Scouts Sup June July 2010

WORLDOINN MOTI outs

c Help your SGlobal achieve theAward Challenge

ine The magaazders e L t for Scou uly 2010 June/J

Print resources New publications revealed

Patrol camp

Prepare Patrol Leaders for their first summer camps

T S U R T D N A N I TRA

t results n e r e f f i d r e hods deliv t e m g n i h c nt tea How differe

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Your Scout Support Team Alasdair McBay Ð UK Adviser (Scout Section), Nicola Ashby Ð Programme and Development Adviser

WELCOME INTRO

In the zone

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

Nicola Ashby outlines a breakdown of the Global Programme Zone to assist leaders in their efforts to deliver it to young people

Summer is well and truly underway, and many Scouts across the country will be enjoying their summer camps and expeditions, at home and abroad. On an international theme, we have a look at how young people in Derbyshire are gaining the Global Challenge award.

Many leaders have told us that they find the Global Programme Zone one of the hardest to deliver, despite the number of international expeditions that are undertaken throughout the year. In that regard, a team of Scout volunteers have come up with the following breakdown of this zone to make it more accessible to leaders: • Global Awareness – how global issues can affect local, national and international communities.

• Global Movement – Scouting locally, nationally and internationally.

• Global Citizen – enabling and empowering Scouts to make a difference in their world; recognising that Scouts need to make a difference (individually or collectively) in their local, national and international communities.

There are a number of new books available to help leaders with ideas for camps, games and programmes.

Find out more on page 17.

To further support leaders, the new Scout Games Book and The Troop Programme Plus: Volume 2 both contain programme ideas and games based on the Global Zone.

Alongside this, Louise Henderson takes a look at preparing Patrol Leaders for their first camp in the role, while Eddie Langdown continues our practical skills theme by looking at training methods.

Contents 4 Thumbs up for training Consistency in training practical skills is important in preparing Scouts for a task

6 Round-up A look at what Troops are up to all over the UK – Gold Awards, Scoutcars and 24-hour challenges

8 Meeting sparklers Games and activites to brighten up your meeting

10 Programmes on a plate This issue’s theme is active citizenship

14 Global vision A Derbyshire initiative is enabling more and more Scouts to achieve the Global Challenge Award

18 Prepare Patrols for camp Use a camp to prepare Patrol Leaders and assistants for summer camp

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Thumbs up for training Eddie Langdown shares his experiences of Scouts who required little or no training in practical skills and examines different ways of teaching those that do

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ome young people are able to pick up Scouting skills easily. They seem to have that knack of balance, insight, interest and ability that enables them to instantly succeed at certain things where people like me struggle, sweat and fail clumsily time after time.

I‘ve seen both girls and boys of 11 and 12 using a hand axe assuredly, correctly relating a complicated footpath junction to a map, sheer-lashing two staves to hold up a tarp or settling in to the back of an open canoe and picking up a steering stroke with ease.

As inheritors of the franchise of Baden-Powell’s ‘great game’ our job is to develop ways of recognising and encouraging these little experts, while, at the same time, sowing ‘skill-seeds’ among all the members of the Troop, and establishing good and safe practice through regular use.

Train and trust In my experience, there seem to be two ways that Troops involve Scouts in skills. The first is the ‘parachute experience’; where either they descend en masse on an Adventure Centre and do a two hour ‘session’ or they arrive at a ‘skill base’ on a District camp where they chop wood, lash a frame, or cook a hot-dog in a drinks carton and subsequently a leader ticks a box on a sheet.

The other method is one I practice myself week after Troop-night week. I call it ‘train and trust’. Once you decide to have 11 year-old Scouts cooking on wood fires, handling boiling substances, using axes and saws, being dropped 4

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SKILLS

PERT 1 NATURAeLupEX through Cubs but

Sam had nÕ t com friend was brought along by a school d rate onst dem who had . He quic kly ease at was he that p cam first on his cook ing. He sat stirr ing sizzling g the onions in the fryi ng pan, swi rlin did. he as ting chat spat ula and His other hand jogged the pan over the flam ing fire-iron easi ly and skil fully. Wherever he had lear ned it, he could cook and was at ease doing it.

We were suitably impressed.

in the countryside without adults to navigate with map and compass, you are duty bound to exercise these skills continually.

It is most important that all of your leaders sing from the same sheet. The style of teaching and design of camp dresser may leave some tutting, but as long as instruction in areas such as properly cooking meat, crossing roads at night or supporting Patrol Leaders in decision-making is consistent, we can be sure that our Scouts are fully prepared for any task.

NATURAL EXPERT 2

Quiet Mon ica wou ld spend a lot of time on hikes listening to music. One day she suddenly removed her earphones to tell ever yone were that the leaf less winter tree we ged passing was Hor nbeam. She hug yone ever ed show and its smooth bark the the ova l trun k. In that moment, alive. hike, and Mon ica herself, came

Credit where creditÕ s due My own city centre Scout Troop, a stone’s throw from Tower Bridge, uses hand axes and cooks on open fires.

Our Scouts chop up old furniture and council treetrimmings just about every week from April to October.

We recite, remember and adhere to the ‘Rules of Axe and Saw’; we only pass axes by the head, we use a solid chopping block, we only chop in pairs and so on.

Praise is hugely important too. When a Scout chooses the correct turning at a tricky junction by noticing the contours or sausages are cooked and presented properly or a loaded canoe is navigated cleanly out of a lock, with the lock-keeper giving you the wink – a round of applause is always in order.

Traditional Scouting skills are worth doing well and worth doing often. All young people, and even some leaders, can have fun and build self-confidence through regular and safe application.

NATURAL EXPERT 3

Kate struggles at school and is a bit of a loner.

IÕ m sure we have all known you ng people like that. However she t on a stave for a camp poin can put a h dresser expertly. She grits her teet as fly s chip the but , ates entr and conc stick. her top hand slowly rotates the g When she finishes, the watchin laud Troop have no option but to app her skil ls.

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e z e i z r i p r e p h e t h r t o r f o e f c R Raace T

his year’s National Scoutcar races take place in Manchester on 3 July. Scoutcar racing combines individual and team skills, giving Scouts and other sections the chance to race against each other and become National Champions.

As Group Scout Leader and event organiser Gary Hollingsworth explains: ‘With the cars that are raced today being more high-tech, they have to be designed to a particular specification and are inspected before being allowed to race. For those who take part, the racing itself is all about fun and teamwork.’

Gary’s 105th Manchester Scout Group has been racing since 1993 and he and his team of mechanics are happy to assist anyone that wants to build and race a Scoutcar.

‘Constructing and maintaining the cars brings Scouts and leaders closer together and encourages parents to get involved too,’ he says. ‘The practising can be hard at times but in the end it’s worth it because whether you receive a badge for taking part or a trophy for winning, you learn new skills, make new friends and have a fun, unique experience through Scouting.’

Golden boy 1st Sandwell in Birmingham was just one of the many Scout Groups which took part in an activity to raise money for Sport Relief back in March. The Troop’s three-mile run in Sandwell valley also counted towards participants’ Fitness Challenge and enabled Group Member Alex (below) to complete his Chief Scout’s Gold Award.

Congratulating Alex on his achievement, Assistant Scout Leader Gordon Howard said: ‘During his time as a Scout Alex has climbed Snowdon, undertaken a survival challenge, built rafts, bridges and many fires to cook anything from twists to cakes in a makeshift oven. We are all delighted that he has gained this award.’

more info For more info on Scoutcar Racing contact Gary Hollingsworth at gary.hollingsworth@btinternet.com or 07970 885 394

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ROUND-UP

Contact us Do you have a stor y for our Rou nd-up? Contact us at prog ram me@scouts.org.uk

Magnificent seven Of course, Scouts all over the UK are constantly working towards and gaining the Chief Scout’s Gold Award. The 2nd Newbury Group in Berkshire was recently able to present no less than seven young people with the Award at the same time. The seven (pictured above) have all worked extremely hard to gain this accolade and Scout Leader Lynne Ryan was quick to praise their ‘fantastic achievement’.

24-hour activity people Everyday adventure became all day adventure when 26 young people from 2nd Coatbridge Group took part

GOLD AWARD

Have you got Scouts in your Troop who have achieved the Chief ScoutÕ s Gold Award? If so, let us know at scouting.magazine@scouts.org.uk

in the group’s first ‘24 hour challenge‘. The event was a camp to help the Scouts who are all going to the Kandersteg International Scout Centre in Switzerland, to bond. The group was given the opportunity to take part in 24 different challenges, with a new challenge every hour.

These ranged from simple games to sense challenges.

Popular activities included watching Chief Scout Bear Grylls in action in his TV show and ‘Wii’ing on the wall’ at 4am. Others included trying to start fire using friction at 6am, mini-Highland games at 7am and a fun afternoon of ‘The Scout Factor’ where the young people performed campfire songs and sketches.

Scout Leader Gary Patterson said: ‘Making sure all the young people are happy with their groups and the activities is essential to making this the trip of a lifetime.

They are getting to know their groups pretty well and the fact that this type of event is new to them means that they are all learning skills together, an essential part of Scouting.’

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Meeting sparklers

trapped prisoners and expert Turn your Troop into word-makers, you how hummers. Andrew Corrie can tell

Word-making mixer

How smart is your right foot?

Sit on a chair with feet on the floor.

Lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles. While doing this, draw the number ‘6’ in the air with your right hand. Your foot will change direction. There’s nothing you can do about it, even though we know how crazy it is. Before the end of the meeting people will try it again, if they haven’t already done so.

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Give everyone a card with a letter printed on it (have some extra vowels and don’t use ‘Q‘, ‘X‘, or ‘Z‘). Tell the group to form words of ten letters (select a few leaders – five if there are 50 present – to take the initiative in getting them started.)

Do this and add something Ask a selection of Scouts to line up facing the rest of the group. The person on the right starts by performing a simple action such as clapping their hands, bowing their head, or touching their nose. As they do that they turn to the next person and say ‘Do this and add something.’ The second Scout repeats the action and adds a new motion.

The third copies the first two and adds something else.

Anyone unable to perform all of the previous actions in the proper sequence goes to the head of the line and becomes the first player for the next game.

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Games and activities

Leader vs audience Tell everyone to ask the name of the person sitting to their right. On a designated signal, everyone is to shout this name. If you can’t detect a single name the audience wins. They should be told to conspire against you by yelling in unison to blend all the names into one. Retaliate by making false starting signals hoping to trap one or two into shouting names.

Birthday cheer Get everyone into groups by birthday month (ie all those with a January birthday form a group, and so on). Give them 60 seconds to come up with a cheer for their month. Call out the months one by one. As their month is called they give their cheer (if a few months have smaller numbers you may combine two months and allow them to use both in it).

Champion hummer

PrisonerÕ s escape

Split the group into pairs. On a signal each person looks their partner in the eye and starts to hum a tune.

Continue until one laughs or has to take a breath. Each winner finds another winner until one person is the champion hummer.

Split the group into pairs and provide two pieces of string, each about one metre long for each pair. Tie the ends of one string around the wrists of one of the pair just tight enough to prevent the player from slipping their hands through the loops. Tie the second prisoner in the same way placing this string inside the one holding the first person thereby linking the two people. Tell them to free themselves.

Solution: Take the centre of one of the strings and slide its bend up under one of the wrist loops of the opposite prisoner. Then bring the band over the Prisoner’s hand and down the opposite side of their wrist.

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Activity

Time

Zone/Method

In

Enc The

Part 1: What can my local community offer me?

nship, This issueÕ s theme is active citize written by Tony Taylor

POP

The Initial Challenge

Week 1 10 mins

Community Service

Ho Thi the Thi con ram

Making contact

Week 2 20 mins

Community Service

Arm gro wil

Publish the Results

Week 4 30 mins

Community, Creative Expression Design and creativity, Technology and new Skills

The org to aw

Programmes on a plate

Part 2: What can I offer my local community?

Skills Training

Week 3 60 mins

Community, Outdoor and Adventure Visits and visitors, Technology and new Skills

Pro of Bas Bas tha Bas or

Community Project

Week 5 60 mins

Community Service

Arr to sac in t

Charity Fundraiser

Week 6 10 mins

Community Service

Arr bei

2010 10 Scouts June/July 2009

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hod

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Instructions Encouraging young people to become active citizens is a large part of what Scouting is all about.

These programme ideas, designed to be slotted in with other activities, are in two parts.

How often do you hear young people say that there’s nothing for them to do?

This challenge is to find out if they’re right. Using the internet, local directories, newspaper and library, the Scouts should find the names of the organisations in their area - www.do-it.org is a good place to start.

This should include youth groups, national groups like Lions, charities, special interest (photography club), conservation organisations such as RSPB or Friends of the Earth, sports clubs and local leisure facilities, ramblers or a theatre club and churches.

Armed with a (hopefully) long list of organisations, assign one or two to each Scout. Ask them to contact the group and find out whether they accept youth members, meeting times, types of activity and costs. Some will be unable to. Explain why you are making the enquiry.

The Scouts report back on their responses two weeks later. From the replies, make a directory of organisations that young people can join. You could do this on a website or as a paper copy. Send the results to the local council, local newspaper, schools and youth co-ordinator. Make sure that young people are aware of what activities are on offer to them.

and

, d

and

Provide an evening of general skills training. This can be achieved through a number of bases of 20 minutes with an experienced adult leading each one. For example: Base 1: Get someone qualified in first aid to provide a refresher course on emergency procedures.

Base 2: Show the Scouts how to rewire an electrical plug safely and use the correct size of fuse (make sure that all sockets are isolated during this activity so that the Scouts cannot electrocute themselves).

Base 3: Examine local maps with the Scouts. Test their knowledge by asking directions to particular roads or places; doctor, bus stop, church, shops and so on.

Arrange for the Scouts to take part in a community project. One of the easiest to arrange is to volunteer to clear litter in a particular area. Make sure that the Scouts are equipped with gloves and plenty of plastic sacks. Arrange for the local council to collect the rubbish afterwards. To encourage the Scouts to take pride in their work, take ‘before’ and ‘after’ photographs of the area.

Arrange for the Scouts to take part in a fundraising event for charity. There are usually plenty of local events being organised by national charities if you do not want to organise one yourself.

Scout citizens You can also use the campaign toolkit, a guide for Scouts/leaders for running a local or national campaign, to help plan your own activities and involving others. Encourage your Troop to join the Scout campaign mailing list.

Email citizen@scouts.org.uk for more info or for a copy of the toolkit

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

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PROMOS

ItÕ s all about the rubbish When Serco committed to partnering with The Scout Association to support the Environment Partnership Award two years ago we had a clear vision that with your help we could make our communities a cleaner greener place to live by looking after Ô Your NeighbourhoodÕ and Ô Your WorldÔ Your neighbourhood

Competition

Since then, we have sent out 200 clean up kits to Districts around the UK and been really impressed with the positive environmental impact you’ve had. Please keep up the good work and remember to tell us what you’re doing by emailing scouts@serco.com There may even be a prize in it for your Troop.

We would like you to audit what you put in your bins and then track it monthly over six months. Create a chart to show how much waste you have diverted from landfill through your changes. Email the results (plus any pictures) to scouts@serco.com We will review the charts and photos at the start of 2011 and award a prize to the Troop that has made the biggest impact.

Your world However, it’s not all about clean up campaigns. If everyone could make a few small changes both at home and within your groups we could really reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. This would have a huge positive impact globally. We’ve made a few suggestions online (at the address opposite) to get you started but would love you to share what you have done with us.

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Details and entries A sample template and further details can be downloaded from www.scouts.org.uk/serco

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l a b o l G vision 14 Scouts June/July 2010

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CHALLENGE INTRO

The Challenge Awards are a staple part of the journey through Scouting.

However, running Challenge events can often provide difficulties for leaders.

David MacAlister outlines how an initiative undertaken to address this in Derbyshire is reaping rewards

F

ollowing one of our regional meetings in 2009 where we shared how others get on with the Challenge Award scheme, it was recognised that some leaders still have trouble running some of the Challenge badges.

As a result, we decided at our meeting of Assistant District Commissioners to look into ways to improving this and to share our ideas of how to operate each scheme.

Our idea was to provide an ‘aide memoir’ with examples to help the busy Scout Leader (in our experience, most of them). We have tackled Promise, Community, Fitness, Expedition and are now in the middle of showcasing the Global Challenge.

Golden Goal In Derbyshire our eventual goal in promoting the Challenge Awards is in helping all of our Scouts move towards the Chief Scout’s Gold Award. We will be recognising this too at Peak 2010 where Mark Tarry, the Deputy Chief Commissioner for England (left), will present certificates to this year’s recipients.

We trust that seeing their peers achieve this Award will inspire more and more of our Scouts to work towards joining them. And when they set out on that road by meeting the criteria for the Challenge Awards we will have a number of tried and tested methods across the County to help them in that quest.

>>

Ô We trust that seeing their peers achieve this Award will inspire more and more of our Scouts to work towards joining themÕ Peak practice This year Derbyshire is holding its international camp, PEAK 2010, in Chatsworth Park in the heart of the Peak District. The theme of the camp is ‘One World – Our World’ which set us to thinking about what could be done to encourage and promote this international ideal?

It therefore seemed obvious to use this big event as a means of highlighting the Global Challenge - the camp itself being an ideal opportunity to fulfil part of the criteria for it.

In January we launched the Challenge to the Districts within Derbyshire with a flyer going out via the Assistant District Commissioners, on the County website and latterly in the County newsletter ‘K.Scout‘. We are now collating a Global Challenge Roll of Honour – which at the time of writing has nearly 70 names of Scouts who have achieved the accolade on it. It is expected that a lot more will complete their challenge at Peak 2010 where we will present the badges and add to the Roll of Honour for all to see.

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>>

Troop Guidance Sheet The Global Challenge (Complete Area 1 or Area 2)

Area 1 International Contact Examples

Requ irement A

Make contact with Scouts from another country.

Pen pals, hosti ng, JOTA , attend Inter national camp and make contact. Invite inter national rep/ Comm issioner to Troop meeting.

B (1)

Take part in a Troop or Patrol activ ity with these Scouts.

Taking part in an inter national camp or expedition .

OR Take part in a Troop or Patrol activ ity based on things found out during the inter national contact.

Plan and run an inter national themed even ing Ă? smal l group to organ ise.

B (2)

Area 2 International Issues Examples

Requ irement A

B C D

Faith and awareness events August/ September

Invite someone from Red Cross, ShelterBox , World Development Movement, WaterAid etc to do a presentation at Troop meeting.

Choose and investigate an inter national issue.

Show an understanding of the issues involved.

Take some action as a result of resea rch.

Compare how the issues affec t the UK and countries overseas.

August 5 Raksha Bandhan (Hindu) 11 First day of Ramadan (Muslim) 12 International Youth Day 15 Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary (Christian) 26 WomenÕ s Equality Day (USA)

By using smal l discussion groups Demonstrate what has been undertaken.

By verba l or written presentation.

September 1 Installation of Sikh Scripture in Harmandir Sahib (Sikh) 8 International Literacy Day 9 Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) 10 Eid Al-Fittr (Muslim) 18 Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement (Jewish) 21 International Day of Peace 22 World Car Free Day 23 Start of Succot (Jewish) 23 Ganesh Chaturthi (Hindu)

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RESOURCES

Book club We take a peek inside the new books to support you in your role

Nights Away £8.50, item code: 1027818 Spending nights away from home is central to the Scouting experience. The new and improved Nights Away has everything you need to run a successful residential experience for all age ranges in Scouting. With chapters on health, budgeting, catering, choosing your venue and even running your daily activities you’ll wonder how you managed camp without it. The light and compact format also means it’s easy to keep in your rucksack.

Includes a dedicated section on the Scout section.

The Troop Programme Plus: Vol. 2 £5, item code: 1027886 This new addition to the Programme resource family is packed with a fresh range of exciting and ready-to-run activities. The perfect companion to The Programme Plus: Vol 1, it will help you plan a Balanced Programme every week. Specifically designed to cover all Programme Zones, themes covered include conservation, global and skills.

Scout Games Book £6, item code: 1027881 With over 100 games at your fingertips, the Scout Games Book is designed by Scout Leaders for Scout Leaders. Split into easy-to-use chapters such as ‘wide games, team, games and elimination’, every game has been created for group use. They can also be linked to any of the Programme Zones and add real value to your weekly activities. Need a five-minute filler game?

And the classicsÉ • • • • •

A Complete Guide to Scouting Skills, £9.99 (1027759) The Troop Programme, £5 (1024627) Troop Programme Plus: Vol. 1, £5 (1024628) Troop Essentials, £5 (1024626) and a whole host of other resources for young people

To order any of these and the full range of books, certificates and clothing visit www.scouts.org.uk/shop

Tell us what you think of the new books Email us at programme@scouts.org.uk

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Prepare Patrols for camp Summer camp can be a trying time for Patrol Leaders, especially if itÕ s their first experience in the role. They can easily feel overwhelmed and the excitement soon melts away in the realisation of how much hard work is involved. Louise Henderson examines a way to avoid this

P

robably the best way to make life easier for them on summer camp is to hold a training camp for Patrol Leaders and Assistant Patrol Leaders in advance. You can organise such an event by splitting it between skills and open forums.

Skills Patrol Leaders work with their own assistants to complete a series of challenges. Use the Outdoor Plus Challenge and add in any skills that you know your Scouts need more practise with. By working together they get to know each other better and learn each other’s strengths. They will hopefully find that this experience improves their teamwork.

Forums At set times during the day bring everyone together and have short open forums on some of the following topics: How are new Scouts going to feel at camp?

This question makes them remember their first camp when they may not have been quite as comfortable as they are now.

How can we make it an easier experience for them?

This shows that there are practical things that they can do to help, such as giving new campers a camp buddy.

What is it that a Patrol needs from the Patrol Leader?

This is one for the assistants. Patrol Leaders sometimes take themselves for granted. It is useful for them to be reminded that their Patrols really do need them.

What do Patrol Leaders need from the Scout Leaders and their assistants?

This makes them realise that they are not alone. It may offer some thoughts for you too. Patrol Leaders can consider this while the assistants are chewing over the previous question.

Camps provide an opportunity to think about running Patrols without distraction. Everyone is more relaxed and once they get into it most young people will happily offer their thoughts and experiences. You get the chance to know the participants better, they get to know you better and at the end of the camp your whole leadership team should work like a well oiled machine.

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