside of the pond.

2. When the leader calls ‘In the pond’, players must jump over the line and into the pond.

3. When the leader calls ‘On the bank’, players must jump onto the outside of the line.

4. If the leader says ‘In the bank’ or ‘on the pond’, players must not move. Anyone moving at the wrong time is out and sits down on the line. Repeat if time permits.

Resources Are you confused about which resources are right for your role?

The table below details which publications are essential, recommended or useful for each role in Cub Scouting.

The Cub Scout Powerpack

U

U

U

ACSL

E

E

E

U

U

CSL

E

E

E

R

R

R

U

U

U

U

U

U

Growing our Packs

The Cub Scout Membership Pack

R

Cub Scout Leader Start-up kit

The Pack Programme Plus

R

Nights Away

The Pack Programme

Pack Assistant

Role

Young Leaders’ Essentials

Pack Essentials

scouts.org.uk/shop 01903 766 921

ADC (CS)

E

E

E

U

U

U

R

ACC/AAC (CS)

E

E

R

U

U

U

R

E

Essential - considered essential that an adult in this role has immediate access to this resource in order to fulfil the role.

R

Recommended - access to this resource will help an adult carry out this role more effectively.

U

May be useful - an adult in this role may find it useful to access this resource from time to time.

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The right moves

help en 9 and 11, so what can we do to We lose most young people betwe falls pit by looks at the potentials and keep Cubs in Scouting? Nicola Ash

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ast year a project was set up on behalf of the Cub Scout Working Group, looking at how we retain older Cub Scouts and ensure a smooth transition into the Scout section. The Movement has seen an increase in membership over the last years, and there is a steady increase in membership up to age nine. However, there is then a significant fall in numbers at age 10 and 11 (see below).

Membership by age

In order to investigate the issues, a questionnaire was developed to collect the views of older Cub Scouts. This survey was conducted at the Gilwell Fun Days in June 2008, as well as in a few Counties in England and at a Northern Ireland event. Cubs were asked how they enjoyed various activities such as games, residential experiences, gaining badges etc in the Cub Scout programme. They were then asked if they intended moving on to Scouts, and what they were looking forward to in the Troop.

Our survey said!

2006 2007 2008

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7

8

9 Age

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10

11

12

The results from the survey showed that Cub Scouts overwhelmingly enjoyed the activities they had taken part in during Cubs. Also, over 90% were planning to move on to the Scout Troop. The list of what they were looking forward to in Scouts was long and varied, but the favourites were camping and outdoor/

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Moving on up

adventurous activities, and making new friends.

Camping was by far the number one response.

There was no particular pattern to the few reasons given in the questionnaire for not planning to move on.

To follow up on this we adopted a different approach, talking to Cub Scouts in more detail in a few Packs.

There did not seem to be one all-encompassing reason for not joining the Scout section but there were a number of recurring reasons: • The night clashed with other hobbies, football, judo etc.

• That there was not a Scout section within the group to progress to • The next nearest Group was too far away to travel to, particularly in rural areas • They did not want to go to that Group as they did not know anyone there.

• The parents could not always be on call to transport them to Scout meetings due to other calls on their time eg younger children needed them to take them to other activities.

• School activities and homework began to have a higher impact on them which meant they had to give up Scouts.

Once we had this information from the Cubs, we took the opportunity to ask leaders how they managed the Moving-on Award. It was clear there was a lot of good practice going on between Packs and Troops in many Groups. The Moving-on Award requirements are quite flexible so they can be applied in different circumstances across the Movement. However it is also evident that more practical support in applying the award would be useful, and this view is shared across the sections.

So where do we go from here?

We have already collected some good examples of how the Moving On Award is used successfully around the country. Our challenge is to capture these and provide practical structures and methods to support leaders in the moving on process, while maintaining the flexibility in applying the award.

We know a high proportion of young people in Cubs want the challenge and adventure of the Scout section, but we also know there are factors which take them away. If we can retain them and make the moving on process work better, this means more young people can develop their potential in Scouting.

Here are some ideas to get you thinking!

• Allow Cubs to attend on alternate weeks.

• Take time out for exams.

• Visit camps rather than attend the whole event.

• Make them welcome at the nearest Troop.

• Open new Troops.

• Collect and travel together.

What ONE thing do you think would improve the transition between Cubs and Scouts?

Quotes from the survey: • ‘Four sessions with the Scouts before moving on to get to know each other’ • ‘A better link, having more activities together’ • ‘A special day, held say twice a year at at least District and possibly County level for Cubs of 10+, introducing them to Scout skills so they are excited about moving forward. Most of my Cubs do go to Scouts and enjoy it but a special event would be great.’

• ‘Get the Scout Leader involved in some Cub activities so that they know them before they go.’

• ‘I run both Cubs and Scouts, so no great problem. But otherwise it has to be good communication and cooperation between sections. We invite older Cubs to attend some District Scout activities which gives them a taster of Scouting life.’

• ‘Inter-section activities so that the Cubs meet the Scout Leaders and the Scouts who they are about to join. Also, a previous good transition which means there are a lot of old Cubs at the Scout Troop who the Cubs will know from their time in the Pack.’

• ‘Joint events. Our Scouts can only meet on a different evening to Cubs, so Cubs don’t see the Scouts very often, and when a lot of Cubs go up Akela goes to Scouts until they have been invested.’

• ‘More joint activities.’

Tell us what you think We would be pleased to have your thoughts on this issue and, more importantly, to learn about your successes and good ideas so that we can share them with everyone. Please contact us at cub.scout@scout.org.uk

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Top 5 Programmes on POL (July)

Ref

Activity name

27523

Cub Scout Islam Pack

5275

Water water everywhere

45522

Go-anywhere orienteering course

43631

Map reading

39393

Human dominoes

Activity/Game POL ID

Time

Zon

Opening ceremony

N/A

10 mins

Belie Attit

Nature Detectives Matching Leaves and Seeds

37961

20 mins

Outd Adve Crea

Autumn Place Mats

10215

20 mins

Belie Attit Crea

5 mins

Belie Attit

This issue’s theme is autumn.

Compiled by Nicola Ashby

POP Programmes on a plate

Test it out

what We would love you to let us know . If plate a on me ram prog this of k you thin mins ten e you are trying it out, please spar your to email us your thoughts. Provide s Cub of ber name, role, Group and num hing anyt if and ked and of course what wor uk org. out. t@sc scou didn’t. Email cub.

Closing Ceremony

24641

10 Cubs August/September 2009

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Zone

Method

Instructions

s

Beliefs and Attitudes

Themes

Discuss the theme for the meeting.

s

Outdoor and Adventure, Creative

Outdoors

This activity is one in a series produced for Nature Detectives from the Woodland Trust. These activities can either be done on their own or as part of the Ancient Tree Hunt.

s

You will need: • pencils • white paper.

What you do: 1. Print off the worksheet and copy so that you have enough for each Cub Scout.

2. Hand out the worksheets and the pencils.

3. Explain that they are trying to match the seeds to the leaves.

4. Let the young people complete the sheets.

5. Check their answers .

6. You may wish to have nature identification books to show to them, showing what the different things look like.

7. Explain to the young people that the things they are identifying can all be found in and around woodland.

Beliefs and Attitude, Creative

You will need: • coloured paper • glue • paint • pens • scissors • white paper • laminating machine and pouches or • clear sticky backed plastic or • clear pocket folders • leaves and apples.

What you do: 1. Make a collection of autumn leaves and apples - crab apples are ideal, you could go for a walk in the local area the week before to collect the leaves and fruit.

2. Spread newspapers out over the tables, and prepare the paint, which should be reasonably thick.

3. Give each young person a sheet of A4 paper and they should start decorating the paper.

4. Brush paint on the side of the leaf with the more prominent leaf but not too thickly and lay the leaf down on the paper and press. The Cubs can experiment with different patterns.

5. Decorate the paper in any way they want but leave a space in the middle to stick the prayer on.

6. Give each young person a cut out of an apple or leaf shape from a separate piece of paper. This could be on different colour paper and ask the young people to write a short prayer about autumn and/or the harvest, giving thanks for our food. This is glued onto their sheet.

7. When the sheets are all dry, put each into a laminating pouch and pass through the laminator. They now have a lovely place mat that can used at mealtimes.

Beliefs and Attitudes

Themes, Prayer, worship and reflection

Ask the Cubs what they have learned.

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

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Tune in, camp out isers of Hilary Galloway meets the organ beam one jamboree using technology to the adventure into parents’ homes

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amps are traditionally a place where you can leave modern life behind for a short time, erect your tent and get back to basics. But in some cases technology can enhance and not hamper the camping experience. The organisers of CubJam, a week-long jamboree for 1,000 Cub Scouts, believe it is especially important for Cub Scout age Scouts.

Bob Cooper and Steve Hall made a huge effort to help parents discover real time what their sons and daughters are doing for the week.

Steve said, ‘A camp like this can be more difficult for the parents than the young people, especially as it is often the first time the young people have spent so long away from their parents. This is why we created Cubjam Live – an online area where parents can blog, read their children’s blogs, listen to the radio station, text in messages and look at the thousands of photographs uploaded each day. It’s proved really popular and had over a million page views this week alone.’

One parent blogged on the site: ‘It’s been amazing to see daily photos, read news, listen to the radio, add requests, write and read blogs from our 1st and 2nd Orpington Cub Scouts. Our son is obviously having an amazing time, he looks so happy. A lifetime of memories I suspect.’

The team also used advanced technology to deal with the logistics of 600 Cubs transported to offsite activities every day. ‘The coaches contain chips that allow us to check from our computers exactly where they are at any time of the day. This has been great as it means we can tell which coaches are nearly back to site.’

The IT crowd But how do you organise such a high-tech event? It helps that Steve runs his own IT business, so has the skills in place, but he says that if you look around, you will probably find enthusiasts in not just IT but media and communications.

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Feature

Happy campers Just some of the comments posted on CubJam Live: ‘Wow! Seeing the smiles on all the Cubs faces makes me wish I was ten again. There hasn’t been a dull moment in CubJam and is the most rewarding, happiest time of my life.

The experience I have gained is immense and it makes me wish to become a proper leader when I’m an adult. I am so glad that our leader Sue organised this. Thanks.’

Samuel, 14, Sutton ‘This is the second time I have had a child on Cubjam and the difference for us parents is huge. Last time round you were somewhat limited by the lack of technology, but this time with the ease of uploading photos, blogs, comments and FM we at home have felt as included (almost) as our son.’

David, parent ‘It’s put all us parents’ minds at rest to see and hear what a great time you are all having, our children will remember this for the rest of their lives, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou!’

Sarah, mum

‘Our radio DJs both do hospital radio, and we asked a team of Explorers who are keen photographers to be our resident photographers, which provides them with a great opportunity to practise their skills.’

Back to basics Of course, none of the technology hampered the actual activities, and every day the camp was bustling with Cubs climbing, go karting, testing their circus skills, and on the last day they even held a carnival.

Louise Clover, media manager and contingent leader said, ‘This is a great way for parents to give their children a bit of freedom to gain their independence in a safe environment. It’s also the first time that some

parents have really understood what Scouting was about. We’ve already had five requests from parents to come and help out at a meeting when we get back.’

The main aim of Cubjam is to encourage Cub Scouts to meet others from across the UK, and remind them that they have much in common with each other – no matter their background or where they are from.’

A camp for all Cubs CubJam is a jamboree for all UK Cubs. This year, Cubs travelled from all over the UK, including Guernsey, Wales and Yorkshire. It was held at Gilwell Park Scout Activity Centre. The next CubJam takes place in 2013.

Join the mailing list at www.cubjam.org.uk/09 scouts.org.uk/pol 13

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During CubJam: - the website had 2,852,950 hits.

- the majority of visits lasted between five and 15 minutes.

- the most listeners to CubJam FM via the web at any one time was 62, and they received over 600 emails.

- 800 blog entries were posted online.

Campfire Badge Item code: 1027066

£1

scouts.org.uk/shop 01903 766 921

A new fun badge for Cub Scouts.

Shaped as an arrow to point the way to go.

Size 12.5x11cm

Adult Cub Hooded Sweatshirt Cub Tote Bag Item code: 1026565

£3 A new sturdy Tote Bag for putting your various bits and pieces in.

Approximate size 32x39cm

Item code: 1024263R

£18

The adult version of the Cub Hooded Sweatshirt has Cub embroideries on the chest and sleeve only. Great for wearing around the campfire.

Available sizes: small - XXL

Cub Zip Pull Item code: 1027063

£1.25 A zip pull with the Cub logo that can be clipped on to your jacket, belt loop or daysack.

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

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Intro Congratulations!

Safety first tional We celebrate the winners of the Na ition Grid Home Safety Badge compet

The winners: Connor - 10th Radcliffe, Manchester - First Prize £500 Daniel - St. Pauls 19th Fairfield, Liverpool - Second Prize £300 Dylan - 34th Meir Park, Stoke on Trent - Third Prize £200

N

ot only do the three lucky winners receive a prize for their Pack to spend on equipment, they each receive a voucher of £50 to spend at Scout Shops plus a winner’s certificate signed by the Chief Scout.

Adam Mallalieu, National Grid’s Director of Safety, who drew the lucky winners from all the correct answers received said ‘This is our first Cub Scout competition and we’ve had a great response. I’d like to thank everyone who took part and offer my personal congratulations to the winning Cubs. I hope Connor, Daniel and Dylan and their Packs enjoy the prizes.’

National Grid’s Chris Murray, Director - UK Transmission presents first prize winner Connor from 10th Radcliffe with his certificate and Pack prize of a new mess tent.

Activity pack success The pack takes the form of a poster which has eight activities to complete, including a wordsearch, a spot the error picture along with lots of home safety advice. Also included is a scratch and sniff card so Cub Scouts can learn what gas smells like. The activities are designed to be completed at Pack meetings and at home and they are also fun to do.

Julian Buttery, Head of UK Community Relations said ‘The take up of our activity pack has been a runaway success with 100,000 packs being issued since our sponsorship began in 2007. Promoting home safety is a great way for us to get our gas safety message across to youngsters and their families. The saying ‘safety begins at home’ is true and we are proud to continue our association with Scouting.’

Competition answers can be found at www.nationalgrid.com/uk/Community/ cubscouts/compresults

nts third National Grid’s Steve Mulloch prese Park with prize winner Dylan from 34th Meir a parachute. his certificate and Pack prize of

National Grid’s Malcolm Montg omery presents prize winner Da second niel from St Paul’ s 19th Fairfield with his certifica Cubs te and Pack prize of outside game s

Download the free pack www.scouts.org.uk/nationalgrid scouts.org.uk/pol 15

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Puzzled? ! e b l l i w u Yo Turn your Cubs into puzzle masters with Charlie Dale’s make and do

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t’s always good to look at things from a different angle, and solving puzzles can help you do just that. Some puzzles are purely a matter of proposing a situation and working out the solution, and I’ll show you some of those.

There are others that require the solver to physically do something, and I’ll show you some that you can make too. These are great not just for a Pack night, but also to keep handy for a rainy day at camp.

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6 7

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10 11

14

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15 16

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Puzzles on paper Perhaps the most common form of puzzle, largely because of its near universal presence in newspapers and magazines, is the crossword. There are two forms: cryptic where each clue is a little word puzzle in itself, and general knowledge. Setting a crossword can be as much fun as trying to solve one; here’s how to start: 1. First, draw out a grid of squares on a piece of paper – 10 by 10, 16 by 16, 20 by 20. These can be as large as you want but I suggest starting with a smaller grid until you get the hang of things.

2. Set the puzzles or questions. For a 10 by 10 grid, I would recommend 16. Remember the whole point of the “crossword” puzzle is the answers to different clues share letters where they cross, so bear this in mind because it’s easy to forget. It can help to set your crossword with a theme, so for example all the words could be to do with Scouting.

3. W rite the answers in the grid, then block out the squares to form the spaces in between the crossed words. To help you I have done a simple 10 by 10 grid below to show you (the blocks and spaces form a pattern, which is very common in commercial crosswords).

4. Now you have to number the start of each word, down and across, so that the people solving your puzzle will know what clue they are answering. It is usual to start in the top left of the grid with clue number 1, and work your way down the grid, left to right numbering as you go (as shown).

6. Lastly, don’t forget to separate your clues into ‘Down’ and ‘Across’ listing the number first, then the clue, and finally how many letters the word should have.

7. Recreate the grid (minus the answers obviously!) and photocopy for use.

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Make and do

Thinking caps on And now for some puzzles that don’t require anything in the way of preparation or materials, just a quick wit to solve them: Q: An old fashioned sailing ship travels from Liverpool to New York, which part of the ship travels the furthest?

A: The top of the tallest mast. Due to the fact that our planet is a sphere the top of the tallest mast is travelling slightly further than lower parts of the ship. The measured distance is at sea level, if you were to hold a very long tape measure all the way along the route the ship took at the same height as the mast you would see that it’s a slightly greater distance.

Q: How do you push an orange through a matchbox without breaking its skin?

A: Take the little drawer out of the matchbox, put you finger through the matchbox and push the orange.

Rope puzzles These puzzles aren’t that bad, but they may take a bit of thought. Obviously you will need rope or string to make the puzzle – if you have a long rope you can do these on the floor in your meeting place, or use pieces of string to do them at table top scale.

Make a house Q: A man goes to work every day in a very tall office building. In the morning he pushes the button for the 50th floor, but when he gets there he walks up the stairs a further 5 floors to where his office is. In the evening he just goes to the lift on the 55th floor and pushes the button for the ground floor. Why is this?

A: Because he’s not tall enough to reach the button in the lift for the 55th floor.

Word searches Another grid based puzzle. As before set out your grid of squares. Decide how the words will appear – will you let them go diagonally as well as up and down? How about backwards to make the puzzle more difficult? Write your chosen words in the grid. Don’t have too many words, otherwise they’ll be too easy to see, six to eight is plenty for a 10 by 10 grid. If you’re stuck for words (a theme is useful here too) how about hiding the names of each member of a Six in the grid? Then you just have to fill in the remaining grid spaces with more letters.

A simple one to start with. Using the rope make the following shape by laying it down without ever doubling back on yourself: A solution (for there is more than one way) is shown right, the arrows indicate the direction the rope must be laid in starting from the circle.

Join the dots - thinking outside the box Lay out a simple nine by nine grid of dots inside a square or rope, if you’re doing this on the floor simple circles of paper will do for the dots, on a piece of paper just draw the dots and the square so: The puzzle is to join all nine dots using just four straight lines, again with no backtracking. Here’s the solution – there’s nothing in the rules that says your lines have to stay inside the box!

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Get creative in h t i w n e h c t i k e h t Dutch Edam!

The chefs at Edam reveal their favourite recipe to get everyone’s creative juices flowing Edam has 14% more

D

calcium and 25% less

utch Edam, a favourite with families, is easy to recognise with its red wax coating and wedge shape serving. The cheese originates from Holland and is named after the Dutch port town of Edam, located just outside Amsterdam. It is produced and ripened in the classic Dutch cheese making tradition, using milk from the famous Frisian cows.

Baked soufflé potatoes with Edam, tuna and sweetcorn Cubs will love to help make these soufflé baked potatoes. Whisked egg whites are folded into the cheesy potato and tuna mixture to create a light fluffy centre.

Serves: 4 Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients • 4 large baking potatoes • 25g (1oz) unsalted butter • 100ml (3½floz) semi-skimmed milk • 30ml (2tbsp) freshly chopped chives • 2 eggs, separated • 150g (5oz) Edam wedge, grated • 1 x 198g can sweetcorn kernels • 1 x 200g can tuna in water, drained and flaked

fat than cheddar To serve: Tomato salad or green beans 1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC, 400ºF, gas mark 6. Place the potatoes on a baking tray and cook for 55 minutes - 1 hour until tender. Allow to cool slightly.

2. Cut in half and scoop out most of the flesh into a bowl, leaving a 5mm (¼”) shell on the potato.

3. Mash the flesh with the butter, milk, chives and egg yolks until smooth. Stir in most of the cheese, the tuna and sweetcorn. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4. Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until they form soft peaks. Then fold them into the potato mixture using a large metal spoon.

5. Place the potato halves back onto the baking sheet and fill with the mixture. Sprinkle over remaining cheese and bake for a further 15-20 minutes until risen and golden.

6. Serve 2 halves per person with a tomato salad or sliced green beans.

Cook’s tip: These potatoes can be made in advance, up to the point of whisking and folding in the egg whites.

For more recipe inspiration, facts and interactive games looking at how Dutch Edam is made, check out www.edammade.co.uk

18 Cubs August/September 2009

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