g n i t u o c S arc February/M
h 2010
Scouting FEBRUARY/MARCH 2010
.uk/magazi scouts.org
G N I K MA UT THE C SCOUTING SKILLS
The top 10 ills as k s g n i t u o c S you voted for by
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FIND THE WAY An excerpt from the Scouting Skills book on the art of navigation WILD WALKS Three great hikes off the beaten track GREEN MEANS GO Young campaigners question politicians on climate change
E FREE INSID
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SCOUTING
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Scouting Editors: Chris James, Hilary Galloway, Elis Matthews and Dave O’Carroll Production Controller: Rose Wells The national magazine of The Scout Association ISSN 0036 – 9489 © 2010 The Scout Association Registered Charity Numbers 306101 (England and Wales) and SC038437 (Scotland) Published by: The Scout Association Gilwell House, Gilwell Park, Chingford, London E4 7QW Tel: 0845 300 1818 Fax: 020 8433 7103 Email: scouting.magazine@scout.org.uk Website: www.scouts.org.uk/magazine Contributions to: scouting.magazine@scout.org.uk Please note that the views expressed by Members and contributors in the magazine are not necessarily those of The Scout Association. Publishing Management: Think Publishing Ltd, The Pall Mall Deposit, 124-128 Barlby Road, London W10 6BL Sub-Editors: Camilla Doodson, Mary Cooch, Marion Thompson and Rica Dearman Art Director: Sally Laver ADVERTISING Sales Executive: Richard Ellacott richard.ellacott@thinkpublishing.co.uk Tel: 020 8962 1250 Printed and distributed by: Headley Brothers Ltd Printed on 100% recycled paper
CONTRIBUTORS LAURA TYLER is an Explorer Scout. On page 46 she relives her Arctic adventure to achieve her Queen’s Scout Award.
BEN RICHARDS is a canoe instructor. He shares his story about the first time he stepped foot in a canoe and the importance of trying new activities on page 30. Cover photo: Chloë Chapman
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PAPER
WELCOME
TO SCOUTING When was the last time you explored the outdoors? I mean, really explored, when you set out into the unknown with a map and compass, a rucksack, a tent and sleeping bag; the sort of exploring that makes your heart beat faster? Can you remember the patter of rain on your tent, the sound of owls or the rustling of the wind in the leaves at night? It’s a feeling of absolute freedom and belonging – re-establishing our relationship with ourselves and Planet Earth. A night in the outdoors is also a reminder that not everything that’s precious and valuable costs a lot of money. One of the reasons I became a Scout was to spend more time with friends in the outdoors. It’s among the greatest pleasures in life and should be accessible to everyone, no matter where they live or how they grew up. In this issue of Scouting – and in the new book Scouting Skills – you’ll find the best and most useful practical skills, including how to light a fire, set a compass and lots more. Remember – nature and the outdoors are languages that can be learned. See you out there!
LOG ON – DON’T MISS OUT If you have moved house, want to change your section supplement or amend your personal details, you can update with a click of the mouse: • Sign up at www.scouts.org.uk – you only need to do this once. You will need your unique membership number to hand (this can be found on the address sheet that comes with Scouting magazine) • Log on • Update your details and anyone else’s you are line manager for • Logging on today also means you can access Programmes Online, the revolutionary programme planner!
Bear Grylls, Chief Scout
Three things to do this issue
1 Learn a new practical skill See page 18 2 Send us your photos and enter our photography competition. See www.flickr.com/groups/scoutingcompetition
3 Sign up your parents to The Big Adventure using the Little Guide to the Big Adventure, free with this issue of Scouting
82,875 average circulation from Jan to Dec 2008
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Contents
REGULARS 8 CORRESPONDENCE 10 NEWS | Events, campaigns and updates 28 PERFECT 10 | Your hopes and concerns for 2010 45 CAMP COOKING | Sizzling snapper with Levi Roots 49 COUNTRY DIARY | James Taylor discusses the many uses of stinging nettles 50 FAITHS & BELIEFS | Promise renewals 56 SCOUT SHOPS | Exciting items for your DofE Award 66 HEALTH & WELLBEING | Scouting with diabetes 82 LAST LAUGH
ADULT SUPPORT 58 (VERY) ACTIVE SUPPORT | From Fellowship to Scout Active Support 61 GOOD SPORTS | How a school sports day brought a Scout Group to life
40 FEATURES 18 ESSENTIAL SELECTION | The top 10 Scouting skills, as voted for by you 27 SCOUTING SKILLS QUIZ | Test your Scouting skills knowledge 30 PADDLING YOUR OWN CANOE | Ben Richards on the importance of including new activities in your programme 34 NEED A VOLUNTEER? | Get ready for The Big Adventure 36 FIND THE WAY | A new series on Scouting skills. First off – navigation
40 INTO THE GREAT WIDE OPEN | Three hiking routes for Scouts to tackle 46 ICE SCHOOL | Explorer Scout Laura Tyler climbs Arctic glaciers in her bid to achieve the DofE Gold Award 52 AND THE AWARD GOES TO… | Chief Scout Bear Grylls’ mission to recognise achievement 64 MORE THAN JUST A BOX | The man behind ShelterBox
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CONTENTS OPINION 7 PREPARED FOR ADVENTURE | UK Chief Commissioner Wayne Bulpitt reflects on skill sharing
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PROMOS 70 PROMOS & RESOURCES
IN THE SUPPLEMENTS BEAVER SCOUTS Practical ways to achieve the Partnership Awards, going wild in the country and possibly the bravest Beaver in Britain | CUBS Sharpen your Scouting skills, reading clouds and creating a succession plan | SCOUTS Find out how Scouts can join Chief Scout Bear Grylls at a 24-hour adventure camp | EXPLORERS Clarification on the upper age limit for Explorer Scouts | NETWORK How Scouting can help you get through the recession and opportunities galore | FOCUS Are practical skills a dying art in Scouting? | Supplements available at scouts.org.uk/magazine All available at scouts.org.uk/magazine
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Opinion
Prepared for adventure Many of our young people are taking part in selection processes for the 22nd World Scout Jamboree. UK Chief Commissioner Wayne Bulpitt reflects on how you have prepared them for this important moment
T
Wayne Bulpitt, UK Chief Commissioner
programme or get to the meeting in good housands of young people will have time to set everything up, think about the their sights set on Sweden 2011 and difference you have made. a very different kind of Jamboree. Give a thought to the thousands of They will not only be meeting new young people who are at the moment friends and experiencing new cultures, but demonstrating those very putting their Scouting skills to skills that you provided the test in the woodlands ‘One of the most them with during those around Kristianstad. important things we evenings and weekends. But in order to be selected, can do as leaders is to Whether they make it to they are having to put to use pass on our skills, Sweden or not, they all skills that they will have learnt knowledge and values’ have much to be proud from their time in Scouting. of, as will you for having As a leader yourself, perhaps helped them to get where they are. you may not have appreciated the significant One of the most important things we part you will have played in the personal can do as leaders is to pass on our skills, development of these young people. knowledge and values. Yes, different Passing it on generations think differently, but Scouting is Although you may at times have felt about continuity and maintaining some great frustrated as you struggled to plan the skills and traditions too.
contact
Email Wayne at ukcc@scout.org.uk or write to him at The Scout Association, Gilwell Park, Chingford, London E4 7QW; catch up with his blog at www.scouts.org.uk/ccblog
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Want to take issue with something you’ve read? Email us at scouting.magazine@scout.org.uk
correspondence STAR LETTER
Mind your health
Once frostbitten
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Sam’s reply: I’m sorry that I concerned you about my possibility of having frostbite. The only symptom I suffered from was a wooden feeling in my fingers, which I perhaps should have said can be an early sign. I was well looked after by our mountain leader who has a lot of experience in first aid and would certainly take any signs of frostbite seriously. I would have liked to write more about the seriousness of frostbite and altitude sickness but was limited by the length of the article, the aim of which was to describe the trip. My experience of that day was a huge learning curve, and now when I do activities outside, I remember to ‘Be Prepared’.
BER 2009/ JANUA
Your youth editor Sam’s article (Into India, p60-61) dealt with the cold injury to his fingers very superficially. I hope this is because he had a very lucky escape and no serious harm was done. Even mild frostbite is debilitating. In more extreme forms it can lead to disfigurement, permanent disability or even amputation. The victim will be vulnerable to further cold injuries and discomfort in the injured area in cold weather. Frostbite can be avoided by taking simple precautions. Keeping yourself and each other safe in a cold environment is a basic skill. I wish Sam many great future adventures but please don’t give the impression that what happened was anything other than extremely dangerous. Lucas Bateman
Scouting DECEM
I was interested to read the article about mental health (‘Sometimes life seems too much’, p62-63). I have bipolar disorder and find my Scouting activities a real antidote, especially camping and hiking. Looking after the administration and planning helps to keep me busy. I hold down a responsible professional job and have not had a day off sick in over three years, some of which I put down to the health and fitness levels attained through Scouting. Sadly, there is still some stigma around mental health issues. By raising people’s awareness this will break down the misunderstanding and help young people in the Movement who are affected. Name & address supplied
The youth-edited December/January issue of Scouting provided a bumper bag of letters and emails. Here is a selection.
Feedback
or write to Scouting magazine, Gilwell Park, Chingford, London E4 7QW
e
Not just for the boys
An older adventurer
I don’t believe the basics of Scouting should change because girls are allowed in (Girls, school and secret Scouting, p36-38). It doesn’t matter about your differences, race, colour or what type of person you are. I am part of a very active Explorer Unit and I am just as capable as my male counterparts. We do something for everyone and everyone gets input in the programme. I have made good friends who have seen me at my best and during the most physically and mentally demanding times in my life. I am also a Young Leader which gives me invaluable experience for my planned career as a teacher. We should spread the message to help existing Members, especially teenagers, feel more comfortable and proud of what they do. I feel so lucky to have been given the chance to be a Scout. Emma, TROGZ Explorer Unit
As a 78-year-old Scout, may I congratulate you on the latest issue of Scouting magazine, together with Step-by-Step Guide to The Big Adventure. Very well done and thank you. Tony Dyer
Scouting DECEM BER 2009/ JANUA
g n i t u o c S
A lasting tribute
09/ ber 20 Decemnuary 2010 Ja
Local and national Scouting was shocked by the sudden death of John Deft, a popular leader, in 2008. John had remembered Avon Scouting in his will and his generous legacy was used to rebuild the campfire circle at the Scout County’s Training and Activity Centre at Woodhouse Park. A simple ceremony was attended by some of John’s Scouting colleagues and representatives of the Adult Training Team of which he was a member for many years. John’s sister, Pamela Banks also attended with her husband Frank and expressed the family’s thanks for the way Avon Scouting had arranged this lasting tribute. Sue Gillet, Chairman of the Woodhouse Park Centre
RY 2010
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Editor’s response: Thank you to everyone who took the time to write in. Our young editors were enthusiastic, full of ideas and put a lot of hard work into the issue which was very well received.
15:36
The writer of the star letter will receive a copy of A Complete Guide to Scouting Skills, also available from www.scouts. org.uk/shop
Editor’s note: John Deft, aka JAD, was also Scouting magazine’s long-time Christmas Quiz compiler. www.scouts.org.uk/magazine
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Events, updates and news from around the UK
news
Snow fear for Winter campers
Chief Scout’s Survival Camp Scouts aged 10½ to 14 who have gained their Chief Scout’s Gold Award will have the chance to camp with Bear Grylls at a wilderness adventure in Wales in August 2010. More details are available in this issue’s Scouts supplement and on www.scouts.org.uk/survivalcamp
More than 2,000 Scouts and Explorer Scouts braved sub-zero temperatures to make it to the annual Winter Camp at Gilwell Park. Scouts travelled from all over the UK and were not deterred by the weather as they pitched their tents in the snow-covered fields. It was a perfect backdrop to take part in adventurous and fun activities, led by a team of 200 adult volunteers.
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News
Want more? Visit www.scouts.org.uk/news
ShAFF 2010
Sheffield Adventure Film Festival (ShAFF) is a must-see collection for fans of adventure films. This year sees the launch of the ShAFF Youth Adventure Project, taking the film festival into schools and community groups. The aim of the project is to inspire the audience to take part in a series of activity days in the Peak District, thanks to funding from the Peak District National Park Authority. For full details and news of other events and competitions, visit www.shaff.co.uk/content/10/youth
Appointment | Sir Alan Craft has been appointed Chairman of the Board of The Scout Association. Previously a Scout himself, Sir Alan later became County Adviser for Handicapped Scouts. Living on the Northumberland coast, he is married with one son and a young granddaughter.
Long-distance long service Northumberland Scouts have been presented with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service for its 20 years of Scouting commitment to Uganda. Since 1988, the Scouts have completed three major expeditions to meet the changing needs of Ugandan Scouting and the community. In 1992 a twinning arrangement was set up between Seaton Valley District in Northumberland and the town of Mityana in Uganda. The assistance given includes buying livestock, sending clothing and school materials, funding the building of classrooms and providing clean water.
Calendar of events FEBRUARY 22 Founder’s Day
MARCH – APRIL 27 28 2 5 Easter Egg Hunt Beavers and Cubs should come on down to Downe Activity Centre in Kent for the Easter Egg Hunt.
APRIL 24 Youlbury Open Day Contact 01865 326264 or email youlbury.activity. centre@scout.org.uk
MAY
7 9 Pirate Camp Outwit Blackbeard and find hidden treasure at Hawkhirst Activity Centre in Kielder Forest. For Cubs, Scouts and Explorers. £27 per person, self-catering. Contact 01434 250 217 or email hawkhirst.activity. centre@scout.org.uk
BOOK AHEAD JUNE
19 20 Beaver and Cub Fundays www.fundays.org.uk
JULY 9 -11 Gilwell24 www.gilwell24.info For the full list of Activity Centre events, visit www.scouts.org.uk/sac
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Events, updates and news from around the UK
Amy and the giant frog Cub Scout Amy leapt ahead of other contestants in her category to come first in the Win a Tree-mendous Rainforest Frog design competition, which was part of The Prince’s Rainforests Project, established by The Prince of Wales. Amy’s prize was a giant frog sculpture which she had to paint. The sculpture will be moving around England, from St James’s Palace to the National Geographic Store in London then on to The Eden Project in Cornwall before being returned to Amy’s Group, the 1st Barton, North Yorkshire.
For women only | All women in Scouting are
extraordinary but do you know one in particular who should be singled out? Nominations for the Extraordinary Woman Awards 2010 can be submitted until 19 February 2010. There are various categories to choose from for adults and one for 16-18-year-olds. For further information and details on how to nominate, visit www.extraordinarywomenuk.com
SHORT-TERM INVESTMENT SERVICE
Monthly rate after deduction of Management Commission: November 2009 December 2009
0.020% 0.020%
0.520% 0.520%
Interest at the higher rate applies to deposits of £5,000 and above. Contact Frances on 020 8433 7252 (Mon-Fri, 9am-3pm) for further information.
12 Scouting February/ March 2010
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News
Want more? Visit www.scouts.org.uk/news
You’re welcome
The Peter Harrison lodge is the latest addition to the Gilwell Park Activity Centre site. It sleeps 50 and has proudly opened its doors to the first groups of the season. To reserve your space ring 020 8498 5411. Youlbury Activity Centre is hoping to follow suit by starting work on a new accommodation lodge later in the year. www.scouts.org.uk/sac
Dig in for Scouting The BBC is calling all Scouts to roll up their sleeves, pick up a trowel and start growing their own vegetables as part of the Dig In campaign. The campaign will encourage Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers to grow their own food by offering a free seed starter pack containing five varieties of seeds – basil, carrot, courgette, French bean and salad. There will be support and advice through a dedicated
website www.bbc.co.uk/digin, plus ideas for activities and games on Programmes Online (www.scouts.org.uk/pol). The Dig In seed packs will be available soon. To find out more go to www.scouts.org.uk/digin
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Tideway Adventures
Narrow Boat Project
Our fleet of boats and tailor made packages mean that no matter what your party type we are certain you’ll have a voyage to remember! If you are ready for your next adventure then give us a call or visit us online for details.
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LEARNING AFLOAT TRAINING Great Prices on Courses for 2010 RYA Inland Waterways Helmsman course only £130 for 1 day or £240 for 2 days. RYA Diesel engine maintenance course only £99 for 1 day. Certificate in Community Boat Management (Ideal for scout / youth leaders) only £270 for 2 days, full board. 10% discount to Scout groups. All Prices are per person With many more courses to choose from why not try something new this year.
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News
Want more? Visit www.scouts.org.uk/news
Scouts send a smile – or 50
The 1st Wanborough Scouts have been busy making medical gowns for the Blue Peter Send a Smile appeal. The gowns will be sent to India to be used during operations on children with a cleft lip or palate. Here Scout Ashleigh shows off some of the 50 gowns they made.
Entertaining offer
Receive a free Blockbuster 2 for 1 Movie & Game Rental Card when you join The Entertainment Club. Membership offers many other discounts such as when visiting a theme park or karting. Save £5 today and join The Entertainment Club for only £24.99 (normally £29.99). Visit www.theentertainmentclub.co.uk/scouts for further information. Terms and conditions apply.
www.scouts.org.uk/magazine
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News
Want more? Visit www.scouts.org.uk/news
UPDATES
Keep up to speed with the latest changes to factsheets, new resources and policy news
Policy | The moving-on age
between Explorer Scouts and Scout Network is changing in July 2010 to clarify certain issues about Members’ status. POR will be updated to reflect this change, which will require Explorer Scouts to move up on or before their 18th birthday. For a full explanation, see www.scouts.org.uk/vbs
Updated factsheets
FS120104 | Adventurous Activity Permit Scheme – Approved Assessors FS120301 | The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award FS120302 | The Role of the County/Area Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Adviser FS120303 | DofE Volunteering FS120304 | DofE Expeditions FS120305 | DofE Skill and Physical FS120454 | Hillwalking FS120660 | Pulling FS190026 | Fundraising FAQ’s FS310547 | First Response: definition and equivalents AC120929 | Assessment checklist for pulling – leadership FS322086 | Flag Procedures
New factsheets
FS120075 | InTouch FS120052 | Full First Aid Certificate: Definitions and the wearing of badges FS120310 | DofE: Getting Started FS120311 | DofE: A Commissioner’s Guide FS310610 | Guidance for the storing and destroying of Adult Appointment Forms
THERE’S MORE TO SHOW BBC Autumnwatch presenter, wildlife photographer and cameraman Simon King will make an appearance at The Outdoors Show at the NEC Birmingham, on Friday 26 to Sunday 28 March. It’s a fun-packed event and there are great deals for Scouts: Buy five Scouts tickets and the leader goes FREE! Scouts 11-18 years just £6.50 Beaver Scouts and Cub Scouts go FREE!
Get all the gear and expert advice you need for your next expedition, and try challenging activities such as mountain biking, rock climbing and survival techniques. TriLive2010 will also be taking place alongside The Outdoors Show and tickets are valid for both events. For terms and conditions, newsletters, opening times and to book tickets, visit www. outdoorsshowextra.co.uk, quoting SCOUT1 when booking.
World Book Day
Darcey Bussell is one of ten authors who have written new stories for this year’s £1 flipbooks, specially produced for World Book Day, 4 March. Each book has two stories, suitable for the younger sections. Former Scout Chris Bradford, author of the Young Samurai series, has also contributed a story. Older Scouts and adults are being encouraged to enjoy reading with special offers and events throughout the country. Read to a million kids is an online initiative and Quick Reads comprises ten books which provide a bite-sized read for adults. For further information, games and competitions, visit www.worldbookday.com www.scouts.org.uk/magazine
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l a i t n Esse 2 t which rn, cherish and use, bu lea to s ill sk g tin ou Sc ithout. In a There are hundreds of s no leader should be w ill sk e Th ? es on l ia nt p 10 se are the truly es l ones. Here are your to ta vi e th us ll te to u yo skills survey we asked
1
MAP READING
FIRE LIGHTING
Survival skills scored highest with you. Lighting a fire has been around since we lived in caves, and is one of the most basic but important survival skills. It figures then that it should be the one we can all do. Lighting a fire on a still, dry evening is relatively easy. It’s more challenging when it’s wet, windy and you’re on the side of a mountain. A fire keeps you warm, cooks your food, and is a great focal point for camping activities, so being a confident fire starter is a must.
Reader tips ‘The bark of a silver birch tree makes an excellent replacement over tinder card or cotton wool for starting a fire. If anything, it is more effective than both.’
David Waugh
‘If you really want to impress, how about making fire from water. This takes a lot of practice and patience but does work. Put a sheet of cling film in a mug. Half fill the mug with water and gently lift the cling film and wrap around the water, making a ‘water crystal ball’. Under bright sunlight hold the ball over your dark-coloured tinder, moving it up and down until you have a bright dot. Wearing sunglasses is a good idea.’
Some of today’s Scouts may feel more comfortable on Google Maps or using a GPS, but being able to read a map, whether you’re up a mountain or in a city, is something that every Scout should know. Even if only to use it when their phone runs out of battery. The type of map required will depend on the journey and terrain.
‘We’ve used the plough to find north (Pole Star) at night. We can also use the moon when it’s full, using an analogue watch, in much the same way as with the sun, but with a full moon the angle between 12 (or 1 for BST) and the hour hand will give you north. If we have a crescent moon, join the two points of the crescent and follow down to the horizon to give you south.’
Andy Dalrymple
Andy Dalrymple
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TENT PITCHING
Camping is at the heart of Scouting and your Group’s tents can be your most expensive pieces of kit, so looking after them properly is as important as knowing how to pitch them. ‘A star chart is great way to get Beavers, Cubs or Scouts to help with washing up, getting their tent up or down the quickest and the neatest, plus other odd jobs at camp. Get a sheet of paper with all the Scouts’ names on, and either draw a star or attach sticker stars. Every time they do something good they get a gold star, and the reward can be a bar of chocolate. You will be surprised how quickly they get up to help.’ Michelle Palmer
>
Turn to page 27 and test your skills in our essential quiz Reader tips ‘Reward even fussy eaters at mealtimes – if they want that chocolate bar they will try anything once, and they might even like what is in front of them.’ Michelle Palmer ‘Sleep out without a tent. Try and spend at least one night under the stars. If there is the chance of a clear night then make sure you are facing south to watch the stars rise and set through the night.’ Brian Sheen ‘Hang up glow sticks inside your tent for a little bit of light at night-time.’ Ben, aged 9 ‘If you get cold in bed, fill a metal drinking bottle with boiling water. Then slide it into a hiking sock to stop it burning you and you have a very good hot water bottle.’ Robin Shaw
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5 BACKWOODS COOKING
Backwoods cooking is a staple diet of any budding Scout. It also provides a challenge, lightens the load of your gear (no utensils), is fun and, due to the natural element, can be kind on the planet too.
A backwoods recipe Mexicali peppers You will need: (per portion) One green pepper 50g minced meat, seasoned with chilli sauce or minced garlic 50g breadcrumbs or cream cracker crumbs Tomato ketchup or Tabasco sauce
Method:
1. Slice off the top of the pepper and remove the seeds. 2. Parboil the pepper in a foil pot and allow it to cool by removing it from the water (two minutes should be long enough).
3. Mix the minced meat with the breadcrumbs and fill the pepper with the mixture. 4. Place the pepper on a double thickness sheet of foil and fold it up around the pepper, twisting the foil at the top to seal it. 5. Place the package into hot embers for about 30 minutes. 6. Remove from the embers and add tomato ketchup or Tabasco sauce as required.
TYING KNOTS
All knots have a purpose and are useful for many Scouting activities, whether sailing, caving, fishing or fire-fighting. To teach knot tying to Scouts, use some nice, thick rope, so they will be able to see what’s going on. Ideal is 1.2m long and about 1.5cm thick. Give reasons for doing each knot, explaining its purpose. It’s no good doing something if you don’t why you’re doing it.
Reader tips ‘If you are teaching the younger sections, using edible laces is always an incentive!’ Ruth Hubbard
A rucksack should fit comfortably on your shoulders
Take it further:
Use cabbage leaves instead of foil to make it biodegradable.
Reader tips
‘Make a frying pan from a forked twig and tin foil by covering the forked end in double thickness foil to make a triangular-shaped frying pan – use the other end as the handle. This is great fun for Cubs and Scouts as an introduction to campfire cooking.’ Alison Light ‘When building a fire use a large piece of log to lean your sticks against. It makes it easier to build and acts as a reflector for the heat.’ Graham Duckworth ‘Cramp ball fungus is a great fire lighter and is found on dead trees. Remove and dry in the open. Just a single spark will give you a fire.’ Andy Lannin
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Skills
10 skills in one
e, Combined night hik nd orienteering am ‘suspended’ ca p
6
Mastering different knots can be useful for many activities
PACKING A RUCKSACK rucksack is a key
Learning to pack a g point Scouting skill and a startin And ies. ivit act r for many outdoo is no ck ksa ruc t righ choosing the table for com a ng osi cho different to brands vary walking boot – different try lots on. A in size and you need to fortably and rucksack should fit com . And with ers evenly on your should 100 litres, to five sizes varying from pose. pur for fit be the bag should
Reader tips
start with a ‘For younger sections, nk and spare few essentials: food, dri and any ofs clothing with waterpro on the ible ess acc medication easily liner ck ksa ruc or top. A plastic bag As . dry ts ten con will keep the to think experience grows, start such as ent ipm equ up gro about id kit, maps, a compass, first-a perhaps and whistle, mobile phone a group shelter.’ Steve Backhouse
For those short on time, Nigel Davey, a leader with over 25 years’ Scouting experience swears by this tried and tested challenge for Scouts This costs very little to equip, organise and carry out, but ticks several boxes including the obvious map and compass, orienteering, hiking, hammock making, overnight camping skills, and can be enhanced to include survival and backwoods cooking skills as appropriate. I’m located in Devon, so had a huge variety of suitable locations and distances over which this exercise could be run, but I hope that urbanbased Scouts can find a suitable location. It proved to be great fun, and gave all participating Scouts a great sense of achievement – especially the younger ones – and you don’t have to worry about drying out tents afterwards if it rains! Method Pre-locate hammock making materials (see list, right) at selected Ordnance Survey Grid References (OSGR) sites. Prepare Scouts for overnight hike/camp with all necessary clothing, food, drinks, sleeping bag, survival bag, map and compass etc, but no tents! Hike from start point to first OSGR and locate one item of hammock-making equipment
per Scout. Repeat this until all items have been collected. Hammock-making materials required per person: Two 70 x 4cm strong sticks (size needn’t be precise, but should be long and strong enough to support the sleeper). Three polythene-type large fertiliser/compost bags. One slit open at both ends, and two slits open one end with remaining corners cut off diagonally (just large enough to pass rope through). Note: sides of bags must not be cut. Two 4-5m lengths of 10mm polypropylene or hemp rope. Note: additional rope can be pre-located at campsite to ensure stability and safety.
On arrival at campsite construct and secure hammock
Construction Pass rope through corner of one bag, through open end to/through second bag, then through third bag and out of its cut-off corner. Use clove hitch to attach to ‘head’ and ‘foot’ end sticks leaving sufficient end lengths to tie to trees. Repeat other side. Firmly attach ends of rope to suitably strong trees, with hammock 0.5-1m above ground level.
www.scouts.org.uk/magazine
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skills
7
FIRST AID
✖ 8
The potentially life-saving skills of first aid and CPR are important life skills for anyone, not just Scouts, so it was good to see that some 99 per cent of you felt they were important.
READER TIPS
in ‘Tape your heels with pla ters blis ore bef r ste sticking pla it did I do. s lete ath occur, like ee Thr the bed clim I when Peaks and it worked.’ Simon Robertson
ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS on the
s impact Climate change, human’ yside is recognised ntr cou and nt environme eats to our as one of the biggest thr your top 10, it environment. As one of s and young is something that leader ut and abo people are concerned take action.
READER TIPS
‘We recycled cans for cash to restore our community garden. We got everyone from Beavers to Network involved. We recycled more than half a ton of aluminium from the cans, which raised around £300 to spend on bulbs and furniture for the garden.’ Kath Wr ight
Young people are concerned about environmental awareness
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9 Working well in a team will help people in many situations throughout their lives
‘They’re life skills, not Scouting skills,’
says Dave Wood. ‘We call them Scouting skills but I prefer to think of them as life skills. I can attribute so much of the practical skills I know today to what I learned as a young Scout. ‘I could read a map before I could drive a car and needed to navigate; I could tie knots to secure parcels whereas my colleagues in the warehouse of my first job couldn’t. When someone in that warehouse had a very nasty injury, I knew exactly what to do until the ambulance arrived. When I left home I knew that potatoes took longer to cook than eggs. When running my first barbecue party, I knew that flames made food black, partially raw and inedible, whereas glowing embers were perfect. It was thanks to attending a Jamboree that I first learned how to use a public washing machine, how to boil water in a paper bag, and how to scare grizzly bears away.’
Skills
WORKING IN A TEAM
Reader tips
We were heartened to see that with so much of Scouting carried out in groups, you recognised the importance of teamworking. Whether it’s playing games, building that shelter or performing on stage, being able to successfully work in a group is a life skill that our young people will benefit from throughout their lives. Every section has a diverse range of abilities, skills and personalities so being able to work in such a team is essential.
10
‘Mix up your programme to contain different types of activities in order that all your Scouts get a chance to shine.’ Fiona Brown
Building a shelter from sticks and leaves is a great survival skill
ILDING SHELTER BleU skills, such as
This requires multip and being ver y pioneering, knot tying ’ve mastered you resourceful. But once ctical way pra y ver those skills this is a ke for a fun ma o als to test them. It can vival skill sur a be and p overnight cam get stranded if you ever happen to somewhere in a wood!
Reader tips
don’t forget that your c from sticks and leaves ‘When building a bivoua getting through. It also 30cm thick to stop rain roof needs to be at least s dark. get it ld so start early before takes a long time to bui are chopping wood, you st 2m around where ‘Mark out an area at lea m wandering into the This will stop others fro with only one entrance. il Liles see those entering.’ Ne danger area and let you
About the skills survey:
Over the past six months the 6 to 25 Programme Team has been looking at getting more young people to take part in practical Scouting skills. In the recent survey 76 per cent of leaders felt the level of practical skills was declining and that this would have a detrimental effect on
delivering a balanced programme. Some 99 per cent said that The Scout Association should adopt a strategy to help improve the skills base. We are in the process of creating a strategy which will offer practical ways of getting more skills into the programme of all five sections and will use a variety of methods.
www.scouts.org.uk/magazine
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skills
Skills training d Now that we’ve covere ills, sk g your top 10 Scoutin y find out about the man s se Scouting skills cour throughout the UK Cheshire Cheshire holds an annual practical skills day. It is open to all leaders, and those working for Practical Skills (Module 18) and Wood Badge holders use the day as ongoing learning. Leaders choose seven skills from 14 or 15 that are on offer. More than 150 people attended the previous event.
97 per cent felt the most common way of learning these skills is through somebody else in Scouting West Lancashire West Lancashire runs adult Scouting skills courses called ‘Get Knotted, Get Lost, Get Stuffed and Get me out of Here’ to teach or refresh knotting, map reading and backwoods cooking. Some Districts also arrange workshops as part of District camps – ‘skills and chills’ weekends.
Croydon Croydon District organises Practical Skills (Module 18) for each section. They have a ‘drop-in’ session where
Teach yourself leaders can learn a new skill, or hone up on existing ones. This is backed up with a practical skills book which the leaders can use as part of running their section and when doing badge work.
Staffordshire Practical Scouting skills are offered in Staffordshire as the second day of a weekend that covers Modules 16, 17 and 18. All leaders can attend bases put on by skilled tutors in fire lighting, axe and knife, map reading, etc. Leaders can dip in and out of the bases they want to experience, and acquire some ‘expert’ contacts.
Woking Woking have fun days for the sections where the leaders run bases for the young people, but other leaders can have a go too. In particular, the Cub section runs a Back-to-Basics day (backwoods cooking, tent pitching, pioneering, fire lighting, tracking and plaster casts). Beavers have themed events; Scouts do lots of lightweight camping and cooking. Explorer Leaders do Duke of Edinburgh, hiking and run modules for Young Leaders.
There are many factsheets on scouts.org.uk and a new Scouting Skills (1027759) book to help you brush up on your knowledge. There’s also a series of factsheets on Scouting skills, containing practical advice and support: Tent Pitching (FS315085) Mapping (FS315081) Simple Knots (FS315082) Use of Axes and Saws (FS315070) Compass (FS315074) Basic Cooking (FS315075) Fire Lighting (FS315076) Simple First Aid (FS315077) Hiking (FS315078) Lashings (FS315080) Mapping (FS315081) Simple Knots (FS315082) Route Planning for Hikes (FS315083) GPS Navigation (FS315089) www.scouts.org.uk/ infocentre Backwoods Cooking: Ever Cooked an Egg in an Orange? www.scouts.org.uk/ infocentre Scouting Skills (£9.99) contains all you need to know. Available from www.scouts.org.uk/shop
more info To find out about skills training where you are, talk to your Group Scout Leader, District/County Commissioner or County Training Manager. Alternatively, contact the Adult Support team on adult.support@scout.org.uk or phone 0845 300 1818 and we can connect you with someone in your area.
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skills Quiz
?
Test your knowledge of Scouting Skills
?
What is Naismith’s rule 1 used to calculate?
kindling – oak, birch, elm or sycamore?
3
A-frame, tunnel and dome are types of what?
SHARE IT! ills Test your Scoutseesk at your next m ting
5
When performing CPR, how many chest compressions at a time should you do?
6
7
The last two stars in the bucket of the Plough make an imaginary line pointing to what?
?
8
A shelter should ideally be built at a right angle to the prevailing wind; true or false?
answers
1. Walking time 2. Birch 3. Tents 4. Fisherman’s knot 5. 30 6. False, higher clouds signify fine weather 7. The North Star 8. True
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4
Which type of knot is best for tying thin, slippery material such as wire?
Higher clouds are a signal for rain; true or false?
Which of the following types of 2 wood is good for use as
?
?
www.scouts.org.uk/magazine
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Perfect From a general election and a football World Cup to an economy emerging from recession, 2010 looks set to be both challenging and exciting. We asked you about your hopes and concerns for the year ahead
28 Scouting February/ March 2010
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S
couting’s objective in 2010 is clear: to continue to focus on the recruitment and retention of adult volunteers. However, the world does not stand still and changes in society inevitably have an impact on what we do. So what does 2010 hold in store? The lack of adult volunteers appears to be the overriding concern from leaders who are otherwise committed and still enjoying their Scouting. ‘The shortage of adult leaders is always a worry,’ says one. ‘It is a constant battle to find willing grown-ups: they all have other things to do.’ Another argues that we are the ‘victims of our own success’ with a lack of leaders but lots of young people wanting to join. The need to offer flexible opportunities to adults must therefore remain at the top of our list.
‘Financially it’s going to be a tight couple of years,’ predicts another volunteer, while one wonders how Scouting will fare in the difficult economic climate. ‘We need to use this opportunity to show what good value Scouting offers and how much can be achieved for relatively little.’
Looking ahead
We asked for your 2010 resolutions and your belief in Scouting was obvious. Many have highlighted the need to dedicate more time and commitment to youth leadership and participation. ‘I am determined to visit all my young leaders in their groups and go through the review and goals process,’ one vowed. Almost all responded with some optimism: ‘My solution is to keep reminding myself that Scouting is fun,’ and to ‘keep doing my best to help young people get the most out of Scouting’ and Global concerns ‘enjoy being a leader’. In terms of wider issues, the In terms of what you were environment remains a worry for most looking forward to – it many. ‘Regardless of the debate, was the classic Scouting I feel that there are changes favourites that came up: taking place and this is going ‘It has to be our summer Bear Grylls’ impact on Scouting to impact more upon this camp, where we intend Local Centenary celebrations generation than mine,’ was to InterRail for the first Stability in the economy one heartfelt response. time ever,’ said one M ore accessible Scouting information online leader, ’and also our Local Scout events County camp in The football World Cup Kandersteg.’ Closer to 10:10 Environmental Campaign home one mentioned ‘the US Scouting Centenary first pilots for coastal access – securing a national trail around the English coast.’ L ack of action Lack of adult leaders in tackling C ontinuing recession Sharing successes climate change Joining lists Whatever you plan to do, remember that there Y outh violence/antiT ransition to Scout social behaviour are many other volunteers in Scouting facing Active Support L osing Members Y outh unemployment similar challenges. Take time to share your at 18 who do not C limate change concerns and pass on things that you find work join Network or R ed tape and the well. The final word must go to the Member take up volunteer cost of Scouting who commented that the thing he was looking appointment H igh level of training forward to most in 2010 was ‘good weather L ack of leaders commitments in the summer!’ with activity G eneral election and other outcome – more info accreditation uncertainty about This information was compiled from an online potentially implications on survey of 250 adult Members conducted on limiting frontline services www.scouts.org.uk during November 2009. activities and tax rises To find out more about The Scout Association’s
What are you looking forward to in 2010?
What are your concerns for 2010?
Vision Towards 2018 visit www.scouts.org.uk/2018
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new activities
r u o y g n i Paddl e o n a c n w o Seven years ago, Ben Richards had never set foot in a canoe. Today, he is a canoe instructor and a member of the Supporting Leaders Activity Project Team. Here he looks at the importance of trying new activities in your programme
I
can still remember my first time in a kayak. It was a sunny evening in May when I sat down in one of those narrow little boats that don’t look as stable as you think they should. I was hoping the water wasn’t too cold – unfortunately it was. Setting out into the reservoir I was nervous but excited. I’d seen people doing it and thought: ‘Why not? I’ll give it a go.’ That first night I fell in a few times; I got wet and cold, and drank far more of the reservoir than I probably should have. By the end of the evening, I was able to go in
a straight line and turn around. Success! I kept going back each week. I was getting better and enjoying myself. The instructors were patient and helping me to increase my skills. That was just over six years ago, back when I was a new member of Scout Network. Since then I have been to university and gained my coaching qualification. With this, I continue to teach kayaking to Scouts in my County and was able to go to the World Scout Jamboree as a kayaking instructor, where I ran sessions for more than 100 Scouts from over 30 different countries.
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New new activities
Undiscovered potential So why tell you all of this? Because if you had asked me seven years ago whether I would one day be a canoe instructor I would not have said yes. But I was able to try something new, and continue it. The saying goes that however long the journey, it always begins with the first step. When it comes to young people in Scouting, we as leaders are often the ones to provide that important first step, whether it be putting a foot on a climbing wall, pulling back the string on a bow or stepping into a boat. I have now taken many people on their first kayaking trips and some have become instructors with me. You never know what your young people will grow up to do, but you can give them as many opportunities
as possible. You might have an amazing archer, who doesn’t know it yet. One of them could surprise you at camp with their culinary skills, or you may have one who is completely at ease climbing down inside caves.
Where to start? As leaders we need to unlock as many of these talents and skills as possible, and develop them. We need to encourage our young people to try new things. The Scouts in my own Group ask to do a number of things. Several of them I can offer, but some I can’t as I do not have the knowledge, skills or experience. My response is to find someone who can. There are so many adults in Scouting with different interests and
Scout activity centres As well as offering amazing activities to Scouts, each of our Activity Centres – Downe, Ferny Crofts, Gilwell Park, Hawkhirst and Youlbury – are also open for use by school groups. Not only does this provide an important income stream that helps us to run the centres and provide discounted rates for Scout groups, it also allows young people and their teachers to have a fantastic time, experience outdoor adventure and hopefully learn a little about Scouting in the process. Do you know someone at a school that might be interested in finding out more about our activity centres, or are you a teacher involved in Scouting who might be interested in using one of our sites for your own school trip? Visit www.scouts.org.uk/sac
www.scouts.org.uk/magazine
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new activities New
Did you know? There are tons of activities available in Scouting. From archery to zorbing, there is no excuse for not getting active. Here are some of our favourites – how many have you tried?
‘If you had asked me seven years ago whether I would one day be a canoe instructor I would not have said yes. But I was able to try something new, and continue it’ skills, who give their time to teach young people. Most Districts and Counties have teams who support activities, and they can often put you in touch with qualified instructors, many of whom will be local leaders. Another good place to start is the Activities Team at Gilwell Park. They will be able to point you in the right direction, and provide advice and support on what you will need to do to undertake an activity, including which national governing bodies to contact. There is also a wealth of information available to you on The Scout Association website.
Instructing young people Quite often, the best way to introduce your young people to an activity is to start off small. Think
about ways in which you can prepare for an activity as part of your weekly programme. Programmes Online has numerous ideas for games and other activities for you to try, which can help to introduce your young people to something more adventurous. I’m sure every great instructor, sportsman or adventurer had to start small and build on their skills. However, they couldn’t have done it without the support of those who were there to encourage them and they certainly couldn’t have done it if they hadn’t taken that first step.
Raft building It’s amazing what you can do with some pioneering poles and plastic tubs. Also a great team-building exercise. A Scouting classic. Paragliding Probably one of the more expensive activities, but few are more adrenaline fuelled. Swimming What’s so adventurous about swimming you may ask yourself? Well, it’s a basic requirement to confidently enjoy any watersport. And with the Staged Activity Badge, it’s an opportunity for young people to track their development as they move through the age ranges. Theatrical performance Scouting isn’t just about climbing mountains and canoeing. Creative performance is the perfect confidence builder. And it doesn’t only have to be a Gang Show. Zorbing Rolling around in a giant transparent ball might seem mad to you, but in Scouting we don’t judge.
more info The Scout Association website has a wide range of advice and support on accessing adventurous activities. Visit www.scouts.org.uk/activities for more information, including the A-Z directory of activities. Email the Activities Team at activities@scouts.org.uk
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? e r u t n e v d A e h rt
Up fo
es
alcentr n o ti a n / k .u g r .o scouts 49
tel: 0845 300 25
Owned and managed by The Scout Association Charity Number: 306101
668_AC Scouting Magazine Ad.indd1 1
3/3/08 11:15:21
The Big Adventure
Need a
volunteer? The Big Adventure kicks off on 1 May this year, so there’s still time to get parents involved in the leadership teams of your summer camp or activity day – it could lead to more adult support on a permanent basis
W
ho doesn’t need more adult volunteers to help deliver the weekly programme? The Big Adventure is a proven way to increase the number of adult volunteers in Scouting – initially by involving adults in a single event before encouraging greater involvement.
How it works If you’re already planning a summer event then there’s no need to organise anything new. Simply invite parents and other adults to be an active part of the team planning and delivering the day. Any event from 1 May to 31 August where new adults are involved in this way can be counted as part of The Big Adventure.
‘Lots of people said they hadn’t gone camping in years, but every one of them went home from camp with a different outlook on Scouting’
Greater adult involvement means more fun for all
Free resources If you received the December/January issue of Scouting, you’ll already have a copy of the Step-by-Step Guide to the Big Adventure. It’s a complete guide to using The Big Adventure to attract new volunteers – from the first conversation to completing an Occasional Helper Form. It’s also available at www.scouts.org.uk/thebigadventure The Little Guide to The Big Adventure is free with this issue. Give it to parents who have agreed to come along to the event to prepare them for the experience. There is also information about getting more involved in Scouting.
FREE LITTLE GUIDE If you like the look of the Litte Guide, you can order more copies free of charge from the Scout Information Centre at www.scouts.org.uk/infocentre or by calling 0845 300 1818. You only pay postage and packing. For more advice and support and to tell us about your plans for The Big Adventure, please visit www. scouts.org.uk/ thebigadventure
34 Scouting February/March 2010
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www.scouts.org.uk/magazine
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slug
Find the way From walking a bearing to getting to grips with GPS, in the first part of our exclusive serialisation of the new book Scouting Skills, we look at the art of navigation
E
ven on well-marked trails, it can be annoyingly easy to lose your way, especially if trail markers have become worn or obscured by vegetation. In more remote areas good map-reading and compass skills are essential. But there is more to navigation than just reading a map – you also need to remain constantly alert and be a keen observer of your surroundings.
LOOKING AT THE LAND As you walk along a route, develop the habit of noting particular features or landmarks as you pass them. Begin with the start of the walk. Notice the direction it takes – heading towards woodland or a hill to the left, for example. At regular intervals, compare the landscape you see with the lines and symbols on your map. If you’re returning by the same route, turn around every now and then and look back at the path you’ve walked. Things look different when approached from the opposite direction.
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Navigation
PARTS OF A COMPASS SCALE MARKINGS to use with different map scales
ORIENTING ARROW marked on the base of the compass, turns with the dial
DIRECTION-OFTRAVEL ARROW this points the way you are travelling
DIAL surrounding the compass, showing the points and degrees, and can be turned in either direction
CONTOUR FEATURES
BASEPLATE
INDEX POINTER where the direction-oftravel arrow meets the dial
COMPASS NEEDLE usually red and white; the red end points north
FOLLOWING A MAP When following a route on the map, turn it around until it faces the way you are walking. Make sure the map is correctly aligned by choosing two or three landmarks or features you can easily see ahead of you. Find these landmarks on your map and position the map so you can draw imaginary lines from the landmarks in the landscape to those on the map.
USING A COMPASS Geographical directions are usually described in terms of points of the compass. The four cardinal points divide the compass into quarters. For greater accuracy, these four quarters are then divided again to show the halfway mark between each quarter. To make it possible to pinpoint directions even more precisely, the circle of a compass face is also divided into 360 degrees. North is always 0 degrees, and each quarter adds 90 degrees – so, for example, east is 90 degrees. The best
ORIENTING LINES marked on the base of the compass, turns with the dial
RIDGE – a series of pointed or finger-like contour lines usually indicates a high ridge.
HOUSING holds the compass needle, orienting arrow and lines, and also the dial
type of compass is an orienteering compass, as shown above.
CELESTIAL NAVIGATION Of course, you can always check your direction with a compass, but it is useful to develop some sense of direction points in case of emergency or a lost or damaged compass. Here’s a quick guide to navigating by the sun, moon and stars. The sun always rises in the east and sets in the west. In the Northern Hemisphere, when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky at around midday, its direction is in the south. If you see the moon rise before the sun has set, the lit side of the moon will be west. If the moon does not rise until after midnight, the lit side will be east. To find the North Star, locate the Plough (it also looks like a saucepan). Find the two stars that make up the right-hand side of the Plough and follow an imaginary line extending straight up – the brightest star you will see there is the North Star.
VALLEY – low-level contour lines spaced quite widely apart, often with a river following the same direction as the lines.
PASS – two sets of circles joined by lower contour lines, a little like the eyes in a face mask, indicate a saddle or pass between two high points.
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Navigation
READING A COMPASS
1
Hold the compass level, with the direction-oftravel arrow on the baseplate pointing away from you. Turn the dial until the letter ‘N’ and the orienting arrow line up with the direction-oftravel arrow.
2
Keeping the compass steady in front of you, turn your body slowly around. As you move your body, the needle also turns. Keep turning until the needle points to the letter ‘N’. You are now facing north.
3
Now turn a quarter circle to the right. The dial, orienting arrow and directionof-travel arrow are pointing north, but the needle is now pointing west, right? Wrong! The needle is pointing north; it is your position that has changed.
4
Turn the dial so that the letter ‘N’ and the orienting arrow line up with the needle again. Now the dial shows that the direction-oftravel arrow is pointing east, so you know that you are facing east.
Remember, regardless of what the dial is telling you, the needle always points north. To find the direction in which you are heading turn the dial until the ‘N’ mark and the orientation arrow line up with the needle. Then read your direction-of-travel arrow to find out which direction you are facing. Follow the direction-of-travel arrow, not the compass needle.
GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEMS A handheld GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver pinpoints its location by picking up information from satellites orbiting Earth. Your receiver must have a clear line of sight to the sky and a full GPS signal, which is not always available. Always carry a magnetic compass and paper maps as back-up, and know how to use them.
NAVIGATION TOP TIPS Keep checking for identifiable features on your map but remember artificial structures can change. If you get lost, go back to the last point you clearly recognised on the map. A GPS will affect the reading on a magnetic compass if the two devices are too close together. Also keep compasses away from metal objects, eg car keys. Content taken from Scouting Skills, published by Doubleday
SCOUTING SKILLS
Do you know how to build an altar fire, read a compass or navigate by the stars? Could you construct and steer a raft across a river? All these and many, many more skills are included in this incredibly detailed guide to all the things you once knew but have now forgotten. Scouting Skills is the definitive hardback guide to the outdoors and adventure. Written in close collaboration with The Scout Association, it is perfect for young people and adults alike. ‘This is the outdoor handbook brought to you by the people who wrote the rules’ Bear Grylls, Chief Scout
READER OFFER Scout Shops is offering £5 off the marked price for readers of Scouting. Order your copy of Scouting Skills priced at £9.99 from www. scouts.org.uk/shop or call 01903 766921. Item code: 1027759 Scout Shops also offer a range of Silva and Recta compasses starting at £10
www.scouts.org.uk/magazine
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Hiking
Into the n e p o e d i w great What better test of Scouting skills than an expedition into the unknown? From the cliffs of Malham Cove, to a two-day trek across the South Downs, Steve Backhouse presents three routes to help your Scouts discover the great outdoors – and their own potential 40 Scouting February/March 2010
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Hiking
Malham Cove:
1
Distance: 7½km (4¾ miles) • Total ascent: 300 metres (1,000 feet) • Start and finish: Car park in Malham village • Map: 1:25,000 OL2, Yorkshire Dales S & W
Ordnance Survey mapping © Crown copyright. AM111/09.
WALK
DISCOVER THE NATURAL WORLD
From Malham village follow the path through fields and woodland to the delightful Janet’s Foss waterfall. A Cross the road and explore the remarkable limestone gorge of Goredale Scar. B Retrace your steps to Goredale Bridge and then take the ascending path to the minor road C which continues to the top of Malham Cove. D Cross the limestone pavement with care and then descend the steep steps to the base of the cliff. Finally it’s a gentle walk along the Pennine Way to Malham. RISK ASSESSMENT: The path that continues up Goredale Scar is a potentially dangerous scramble – retrace your steps when you get to the waterfall at point B. The limestone pavement can be slippery in the wet and the sheer cliffs of the cove itself are an obvious hazard where close supervision is required. LOOK OUT FOR... edible plants • Dandelion leaves are easily recognised and can be used in a tasty salad. Don’t eat too many as they are also a well-known diuretic. • Nettles can be used to make nettle tea or, cooked like spinach,
are delicious in a creamy pasta sauce. • Wood Sorrel has a distinctive lemon flavour – now used by posh London restaurants in salads and to flavour sorbets. GEOLOGY: The Limestone Pavement at the top of Malham Cove is a rare habitat where rainwater has dissolved the rock to form slabs, or ‘clints’, and fissures known as grikes. Malham Cove was once a mighty waterfall to rival Niagara Falls. Today the river permeates through the porous rock before emerging from the rock at the base of the cliff.
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Hiking
NAVIGATION TECHNIQUES 1 USE AN ATTACK POINT: an obvious location (in this case the corner of a wood) that will help you locate a less obvious feature.
Haytor on Dartmoor
Dartmoor:
2 AIMING OFF:
NAVIGATION CHALLENGE Distance: 9km (5½ miles) • Total ascent: 300 metres (1,000 feet) • Start and finish: Haytor car park • Map: 1:25,000 OL28, Dartmoor. Think Dartmoor is a bleak, featureless moorland? Well, think again. It has a wealth of historical gems – medieval villages, Bronze Age burial chambers and a remarkable granite tramway.
Ordnance Survey mapping © Crown copyright. AM111/09.
WALK
2
try aiming off to find somewhere on a linear feature.
Ask your Scouts to use their navigation skills to find these 17 locations. A 760 774 Haytor quarries B 757 777 Track/path junction C 756 782 Hut circles D 760 784 Boundary stone E 761 786 Cairn F 754 767 Boundary stone G 752 787 Stream crossing H 746 789 Medieval settlement I 742 789 Hound Tor J 740 787 Cairn circle and cist K 745 786 Wall junction L 746 785 Greator Rocks M 748 779 Confluence of streams N 748 775 Circular settlement O 753 774 Path junction P 754 772 Small pond Q 765 771 Haytor Rocks
3 COUNTING
PACES: this is an accurate method of measuring distances. It varies from person to person, but typically 60-72 double paces equal 100 metres.
4 INTERPRETING CONTOURS: this is a very useful technique. You can gain a lot of information from the angle and direction of sloping terrain.
More info More navigation hints and tips are on page 36 of this issue.
42 Scouting February/March 2010
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Ordnance Survey mapping © Crown copyright. AM111/09.
Hiking
South Downs Way: TWO-DAY EXPEDITION WALK
3
Distance: Day 1: 15km (9½ miles), Day 2: 14km (9 miles) • Total ascent: Day 1: 380 metres (1,250 feet), Day 2: 270 metres (900 feet) • Start: Ditchling Beacon car park • Finish: Washington village • Overnight stop: Truleigh Hill youth hostel – see www.yha.org.uk • Map: 1:25,000 Explorer sheets 122 and 121
Day 1: From Ditchling Beacon head west along the South Downs Way to the famous Clayton Windmills A named Jack and Jill. The trail descends to cross the A273 and pass under the busy A23 B near Pyecombe. Cross West Hill to Saddlescombe C and head along the Downs to the popular beauty spot of Devil’s Dyke. D You’ll be rewarded with excellent views south to Brighton and the coast, and north over the Sussex Weald, as you continue to Edburton Hill E and your overnight stop at Truleigh Hill youth hostel. F Day 2: Start with a descent to the A283 and the footbridge over the River Adur. G Pass through the hamlet of Botolphs and climb the opposite side of the valley to the top of Annington Hill. H The trail follows the crest of the Downs to the Iron Age hill fort of Chanctonbury Ring I before the descent to the village of Washington. PLANNING YOUR EXPEDITION: Scouts may use this route for their Expedition Challenge, while Explorer Scouts could use it as a stepping stone to a Duke of Edinburgh expedition. HOW MUCH SUPERVISION? This will depend on the age and experience of your Group. You can build confidence by walking with your Scouts some of the time and allowing unsupervised walking on certain parts of the route. WHERE TO STAY: A youth hostel is a convenient option, particularly in the
winter months. At Truleigh Hill there is the option of camping in the grounds. WHAT TO CARRY: For younger Scouts in particular, carrying all their equipment is challenging. If you’re camping, a good compromise may be for the Scouts to carry their own clothes, food and personal equipment, with heavy items like tents and stoves transported by vehicle to the stop. MORE IDEAS: The South Downs Way is one of 15 national trails – see www.nationaltrail.co.uk for details.
FURTHER READING
Cicerone has two great mini-guides to help you develop your skills in navigation and the use of GPS. The publisher is offering readers 25 per cent off each book (RRP £7.99). To buy for just £5.99 each, simply visit www.cicerone.co.uk Enter the code SCOUT at the checkout. Navigation This practical guide will help you get the most out of navigating with a map and compass. It’s then down to you! Navigating with a GPS Want to know how to navigate with GPS? This guide takes you through it in a clear, structured way. It also tackles digital mapping and relevant software.
www.scouts.org.uk/magazine
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Camp cooking
Scouting encourages you to get down to the fishmonger and cook up a Caribbean favourite, courtesy of Reggae Reggae chef Levi Roots
Hot roast snapper with coconut, chilli and lime salsa
Snapper is probably the most widely used of all fish in Caribbean cooking. Here we cook ours in an oven, but if you’re planning a beach party, you can cook yours on a barbecue with a lid or a rack set on bricks on a beach fire. Choose a smaller fish than we have here (around 1-2kg), stuff it, wrap it in foil and cook it over the coals for 35 minutes to 1 hour depending on size, turning every 15 minutes or so to ensure it cooks evenly. Serves 8 Preparation 10 mins Cooking 35 mins to 1 hour Ingredients 3kg snapper, either pink- or grey-skinned, gutted and scaled Juice of 1 lime
For the stuffing 1 small bunch of fresh coriander, finely chopped Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped Leaves from 8 sprigs of thyme Zest of 1 lime Juice of 2 limes 4cm piece of root ginger, very finely chopped 1 hot red chilli (ideally a Scotch bonnet), deseeded and finely chopped 5-6 tbsp olive oil Salt and pepper For the salsa 250g fresh coconut flesh 1 ⁄4 tsp caster sugar Juice of 8 limes Zest of 2 limes 2 red chillies, deseeded and cut into fine slivers Small bunch of fresh coriander leaves, coarsely chopped
Copyright: Chris Terry
Sizzling snapper Method Preheat the oven to 200ºC/ 400ºF/gas mark 6. Using a very sharp knife, make three deep slashes on each side of the fish. Squeeze the juice of a lime all over. Mix all the stuffing ingredients together and push it into the slits as well as the cavity. Set the fish in a roasting tin lined with foil and roast in the preheated oven, uncovered, for 45 minutes. By that time the flesh closest to the bone at the thickest parts should be perfectly white and not at all ‘glassy’ looking. To make the salsa, use a potato peeler to cut wafer-thin shavings of coconut. Mix the sugar with the lime juice, stirring until it dissolves, and toss the coconut with this and all the other ingredients. Serve with the snapper. Recipe extracted from Caribbean Food Made Easy with Levi Roots
www.scouts.org.uk/magazine
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school
A desire to achieve the DofE Gold Award by doing something different led Explorer Scout Laura Tyler to the British Schools Exploring Society. Soon she was climbing Arctic glaciers. This is her story‌
46 Scouting February 2010/ March 2010
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Expedition
W
hen I joined the Scout Movement as a six-year-old Beaver Scout I had no idea about how much I would get out of it. However, as I moved through the sections I went on more camps, coming back muddier and muddier, and I think it is this that sparked my love of the outdoors. At 14 I joined Andover District Explorers and also started my Duke of Edinburgh’s Award with the view that I would get more from it than blisters. My Bronze and Silver Awards
Laura’s taste for adventure led her to the dramatic landscapes of Norway
took me to the New Forest, Brecon Beacons and the Yorkshire Dales. Though they were beautiful, I decided that I wanted to do something other than plod up hills with my team mates for the Gold expedition. With that in mind, I scoured the web looking for something a bit different. I knew I had found it when I discovered the British Schools Exploring Society (BSES) website. I applied to do Arctic kayaking and, much to my delight, my offer letter arrived days before my 17th birthday. I thought raising just under £4,000 to go on the expedition would be relatively easy. But after several failed attempts at getting sponsorship (apart from the Whitchurch Welfare Trust who paid for my boots and waterproofs), I only managed it
through a combination of work, eBay dealing and a last-minute donation from my gran.
On the glacier Getting up at 5am to catch a plane really isn’t a good way to start the first day of the summer holidays (yes, my friends did think I was mad). After lots of travelling by air, road and water, we finally arrived at base camp at 1am the next day – with the sun shining like it was midday. In the first week, we learned how to throw ourselves down a glacier (missing all the rocks) and stop ourselves with an ice axe, as well as walking with crampons on ice and snow. Halfway through the mountain phase, with our training near completion, we moved up to ‘windy alley’ at the snout of the glacier. When we had finished our training we got up at 6am and made a break for the highest ice point. We spent more than nine hours on the glacier that day. Unfortunately, our plan to go up a second time was thwarted when we woke up in the clouds two days later.
Kayaking and mountaineering The next phase was kayaking, of which we did more than 90km. Unfortunately, though we saw lots of wildlife, including porpoises and a sea eagle, our fishing skills weren’t the best. For phase three we had the option of choosing what we wanted to do – mountaineering, kayaking or cultural. I chose mountaineering. We went to the Langfjord Glacier, rising
‘I wanted to do something other than plod up hills with my team mates for the Gold expedition’ at 5.30am to catch a ferry there. We measured stakes in it, which involved jumping over some very large crevasses. This was probably one of the scariest things I have ever done, but we enjoyed it so much we returned the next day to do it again. The last few days of the expedition were spent at a campsite in Alta with the luxury of showers and proper toilets. The journey home was quite uneventful, although there were lots of tears at the airport as we said our goodbyes. This was a fantastic experience which was due to many people, including my family, the people behind the expedition at the BSES office, the Whitchurch Welfare Trust and all the Scout Leaders who have inspired me and given me a love of the outdoors and a thirst for adventure. Note: Laura has also received the Queen’s Scout Award using this trip to meet the expedition criteria.
more info The BSES is a UK development charity which uses the underlying principle of ‘adventure with purpose’. It provides inspirational and challenging scientific expeditions to remote environments for people aged 16-23. These trips develop skills in team working, communication, leadership and more. Visit www.bses.org.uk To learn more about the DofE Gold Award visit www.dofe.org
www.scouts.org.uk/magazine
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Country diary
Spring without the sting
Spring can come earlier than you think, says James Taylor, if you look for the signs
B
y February there are many signs that spring is on the way. Birds are pairing up in preparation for nesting and many mammals have young safely protected in sets, earths or burrows. The leaf buds on trees are swelling, many woodland bulbs are already close to flowering and perennial plants are showing fresh, luxuriant growth. The humble stinging nettle is unpleasant when in contact with skin, resulting in a rash, or pins and needles in the fingertips. However, it has other qualities which make it very valuable at this time of year. Have you thought about adding a wild-food evening each month to your programme? You will have to source your nettles and pick them in advance. In February, nettles will be freshly emerged and have short, tender stems. However, the stings are well established so do wear gloves! Collect a carrier bag full and tie the top of the bag – this will keep the nettles fresh for a day or two.
Souper idea There are many recipes for nettle soup and this basic one can be adapted. Rinse the nettles and place in a litre or so of boiling water. Add a couple of chopped potatoes, as they help to thicken the soup’s consistency. While this is boiling, fry two chopped onions in butter and add a good shake of brown sugar. When this has dissolved and the onions are soft, add to the nettles. The nettles have quite a strong peppery taste, but if you like seasoning you can add a vegetable stock cube. When the potato starts to break down, the soup is ready, although you can use a cordless blender to make it smoother. Ladle the soup into bowls, adding a swirl of fresh cream. Nettles can be used to make an excellent dye, too. The leaves make a dark green dye and the roots a yellow one. You can also use the stems to make fibres, string, mesh or rope – an activity which can be done indoors if the weather isn’t quite spring-like.
www.scouts.org.uk/magazine
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case study
A
Promise Renewal event is exactly what it sounds like: people coming together to renew their Scout Promise. Many Groups do this as part of a wider St George’s Day celebration. However, it is important to take into account the diverse beliefs within your District or County. A District event can only be called that if it is available for all those within the area. If you hold your event on a Saturday you may exclude Jewish groups, especially if they need to travel. Likewise, if it’s on a Sunday you could prevent Christians from attending. Think about making your event more appealing to youth members. Does everyone have to sit in a church and listen to the District Commissioner talk about Scouting or could it be part of an activity day?
You could hold it at a football club, swimming pool or theatre.
Do:
Vary the format every year Consider the needs of District groups Think outside the box
Don’t:
Make your event completely Christian – Scouting has Members from ALL major faiths Exclude young people from organising your event
‘Does everyone have to sit in a church and listen to the DC talk about Scouting?’
For the last couple of years, Cabot District in Bristol has held its Promise Renewal service as part of a District Activity Day. Some 500 Members gathered to take part in different activities followed by a barbecue lunch. The Promise Renewal service was then held in a marquee as the central part of the day. The chosen theme also related to activities, particularly those relevant to the Beaver and Cub sections. By using this format the District was able to do something different which encouraged more young people to take part and showed that Promise Renewals needn’t be boring. Cabot is in a very multicultural area and by choosing to use a campsite and marquee rather than a church the District ensured that everyone could attend.
Question
What resources are available to help me bring faith into my programme?
activity
MATCH THE SAINTS TO
THE FLAGS RELAY RACE
gland, Ireland, Scotla the patron saints of En Cut out the names of m your sec tion. Give fro ay aw m on a table and Wa les and put the to the table, match g and ask them to run each participant a fla ld include countr y cou You m. k to their tea the name and run bac bit harder. emblems to ma ke it a
nd
There are many programmes available on Programmes Online (www.scouts.org.uk/pol). We are also producing a faith resource that will help you plan and implement such programmes. The resource will be sent out with the June/July issue of Scouting and will also be available to download.
50 Scouting February/March 2010
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Faiths & beliefs
Simon Morley looks at a more inclusive way to bring District groups together www.scouts.org.uk/magazine
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And the o‌ t s e o g d r awa ging the be excellent, acknowled to ce an ch e th r fe of ds , says The Chief Scout’s Awar t are they too hard? No Bu . ion ct se eir th r ve te wha ramme achievements of Scouts, they are key to our prog hy w ns ai pl ex ho w ls, Chief Scout Bear Gryl
52 Scouting October/November 2009
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Chief Scout’s Awards
I
ing the quality of ’m committed to improv as Chief Scout, e Scouting during my tim re Scouts getting mo ans and to me that me s. ard Aw s more Chief Scout’ thrived has g utin Sco , Since the beginning racted people who because it has always att and reach the are prepared to think big d by an inspiring unthinkable goal. Founde everyday heroes, leader, taken forward by atest movement for Scouting is now the gre has ever seen. But young people the world individual – like h these achievements, bot h Dempsey, nna Ha ut medal-winning Sco cial Olympics Spe the in who sped to silver tive – like the Scouts a year ago – and collec appointment letters in Bristol who delivered flu pandemic and in the midst of the swine so much more than the postal strike – are worth may get in the local momentary praise they nnel. cha s paper or new e the Chief Scout’s lov I y wh That’s ud to put my Awards, and why I’m pro ards, which span aw name to them. The five mitment to the com the five sections, require to achieve. ls skil of ge Promise and a diverse ran Scout ver Bea a as er From that first sleepov to the ard Aw nze Bro the s working toward to ded ghness nee stamina and mental tou nd mo Dia for the complete an expedition their weight in rth wo are s ard aw Award, the ir m the names. the materials that give the
e A balanced programm
young people To achieve the awards, the Programme: of ts par must tackle all ess, Creative, Global, Outdoor Adventure, Fitn and Attitudes. As Community, and Beliefs er that variety using the leaders, you already off Challenges in Beavers, Programme Zones and tools – and their Cubs and Scouts. These Scouts and the r counterparts in Explore the framework for e vid Scout Network – pro Chief Scout’s Award. completing the respective ir young people to set the Therefore, getting your tch stre a be needn’t sights on the top award it’s still a case of But n. atio gin ima of the challenging targets. thinking big and setting allow Scouts to to I always find the key is them hone those p hel to dream big and then l gets. Whether your goa dreams to achievable tar on nce t or your first performa is the summit of Everes
their ‘These awards are worth that weight in the materials ’ give them their names it, and you really need to want stage under the lights, . ide you you need your team bes
Action stations
to and retain more adults With the need to recruit easy be ld of our minds, it cou Scouting at the forefront lity of qua the t l and not protec to take our eye off the bal ut’s Sco ief Ch the mbers. Use Scouting we offer our Me er. off you g utin of the Sco Awards as a quality mark can realistically achieve ple peo ng you ny How ma r team 2010? Can you and you the award by the end of or ir way? What challenges encourage them on the e mm d to offer in your progra activities might you nee s ard aw se the challenges the to fill the gaps? Embrace the by ired k big, and get insp require. Reach high, thin Daniel on page 55. Let’s and nne Joa , story of Nicola can. awards earned; I know we increase the number of
Gold run ‘The Chief Scout’s Gold Award is a great recognition of Scouts who have taken part in a high-quality Balanced Programme. Every time I talk to a Scout who has achieved their award, I can sense the excitement about their experience of Scouting. I get a real kick from witnessing that sense of pride along with the tales they tell of their time in the Troop.’ – Alasdair McBay, the UK Adviser for Scouts
www.scouts.org.uk/magazine
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Chief Scout’s Awards
s e n u t r o f y l i Fam ard r Chief Scout’s Bronze Aw he d de ar aw as w la co g things runs When Cub Scout Ni footsteps. Achieving bi ’ gs lin sib r he in g in w she was follo about to discover in the family, as you’re
M
sentation y Chief Scout’s Award pre because I n asio was a very special occ Award, nze Bro my h was presented wit with ted sen pre s wa my sister Joanne ld Go his got l nie Da r the bro her Silver Award, and my in time. Has this happened Award, all at the same any other family? , , Silver and Gold. He said Daniel now has Bronze do to ty uni ort a fantastic opp ‘Scouting has given me
ea ‘Scouting has given m do fantastic opportunitythto ings lots of activities and that people who are not in Scouts don’ t get to do’
gs that people who lots of activities and thin get to do. I’ve just been are not in Scouts don’t t to Birmingham Contingen selected to be part of the 1 201 in n ede Sw in ee Jambor go to the World Scout awesome.’ and that’s going to be getting her Chief Joanne is really proud of fame that came the and , Scout’s Silver Award to in the local paper with it. ‘We had our pho bly. It’s good because and we took it into assem ryone about Scouts and then you get to tell eve re are still some people all the things we do. The s can be in Scouts.’ that don’t know that girl in our Cub Pack, My sister was the first girl as the boys. ies ivit act but likes all the same kayaking and like I and p ‘I like going on cam ud of getting my climbing. I am really pro Chief Scout’s Award.’ s by the County We were given our award ivity day at Blackwell Commissioner at an act indoor climbing wall Adventure. I went on the The High All Aboard d. and the High All Aboar was scary, but I loved it. is As Daniel says, ‘Scouting d goo h wit fun about having ies ivit act of lots do friends. We to t tric Dis the in one for any this join in with. Because of ple peo h wit nds frie de ma I’ve met n eve e that I wouldn’t hav ut.’ Sco if I wasn’t a
more info You can find full requirements of the awards in the relevant programme publication for each section eg The Colony Programme for Beaver Scouts. They are also at www. scouts.org.uk/ scoutbase
www.scouts.org.uk/magazine
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Vango Tempest 300 Tent Ref 1024674 £115 RRP £130 Available in two sizes, the Tempest 200 and 300 are our bestselling, lightweight, technical tunnel tents. Tension Band System gives stability in adverse conditions Plenty of inner storage pockets Large porch/ storage area Protex® HC3000 polyester flysheet
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Vango Omega 350 Tent Ref 1027453 £140 RRP £160 This tunnel tent has lots of space for gear and sleeping. Tension Band System gives stability in adverse conditions As one or flysheet first pitching Large porch/storage area Protex® HC3000 polyester flysheet Weight: 5kg Vango Halo 300 Tent Ref 1027463 £132 RRP£150 New for 2010, the Vango Halo 300 semi-geodesic tent, with an innovative porch configuration has a dry area to store gear with an open section for other items. As one or flysheet first pitching Groundsheet in porch area Protex® HC3000 polyester flysheet Weight: 4kg
BE PREPARED FOR YOUR DofE Get ready for your Duke of Edinburgh Award’s equipment needs. All items shown are DofE recommended. Visit our website for further details on these and other DofE items.
Vango Spectre 300 Tent Ref 1026349 £115 RRP£130 The Vango Spectre 300 tunnel tent features zipped storage space at both ends and two side entry points. As one or flysheet first pitching Protex® HC3000 polyester flysheet Fire retardant fabrics Weight: 3.15kg
56 Scouting February/March 2010
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Vango Nitestar 250 Sleeping Bag Ref 1026328 (shown) and 1027521 £25 RRP £30 Our bestselling sleeping bag, ideal for DofE. Performance: 2-3 season Suggested usage: +4º to +20ºC Dimensions: 220 x 80 x 50cm Total weight: 1.75kg Pack size: 30 x 22cm Colours: Black/Surf Blue or Dahlia
Vango SelfInflating Trek Mat Ref 1027529 Standard (other sizes available) £19 RRP £21 The Vango self-inflating Trek Mat is perfect for sleeping when durability and strength are important. Dimensions: 183 x 51 x 3cm Weight: 840g with stuffsac
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KNIVES MAY NOT BE PURCHASED BY ANYONE UNDER 18 YEARS OLD
Sigg 1 Litre Drinks Bottle Ref 1014886 £13.50 RRP £14.99 Sigg water bottles are made using single piece impact extruded aluminium with no seams ensuring they are extremely durable. Virtually unbreakable
Victorinox DofE Pocket Tool Ref 1026676 £22 RRP£24.99 The DofE Victorinox Pocket Tool has been designed to make it as safe as possible as there is no point on the knife. Comes with ten handy features to make basic running repairs.
Order online at www.scouts.org.uk/shop or call 01903 766921
Al l prof its are retu rned to The Scout Association
Selected items will be available in February.
Vango Sherpa 60+10 Rucksack Ref 1027518 £60 RRP £65 The Vango Sherpa 60+10 Rucksack is great value and is available with classic pockets or expansion pockets. Volume: 60+10 litres Total weight: 2.5kg Colour: Atlantic Blue
Recta Romer Compass Ref 1011337 £15 RRP£17.99 The Romer compass is suitable for those doing Silver or Gold levels of DofE. Scales: 1:10,000 +1:15,000 +1:25,000 +1:50,000 Graduation: 360° Size: 56 x 116mm
www.scouts.org.uk/magazine
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e v i t c ) A y (Ver Support out Fellowship to The transition from Sc an opportunity to Scout Active Support is ready being provided enhance the support al le such as the inall over the UK by peop outhshire District. demand team in Monm a year in its life Alan Llewelyn relives
scouts.org.uk/activesupport
58 Scouting February/March 2010
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Scout Active Support
interest that
‘This generated such nary year, we all oup ollowing the hectic Cente w have a new Scout Gr no e be a bit more w uld wo 8/9 200 t tha t though eit only king soon became at the village hall – alb relaxing, but wishful thin r with’ t big event of the yea Beaver Scouts to begin business as usual. The firs e om bec ut quiz, which has now is to organise the Cub Sco that computer extravaganza a high-tech, interactive ngly, resulted in some nths of preparation. event which, unsurprisi o mo Wh ee Dr thr e som s uire req t follows ing gala in Newport tha interesting dishes. ted The Cub Scout swimm ers fing h vember was well suppor atc pw sto ion act t-re fas our The District concert in No lesson y tor now depends on his a eed! a turn that included y. A high-pressure job ind with Fellowship doing uts Sco to record and see fair pla Usk the nds hile, we organised Fellowship collectively spe for the Scouts. Meanw as g etin Starting in October, the me te titu ers of ge Women’s Ins essments, VIP lists, lett to cook a meal at a villa we t tha t many hours on risk ass res inte h suc y s generated h local police, council, Arm a promotional event. Thi eit alb – l invitation and liaison wit hal ge e’s villa org the Ge Group at itage body) for the St now have a new Scout and Cadw (the Welsh her Chepstow at in with. d beg hel to re we uts se Sco The ver . only Bea Day parade and service ed end att s wa in 2009 and each Castle in 2008 and Usk Freeing up time ple. peo ng lks in autumn, during by around 300 you e no Ca e Wy managed a few social wa er We Riv il’s unc Co e ut Sco The all-Welsh the Fellowship could giv al lunch of hot dogs, which the issue of where usu our ing The vid . pro sed us res Challenge saw District was add for those continued support to the banks of the River Wye ago k the view some years burgers and soup on the too t tric ges Dis Monmouthshire o years, all these challen le tw ssib last po as the rk For wo t. t par tric taking much Dis District that they should take as -breaking events. For the ld und cou gro y be the t to tha ved so s’ pro e hav d leader lected yet away from the ‘uniforme hments as usual and col AGM we provided refres -day direct work with the -to day the on te tra concen s to the District. another award for service es at young people. support to run three bas The group also provided resulted in our being , nge alle Ch ugh lbro Over the years this has Ho and Brian of the the Cub Scout Challenge ments as required by any ess te near Tintern. responsible for risk ass psi cam Bay the h any wit Bot son the both held at ups and close liai 13 Monmouthshire Gro uting. able to help promote Sco are o wh County officials High the A summer of support eol Farm found about 18 and ent Gw of airh the Lord Lieutenant es ped lud Pen inc at s ue Thi bec bar all the Our July barbecue ter and Assembly MPs, annual joint Fellowships’ Sheriff, local Westmins inesses. Members planning the bus al te loc psi and cam s t yor Tha . ma ire te near Llangenny County of Monmouthsh ll we , at the Tudor Cule campsi and and, as you can see Members from Newport Our team is well known barbecue saw some 50 sharing tinue. ting Croatian Members utilised. Long may it con Torfaen, plus some visi g utin Sco of ure fut ns about the good food and discussio nts. new bases for future eve and old toScout ting ipto tes ship owsh as well as llow Fell omFe From Scouts’ cooking at the our ort h Fr pp wit d Su iste ass ve n ti We the Scout Ac resulted t or pp Su in Abergavenny which l tiva ve Fes ti d Ac Foo al tion Interna ut Ac tive Support sentation m September 2009, Sco pate after our formal pre Fro tici par to ion itat ship, but it is not inv an in new na me for Fel low of years, the ple the e cou a am of bec ak ship, bre a er ber 2010. Like Fel low to the organisers. Aft pu lsory until Decem the group and com ted for g tar res tin n set itio al pet ide offers an District cooking com d Scout Ac tive Support re and judging the theme t aren’t taught any mo tha lls ski al assisted with organising ion dit tra to be passed on to more info new adults joi ning t: p to Scout Active Suppor Scouti ng, so we Why Change? Fellowshi m Guide is available fro nce ere Ref ick Qu r can keep all of this You ctivesupport or free ww w.scouts.org.u k/a va luable experience tre ut Information Cen of charge from the Sco withi n The Scout on 0845 300 1818. Assoc iation .
F
www.scouts.org.uk/magazine
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The UKs no 1 Synthetic Ice Rink Company
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Adult support slug
good sports Looking for ideas to rejuvenate your Group? Want to open a new Group or bring a dormant one to life? Claire Welch speaks to Regional Development Officer Jean Marshall about a successful initiative in South Gloucestershire The situation: The 1st Wick Scout Group became dormant in 2007, but before it closed for good the District and Group Scout Leader, with the help of the South West Regional Development Service, decided to give it one last push. Efforts were initially focussed on opening a Beaver Colony and possibly a Cub Pack.
The method: Placing an advert in the parish magazine and spreading the word through school assemblies enticed 25 people, both young and adult, to an open morning at the village hall. Further evenings were arranged for the young people and these were used to speak with parents and other interested adults about volunteering. ‘The support was fantastic,’ says Jean. ‘There was a real desire from both adults and young people to have Scouting in their village.’ To keep the momentum going, it was decided to further promote Scouting at the Wick Church of England Primary School sports day. ‘The school had already been really supportive and they agreed for a
representative to be at the sports day,’ explains Jean. The Regional Development Service attended the event on 3 July, armed with free bottles of water with a small promotional card attached. The water was distributed to the line of parents and relatives who were eagerly waiting to watch their children race. ‘Some were reluctant to take a bottle even though they were free,’ Jean recalls, ‘but with a little perseverance more than 150 were given away. This provided opportunities to talk about Scouting and the possibility of restarting the Group. Joining forms were available and those who registered their children’s interest were invited to a prearranged meeting the following week. From this, two adults are to be Assistant Leaders. Not bad for a morning at sports day!’
The result: The 1st Wick Beaver Colony and Cub Pack are now open, with more than 30 young people across the two sections and new adult leadership teams predominantly made up of parents.
Top tips for sports day recruitment
Get permission from the school Do not charge for bottles of water or other promotional material Ensure you have joining forms and pens to record interest Make promotional cards eye-catching and generic, for example, use the national Want to Join number and website, so leftovers can be used at another event Get the balance right! Parents are there to watch their child at a Sports Day, so let them come to you when they are ready. It’s OK to hand out material but if they choose not to engage on the day, all is not lost. They may follow it up from the details on the promotional cards when they get home Use this recruitment method as part of a wider campaign Seek advice from your Regional Development Officer.
more info Factsheet Opening a new Scout Group or Section (FS500011)
www.scouts.org.uk/magazine
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Group in focus Ed Miliband said he recognised how important and tough the questions were
GREEN MEANS
GO
rd her countries wasn’ t ha ot 0 20 e m so ith w g As if negotiatin ate for and the Secretary of St er ist in M e im Pr e th , enough en summit ed from the Copenhag Climate Change return rs team out Young Campaigne to be quizzed by the Sc
M
embers of this group learn how to advocate and campaign for the r to them and tte ma t causes tha from all over wn Dra g. to Scoutin enjoyed the UK they have already p the Sto great success with the have now Rain Tax campaign and . hts sig ir other issues in the ence on The Copenhagen confer ed by end att s wa nge climate cha e Minster Prim ing lud inc s der global lea retary of Gordon Brown and Sec e Ed State for Climate Chang nday after Mo Miliband. On the first nd hosted iba Mil the conference, Mr of ent tm par De a briefing at the ere wh e ang Ch ate Energy and Clim
who he, along with Mr Brown cussed the dis , link appeared via video ns. stio que red we summit and ans
Tough questions
luded In an audience which inc sioners mis com h hig , ors ambassad three Scouts and green campaigners, to the put their enquiries directly nd took iba Mil Secretary of State. Mr tant’ por ‘im how time to recognise re, we ns stio que and ‘tough’ the as to how leaving him in no doubt ut the issue. abo l fee uts Sco seriously ie Harvey, Speaking afterwards, Lizz der, Lea b Cu Network member and g utin Sco highlighted the impact rd as a can have: ‘We look forwa n going bee has g movement. Scoutin
tinue for for 100 years and will con ung ‘Yo . another 100,’ she said erence.’ diff e hug a people can make re we we t tha ant ort ‘It was imp t ges big the are we as represented ’ world, youth movement in the htfoot. Lig tt Ma r lore Exp agreed which nt ‘It was a really good eve the into t gave us a great insigh the how on government’s views nt.’ we mit Copenhagen sum
Proactive response
Matt is Like the rest of the group, bal nature keenly aware of the glo international of the problem. ‘As an duties is to organisation, one of our family of ide look out for our worldw countries in se tho y Scouts, particularl
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Group in focus
A 30-strong group of Young Campaigners attended a briefing at the Department of Energy and Climate Change
G N U O Y R FO S R E N G I CAMPA change. at great risk from climate just can This isn’t something we ive.’ act pro be react to. We need to the at wh ctly And that is exa plan to do. Biggleswade contingent UK High the t tha d ere They discov es (one ldiv Ma the of r one Commissi by d rising of the countries threatene are going e sea levels) lives locally. ‘W our in ed to try and get her involv put,’ out CO 2 efforts to reduce our . ffin Du k Jac r explained Explore , ate deb the After hearing ned the 30-strong group tur ent fici -ef rgy ene g sin to discus l tra neu bon car s, hut Scout ycling rec g, ntin pla e tre , ups gro and eco-friendly living. failed World leaders may have these but en, hag to agree in Copen iting wa n’t are s ner aig Young Camp ward for ng ppi ste are y The for them. the hin to provide leadership wit e control tak and ent vem Mo Scout of their own futures.
ked What the Scoutsdas sponses Ed Miliband, an his re pushing How do you plan on et me to es tri un co er oth d en s iou bit am re the mo ts? ge of their tar
that in a We have to recog nise not the is re the ies lot of cou ntr bition . Pa rt am t ien fic suf for l cal is to ma ke of what we need to do sar y. ces the case that it is ne
going What changes areWwe are t ha ? UK e th to see in to do to g in go y you actuall cars, get people out of their for example? efforts ou r We need to redouble bitious am ve ha We . UK the in more be to ed ne pla ns but we about int po e Th s. iou bit am ly right tra nsport is absolute
high– it’s about cyc le lanes, se thi ngs, the all d an l rai ed spe moving for wa rd.
y you Wouldn’t the mone to other plan on spendingth countries to help beem tter reduce emissions webeare as UK spent in the to make not properly set up r? he eit ts cu s seriou se out the The ha rdest thi ng ab that is ns tio tia go ne l globa are ies ntr developed cou blem. responsible for the pro l tel to I thi nk if we are that developing cou ntr ies e sam the w they can’t gro ed to ne we n the , did we way g that. help them by financin
more info ers Scout Young Campaign To find out more about up’s page on gro the it vis can you or to join the team, paigners’. for ‘Scout Young Cam Facebook. Just search
www.scouts.org.uk/magazine
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ShelterBox
more than just a box
founded ShelterBox Since Tom Henderson ded the OBE and in 2000, he’s been awar ople. Elis Matthews has helped a million pe e big green box meets the man with th
‘I
was 15 and wanted to see the world so I joined the Navy. Five years later I’d been round the world and worked with the Marines as a rescue diver.’ Though never a Scout until recently, Tom Henderson OBE was among the first young people to complete the Gold DofE Award, and so the activities of Scouting have always been close to his heart. ‘I was made an honorary Scout nine months ago, and am now a proud member of the Fellowship of Scouting Rotarians.’ It was Tom’s connection with the Rotary organisation that helped him get ShelterBox going.
out?” When you’ve lost everything why should you lose your dignity?’ The broadcast got under Tom’s skin, and he began thinking about what he could do about the response to international disasters. He wrote a list answering: ‘What would I need in a disaster if it unfolded in my home town?’ From one piece of paper came months of research, and in April 2000 the ShelterBox was born. ‘Once I’d found the box, I walked into my local Rotary club in Cornwall and told them what I was doing. I asked them to raise their hands if they didn’t want to help. No one did, and away we went.’
Restoring dignity
Boxing clever
A natural disaster in December 1999 sparked an idea. ‘I was half watching the TV and saw there had been a disaster in a distant corner of the world. This truck arrived and they started throwing loaves of bread onto the ground. I turned to my wife and said “Why can’t they hand the bread
ShelterBox is an international disaster relief charity that delivers emergency shelter, warmth and dignity to people affected by disaster worldwide. The first consignment of 143 boxes was sent to earthquake victims in the Indian state of Gujarat in January 2001. Since then, tens of thousands
of boxes have been sent. The charity has come a long way in ten short years, and in areas of the world affected by disaster, Tom’s big green box is a recognised trademark, a symbol of the hope its contents provide. But as he’s quick to point out, there’s much more to do. An early link with Scouts in Africa prompted Tom to consider working more closely with Scouting to make the box even more visible and raise money and awareness for the cause. ‘Wherever we go in the world after a disaster, we arrive with our kit, and the Scouts come out of the woodwork. In Kenya, after fighting had displaced thousands of people, Scouts helped pitch 200 tents in two hours, and what’s great is when you see Scouts helping, you can leave them to get on with the job. They’re well-organised, disciplined and reliable; a resource for us, and a godsend to their local community. While you can buy a box for £490, the Scouts’ local knowledge is priceless, and we’ve seen this all over the world.’
Partnership potential This encounter with Scouts on the ground in emergency situations led Tom to realise what a partnership Scouting and ShelterBox could be. In celebrating ShelterBox’s tenth anniversary, there are plenty of activities to get involved in, and of course raising money for a ShelterBox is an ideal way of helping others. ‘We’re excited about having a really big year this year, and Scouts coming on board with us is a big part of our plans, so I really hope as many Groups, Units and Networks can get involved with some of our ideas.’ From meeting programmes to a scavenger hunt in London as part of Big Green Box Week, Scouts can really make a difference by teaming up with Tom and his life-saving boxes.
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Tom Henderson OBE
Get involved with ShelterBox and help people affected by disasters
Big Green Box Week – 12-19 June Ways to get involved
The ShelterBox Challenge – A series of activities to help young people understand disaster relief, starting in March 2010. www.youngshelterbox.org/ leaders Big Green Box Week – 12-19 June Get involved in the ShelterBox Scavenger Hunt and help spread awareness of the vital work ShelterBox does in saving lives. To get involved email youngshelterbox@shelterbox. org or call 01326 569782.
Scouts provide calm in emergency situations
For more information about the work of ShelterBox visit www.shelterbox.org
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One person in the UK is diagnosed with diabetes every three minutes. However, with consideration and good communication, enjoying an adventurous Scouting life with the condition can be easy, writes Sue Burton
E
veryone’s heard of a balanced diet and most know that the energy we use should equate with the energy we take in. But for some the balancing act is more critical. Diabetes occurs when there is a deficiency in the hormone insulin. As a result, sugar builds up in the bloodstream. Anything which disturbs the balance of food intake, insulin treatment and exercise can have an effect on someone with diabetes so it has to be carefully monitored. Of course that doesn’t mean no activity! After all, it didn’t stop sufferer Sir Steve Redgrave bagging all those gold medals, but it is a condition that cannot be taken lightly. At a weekly meeting there may be little evidence that a Scout has diabetes, but you will need to be aware of what to do in certain circumstances and how to react in an emergency.
Regular updates As soon as you start planning extended activities, which cross meal or medication times, there will be other issues to consider. Timing, content and regularity of meals is crucial. Each person and their parents/carers will have received advice on their diet. Leaders will need to ensure that they are regularly updated, as this will change with growth and development. Someone with diabetes may have some flexibility with meals, but you will need to be guided on a case-by-case basis. Obviously as an individual gets older they assume more responsibility for checks and medication. You’ll probably find that someone with diabetes will monitor their own blood sugar levels and inject themselves with insulin as a regular part of their daily routine. The most common way of injecting insulin involves a pen device. Check if they are using a reusable or single-use pen as there may be disposal issues. They may also have a rotation grid to check that they move their injection site around to prevent lumps forming under the skin.
e h t In
When planning an activity, make sure the routines regarding injections, meals and exercise are followed, taking time, privacy and hygiene requirements into account. Arrangements may also be needed for the correct storage and disposal of equipment and medication. If the activity requires additional exercise (this could apply to weekly meetings, of course) they may need some extra starchy food beforehand.
Recognise the signs If someone with diabetes experiences a significant change in their blood sugar this could lead to hypoglycaemia or hyperglycaemia – known as having a ’hypo’ or ‘hyper’. With a hypo the blood sugar falls too low. The individual may say they feel weak, dizzy or ‘funny’.
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Health & wellbeing
E C N A L A B
Case study
‘There may be little evidence that a Scout has diabetes, but you will need to be aware of what to do in certain circumstances’
Other signs include shivering, confusion, tiredness, blurred vision, perspiring, tingling in the lips or pounding in the chest. This can come on fairly rapidly. Individuals with diabetes can carry sugary foods, glucose tablets or a gel to take when they feel it coming on. They generally recognise the warning signs and know what to do. A hyper (when blood sugar gets too high) is more gradual. Symptoms include feeling thirsty or sick, stomach pains, excessive drinking or visits to the toilet, drowsiness or sickly smelling breath (rather like pear drops).
‘Scouting with diabetes doesn’t mean I stop having fun,’ says Nick, 13. ‘I just have an extra thing to think about. I check I have all my medication and try to keep it under control. Part of this is giving instructions to the leaders about what to look out for and how to deal with it. ‘Camping is a lot harder than living at home! I have to make sure that I don’t get distracted, but at the same time I don’t want to miss out on anything. Archery, climbing and kayaking are just three of the activities that I love to do and it is with Scouts that I can do these, especially on camp. As long as I keep one eye on my diabetes I can do everything the same as everyone else.’
You will need to be prepared for both occurrences and know the usual signs for who you are with. Action will be needed, you can’t just ‘wait and see’, so make sure you know what to do. If a Scout with diabetes becomes generally unwell you need to seek early medical/parental advice. If they should become unconscious you must get immediate medical attention. Any sites of infection, such as cuts or blisters, will need attention as they provide a route into the body for germs. Make sure that all leaders, friends, Patrol/Six members and so on are briefed about how to act, and that the individual with diabetes has some form of identification (an insulin-user’s card, for example) so any help, if necessary, can be provided quickly and efficiently.
more info
Factsheet FS250009 – Diabetes. BD Medical – Diabetes Care has recently produced new patient support literature for different age groups, giving clear advice and information. www.bddiabetes.co.uk Diabetes UK/British Diabetic Association www.diabetes.org.uk
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Local communications
! E T A E R C GO
NEW!
LAUNCHES flyers, stationery and rs, ste po se oo MARCH ch to e be lik now possible ’s at th Imagine what it would , ell W . 2010 em th t in adapt and pr banners, and be able to rs be em m available to all M with a new online syste
H
ow many times have you found yourself staring at a blank page on your computer when creating promotional materials for a Scout event? Whether it’s for an activities day, a quiz night or an AGM, creating something from scratch can be a real chore. Despite the fact that the requirements are almost identical from Group to Group, volunteers are constantly reinventing the wheel when it comes to local communications.
The personal touch That’s why we’ve developed a new service allowing you to create your own personalised resources, adding local information, timing and contact details. There is no charge for you to create the materials and print them as PDFs on your home printer. If multiple copies are required, the system is linked to a trusted print supplier, BPC Ltd, who can process your order at a highly competitive rate. The benefits are significant: The templates are quick and easy to use – you can create a professional-looking poster, including your local details, in three minutes. You are freed up to get on with the real business of Scouting. All images and fonts will be in place already – there’s no need to spend money on expensive software or equipment. Your local resources will
have the same look and feel as national resources. Communications can be personalised, making them more powerful and effective.
What’s available? A library of resources has been created for you to explore and adapt. This includes: posters flyers stationery (letterheads, business cards, compliment slips) invites and tickets signage for your meeting place banners local logo generator – create your own Group, County or District logo We will add to the templates over the year and there’s also a place where you can make suggestions for new resources. Obviously the potential is great, and if you can’t see what you want, please be patient while we gradually build up the library.
FAQs FAQ Are section-branded templates available?
Not yet. We are launching with the main Associationbranded materials, which can be used by all sections. We will be working on section-branded templates at a later date.
I can’t find what I’m looking for – what do I do?
Clearly we won’t be able to meet every Scouting need
straight away. However many templates can be adapted. For example, Get Stuck In (opposite) could be used as a recruitment poster or for an activities day. We will be building up the library over time.
How long will it take for my resources to be delivered? The exact timing will be advised when you place your order.
Is this a moneymaking exercise for the Association?
No – the Association will not make any money from this. If you decide to place an order, the transaction is between you and the printer (Burlington Press).
Is the site secure?
Yes – the sign-in is linked to sign-in to the members area, to ensure the system
can only be used by Members of Scouting.
Can I use my own images and logos?
A small bank of images is also available for you to choose from. There is also a facility to add a local Scouting logo or partnership logo on flyers and posters. To check progress of print orders and deliveries please email scouts@beeline.ltd.uk
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m is ‘The new template syste uch km great; it will help us loo l’ more professiona rer Scout Leader Dave Hatton, Explo
Name of your event
Event details Your contact details and web address
You can also add your logo here
How to get started Log onto www.scouts.org.uk and click on the Communications Centre link. Choose the item you require from the options (such as poster, flyer etc). Fill in your details, choose images and logo, then check your PDF. Select how many copies you require then proceed to checkout. Email your feedback and suggestions to communications@scout.org.uk
www.scouts.org.uk/magazine
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Special discounts, offers and events to warm even the coldest of winter days
get active Fun and games Sport Relief 2010 is just around the corner and there is still time to organise an event in your Scout Group
Celebs: © Ian Tuttle/Comic Relief Ltd
As one of the UK’s biggest fundraising events, Sport Relief brings the entire nation together to get active, raise cash and change lives. All the money raised by the public helps people living incredibly tough lives both at home in the UK and across the world’s poorest countries. The whole thing kicks off on Friday 19 March when the nation gets active, raises cash and has a ball at home, at work or at school; before they settle down to watch a night of top Sport Relief telly. Then it’s the big one, when everyone is invited to
do one, three or six miles at the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile events taking place across the UK on Sunday 21 March.
Get involved There are tons of ways that your Group can get involved. You could challenge your Scouts to organise a sponsored 24-hour football match, or get everybody to make a donation to wear sporty fancy dress to your Scouts meeting. You could even set up your own mile route around a local park and your Group can get sponsored to run as
many miles as they can. Still wracking your brains? Visit www.scouts.org.uk/ sportrelief where you can find lots more fantastic fundraising ideas and resources. Or call the Information Centre on 0845 300 1818 for more details. There is a Scout cover form and sponsor form on the website. Using these to pay in your fundraising money will mean that you’ll receive a well-deserved Sport Relief thank you certificate for your Group.
Scouts on the run Last Sport Relief, 2nd Bollington Scout Group (pictured) in Cheshire certainly rose to the Sport Relief challenge. They were sponsored to climb a nearby hill as many times as they could in two hours… in the dark! Guided by headtorches they climbed the equivalent of Mount Everest between them, raising £360 for Sport Relief.
Ade Adepitan and Dame Kelly Holmes are just two of the many famous sportspeople supporting Sport Relief
Make your money count £5 could pay for a
mosquito net to protect a mother and child from potentially fatal mosquito bites that spread malaria. £50 could pay for an isolated older person to attend 12 tea dances a year at Nottingham Forest Football Club. It’s a vital chance for them to get out of their home, socialise with friends and feel far less alone. £500 could pay for five children living on the streets in Tanzania to go to secondary school for a whole year, giving them a way out of poverty.
more info For fundraising ideas, visit www.scouts.org.uk/sportrelief. For activity ideas specifically tailored to your section, visit Programmes Online, www.scouts.org.uk/pol and search ‘Sport Relief’. Let us know what you’re doing by emailing sportrelief@scout.org.uk. Sport Relief is an initiative of Comic Relief, registered charity 326568 (England/Wales); SC039730 (Scotland).
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Promotions
Help wildlife to help you Attract wildlife into your garden and earn your Naturalist Badge with Natural England If you put all England’s 19 million gardens next to each other they would cover an area the size of Essex. Or, to put it another way, that’s over 300,000 football pitches! That’s some green space. We want to turn all these gardens into a giant network for wildlife by helping to attract bugs, mini-beasts, birds and even mammals to come and live in these fantastic natural habitats. Natural England, sponsors of the Naturalist Activity Badge have a fabulous online resource, the Big Wildlife Garden, which is packed with ideas about how to help wildlife thrive in your green space. With spring just around the corner, get some inspiration
to start planting nectar-rich flowers or perhaps even find space for a pond.
Growth in the undergrowth You can do something great for wildlife around your Scout building and grounds too. You never know what’s lurking in the undergrowth. Thousands of people have already signed up and are now sharing their tips, diaries and pictures online. By helping wildlife in your backyard you can earn points towards our great certificates, as well as your own Naturalist Badge!
TO FIND OUT MORE and to register your Scout grounds visit www.bwg.naturalengland.org.uk
Ordnance Survey – great mapping for Scouts Ordnance Survey, Britain’s national mapping agency provides essentials to those who love the outdoors. From detailed maps to digital mapping products for gadget lovers on the go Scouts have used Ordnance Survey for years and detailed maps have helped many to learn about navigation. They are ideal for Scout Leaders, Scouts and Cubs to use when camping, orienteering and hiking or for gaining the experience needed for the Scout Navigator Badge.
Top products for Scouts
OS Explorer Map – perfect for walks, hikes, rides and rambles. Covering every part of England, Scotland and Wales with a 4cm to 1km (2.5 inches to 1 mile) scale. OS Landranger Map – your ideal planning partner for days out and holidays. This series covers Great Britain with 204 detailed maps. Each map provides
all the information required to know your local area in greater detail. Get active with the weatherproof versions. The maps in the OS Explorer Map – Active and OS Landranger Map – Active ranges are ‘encapsulated’ or weatherproof maps. They contain the same information as the standard series but are covered in a lightweight, protective plastic coating. http://leisure.ordnancesurvey.co.uk
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Blazing the fire safety trail with Chubb Chubb Fire’s successful sponsorship of the Chubb Fire Scout Fire Safety Badge continues, with a new resource and three-year partnership Since its introduction in November 2003, more than 72,000 Scouts have received the Scout Fire Safety Activity Badge. The badge requires Scouts to understand what causes a fire, how to call the fire brigade, how to understand fire blanket and extinguisher usage, as well as fire safety for the home. Commenting on the successful partnership, Jane Garland, Chubb Fire’s Marketing Communication Manager, said: ‘Our expertise in the field of fire safety means we can offer The Scout Association some practical assistance in running the badge.’ Jane added: ‘The importance of fire safety cannot be emphasised enough. It’s a sad fact that in the UK almost 13,500 people are killed or injured each year in fires that could have been preventable. The Fire Safety Activity Badge offers Scouts invaluable advice on fire prevention, detection and escape routes should a fire break out. It is great to see so many young people participating, and hopefully taking away some vital knowledge to help keep them safe from fire in years to come.’
New and improved resource pack Now online, the resource pack includes a poster, leaflet and certificate on how to pass the badge as well four new activity worksheets for leaders. These are designed as an aid to plan sessions on key fire safety topics to help Scouts on their way to achieving the badge. The worksheet offers straightforward advice to minimise the risk or the severity of fire in four key areas. With fire safety for the home a key component of the Chubb Fire
Safety Badge, the first worksheet is ‘Creating a Home Escape Plan’, which requires Scouts to consider and plan the best ways to exit their home in the event of a fire. The next focuses on ‘Stop, Drop and Roll’, a simple fire safety technique to extinguish a fire on a person’s clothes or hair without, or in addition to, the use of conventional fire-fighting equipment. Creating the perfect campfire safely is the theme of the third worksheet, looking at where and how to start a fire, and keep safe while everyone is gathered around it. The fourth worksheet centres on heath and grass fires, and the damage they can cause.
Demonstration roadshows Alongside these worksheets, Chubb Fire will be continuing its ever-popular live fire demonstrations. Every year a series of hand-on demonstrations are held at various locations across the UK, enabling local Scouts to complete their badge with a live fire demonstration led by a specialist Chubb Fire Training officer. In 2010 demonstrations are planned to be held in Glasgow, Newcastle, Bath and Lincoln, with dates and locations to be confirmed.
more info A support pack has also been launched to give leaders the tools and information they need to deliver the sessions. Both packs are available online at www.chubb.co.uk; and www.scouts.org.uk/chubb
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Promotions
www.scouts.org.uk/magazine
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Win fantastic prizes in our photography, circus kit and Africa movie competitions!
We want your photos
A picture is worth a thousands words, but in Scouting there should be only one word – ‘adventure’. We want you to send us photos that capture the spirit of Scouting and you’ll be in with a chance of winning a selection of Scouting goodies as well as having your photo on the cover of the October/November 2010 Scouting magazine.
There are three categories: People The outdoors Your Big Adventure event The deadline for entries is 30 August but start uploading your photos now to display them in the Flickr gallery. There
will also be the chance to vote for your favourite.
The prize: A selection of Scouting publications, including the new Scouting Skills book, The Scout’s Companion and Playing the Game plus a selection of Scouting goodies,
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Competitions slug
WIN WIN WIN
PERTS TOP TIPS FROM THE EX
Photographing a landscape
By Allan Baxter, landscape photographer and Scouting magazine contributor 1. To take top landscape photographs, first be prepared to go the extra mile. Try avoiding the clichéd images. 2. Get up early. Be ready to shoot at dawn and dusk. The sun does some amazing things when it arrives and disappears. 3. If you are photographing flowers, mushrooms or insects, get your belly on the floor and be the same level as your subject. Play with the focus and see what happens. 4. Finally, if you need inspiration try going online and looking for Ansel Adams – learn from the best. www.allanbaxter.com
Photographing one or two people
By Chloë Chapman, portrait photographer 1. Always focus on the eyes. 2. If the sun is in the sitter’s eyes, they will squint. 3. Don’t snap someone who is uncomfortable – they’ll look awkward. 4. Hands and arms are important in portraits so keep them in as they tell you a lot about a person. 5. If a subject looks at the camera this implies intimacy, if they look out of the frame it can look quite heroic. 6. Ask people to sit up for better posture. 7. Leaning in gives a subject an amicable quality. 8. If a person has difficulty holding a smile, ask them to say ‘flakes’. This works much better than ‘cheese’. 9. Use a wide aperture to isolate the subject from the background. www.chloechapman.com
Submitting your entry:
including an i.Scout hoodie. Your photo in Scouting magazine – if it’s good enough we will put it on the front cover of the October/ November issue!
To upload your photograph, go to www.flickr.com/groups/ scoutingcompetition where you will find a gallery of all the photos. For full details, see www. scouts.org.uk/competitions Photographs need to be at least 300dpi, with one side of the image at least 2000 pixels. Lower-resolution images can be submitted but if your photo is selected we will ask for high-resolution version.
Terms and conditions By submitting your photographs you are agreeing for The Scout Association to use them for Scouting promotional purposes. Please ensure you have permission from parents of all young people in the photograph before submitting.
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We’ve teamed up with Bezerkaz Circus to offer you the chance to win a box of circus equipment worth £140 (plus up to £40P&P). Bezerkaz Circus visit Scouts all over the UK, offering circus skills workshops and performances for meetings, Group or District days, county and international camps. You may have seen them riding about on unicycles, stilt walking, making gigantic bubbles, entertaining hundreds of kids or juggling at Cumbaree, Chamboree, Sherwood, Poacher, EuroJam or the World Scout Jamboree. The prize includes diabolos, plate spinning, balloon modelling and twirling equipment.
To enter
Email scouting.magazine@scout.org.uk with ‘Circus competition’ in the subject header. The winner will be chosen at random. Bezerkaz is also offering any Scout Group who adds a link to their website a £10 discount. If you are interested in booking a workshop or entertainment please contact Shaun on 07866 261346 or visit www.bezerkaz.co.uk
WIN WIN WIN!
We have ten copies of the DVD Expedition Africa to give away. Join four renowned explorers including British explorer Benedict Allen and wildlife expert Dr Mireya Mayor on an epic adventure as they follow in the footsteps of Henry Morton Stanley, who in 1871 famously ventured into the heart of Africa on a quest to find missing missionary and Victorian icon, Dr David Livingstone.
To enter
Email scouting.magazine@scout.org.uk with ‘Africa competition’ in the subject header. Ten winners will be chosen at random. www.scouts.org.uk/magazine
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01775 723298 | dmwsmrsl@aol.com
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Round our place
FIRED UP
Dust, cold and mice sum up the 1st Blisworth’s meeting place. Even in November, the Northamptonshire Group sometimes meets outdoors. That doesn’t stop Group Scout Leader Sandra O’Connor from having ample affection for their characterful hut
D
on’t get me wrong, we are very proud of our place. There’s so much fun to be had, from our youngest Beaver Lucy, who’s six, to our oldest leader Mick who wishes he could be six again. The Group is just like one big, happy family. At the moment, as the bonfire is being lit for our annual Group get-together with fireworks and hot dogs, the hut is old, cold and smells of mould. There’s rising damp and a leaky roof – even our tea bags go mouldy! Dust comes in from the ceiling, mice from the floor, but for all this we are very fond of it. Why? Because it has provided us with the ideal base for having so much fun.
The Group has grown steadily over the last three years and, with the addition of an Explorer Unit meeting here, we’re set to continue that trend. Land outside provides us with an area to camp, cook, build shelters and play wide games, not forgetting the roaring campfire, which all sections love.
End of an era There are advanced plans afoot to rebuild the hut, and make it bigger and brighter so that it can be used by other groups in the community. Fundraising has taken on a whole new meaning: frightening, scary but we can do it. Our Scouts and the dedicated leadership team deserve a warm, clean place to Scout in.
Tell us
If you’d like us to come round your place, drop us a line at scouting. magazine@ scout.org.uk
www.scouts.org.uk/magazine
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CLASSIFIED
Appropriate Scout Association authorisation is required by leaders and adults running activities and events, even when using products and equipment supplied by commercial companies. Inclusion in this listing does not imply endorsement by The Scout Association.
ACTIVITIES & ACTIVITY CENTRES ADVENTURES AFLOAT
LES MAINGYS, GUERNSEY
For your next camp, hire one of our 12-berth traditional canal boats for an exciting holiday to remember. • Best choice of routes • Wide variety of activities and visits • Economical prices from - £54.00pppw • Skippers provided for your peace of mind
Best campsite in the Channel Islands, full range of activities. Enjoy the Island’s history and Blue Flag beaches. Camping for 500, hostel for 32, Sports Hall and Indoor Climbing Wall, Archery etc. Tel: 01481 256 796 or www.scouts.org.gg
Colour Brochure available from: BCBS Ltd., Gas Street, BIRMINGHAM, B1 2JT Tel: 0121 236 7057
TRI-IT / Go2H2o
• Group tuition • Windsurfing, Canoeing, Sailing, Archery, Raft Building • Camping, Café, Bar, Disco, Games room • 1st aid courses Croft Farm Leisure & Water Park Tewkesbury, Glos. GL20 7EE 01684 772321 E-mail: tom@croftfarmleisure.co.uk
For all your Canoeing and Kayaking needs we can supply: All your equipment from a boat to a throw line. Courses...1 star, 2 star, 3 star, fsrt. First Aid, Food Hygiene. Archery Taster Sessions Climbing Sessions Day activities through to full residentials with indoor accomodation or camping. Please visit our web site at www.go2h2o.co.uk We can be contacted on
01765 635333 or info@go2h2o.co.uk
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ACTIVITIES & ACTIVITY CENTRES
CAMPING
RIDING/TREKKING/CAMPING
in the wild mountains of wales. Beautiful back to basics campsite, with tree-lined, clear-water stream. Exhilarating riding on kind responsive horses. Join in grooming and tacking up, demonstrations and advice always given. W.T.R.A. Approved. A.A.L.A. Registered. W.T.B. Accredited. Est over 50 years.
GRANGE TREKKING, Capel-y-ffin, Abergavenny, Mon, NP7 7NP Wales www.grangetrekking.co.uk 01873 890 215
• • • • • • • • • •
Accommodation Activities Camping Team Building Training Special Needs Centre Places to visit in Edinburgh Easy Access Day Visits Friendly welcome!
All courses are run in association with Isle of Man Event Services.
Phone 01624 814240 contact@adventure-centre.co.uk www.adventure-centre.co.uk
CAMPING DIRECTORY
Broadstone Warren
“Runways End” Scout Activity Centre ...for action and adventure
A country atmosphere – yet only five miles from Edinburgh city centre. Located at the edge of the Pentland Hills.
Visit the Isle of Man in 2010 Multi Activity Adventure Course. Full board. Fantastic Island location. Full adventure activity programme 9am-8.30pm.
P 0131 441 1878 E info@bonaly.org.uk W www.bonaly.org.uk
4 acres of Camping for 200-300 Campers. Also, a new Modular Building coming on line soon (sleeps 30-40 people). Camping pack holidays brick building with showers/ disabled facilities on site activities climbing/ abseil, shooting, archery, cave experience, campfire circle, chapel, canoeing on canal nearby, scout shop, Many local attractions. Contact: Becky Riley Booking Secretary Runways End Scout Activity Centre Phone; 01252 676849 Email; bookings-runwaysend@02.co.uk
Broad2x2
Scout Site & Activity Centre Broad2x2 12/22/04 2:48 PM Page 1 www.broadstonewarren.org.uk 12/22/04 2:48 PM Page 1 Association of Scout & Guide Centres Association of Scout & Guide Centres
'Campsites a clickaway' away' 'Campsites just just a click
www.asgc.org.uk www.asgc.org.uk
Looking for a base to explore Snowdonia? Look no further!
Visit ‘The Old School Lodge’ - Deiniolen
Four miles from Llanberis and the foot of Snowdon this Scout owned and managed lodge is suitable for all ages. The centre can accommodate up to 38 people in 8 en-suite bunk rooms and 2 twin bedded rooms. Resident warden. For details on prices and a booking form visit out site:
www.oldschoollodge.org.uk or contact the booking secretary on 0151 677 5703
MIDLANDS
GRADBACH SCOUT CAMP
Farmhouse, Cottage & Camping Located in the beautiful Peak District Ideal for Walking, Climbing, Caving & Alton Towers See our website at: www.gradbachscoutcamp.org.uk
Carne Holiday & Training Centre Situated in the south east corner of Ireland, 20 mins from Rosslare Euro port and on the beach, the centre provides indoor accommodation for up to 70 people. Water and outdoor activities available on request. Large extremely well equipped kitchen plus staff quarters and large dining room and recreational hall. Camping available, hot showers and toilets on site. Enquiries to carneholidaycentre@ yahoo.ie or contact Emily McCann at 00353872222418 used extensively by Scouts and Guides. Website under construction.
BEAUDESERT PARK 124 acres of parkland adjoining Cannock Chase Country Park, Staffordshire. Camping for 1000 people, 37 different woodland sites. Modern toilet facilities with hot water and free showers. 6 accommodation buildings catering from 12 to 24, fully equipped and heated. Activities include Hiking, Archery, Climbing Wall, Orienteering, Pioneering, Rafting, Low Ropes, Abseiling, Zip Wire, Crate stacking, Tree Climbing, Jacobs Ladder, Go Karts, Indoor Games Room, Crafts. Many nearby offsite attractions. Ideal for D of E Expeditions. Chck Availability and Book On-line @ www.beaudesert.org
Brochure: info@beaudesert.org Telephone: 01543 682278 Fax: 01543 682623
HOLIDAYS ABROAD NEW ZEALAND Summer tour of North & South Islands From 21 February 2011 Open to all scouting personnel plus friends/ partners. Spring tour of North & South Islands From 10 November 2010 Open to Ex-scouting members/friends/partners For Itinerary and package price E jenniferann@xtra.co.nz Ph/Fax NZ 0064 68354493 GUIDES NZ C/- Jenny Garrett PO Box 1138, Napier 4140, NZ
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SUPPLIERS WILLIAMS - TENT REPAIRS I repair tents and other canvas goods. I have an industrial sewing machine so I can make and/or repair some other goods like curtains, covers, bags and some heavy clothing like jeans and jackets. Ring and see if I can help. Williams – 0208 644 3544
Nottingham Screen Prints TEE-SHIRTS & SWEATSHIRTS Badges - Polo’s - Hoodies - Fleeces. Embroidery - Screen Printing
0115-967 6262 www.nottmsp.co.uk
10, Park Road. Woodthorpe.Nottingham. NG5 4HR
Fire Barrels STRONG STABLE STURDY
Complete Kit includes: Barrel, Legs & Grid
Can be sold separately
Self Supporting Legs. No Assembly Required
3 Leg Heights
Easily Transported
Years of use See website for current designs
sales@tanmill.co.uk www.tanmill.co.uk Call 01902 880991
WALES
Snowdonia Campsite + bunkhouses. Hot and cold showers and toilets. Scouts welcome. www.gwerngofisaf.co.uk Tel: 01690 720276
FOR HIRE CUMBRIA- KESWICK SCOUT GROUP HALL FOR HIRE Do you want to visit Keswick with your young people or as Leaders? Keswick Scout Group Hall is in the centre of Keswick and is available for hire. Fully equipped new kitchen, new toilets and shower. The price is £6.50 per person per night. You will be given a very warm welcome For further details contact: Gill Reader 1st Keswick Scout Group Treasurer bobandgill44@btinternet.com Phone: 017687 72073
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SUPPLIERS
NORTH WEST
To advertise here, please contact September on 020 8962 2952 or email september.withers@thinkpublishing.co.uk
SOUTH WEST
INSURANCE
BRAGGERS WOOD
BE PREPARED! FOR LOW-COST QUALITY INSURANCE
Camping & Activity Centre
HIGHLY COMPETITIVE COVER FOR MINI BUSES
The ideal site for your Summer & Weekend Camp Within the New Forest National Park Good access to motorways, main roads, local attractions and coast Easy reach of Brownsea Island
Plus The Endeavour Scout Policy for •Equipment •Premises/Scout Huts •Scout Centres •Campsites Contact us now: Tel: 020 8345 5500 Fax: 020 8482 2000 Email: scout@stevenikessler.co.uk Quotations also available for Northern Ireland
SCOTLAND
FACILITIES INCLUDE • Fully equipped heated building sleeping 36, ideal for winter camps • Smaller self-contained unit sleeping 14 • 8½-acre site with additional farm fields • Modern toilet block with free hot showers • Well-stocked Providore • Activities include Climbing/Abseiling, Archery, Minefield & Spiders Web SAE FOR DETAILS TO: The Warden, Braggers Wood Camping & Activity Centre, Braggers Lane, Bransgore, Christchurch, Dorset BH23 8EF Email: braggers@christchurchscouts.org.uk Web: www.braggerswood.org.uk MANUFACTURERS AND RETAILERS www.glasgowscoutshop.com Equipping you for your Scouting adventures!
HOLIDAYS www.jeka-groupholidays.co.uk Widest range of Summer Camps available to 10 different European destinations by coach or air.
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Last laugh by Ian West
Hiking on a compass bearing is easy; it’s just that I was away when they taught us how to avoid obstacles…
This involves Scouting skills on all levels: fire lighting, burning properties of woods, wind direction, teamwork, cooking, identifying unknown objects in the bottom of cooking pots...
As far as I’m concerned, sometimes you can never have enough frapping turns.
‘Devise a method of sending and receiving a message containing 25 characters...’ A ‘no-brainer’ as far as I’m concerned...
Do you think B-P would have bothered ‘lighting a fire by rubbing sticks together’ if he’d known about self-igniting gas burners?
Judging by the way the geese are flying, and that the mackerel sky is turning from orange to pink, I think it’ll be a fine day tomorrow. But just to make sure, shall I Google it on my BlackBerry?
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