Welcome T
he wheel is perhaps the most significant invention ever. For one thing, it’s made lots of adventurous Scout activities possible, from BMX and mountain biking to skateboarding, quad biking, karting, unicycling, rollerskiing and more, as you'll see in this issue of Get Active! Of course, you can have fun with wheels as well as being on them. Our fun art and science activities teach Scouts about colour wheels and pulleys – a simple machine that makes lifting heavy loads easy. Give our brain-spinning hoop games a whirl, too. Then there’s the serious business of getting behind the wheel. Young driver sessions can teach road safety awareness with some hands-on learning. If you prefer pedal power, read Paul Gant’s essential guide to looking after bicycles – and helping Scouts earn activity badges. As ever, it really is an action-packed issue. But then, that’s how Scouts roll, right?
Contents Create… 4 6
Discover… 8
10 Driving skills
The national magazine of The Scout Association, Gilwell Park, Chingford, London E4 7QW Tel: 0845 300 1818 Get in touch at scouting.magazine@scouts.org.uk. Read Get Active! and Scouting online at scouts.org.uk/magazine Please note that the views expressed by members and contributors in the magazine are not necessarily those of The Scout Association.
ISSN 0036 – 9489 © 2014 The Scout Association Registered Charity Numbers: 306101 (England and Wales) and SC038437 (Scotland)
Young people can start learning the rules of the road from age 11 with the Young Driver Scheme
Bicycle maintenance Paul Gant shares his advice for keeping bikes in tip-top condition and ready to roll
Explore…
matthew.jones@scouts.org.uk
Get Active! Editors Lee Griffiths, Matthew Jones, Antonia Kanczula and Vicky Milnes Content Advisers Ashleigh Grimes, Jess Kelly and Kevin Yeates With thanks to... David Ardill, Iain Ballentine, Jim Banks, Joly Braime, Graham Clark, Paul Gant, James Hage and Leicestershire Scouts, Luke Hall and 2nd Southampton Scouts, Phil Harding and 4th Eastleigh Scouts, David Hefferin and 1st Hexham Scouts, Phil Horne, Graeme Lawton and 1st Hazel Grove Scouts, Gordon Jack and Pegasus ESU, Shona Nutter, Jon Scott and 1st Danefield Scouts, Ralph Spegel, Gemma Thompson, Mick Thompson, Mike and William Wakefield and 1st Gatley Scouts, and Gyles Wren. Cover illustration Supermundane
Hoop games Our top 10 ways to have a great time with hula hoops will put your Group in a spin
Learn…
12 Matthew Jones, Editor
Colour wheel chameleon Paint and learn at the same time, with this colour-tastic chameleon ‘colour wheel’ project Pulley power! Make your own pulley block with your Scouts to learn about lifting and pulling
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Bike rides How to organise a seriously good bike ride to help your section keep fit, get outdoors and gain badges More fun on wheels From unicycling to quad biking, there’s tons more fun to be had by getting out and about on tyres
Get Active! is produced by Immediate Media Branded Content, 6th Floor, Tower House, Fairfax Street, Bristol BS1 3BN ADVERTISING Advertising Manager Tom Parker Email: tom.parker@immediate.co.uk Tel: 0117 314 8781 116,700 average circulation of Scouting (1 Jan–31 Dec 2013) © Immediate Media Branded Content. Printed in the UK by William Gibbons. All rights reserved. Unauthorised reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission. Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright material. In the event of any material being used inadvertently, or where it proved impossible to trace the copyright owner, acknowledgement will be made in a future issue.
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GET ACTIVE! 3
‌ e t a Cre E MOR HEEL W UR COLOTIVITIEjeScts at C A ra fun pro tive/ xt tac Find e .org.uk/ge ls. e s e t h u o w c s r colou
Help Scouts make some great art that incorporates a rotating colour wheel Suitable for Cubs+ The colour wheel explains basic colour theory and shows the relationship between primary, secondary and complementary colours. Here a painted colour wheel shows how a chameleon changes colour – they do this to camouflage themselves in their natural habitats, to signal to other animals and react to changing conditions. With a turn of the wheel, Scouts can watch their chameleon change colour. Making the colour wheel will also help them to understand the relationship between colours and how mixing primary colours together can make secondary colours. If Scouts find out more about colour theory, they can use this as a foundation for studying a particular artist to work towards the Arts Enthusiast Activity Badge. Paul Klee and Henri Matisse are artists who worked extensively on colour studies and produced colour field paintings and artworks.
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What will Scouts learn?
Colour wheels teach simple colour theory, used in art, graphic design and advertising.
What can Scouts earn?
Beavers, Cubs and Scouts can work towards the Creative and Artist Activity Badges. This activity also helps the study of artists needed for the Arts Enthusiast Activity Badge.
April/May 2014
What to do
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our load y Down eleon cham e from lat temp ts.org. scou ctive/ eta uk/g eleon. ch a m
Draw a circle 15cm in diameter on one sheet of watercolour paper. Use a compass or draw around a large plate.
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Place the circle on top of another sheet of watercolour paper, leaving part of the circle sticking out a little on one edge. Mark the outline and centre of the circle in pencil.
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Cut out the chameleon template and lay it inside the circle on the piece of paper. Alternatively, draw your own chameleon inside this circle, but don’t cover up the centre mark.
Carefully cut out the chameleon shape, leaving an outline in the paper. Now it’s time to paint. Paint the primary colours (red, yellow and blue) around the colour wheel, leaving equal white space between them.
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Start mixing the primary colours on a palette or plate, before adding them to fill in your colour wheel. Blend the edges of each colour with a little water to avoid definite stripes. Once complete, leave to dry.
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Cut a small circle about 2cm in diameter from a scrap piece of paper. Punch a hole through it with the split pin.
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Poke the split pin through the centre of the colour wheel, blank side up, and fold back the prongs, ensuring it turns easily.
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Now turn over the artwork and add details to the chameleon by drawing directly onto the transparency. Turn the wheel to watch your chameleon change colour!
scouts.org.uk/magazine
Place this small circle on the back of your cut-out sheet. Match it up with the centre mark you made in step 2 and tape it down, prongs facing up.
Paint a treetop jungle scene on the sheet of paper around the outline of your chameleon, using a fine black pen to make the details stand out.
Cut a transparency sheet to fit completely over the outline of the chameleon. Lay it over the back of the cut-out sheet and poke the split pin through it. Tape into place.
You will need
s Watercolour paints and brushes s Watercolour paper s OHP transparencies s Fine black markers s Pencils s Chameleon templates (draw your own or download the PDF resource) s Sticky tape s Split pin paper fasteners s Scissors
GET ACTIVE! 5
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Point here or visit scouts.org.uk/ getactive/pulley-tutorial to see our video tutorial on how to make this pulley block.
A pulley is a wheel on an axle, designed to support movement of a rope along its circumference. They are used in lots of different ways to lift or move loads. When pulleys are put together in combinations they are known as ‘block and tackle’. Using household materials and a few basic tools you can make a working replica of a four-pulley block and tackle system.
WHAT TO DO: Making the pulley wheels
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Cut out eight circles from the board, each with a radius of 2.5cm (diameter 5cm). Cut out four more circles with a radius of 2cm. Each pulley wheel will consist of two larger discs with one small disc sandwiched between them. Start by carefully pushing one of the nails through the centre of one of the larger discs.
You will need s 5mm foam board s Six 65mm round nails with flat heads s Plastic drinking straw s Paracord (4-5 metres) s Two corks s PVA glue s Clothes pegs The following tools will also be useful: compass or compass cutter, scissors
Apply glue to one side of a small disc and push this onto the nail until it sticks to the first disc. Apply glue to the other side of the small disc and push another large disc onto the nail. Clamp it together with clothes pegs to ensure the discs stick together. Repeat until you have made four pulley wheels.
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TOP TIP!
A compass cutter, available from art and craft sh as Hobbycr ops such a it much ea ft, makes sier to cut circles ou t of card. April/May 2014
WHAT TO DO: Making the block
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Cut two 12 x 3cm strips of board and carefully push three nails through them. Poke one nail through the middle of the strip and the others near each end. Push one of the pulley wheels all the way along the middle nail. Add a small piece of board to act as a spacer and then push the second pulley wheel into place. Cut two lengths off the plastic straw to fit the space between the two strips, and place these over the other two nails. Push the other strip of board back onto the nails, checking that the pulley wheels turn freely. Cut the cork into three equal bits and place over the tips of the nails. Glue into place. Repeat steps 1 to 5 to make the second pulley block. Your blocks are now ready to be reeved (fitted with rope – or, in this case, paracord).
SETTING UP: Reeving the blocks Twofold (double) purchase
This rig uses two double blocks with all four wheels reeved.
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TOP TIP!
Make sure the pulley wheels spin freely before you reeve your blocks.
TOP TIP!
Instead of using hooks and eyes to hang your pulley blocks, you can just tie small loops of paracord to your blocks using a cow hitch finished with a reef knot.
Different types of pulley: (Left to right) Single whip, gun tackle, luff tackle, twofold purchase.
Pass the end of the end of the cord over the top wheel from front to back. Then bring it down under the bottom right-hand wheel, from back to front. Pull the end up over the top of the other top wheel, down the back and under the other bottom wheel. Tie the end to the cross bar below the top pulley. The other end is the end you pull. Test your pulley with different weights, and watch what happens to each wheel. Are some turning faster than others?
There are many ways to rig different block and tackle configurations, with different mechanical advantages. Try rigging the examples shown and test them with your Scouts. scouts.org.uk/magazine
More info
Find out more about pulleys and mechanical advantage at scouts.org.uk/getactive/pulleys. Send us your pulley pics and videos: scouting. magazine@scouts.org.uk.
GET ACTIVE! 7
… Hula-hooping can be fun for all Scouts, even our Chief Scout!
Hoop games
SCOUTI NG O SHOESNT A Who’d have thought a simple hula hoop could RING be so versatile? Check out our top 10 hoop games £££££
Picture: Luke Hall
Suitable for all
Hula hoops are a great piece of Scouting equipment that can provide hours of fun for your section, from Beavers through to Explorers. They help to improve motor skills, balance and coordination, and also make excellent props for a variety of action-packed team games. Try some of these with your young people – and develop your own.
8 GET ACTIVE!
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Hoop scramble
Scatter different-sized hoops around. When a leader calls ‘hoopla!’ Scouts run around, avoiding the hoops. The leader then calls a number and that many Scouts must get their whole bodies into each hoop. When a hoop gets that number of Scouts, they pull it up to waist height. If a hoop contains the wrong number of Scouts, they’re out.
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Hula-ball
Tie hoops together with string and hang them, one beneath the other, from a basketball hoop, tree branch, hook on the wall or even a doorway. Play a team game that involves throwing balls or bean bags through the hoops. The hoops can be allocated points according to height, position and difficulty.
April/May 2014
3
Hands-free hooping
Split Scouts into teams of four and give them a hoop. Ask each team to stand in pairs about 15m apart. One pair stands in the hoop and, using any part of their body except their hands or arms, tries to lift the hoop to waist height. Carrying the hoop around their waists, they then run to the other pair. When they reach the second pair, the first pair should drop the hoop. The second pair should step inside the hoop and pick it up (again, no hands!), before running to the original starting point and back again. Continue as a relay until all Scouts are back where they started. B
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Hula roll race
Give each Scout a hoop and draw a starting line. Then challenge each Scout to roll their hula hoop as far as they can. Whoever rolls the hula hoop furthest wins. You could also enforce boundaries and permit interference to allow hoops to hit each other.
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Hoop bubbles
Warning: this one gets wet! Fill a paddling pool with a 1:2 ratio of water to washing-up liquid. If possible, allow the solution to sit overnight and try to avoid splashing – foam is the enemy of big bubbles. Place a hoop in the pool and draw it up, rotating it slowly through 90° to create giant bubbles. Scouts can even get inside the hoop and draw it up around them to end up inside a bubble (check for allergies first).
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Hula toss
Set up coloured markers, such as cones, sand-filled bottles or skittles. The goal is to land the hoop around one of the markers, with each colour representing a different points score.
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Hoop battle
Mark out an arena and give each Scout a hoop. On the count of three they must hula-hoop towards each other, trying to knock their opponent’s hoop down.
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Musical hoops
Lay out hoops in a large circle. Scouts walk or dance around the circle until the music stops, then jump into a hoop. Remove a hoop each time – but when Scouts are ‘out’ they have to hula-hoop until they can jump back in.
Fabulous fundraising
Becky, 8, a Cub from the 19th/23rd Islington Scouts, hula-hooped for 30 minutes to raise money for Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital. She took on the challenge at a District Scout Camp in September 2013, raising £283.56.
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Protect the hoop!
Place hula hoops on the floor of your meeting place, spaced 2–3m apart (you can alter this distance depending on the age and ability of your Scouts). Give each Scout two to four beanbags and ask them to select a hoop. The aim is to throw their beanbag(s) into their opponents’ hoops, and to keep their opponents’ bags out of their own hoop. They can use hands, feet or any other part of their body to deflect the incoming beanbags.
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Through the hoop
Split your section into two teams and ask each team to form a circle, joining hands. Place a hoop between two Scouts in each circle and ask them to link hands through it. The Scouts then have to pass the hoop around the circle without unlinking hands. The first team to get the hoop back to where it started wins.
scouts.org.uk/magazine
GET ACTIVE! 9
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Driving skills
Young people don’t have to wait until they’re 17 to get behind the wheel. There is a way to help Scouts take control of a car and teach them road safety from another perspective
Pictures: David Hefferin/James Hage/Young Driver
Suitable for Scouts+ Letting Scouts loose with a car might excite your Troop but fill you with apprehension. However, with Young Driver it’s safe and easy, and starting them early is actually a great idea. Shockingly, two in 10 newly-qualified drivers will crash within six months of passing their test, rising to 40 per cent among 17-year-old males. Only eight per cent of drivers are aged 17 to 24 and yet they account for 30 per cent of people killed in cars every year. They’re worrying figures. The solution is better education, particularly regarding the four ‘deadly driving sins’: drink and drugs, using mobile phones, speeding, and not wearing a seatbelt. Providers like Young Driver offer driving lessons for under-17s, giving Scouts aged 11 and up a chance to get behind the wheel. The earlier young people learn about the responsibilities of driving, the more receptive they are to safety messages.
10 GET ACTIVE!
s Young driver steps take the first ing towards driv
April/May 2014
Leader view
David Hefferin, Scout Leader, 1st Hexham Scouts ‘I organised for my Scouts to try a Young Driver session at a local venue, the Metro Centre in Gateshead. None of them had been behind the wheel before and they were all very excited about it! I have to admit we didn’t quite know what to expect; we honestly thought the Scouts would be stalling the cars regularly, but they all handled them extremely well.’ Explorer Scouts from several units across Leicestershire had a similar experience at Mallory Park, where they tried driving as part of Leicestershire’s road safety initiative. The sessions went way beyond the Green Cross Code and taught Scouts a variety of new skills, both practical and theoretical – many of which will come in handy when the time comes to take a real driving test. After his driving session, Chris, an Explorer from Pioneer ESU, said: ‘It was brilliant to be driving. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience as it was my first time driving and none of my friends have had the chance.’
TRIED AND TESTED
‘It was good to get so much freedom in the car – I really enjoyed it!’ Joe, 13, Scout
What will Scouts learn?
It’s hands-on learning and the initial lesson focuses on the basics of starting and stopping the car, moving away, changing gears and steering. Once those skills are mastered, drivers will learn more complex manoeuvres as well as how to deal with two-way traffic, junctions, roundabouts and parking. It all takes place on a secure site under the tuition of expert instructors.
Young Driver helps lay the foundations for safe r roads in the future
More info There are 33 Young Driver venues across Great Britain and tuition is available for young people with additional needs. For more information visit youngdriver.eu or call 0844 371 9010.
scouts.org.uk/magazine
GET ACTIVE! 11
… e k i b c i Bas e c n a n e t n i a m e Team tells ik B t u o c S e hir rom Derbys ter their bikes f t n a G l u a P af how to look s t u o c S r u o y Suitable for
Cubs+
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Front hub Check the wheel is secure in the forks; you don’t want a wheel coming loose! If the bike has quick release (QR) skewers and levers, make sure they are tightly closed and facing backwards (so they don’t get snagged in bushes on tight trails). If the bike doesn’t have QR – many smaller-wheeled bikes don’t – you will need a pair of 15mm spanners.
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Tyre pressure Depending on where you’re riding, the pressure varies between about 25psi (pounds per square inch) off-road and 100psi+ on road. If you are going off-road and don’t have a pressure gauge, push the end of your thumb against the inflated tyres: they should be quite firm. Add or remove pressure and, remember, there are two types of valve so make sure the pumps you carry can fit both.
12 GET ACTIVE!
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Wheels Make sure the wheel is fairly true and rotates well. If you are a regular cyclist, or know one, wheel ‘truing’ can be part of your session, but can take ages to get right. Advise the young person or parent to go to a bike shop and get it sorted, if necessary. The tyre is usually marked with a rotation arrow showing the direction of travel. Tyres fitted the wrong way round can have less grip or rotate more slowly. Suggest the owner swaps the direction next time they remove the tyre.
April/May 2014
Handlebars Check all bolts are secure: hold the front wheel between your knees, grab the grips at the end of the handlebars and try and twist the bars. They shouldn’t move. Also, make sure the bar ends have plugs in them – a bare metal, hollow handlebar in a crash could lead to nasty injuries.
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Bottom bracket and cranks Grab both pedals and try to twist against each other. There should be no movement. If there is, the bike needs a new bottom bracket, which is a local bike shop job. Also check that the pedals spin on their axles and are attached securely.
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Seat post and saddle Hold the saddle firmly and try to push, pull and twist. It shouldn’t move. If it does, check the bolt or QR lever on the seat post and make sure it’s secure.
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Brakes Grab the front brake lever, squeeze it and try to push the bike forward. The front wheel should lock and the back of the bike should rise up. Repeat with the back brake. If the brakes don’t engage properly, you can wind the adjuster screws in and out on V brakes to provide enough resistance. This is fiddly and relies on trial and error, but, combined with adjusting cable, usually frees up brakes. You can also adjust the barrel adjusters on the levers, but it is best to start with these wound right in. Disc brakes are usually maintenance free, other than swapping pads, but if they seize up, then head to a bike shop.
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Back wheel Repeat everything you did for the front wheel and you’re nearly there. Carefully remove the chain from the cassette and replace in the same place – I find it helpful to drop into the smallest gear cog, then you know where you started.
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Gears The final piece of the M check is to make sure the chain is running well and the gears are changing up and down when they should. If not, it is usually a simple twist of the rear mech-mounted barrel adjuster to tighten or loosen the cable.
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Punctures and inner tubes Take one or two spare tubes per person, as it’s easier to swap out a punctured tube than fix a puncture on a wet, muddy trail. Carry the correct size. Removing a tyre isn’t difficult, but if you’re not confident spend five minutes on YouTube or even play a clip at the session. Do disconnect the brakes before you try to take the wheel off! Remove the tyre with a pair of levers, check inside for the cause of the puncture and remove, pop the new tube in, re-inflate, put the wheel back in and check the bolts or QR levers are secure. Finally, do the brakes up.
Paul Gant is a qualified SMBLA Trail Cycle Leader. He leads the Derbyshire Scout Bike Team, a Scout Active Support Unit that runs skills training, coached rides and maintenance sessions across Derbyshire. Find out more at derbyshirescoutbiketeam.org.
scouts.org.uk/magazine
GET ACTIVE! 13
Pictures: Paul Gant, Thinkstock
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BIKE RI DES
Show yo u unforge r section how yo ttable bi ke ride W u roll by organis Suitable for Cub ing an ords: Pa s+ u l Gant, D
erbyshir e Scout
Taking Scouts cycling on roads or trails is great exercise and can be a really exhilarating adventurous activity. This article will help you to plan a bike ride with your Pack, Troop or Unit to make sure you all enjoy it safely.
Leader view
Phil Horne, Scout Leader, 1st Hazel Grove Scout Group ‘To get more adventure into our programme, we organised a summer cycle camp along the Mersey. It was great fun. We cycled 55 miles over two days, following a riverside trail and staying at Dunham Massey Scout Campsite.’
Permits and planning Cycling does not require an activities permit unless you’re venturing into Terrain 1 or 2 (see POR rules 9.29 and 9.30 for definitions) and you don’t need to do that for a great day’s riding. Visit scouts.org.uk/a-z for rules and further information. Keep safety in mind, assessing risks throughout your ride – terrain changes constantly and young people get tired. Visit forestry.gov to find trail centres, country parks and the IMBA Mountain Bike Code of Conduct.
scouts.org.uk/magazine
Bike Tea m
What will Scouts learn?
Although many schools teach ‘bikeability’, not all do, and trail skills and offroad navigation will be new to most. These skills make for safer, more confident young riders. Mountain biking is a popular and growing sport, with trail centres aplenty, bridleways criss-crossing the nation and access to BOATs and RUPPs. Confused? Look at an OS map!
GET ACTIVE! 15
Explore
Ideas for adventure SCOUTS
For the Scout Cyclist badge, you need to cover 40km, which will probably take most of a day, and include some road sections and navigation. Otherwise, all the suggestions for the Cubs (below) still work, although you may need to stretch the route into more demanding terrain (take care to avoid straying out of Terrain 0 if you do not have a permit). As well as the Cyclist badge, a bike expedition can count towards the Adventure Challenge and Expedition Challenge. It’s also a Hike Away and could easily be a Nights Away too, with planning.
EXPLORERS
CUBS
For the Cyclist badge, the ride needs to last a couple of hours, and most country parks have enoug h trail space and challenging obstacles for this. Before you start, consider running a couple of sessions on bike handling, weight shifting (moving your body back and forth over the bike – we call it silly cycling) and braking (checking they know which lever is which , and how to stop in a controlled way). Once you’ve set off, maintain a good flow, avoid stopping too frequently and throw in a few game s, such as a slow bike race. Bring some cones to make a slalom course, or ride over some humps. This will make for a fun ride, without arduous distances.
16 GET ACTIVE!
Explorers can have lots of fun on challenging terrain over longer distances. Even with this section, it is important to cover the basics first – trust me, they don’t know it all! The Mountain Bike badge is split into competition or expedition elements. Keen Explorers might like to try MTB competition; otherwise, a two-day expedition is a great way to cover first-aid and navigation skills with the cycle code. Why not enlist some help and make it a District or County event?
April/May 2014
BEFORE YOU START
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Check all bikes work properly and safely and arrange to borrow bikes for those in your Group who don’t have one. Remember, young people may need extra help if they are not regular riders. Issue a kit list – even a half-day ride will require spares, tools, food, drink and the right clothes. Helmets are a must and full finger gloves and glasses may also be desirable. Plan your route carefully, riding it as leaders if you can beforehand, to check directions, distance, obstacles and other risks. A good rule of thumb is: however long it takes the leader team, it’ll take double that for Scouts. For most groups, try to avoid busy roads and stay off-road as much as you can. Take care with right turns and busy junctions, especially with younger sections. Plan in some route flexibility in case of mechanical problems – it is better to take a shortcut than be half an hour late back. Put an InTouch procedure in place and ensure that all parties know the drop-off and pick-up locations and times. If you can, arrange someone who can do an emergency pick-up for riders and bikes en route – if you get an unfixable problem, or one of the riders has a fall and can’t continue, it’s better to rescue them and their bike than cancel the whole thing. Remember your safeguarding obligations though.
What can Scouts earn?
Cubs, Scout and Explorer sections can all earn bikespecific activity badges, and with some forethought and creativity a host of other challenge awards and ‘aways’ can be earned. Find cycling resources at scouts.org.uk/halfords.
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Soaring silently through the air like a bird is an experiece Scouts will never forget
scouts.org.uk/magazine
GET ACTIVE! 17
Explore more…
More fun on wheels Why not go riding, skiing, scootering or skating with your Scouts? Suitable for Cubs+
‘Go on a Sky Ride’ Luke Hall, Scout Leader, 2nd Southampton Scouts
‘Sky Ride has become a highlight in our Scouting calendar. It’s free, fun and ticks boxes for the Fitness Challenge and Cyclist Activity Badge. The course is traffic-free and gives you the chance to explore new areas of your community you may have never seen before. It’s a fantastic afternoon which brings everyone together. As a leader, I was thrilled that it didn’t require any planning, other than simply signing up online. I recommend meeting up together at the start line before you begin, and invite parents to ride along too... strap on your helmet, then simply enjoy the ride!’
More info
British Cycling’s Sky Ride Local programme helps people dust off their wheels and enjoy riding a bike again. As the sport’s governing body, and home to Olympic heroes like Bradley Wiggins, British Cycling provides trained ride leaders who head up rides all over the country, with varying difficulty depending on ability, confidence and the level of adventure you’re looking for! For more information about getting involved in British Cycling’s Sky Ride Local programme, visit goskyride.com.
scouts.org.uk/magazine
TRIED AND TESTED
‘It’s the perfect opportunity for people to get outside and see more of their town. I saw a lot more of Southampton than I have ever seen before!’ Joe, 13, Scout
GET ACTIVE! 19
‘Try rollerskiing’ Iain Ballentine, rollerski.co.uk
Picture: Jon Scott/1st Danesfield Scouts
‘Rollerskiing is based on cross-country skiing and requires balance, technique, strength and endurance. It uses the same boots, bindings and poles as cross-country skiing, but the ‘skis’ are shorter and have wheels. The technique is similar and you can transfer the skills onto snow. The poles add stability; skiers will improve their balance quite quickly. ‘Groups can do one-off courses, or learn over several weeks. We did a six-week course at minimal cost through the Sportivate grants programme. Snowsport England has been helping us get junior groups off the ground too, so it’s worth checking them out.’
More info
Visit rollerski.co.uk to find out more about this rapidly growing sport and to see how your Scouts can get involved.
Enjoy BMX adventures indoo rs all year round
‘Go BMX biking’ Phil Horne, Scout Leader, 1st Hazel Grove Scouts
‘We took our Scouts to the National Cycling Centre in Manchester to try BMX riding. A private session was really affordable and the £17m facility certainly had the wow factor for the Scouts! It was also indoors, making it ideal for our winter programme. The centre provided a safety briefing, coaching, bikes and equipment and we were soon out getting loads of track time. It’s a challenging track but the Scouts got around at their own pace and by the end of the evening our more adventurous Scouts were getting impressive “air” over the jumps! BMX was a smash hit and proved to be a great way to introduce more cycling into our programme – we’re now planning to go mountain biking this summer.’
More info
Find the National Cycling Centre online at nationalcyclingcentre.com. It offers discounted sessions for youth groups on indoor and outdoor tracks. Find local BMX tracks using the interactive map at bit.ly/1ftgW6v.
20 GET ACTIVE!
April/May 2014
‘Try unicycling’ William, 10, Scout, GUST (Gatley Unicycling Scout Troop)
‘Unicycling is a fun and exciting Scout activity that develops strength, balance, speed and agility. You can try freestyle (skills); muni (mountain biking on unicycles); trials (hopping across obstacles); unicycle hockey; and track, off-road and long-distance racing. They’re all amazing! ‘On most nights our troop practises new skills and we play team games like unicycle hockey or unicycle basketball. The more experienced riders bring pallets, poles and beams to make trials courses. At the end of each session we have a few races. It’s really fun!’
More info
Unicycling: a on wheels (o challenge r with a diffe wheel) rence
Visit the union of UK unicyclists website at unicycle.org.uk/ clubs and look for clubs in your area. You’ll find the International Unicycling Federation at unicycling.org, with a guide to the 10 skill levels, unicycling world records, upcoming events, news and a blog.
‘Visit a skate park’ Pictures: 1st Hazel, Phil Harding/Mike Wakefield, Thinkstock
Phil Harding, 4th Eastleigh Scouts ‘When planning our 2013 summer camp, we discovered that there was a skate park nearby and worked it into the camp programme. Our Scouts love “traditional” Scouting activities, but were so pleased when we told them they could bring their scooters and skateboards on camp! It was a great success and they really enjoyed themselves.’
TH E MOV I E
We asked Scouts to film their wheel adventures for us, then turned their clips into Scouts on Wheels: the Movie. Watch it here via Layar or at scouts.org.uk/ scouts0nwheels.
More info
Visit extremesportsmap.com/uk or sk8loc8.com/Skateparks/Map to find skateparks across the UK. Remember they can be dangerous places – you may wish to pick a quiet time to go with your Scouts or call ahead to see if you can organise a closed session.
scouts.org.uk/magazine
GET ACTIVE! 21
Explore
Have you tried these yet? Quad biking
Karting
Karting is racing small powered vehicles against each other, usually around a custom-built track. It’s a great day out for Scouts and can be run through an external provider or as a Scout-led activity. There are many local clubs and Scout rallies. The Lincolnshire Go-Kart Scout Active Support Unit has been offering karting for more than 30 years – you’ll often see them at camps and jamborees. Find out more at scoutgokarts.co.uk.
Segway
This two-wheeled, self-balancing, battery-powered electric vehicle has a top speed of about 20km/hr. Private operators offer tours and off-road experiences throughout the UK. Segway is also offered as an activity at many large District, County and National Scout events. Jump on board!
Safety info
s Participants must wear appropriate safety equipment for the activity, including helmets. s Safety briefings must be given to all participants and marshals. s The activity must take place in an area with clear separation and boundary between participants and spectators/the public. s The maximum speed must be considered, based on age and ability, the vehicle, supervision, terrain and any additional factors including legal age restrictions. s Find out more at scouts.org.uk/a-z.
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Get covered
Scout Groups using karts or quad bikes on private property no longer need to buy separate indemnity – it’s covered under The Scout Association’s public liability policy. However, if your Group owns karts or quad bikes, you’ll need Accidental Damage, Fire and Theft (ADFT) cover. If you use public roads or spaces for motor sport, you need extra motor insurance, such as Unity’s Scout Miscellaneous Motor policy, as a legal requirement. If you’re not sure which cover you need, call Unity (Scout Insurance Services) on 0845 0945 703.
Picture: Gemma Thompson
A quad bike is a four-wheeled ATV (all-terrain vehicle), which can be driven around an off-road grass or mud course. It’s a popular activity for young people and is offered by external providers and also as a Scout-run activity. One of the most accessible ways to try it out is by coming to a national event at a Scout Activity Centre, such as Wintercamp or Gilwell 24.
April/May 2014