It was the first day of half term and the second day of the clocks going back, so you would think 7.30am would see me snuggled in bed, maybe a cup of tea and a good book? 

Being a Cub Leader at 2^nd Bracknell meant I was at the train station with my clip board waiting for 32 Cubs and 6 Leaders. We had arranged to visit Sky Academy where we were going to go behind the scenes at Sky and make our own TV news report.

So why would we take Cubs to Sky?  Sky Academy asks the Cubs to: be creative;  communicate effectively; solve problems; manage time carefully and practice teamwork. The skills we try and encourage in the week to week meetings.

The Cubs were really well behaved on the busy commuter train, during a quick change at Virginia Water and on to Syon Lane. We arrived and were led into the Sky studios, four floors, 100m by 45m each floor the size of a football pitch.

We saw life size models of the Simpsons, Sulley and Mike,  studios with very expensive cameras and we met people who worked on the ‘sharing’ floor, this is where the Sky programmes get sent to the satellites and people’s homes.   We saw Sky News being presented live on air. We then went to the ‘making’ floor and the Cubs put into practice what they had learnt in their own studios.

With a theme of ‘Taking care of our world’, Reporters reported, Editors edited, Producers produced, Script writers wrote, Witnesses and Experts were interviewed, Directors pulled it all together and the camera operators caught it all on camera.  Each Cub should have a USB wristband with their News report on it.  If not please e mail rama@2ndbracknell.org.uk

The Cubs were perfectly behaved and you never know may have been inspired to pursue a career in television.

Normally the Monday after a weekend away with Cubs I’m exhausted, still trying to sort out hastily packed  boxes, cleaning kitchen equipment and sorting through various miscellaneous carrier bags of debris.  Today though I have caught up with my household chores, spoken to parents, taken the dogs for a walk and had a very pleasant relaxing day. 

So why the difference? The Cubs went to PGL Liddington. PGL are a company that run activity centres, inspiring children with outdoor adventure.  Most of the organisation of the holiday is done by PGL from an initial per person inclusive cost to being looked after for the whole weekend by our “Groupie” everything is organised for me. 

Last year when the Leaders at Foxes sat down with the Cubs to ask what sort or holiday or camp they wanted in the Cubs year of adventure they unanimously voted for beds indoors, with showers.  They wanted lots of activities, cake to eat and they wanted to go by coach.  Firstly, I found the costs for indoor accommodation and eight adventurous activities at two scout centres, I also spoke to PGL, the costs were comparable but with PGL all the bedding was supplied, food was included and I didn’t have to organise everything or spend the weekend cooking.

We left Bracknell at 3pm on the Friday by coach, and arrived at Liddington at 4.15pm.  We were met by our groupie Sami and were shown to our en-suite rooms.  The Cubs were split into rooms of four, bunk beds, all beds were made and the kids enjoyed unpacking.  Our Groupie gave us a tour of the site and went through the site rules and fire procedures.  It was then time for our first meal, a choice of three dishes, choice of vegetables, salad bar, fruit and cheese cake.  It made a huge difference sitting down and eating with the Cubs, talking to the Cubs, they were so excited. 

After tea it was time to play “Ambush” a wide game, first job was to put on camouflage, mmm rather them than me.  The Cubs then spent hours running around the bushes thoroughly enjoying the evening sunshine.  Soon it was time to go to bed; the Cubs sung their way back to the rooms and washed.

Figure 1 Make up delight for the Friday night.

The next morning the Cubs were up and ready by 7am for breakfast at 8am, after cereal, cooked breakfast, toast and fruit it was off to our first activities, Quad biking and crate challenge.

Figure 2 How high can we go.

Figure 3 This is hard work.

Figure 4 Learning to belay.

Figure 5 Can we stay up here?

Figure 6 Girls are always the best drivers.

Figure 7 Not too fast and don’t knock me down.

Lunch on the Saturday was a very noisy affair, lots of “quad biking was the best”  “we got the highest on the crates”  after  lunch of hot baguettes, fillings and salad we were off again this time to abseil a 39.5 foot tower and become champion archers…

Figure 8 do we really have to go up there?

Figure 9 A new technique the caterpillar wiggle.

Figure 10Figure 11 Come here I’ll help.

Figure 12 I made it!

Figure 13 Fire when ready.

Figure 14 Can I touch?

Figure 15 A new skill discovered.

After dinner it was to a more traditional camp activity and outside for a campfire, old favourites and new songs learnt and stories that involved getting dirty (again)

Figure 16 I wonder if I can get into bed without washing?

Figure 17 Keeping up the Scouting traditions. Elemental movements.

Saturday night saw everyone asleep by 9.30pm, wonderful.

Sunday morning saw cooked breakfast with, apparently, the best spaghetti ever.  This time it was off to zip wire and challenge course.

Figure 18 Caterpillars again

Figure 19 Almost like riding a horse

Figure 20 the Zip wire

Figure 21 Again and again

After a lunch of hot sausage rolls we had just enough energy to try fencing and vertical challenge.

Figure 22 Looks easy from here.

Figure 23 because I’m happy, clap along, if you feel like that’s what you want to do.

Figure 24 that really is high.

Figure 25 Made it to the first bit.

Figure 26 I think I want to come down.

Figure 27 Yep too high.

Figure 28 Spider skills

Figure 29 Get ready…

Figure 30 On Guard!

Figure 31 Real Foils!

The trip home on the coach wasn’t as quiet as I expected, but I did enjoy the rendition of Reece’s peanut butter cup.  The Cubs were challenged, encouraged, excited and all had a fantastic time.  Now I wonder where they choose to go next?

A big thank you to everyone who turned out for our first working party of the year.

The outside of the hut was given a big spring tidy up, with leaves collected, grass strimmed and mown, over grown bushes and trees cut back, flower beds dug over and the fire pit area reorganised.

Our maintenance expert also repaired the broken toilet.

Those who helped, and apologies as I may have missed some helpers… were:

Ian Wooster, Ed Cecil, Alex Farrell, Sally Bangs, Klax, Colin Thorne, Jason Dale, Richard & George Creber.

Watch this space and your email for details of the next working party.

Photos will follow.

Though Foxes Cubs started back last week I did not return to Cubs until this week.  Last week the Cubs were visited by the Environment officers, this week the Cubs completed a six challenge night.

At the end of last term the Leaders, Sixers and Seconders came to my house for pizza and planning, the Sixers and Seconders had already discussed this term’s programme with their sixes and before they could eat any pizza they planned this term, for me and the Leaders it was just a case of facilitating the plan.

I am a very strong believer that the Cubs should have a lot of say in their programme, they should be taking responsibility for their meetings; there are two quotes I love from Lord Baden-Powell that remind me the Cubs really should be planning their own programme the first being:-

‘The more responsibility the Scoutmaster gives his patrol leaders, the more they will respond.’

And the second is:-

‘When you want a thing done, don’t do it yourself’ is a good motto for Scoutmasters.’

The Cubs came up with a varied and interesting term’s programme, one which should give them ownership of their Cub meetings.

During the summer I was fortunate enough to be at WINGS (Windsor International Guide and Scout camp) this takes place at Windsor Great Park every five years, the next one being in 2019 only 1773 days to wait.  I was training adults and I got to talk to loads of Leaders some who lived very close and some from far afield.  After talking to one Leader from Cheshire the idea of a ‘program in a box’ came up.  This started a debate that more and more Leaders joined into.

A programme in a box is a plan you pick up and go with; being a little bit of a control freak I’ve never used one before.  The Leader from Cheshire used a four year rolling program, after discussing the advantages and disadvantages of this type of programme planning I agreed to give one week a try.  I tried it this week in the ‘six challenge night’ I did change a two challenges and made it our own, the code breaking and symbols as the Cubs had asked for code breaking and the logo app game.

The Cubs enjoyed the challenges and I followed the plan and it saved me some time over the weekend in preparing for the night.  The other Leader followed the instructions and the evening ran to time and smoothly.  All in all a good idea, I still like to plan each meeting from scratch though and tailor it to the Cubs we have at the moment maybe it is the trainer in me.  I like to give as much responsibility to the sixers and seconds as is reasonably possible and I do try very hard not to do it myself.

Some facts about volunteers in Scouting UK and what we contribute a week.

• Approximately 110,000 adults support Scouting in the UK (Leaders, Commissioners, parent helpers etc)
• Adults working in Scouting contribute massive free youth work to their local communities
• A leader would typically give time in the following way:
• Sectional meetings – two hours a week over 42 weeks 84 hours A couple of weekend camps 96 hours Planning and District meetings 36 hours Training 6 hours Day trips – three per year 36 hours, Admin/planning – two hours per week 84 hours
• Total average number of hours per person per year 342 hours Every volunteer gives 42 working days
• A total contribution per person of £3,488.40 (If paid at first step Locally Qualified NJC rates of £10.20 an hour)
• Total contribution for all adults working in the Movement £383m – over £1/3bn

Meetings during the summer…

A while ago I had a conversation with a good friend of mine who is a Scout Leader in Slough. We discussed the pros and cons of meeting during the summer. As some of you know I also dabble in Guiding and have in the past run summer Brownies and Guides, giving girls on a waiting list a taster of what they could expect in meetings. We met for one day a week for each of the weeks of school summer holidays. It also encouraged new parents to volunteer and after one summer we had cleared the waiting list as we had enough volunteers to open two new units. I had never thought about running Cub meetings during the school holidays before but ‘Mr C’ gave me food for thought.

During the summer holidays this year the Cubs have had the opportunity to attend WOW at WINGS, backwoods cook at Earlywood and splash in the Thames at the Waterside activity centre.

Last Tuesday (12th August) 29 Cubs and 6 Adults descended on Earlywood campsite to backwards cook. Backwoods cooking is a way of cooking over the embers of a fire without utensils, traditionally in the ‘backwoods’. In April this year the Scout Association introduced exciting new badges for it young members. Backwoods cooking is one of the Cubs new badges and the Cubs have to: Demonstrate how to light a fire; help prepare a fire for cooking on; cook something using a billy can; cook something in the embers of a fire; cook something on a stick; show how to make the fire safe when it is finished with, including extinguishing the fire and making the area where it was safe. The Cubs spent a while collecting firewood, learning the difference between old wood and green wood (we had some very smoky fires from the green wood), how to organise a woodpile and that they needed more than the three sticks they collected at first.

The Cubs cooked noodles in a Billy can, hot dogs on sticks, s’mores (marshmallows toasted sandwiched between chocolate digestives), fairy cakes in orange skins and stuffed tomatoes. The steepest learning curve was in the cleaning and clearing up. With the advent of the dishwasher, Cubs have little understanding on how to wash and wipe up, using the tea towel to wash up with left one group with the dilemma on how to dry up. Note to self, play a washing up game next term, maybe the Cubs would like to complete their home help badge!

The Cubs were very impatient and cooking hotdogs on a stick, I was being asked after 30 seconds if the hot dog was cooked and I’m pretty sure that more than one of the Cubs had a cold hot dog to eat. Everyone had an enjoyable, if smoky day, the Cubs liked the s’mores the best and lighting the fire, they didn’t like collecting wood, water or cleaning up. They enjoyed their day outside in the woods and seemed exhausted in the closing circle when hardly any of them could stand up.

On Tuesday 19th August inspired by another new badge ‘time on the water’ a staged cross sectional badge. The Cubs went to the Wokingham Waterside Centre. In the Morning the Cubs katakanued (this is like a mini catamaran powered by the paddles of six Cubs) to Caversham Lock and back to the Waterside Centre, with a stop at the park with singing and laughing all the way. The Leaders took a leisurely stroll up the tow path catching glimpses of the Cubs now and again but always being able to hear them!

The Cubs returned for lunch some a little damp, very hungry and a little bit worn out. The Waterside Centre has a lovely function room we used for lunch and everyone sat and ate together. After Lunch the Cubs were raring to go and after being fitted in their buoyancy aids again were off on the river, this time in kayaks. This took a little bit more concentration to get the hang of and being as each Cub was on their own they had to work hard. The instructors were superb, stopped some Cubs drifting off to London and rescued others when they lost their paddles; the Cubs really took to this watersport and had lots of fun. The morning session on the katakanu had really built up the Cubs confidence on the water. After all working together to put the kayaks away the Cubs were led to some rope some barrels and planks of wood, Rafting.

The Cubs were split into two teams but worked on one raft. They built the raft and tied the ropes tight (with a little bit of adult help). One team got on and paddled downstream and paddled from the pontoon to the finish, 2 minutes 55 seconds. The second team had to paddle up stream; this team had the older Cubs but within seconds was in trouble, one of the knots had started to loosen, one Cub fell in and others followed. They still managed the paddle on the raft in just over 3 minutes.

I thought the day was over with only a few very wet Cubs but under the supervision of the Waterside Centre staff the Cubs that wanted to run off the end of the pontoon and jump in could. Lots of very wet Cubs herded into the showers and almost all presentable before their parents picked them up.

Next summer looks extremely busy for Cubs so maybe some extra meeting towards the end of the holidays when everyone has recovered from the group camp, 25th July to 1st of August 2015.

By Rama