explorer

InTouch

STEM A NEW SY GE TO MANA EVENTS

ine The magaazders e L r Scout y 2010 for Explore 0 0 9/Januar December 2

How’s it going?

Why review is good for you

Wanted!

Explorer Scouts evade capture in Cumbrian challenge

E C N A L A B R U O Yng programmes for 2010 KEEPP lanni

k/pol

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Your Explorer Scout Section Working Group Alex Minajew, UK Commissioner for Programme Gemma Veitch, Programme and Development Adviser

WELCOME

Time to move on

Contact them at: programme@scout.org.uk Programme Team, The Scout Association, Gilwell Park, Chingford, London E4 7QW Tel: 0845 300 1818 ADVERTISING Richard Ellacott richard.ellacott@thinkpublishing.co.uk Tel: 020 8962 1258

Important changes to the moving on age between Explorer Scouts and the Scout Network are coming into effect. Gemma Veitch explains all and introduces your supplement The Vetting and Barring Scheme will start to be implemented from July 2010 in England, Northern Ireland and Wales. One of the effects of this scheme for Scouting will be that everyone aged 18 years old or over will need to be registered with the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). In order to reflect these arrangements and to clarify the distinction between young people and adults in the Association, it has been necessary to change the Explorer Scout section age flexibility with effect from July 2010.

Feedback has highlighted that having Explorer Scouts aged over 18 can cause issues in various areas, such as making correct arrangements for residential experiences, criminal records checking, and activity permits.

Currently Explorer Scouts have until they are 18 ½ years old to move on from the section. However, from July 2010 Explorer Scouts will be required move on from the Explorer Scout section before their 18th birthday. This rule change is effective across all areas of the UK. For more information please go to www.scouts.org.uk/vbs or contact the Scout Information Centre on 0845 3001818 or info.centre@scout.org.uk Eastbourne Explorer Scouts are currently attempting to break the world record, set in 2007, for the biggest Scout scarf. Join in by sending your scarf to Sacha Titherly, 7 Gordon Road, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 3JD

We’ve got issues There’s plenty to pore over in this issue, including some real life answers to the big question of how to get busy Explorers to commit to weekend activities.

Don’t forget, here at Scouting we love to hear from you. Email your comments, stories and programme ideas to scouting.magazine@scout.org.uk with ‘Explorer Scout Supplement’ in the subject line.

Contents 4 Get with the plan Six steps to perfect programme planning

6 Room for review Top tips to fine-tune the setup of Explorer Scouting where you are

10 South spark Ideas of where to camp and what to do in the south and south-east of England

12 The Big Question How do we get more Explorers to do weekend activities?

16 Operation Dragnet An event not for the fainthearted

18 Game for a laugh Our resident gamesters share two more

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Planning a balanced programme which will enthuse and inspire a bunch of teenagers can be a daunting prospect. It doesn’ t have to be. Mel Brammer rustles up some inspiration

n a l p e h t h t i w t Ge How long are you planning for?

Most Units tend to plan a term in advance. It’s a good idea to do this several weeks before the end of the previous term to allow time to contact people, make bookings and check information. You also need to allow the District Explorer Scout Commissioner time to plan the District programme around what you are offering and for the Administrator to collate the programmes and get them sent out to all the Explorers and leaders so they know what’s in store. Decide whether you will meet during exam time and holidays, or whether your programme will become more ad hoc at these times.

Set the date Draw up a calendar covering the months you are planning for and insert any fixed dates that you know about such as large camps, festivals, expeditions and training weekends. You may be able to programme in some activities relating to these, for example expeditions require training in advance and some night navigation practice is helpful before a District Night Hike challenge.

Youth involvement

Mind the gaps Leave room in your programme for items such as Taking the Lead activities, which can be done regularly, and for a Unit Forum (where you get everyone’s ideas for the next programme and allow them to have their say on other aspects of the section). You’ll also want time to support the Explorer Scouts with the Building My Success process and with making decisions about parts of their awards and selecting activity badges.

Check your balance Check what you’ve already got in your programme. Have you covered all the Programme Zones and used a variety of methods? What’s missing?

Fill a hole Plug the gaps in your programme using themes or ideas from your Explorer Scouts. If there are still zones being missed, try Programmes Online (www.scouts.org.uk/pol).

Next get your Explorer Scouts’ ideas. Encourage them to think about things that they have enjoyed in the past but also to think outside of the box using some of the ideas generation tools mentioned in The Unit Programme. Make sure that they know about the Programme Zones and methods that we are aiming for in the balanced programme, but at this stage we just want ideas.

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PROGRAMME PLANNING

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more info The Unit Programme, available from Scout Shops for ÂŁ5 is a guide to planning and running a successful Unit programme.

Programme Zones Outdoor and Adventure Any outdoor activities and plenty of adventure.

Ask the Explorers Asking the Explorers what they want to do can be fraught with danger. You might get expensive ideas like karting or have to explain yet again that we can’t do paintball.

We asked our Unit for some ideas for the autumn and got a range of suggestions as diverse as a luminous paint fight, cow milking and caving. Explorers who understand the programme are always a help here, and we had one voicing support for a swimming evening so that he could be assessed on his Swimmer Staged Badge. We also operate a Unit Council, with four elected members who work with the leaders to sift through the ideas, decide what’s going in, check that the programme is balanced, and take responsibility for organising some of it.

Having done this for a year they have a bit more of a clue about what is practical and how much organisation something might take.

Physical Recreation Physical pursuits either individual or team; learning about health issues.

Skills Learning and developing practical and social skills and personal interests; taking responsibility, developing self-confidence and having fun.

Global Developing a better understanding of the world they live in; environmental, local and international issues.

Service Contributing skills and time to help other people.

Values and Relationships Thinking about values; understanding how to form and develop relationships within the Unit and outside.

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Room for review Is Explorer Scouting in your Unit or District the best it can be? It’s time to review it

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BEST PRACTICE

The new year is a great time to review Explorer Scouting in your patch and make changes to make things even better.

How to review Review is a helpful tool, based on a snapshot in time for spotting parts of your Explorer Scout provision that may need addressing, or for making a great provision even better. Whether you are reviewing the provision across your whole District, or just looking at one Unit, there are some things to think about:

• Who to involve Your list may include the following: parents, Explorer Scouts, leadership team, District Explorer Scout Commissioner, District Explorer Scout Administrator, District Commissioner, representative of District Executive, ADC Scouts, District Scout Network Leader, Assistant County/Area/Region Commissioner for Explorer Scouts.

• How to do it Will you have a meeting of all the people involved or will you send out a list of questions by email or post?

• Gathering information Make sure that you have all the information you need.

What to review You will want to review some or all of the following, depending on whether you are looking at a District or Unit:

• Leadership Do you have enough leaders or people in other posts in place? Are all the leaders undergoing training appropriate for their role? Are there plans for recruiting new leaders? Have leaders recently left or are any intending to step down or change role?

What is the induction process like for new leaders?

What is the diversity of leadership like? Are we doing everything we can to make all adult volunteers welcome and to make volunteering appealing for a wide range of adults?

How many of your Explorers have gained the Queen’s Scout Award?

• Membership How many Explorer Scouts are there in the District/Unit? How many are Young Leaders? Has the number of Explorer Scouts increased or decreased? What is the spread of Explorer Scouts across the Units? Are some Units better subscribed than others? Why? What is the average turn out to weekly meetings at each Unit? How many Explorer Scouts have been invested in the last 12 months?

How many Scouts are there over the age of 13 who might be expected to move up to Explorer Scouts in the next 12 months? How many Explorer Scouts have left in the last 12 months? Why did they leave? How many have gone on to be invested as members of Scout Network? How many have become adult volunteers in the Movement? Is there a clear mechanism for transferring information about young people from one section to the next?

>>

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Scouting Awards, activity badges etc? How many Chief Scout’s Platinum, Diamond and Queen’s Scout Awards have been achieved in the last 12 months? Are there any Programme Zones which are not covered very often or which are difficult to cover? Is a wide range of methods used to deliver the programme? Do we offer enough opportunities for camping and nights away? Do we make use of Nights Away event passports? Do the Explorer Scouts have opportunities to take part in international experiences? Do we do enough of our activities outdoors?

• Youth representation

Room for review >> What is the diversity of membership like? Are we doing everything we can to make all Explorer Scouts welcome?

• Structure Are there enough Explorer Scout Units for a District of this size? Are there any geographic areas which do not have easy access to an Explorer Scout Unit? Are Units partnered with Groups where appropriate and does this partnership work? Are all Units open to all Explorer Scouts? Do the Units communicate and work well with one another to create a cohesive District provision? Are we making the best use of the adult volunteers that we have available in the section?

• Programme Is a Balanced Programme on offer to all the Explorer Scouts in the Unit or District? Do all Explorer Scouts know about all the programme opportunities available to them within the Unit, District and beyond? Are all they all given the opportunity and support to enable them to achieve DofE,

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Is there a District Explorer Scout Forum? Is there a Unit Forum? Was there a District Explorer Scout Meeting in the last 12 months? Do the Explorer Scouts get the opportunity to have their say on the programme?

Can they take a more active part in organising the programme if they wish? Are there Explorer Scouts involved with this review?

• Young Leaders Are all the Young Leaders in the District registered members of the Young Leaders’ Unit? Does the Young Leaders’ Unit meet often enough? Is Module A offered at least every three months? Are the other modules of the Young Leaders’ Scheme offered regularly? Do the younger section leaders and the Young Leaders feel supported by the Explorer Scout Leader (Young Leader)? Do the Young Leaders have access to the rest of the Explorer Scout Programme in the District? Do the Young Leaders have a copy of the Explorer Scout Membership Pack? Are Young Leaders invested as Explorer Scouts? Are Young Leaders undertaking the missions?

• Finance and resources Does the District Executive Committee adequately support the Explorer Scout section? Does the DESC attend the District Executive Committee meetings?

Do all the Explorer Scout Leaders understand the way that Explorer Scouting is financed in the District? Are Leaders encouraged to claim back their expenses?

Are the membership fees adequate to cover the needs of the Unit or District Explorer Scout provision? Does the District Executive support the Explorer Scout section with fundraising and applying for grants?

Is there enough equipment for the provision of Explorer Scouting in the District? Is the equipment adequately

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BEST PRACTICE

insured? Is there a plan for purchase and upkeep of equipment?

• Publicity How often have Explorer Scouts or the Unit been in the local media in the last 12 months? Do all Scout Troops in the District know about Explorer Scouts and what we do? Are Explorer Scouts seen out and about at events and activities both within and outside of Scouting in the area?

Just looking at this list may be enough to give you a headache, but when a team of you look at it together you will find that you can answer some of the questions very quickly. For the remaining questions, having information about your District or Unit to hand will fill in the gaps.

It is important to be honest when reviewing your provision – fudging your answers to make your District or Unit look better doesn’t benefit anybody. No matter what the results of the review, think about doing it as a positive step. We’re all in this for the young people and we can now start to ask for help and support to find ways to improve what we are offering.

What to do next In answering some of these questions you will have found some areas in which you are doing really well, and some areas that are ripe for development. The next stage is to set some targets. What would you like to achieve?

How are you going to do it? Who is going to do it and with what support? When is it going to be done? Be realistic; you can only change things a little at a time!

Set about five targets and actions with a realistic timetable and aim to have those areas improved before your next review.

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The climbing wall at Youlbury

The clocktower at Downe

South spark T

his area is about a lot more than London (covered in a previous article), though that’s likely to be your main point of entry. For the purposes of this article we’re including Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, West and East Sussex, Surrey and Kent.

Getting there Plane: Heathrow or Gatwick Airport link to the rest of the UK. Train: There are a lot of train links here, mostly originating in London. Eurostar and the Channel Tunnel also arrive into Kent.

Road: Road links are excellent in this part of the UK. Boat: Southampton and Portsmouth to the south will probably be your point of departure to the Isle of Wight, as well as being an arrival point from elsewhere in Europe. Dover is also a busy link to Europe.

Campsites There’s plenty of choice for where to camp with your Unit: Horley Scout Campsite. Banbury, Oxfordshire. Large woodland site with small building available for up to 15. www.banburyscouts.org.uk Youlbury Scout Activity Centre. Oxford, Oxfordshire.

Huge campsite with a range of indoor accommodation available and lots of activities. www.scouts.org.uk/sac Earleywood. Ascot, Berkshire. Camping or indoor accommodation available and some on-site activities. www.southberksscouts.org/ew 10

Ferny Crofts. Brockenhurst, Hampshire. Large camping area and two buildings available with a wide range of on-site activities. www.scouts.org.uk/sac Solent Scout Training Centre (Lyons Copse).

Shedfield, Hampshire. Camping and indoor buildings with some on-site activities. www.lyonscopse.org.uk Broadstone Warren Scout Camp and Activity Centre.

Forest Row, East Sussex. Huge campsite with a variety of indoor and outdoor accommodation and some activities. www.broadstonewarren.org.uk Bushy Wood Scout Camp. Hailsham, East Sussex.

Woodland campsite on the South Downs, with plenty of camping and a small amount of indoor accommodation. www.bushywood.org.uk Walton Firs Campsite and Activity Centre. Cobham, Surrey. Large campsite with a range of accommodation and activities. www.waltonfirsactivitycentre.org.uk Adamswell Scout Campsite. Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

Rural campsite with a river running through it, ideal for back-to-basics camping. www.adamswell.org.uk Downe Activity Centre. Orpington, Kent. Large site with indoor and outdoor accommodation and a range of activities. www.scouts.org.uk/sac

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REGIONAL REVIEW

Leeds Castle

In the last of our series of articles exploring what’s on offer for Explorer Scouts around the UK we visit the south and south-east of England

Paccar Scout Camp (Chalfont Heights). Chalfont St. Peter, Buckinghamshire. Huge campsite with plenty of indoor accommodation and a range of activities. www.chalfont.info

Activities Sailing and other water sports. There are several facilities for taking to the water. Try these: Oxford Sailing Centre, Farmoor Reservoir. www.oxfordsailingclub.com Southampton Water Activities Centre. www.swac.co.uk Spray Water Sports Centre. www.eastsussex.gov.uk/ leisureandtourism/sport/clubs/watersports/spray Bewl Water in Kent. www.bewlwater.org HMS Victory and the Mary Rose. Portsmouth.

Visit two naval ships right out of the history books.

See www.hms-victory.com and www.maryrose.org Coastal towns and cities. Brighton and Hove, Eastbourne, Margate, Dover, Southampton and Portsmouth all have something different to offer, whether it’s the HMS Victor y beach and pier experience, looking at the coastal defences which have protected us from invasion over the years, sea-life centres or naval centres.

Climbing. Evolution climbing centre for indoors

www.evolutionindoorclimbing.co.uk or Harrisons Rock outdoors www.softrockclimbing.co.uk/harrisons_rocks. htm both in East Sussex; Craggy Island Indoor Climbing Centre www.craggy-island.com in Guildford; High Sports www.high-sports.co.uk have indoor climbing centres in Surrey, West Sussex and Hampshire.

Theme Parks.

Thorpe Park www.thorpepark.com in Chertsey, Surrey; Chessington World of Adventures www.chessington.co.uk in Chessington, Surrey; Legoland www.legoland.co.uk in Windsor, Berkshire. Get your thrills and spills on the rollercoasters!

Castles.

Dover and Deal, both www.english-heritage.org.uk in Kent; Leeds Castle www.leeds-castle.com (also Kent); Windsor Castle, Berkshire, www.windsor.gov.uk; or Hampton Court Palace, Surrey, www.hrp.org.uk/ HamptonCourtPalace Try something different by learning Scuba and Snorkelling at Stonecroft Farm Dive School, centres in Surrey and East Sussex - www.stonecroftfarm.co.uk Day trips. To France, the Isle of Wight or the Channel Islands.

Outdoor Activities on the South Downs www.visitsouthdowns.com or in the New Forest www.thenewforest.co.uk both great for cycling, walking, horse riding and more. scouts.org.uk/pol

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Something for the weekend We have a large Unit, but when we hold activities on the weekends we have quite a poor turn-out. How do you get busy teenagers to commit to activities on weekends or outside their normal meeting night?

Teenagers are pretty busy, but it can be disheartening for a leader to spend several hours organising an activity which the Explorers were keen on having in the programme, only to find that only a handful are able to commit to attending. Here are some responses and suggestions to help you avoid the situation: Remember that Explorers may be paying for the activity themselves or taking time off work for a weekend activity, so they need to feel that it is worth bothering with and good value for money.

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Publish the programme at least three to four months in advance and back this up with flyers, bulk text messages or emails at regular intervals. If we send things through the post it is usually also addressed to parents/ carers so they know what is going on.

It helps to have regular dates on the programme year after year so that the Explorers know to expect them and to leave space in their diaries for them, such as camps, DofE expeditions and festivals – these dates are all fixed a year in advance. We publish dates for the summer camp the previous September, along with an estimated cost,

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Q&A

so that Explorers have time to save up, arrange time off work and fit in with family holidays.

Colin Laws – DESC, Loughborough District I give hard but reasonable deadlines for things, and explain why – leaders don’t have time to chase round after so many Explorer Scouts. Send a reminder, and if they miss out on a great weekend because they didn’t get organised in time, then that’s a valuable life lesson for them. They will (hopefully) be more organised next time, as they know they’ll miss out. Chasing round after Explorers is making a rod for your own back.

Ian – DESC, Farnham District Our Sea Explorer Unit of 31 has a very busy schedule. We have our normal meeting night on a Monday; DofE focused activities on other nights of the week and a very busy weekend programme on top of this. This includes a kayak course (12 days), cardboard box camp, offshore sailing, and courses in first aid, maritime navigation, VHF radio, and pioneering. We also do regular water activity days on a Sunday. Other weekend activities include the cinema, DofE expeditions and visiting events like the Air Display in Yeovilton.

During exam time we ease up on the programme and run fun activities, barbecues, campfires, ten pin bowling and karting.

If you want to captivate busy teenagers, you have to tap directly into their interests. Getting support from parents and friends makes all the difference too. We operate a carrot and stick principle, with a lot more of the carrot!’

David Sowden – ESL, Aire Valley District ‘My answer is ‘Be flexible’. Make your weekend activities nearby and flexible, so that paper rounds, weekend jobs

>>

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>> and music lessons can be fitted in. If you make your programme exciting enough, the young people will make it happen. Don’t expect them all to be there dead on time and don’t expect them to be able to stay for the whole event. Make sure they know they’ve got to tell you in advance when they are coming and going so that you can plan around them, but if you want them there at all then you have to be accommodating.’

Heather Hale – ESL, Kent ‘Many of these commitment problems arise from leaders arranging activities and dates without consulting the Explorer Scouts. It might help to hold a meeting where the

Explorers set some of the dates for the next year’s activities. Most of them know when their exams and holidays are, so you should be able to arrange activities around these dates, increasing the chance of the Explorers committing. The organisers also have to understand that not all their Explorer Scouts may want to attend the activities. This is a great time for them to open up to the District/County and involve more Explorers. Most leaders appreciate a ‘day-off’ from organising events and this way they might well be able to reciprocate with an activity for others.

Mark Newman – ACC (ES), Dorset

In the next issue we’ll look at getting more support for Explorer Scouting from the District.

Get your thinking caps on to help with answers to another big question:

‘We’re aware of a large rural area of our District with no Scout Groups and no Explorer Scout Units. We want to appeal to teenagers further out of town (some are half an hour or more away) but we’re not sure how to go about it – any ideas?’

Calling all wordsmiths

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After several years, Mel Brammer is hanging up her fountain pen as Explorer’s sub-editor, leaving us with some sizeable shoes to fill.

Could it be you?

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ontributing to the supplement is key to providing practical and authentic support to section leaders throughout the country. If you have a flair for writing and a passion for Explorer Scouting, we’d love to hear from you.

As a leader or supporter in the Explorer section, you’ll be wellplaced to tell stories based on your own experience, or use your network of Scouting friends to get to the heart of the matter. You can

work on your own, as part of a team, and write about the section from a variety of angles. You’ll be supported by the UK Programme Team and staff from the Scouting magazine team, so you’ll be in good company.

Interested?

To discuss this further, call Elis for an informal chat on 020 8433 7255.

Terms and conditions are available upon request.

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ACTIVITIES

InTouch As detailed in the main magazine, the existing Home Contact system is being replaced by a new system called InTouch.

Rob Lyon explains all

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t is important to note that although InTouch should make the lives of Explorer Scout Leaders easier through its flexibility, it is a requirement for all Explorer activities, including normal weekly meetings, and not something that can just be ignored.

What does this mean for Explorer Scouts?

This means there is no longer a specific requirement to appoint a third party Home Contact to sit at home by the phone whenever you take your Explorers away. Instead you will need to put in place the most appropriate

Arrowhead Flashing LED Adult Scarf Item code: 1027389

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system for any event, activity or meeting you run including the opportunity to think about how the use of mobile phones is managed.

InTouch will be implemented across the UK between now and 1 September 2010, and your District Commissioner will be able to let you know when your District will be moving across from the Home Contact system. more info Full details of InTouch can be found at www.scouts.org. uk/intouch and in the InTouch factsheet (FS120075)

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With the Scout Arrowhead logo, this scarf is perfect for wearing on a campsite, day or night. Replaceable batteries (ref: 1027403) available – two for £1

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A Waterman Pen in a gift box, in the popular rollerball style. Adorned with the Scout logo. Ideal for gifts or to treat yourself.

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Suitable for laptops with a 15” screen size, with three separate compartments, the middle one being padded.

Sizes S-XXL The very popular i.Scout Hoodie makes a great Christmas gift; it’s the funkiest winter warmer you’ll find this year.

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

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D n o i t a r e Op D

ragnet started back in 1974 as a local event for South Cumbria and North Lancashire Senior Scouts, centred on the Venture Forth base at what is now Great Tower camp site.

Originally for teams of three, it presently attracts around 300 Explorer Scouts and Network members together with up to 100 leaders and back-up staff over the weekend. In 2009 teams for this once Cumbrian event stretched from Edinburgh in the north to Richmond-upon-Thames in the south.

held, once all three are lost you are out of the game.

Teams are encouraged to continue walking in, but after a minimum distance or in case of any emergency or injury, transport is available back to base.

The winning team will arrive at the run in zone nearest to 11 am on the Sunday morning with the maximum number of lives. This makes the competition not just one of brute force and stamina, but one of stealth, cunning, teamwork and planning.

The challenge

Dragnet veterans regale many tales of their experiences, after all, children of the original competitors now take part in the event. One of the best stories must be from the 1970s when a team decided to bed down for a couple of hour’s sleep, only to be rudely awoken by armed special branch officers! Unbeknown to them they had wandered into the grounds of the mansion of Ennim, just south of Blencowe, home at the time to a certain Lord Whitelaw of Penrith who was the incumbent Secretary of State for Ireland!

The aim of the competition is to walk, crawl or run back to the competition venue, avoiding capture, within specified boundaries over a distance of around 35 miles depending on terrain. Coaches depart from the venue at around 10 pm on the Friday, to travel out to the drop off point.

Teams are dropped off at midnight and have one hour to disperse before the catchers are set loose, to seek, find, capture and with minimum torture extract a life card. On each capture one life will be surrendered from the three 16

The stories

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Explorer events

Winners of the 2009 Dragnet from Ayers Explorer Unit , Carlisle

t e n g a r D n

, for Explorer Scouts around the UK There are many challenging events 35 years! st and has now been running for ghe tou the of one be st mu T NE but DRAG

‘All Scouts like a challenge – to complete this event is an achievement for which anyone should be proud – 36 hours of navigation, sleep deprivation and evasion.

Complete exhilaration followed by total exhaustion and for the victors, euphoria.’

The event Dragnet always takes place on the first full weekend in July. This year the base was at the old school house in Boot and teams had to make their way back from the drop off on the Caldbeck Fells. The route and mixed weather made it one of the toughest competitions in the event’s history. Only four teams completed the event with lives intact. After several years of out-of-County winners, Cumbria managed a first and second in the Explorer Scout event, with Ayers Explorer Scout Unit from Carlisle in first place and Inglewood ESU from Dalston taking second.

Third was Gladiator ESU from Congleton. The winners of the Scout Network Event were Ormskirk.

Andy, 17, an Explorer Scout from the winning team said ‘This is my third Dragnet and it is one of the toughest challenges I have ever faced, especially this year’s event.

It’s great fun being out on the fells with my mates and I’ll be back to defend the shield next year’. Explorer Scout Leader Judith Bradshaw added, ‘It is great to see so many young men and women from around the UK who are keen for a challenge. They get a major sense of achievement by completing the event’.

more info Dragnet 2010 is happening on 2–4 July, so don’t miss out! Visit dragnet.org.uk for all the details, find the event’s page on Facebook, or follow Dragnet at www.twitter.com/ DragnetCumbria

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Game for a laugh

ir Our game gurus Iona and Alasda r share another couple of Explore meeting favourites

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hese two games are popular amongst our Explorers so are played often. They are both best indoors, and as they don’t have any particular theme they can be played at any time of the year.

Sticky Toffee Equipment: none This game is quite simple and can be used to fill up the extra five minutes you might have at the end of the night.

It is advisable for all players to remove items from their pockets: watches, jewellery, glasses etc as this game involves a lot of contact.

All the players except two lie down in the middle of the floor and tangle each other up as much as possible by crossing arms/legs with each other and grab hold. The remaining two players then have to try and pull everyone else out of the ‘toffee’ one at a time. They can do this by pulling, tickling or any other sensible means, either working individually or as a team. Once the person is free

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they then help pull people out until there is no more toffee. The last two Explorers left tangled together are the winners.

Square Wrestling Equipment: chalk This game can be quite rough, but if played properly is great fun. Use chalk to divide your floor space into six or eight large boxes, consecutively connected. Everybody starts in box number one, and the players compete with each other to be the last person left in the box. They may do anything they wish to achieve this, other than injuring their opponents (rugby tackling people out of boxes works well!)

Once any part of your body is outside the chalk box then you have lost that box and move into box number two where you start all over again. The game continues until there is only one person left in each box except the last one. The person in box one would be the winner, box two would come second, and so on.

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IBC_Scouting_ExSuppDecJan.indd 6

11/11/2009 10:12

OBC_Explorer_SuppDecJan.indd 6

12/11/2009 11:19