Beaver/Cub/Scout Volunteering

YGM!

I’m doing a Da Vinci session at Beavers tonight.

It’s really just an excuse to make paper helicopters, fire trebuchets and catapults and terrify the leaders by getting the whole Beaver colony to climb over a Da Vinci bridge they build 

How long was the written risk assesment for that? No harness or helmet 😉.

I’m off on a cub camp at the end of the month. Should be fun, dry and sunny. I hope.

Da Vinci Bridges are ace!

We’ve 3 more weeks yet,  after tonight.  Pedalos at Crystal palace park in a couple of weeks… gets them ‘time on the water’ 😁

Last session is wide games in the park with the cubs too. Not sure next week…errrm the nearby forest for simple beaver level navigation/orienteering between some stations with a game or quiz or challenge at each I think.   I’m not down for that one obviously!

Post tonight my efforts are to turn the summer pokemon collection idea into instruction sheets for them to complete,  finish planning 2 in hut astronomy activities to do along with the ‘risking my own telescopes just outside the hut to do some real stargazing ‘, and then turn my attention to a dozen more ideas I have….camera obscuras for photography badge,  air activity badge stuff (my degree was lots of aero so….), diy musical instruments like penny whistles, balloon bassoons and single string guitars to have a crack at the musicians badge…..and a few others. I’ll aim to introduce 3 or 4 new sessions to the compendium over the year.  Oh yes,  I’ve organised a bat walk for October too, that was easy though…. just email the professor at Lambeth council who’s name I got from a poster advertising a walk on Streatham common!

Love that bridge pook!  Is that a bought or biult kit?  Reminds me of the mathematicians bridge in Cambridge.

A quick AIBU question if I may.

I also volunteer for the local council run health ride scheme, and tonight we are doing a short ride for a local Guide unit one of the regulars is connected to. We’ve stressed that the girls need a roadworthy bike and helmet, and about a third have dropped out as a result, so not the most inclusive activity.

MrsMC’s Guide unit use the Scout county bike team for cycling activities, as they can provide bikes and helmets for those who don’t have them, and will try and get any non-cyclists up and pedalling on the night as well. Properly inclusive, but charge a small amount for their services.

My concern is that one of the Scout groups in our district has asked the health ride team to run an evening for them. From a health ride point of view, any cycling is a good thing,  but with my Scout head on, I think they should be using the bike team to support any kids who would otherwise be unable to join in. If every kid had a working bike and helmet it wouldn’t be an issue.

Any thoughts? I’m seeing the bike team leader next week at a district trustee/exec meeting so the issue may crop up.

YGM!

YGMT!

Personally I think inclusivity is really important.  But if the team have the resources to help the scouts as well then why not?

Personally I think inclusivity is really important. But if the team have the resources to help the scouts as well then why not?

Yeah, maybe I’m overthinkinking it.

Daughter is a Rainbow young leader and the Scout team helped them get some of the little ones from balance bikes to pedalling on one of her first sessions. She still gets excited when she sees one of them pedalling round the village with family with a “we helped do that” vibe which I love to see. I’m just wanting to minimise young people missing out.

neilnevill

Free Member

Love that bridge pook! Is that a bought or biult kit? Reminds me of the mathematicians bridge in Cambridge.

You can do it out of any pole. Thicker the better though. I’ve built them using the poles out of patrol tents.

Won’t look as good, or be as stable, as a notched set like that though.

Yeah, we did some smallish ones with broomstick-type pioneering poles at the weekend.

Speaking of bike ride paperwork, I do have to return some to HQ after one of our lot decided to fall off and fracture a bone in his hand on the ride we did last week… I did the online accident report form, and they’ve now sent me two more to do (at least one of which is asking for the same information I’ve already given them). I guess that post Great Orme they’re a bit more twitchy.

De Vinci bridges added to my list I think!

holy moly! it’s like those beavers are on something 😲  still,  survived and they had fun.  I need a drink.

I made it out of some planks and tree poles.  Cost about £20 for materials.

I put them around the field with IKEA bag ‘rivers’ and get them to bridge the river. No plank is allowed to touch the water cos they wash away obviously.

That kills 10 minutes of kids trying various things.  Then one realises they can share bits and they all come together and start the bigger build. So you make the river bigger with a tarp.

They were blown away when 6’2″ 13st me stood up on it earlier.

We have two more stations too – a crafting one for paper helicopters and a catapult/trebuchet one for a target competition.

Nobody died tonight. But brilliantly one lad I’m sure with have an autism diagnosis when he’s older really, really got into it and engaged with the build, and the kid with mobility challenges walked over it to a round of applause from the colony .

Lovely evening.

But brilliantly one lad I’m sure with have an autism diagnosis when he’s older really, really got into it and engaged with the build, and the kid with mobility challenges walked over it to a round of applause from the colony .

That’s what it’s about

Awesome pook.  Yes when I looked more closely it looks like floor boards.

I’m sure I could make the 12 side pieces from a half sheet of 18mm ply.  It might be possible for free if I got some decent quality pallets,  but pallet wood is rather varied quality….I think I’ll go for ply.   I’ve sewn the seed with Colony leader.

I spent last weekend camping with about 60 beavers, cubs and scouts. I’ve almost recovered.

pedalos done last night,  great fun and no dunking, phew.

One more week to go and I’ve set them a task for the summer to earn their collectors badge, they are all going to play pokémon go! And collect pokemon.   They seemed pleased with that idea.  We’ve even opened a chat room on OSM so they can share tips and progress.   My two are loving it and we’ve been at it 5 or 6 weeks so I’m hoping a fair bit of the colony will take part.   Hopefully it’ll get them out and walking and osmosis learning map skills!

I’m sure I could make the 12 side pieces from a half sheet of 18mm ply. It might be possible for free if I got some decent quality pallets, but pallet wood is rather varied quality….I think I’ll go for ply.

Ply is probably going to start de-laminating due to moisture from being outdoors, or even caught in a sudden shower. Solid would be far better a choice. Pallet wood may be varying quality, and obviously have nail holes in completely the wrong place, but it is usually pretty solid stuff.

White pine out of B&Q in comparison is quite weak and prone to splitting, so overall pallet wood might be a better choice as its usually chosen to put up with rough handling and prolonged use outdoors, and its of a tighter grain than any pine type you can buy from any of the diy places.

Yeah decent pallets and it’s decent hardwood.   Decent pallets are rare,  but do exist.  I’ve gone off ply (not because I have any delam fears as it wouldn’t get wet and anyway the edges can easily be sealed with silicone, a brush an white spirit) as I’d rather use something zero cost.  I have about 1.2m of left over 3×12 and 2 or 3m of 2×12, I might take the tracksaw to that and slice it up.  It’s c16 so semi decent.

Have you tried contacting your local B&Q/ Homebase/ Wickes. I think they have schemes for charity groups to get free supplies.
My section leader is a builder, so he has been able to get stuff cheaply from his timber supplier for the group. Becoming a bit harder recently as margins are squeezed so there’s less scope for discounts.

I didn’t know that,  thanks, I’ll give it a try.

That’s us done for the summer. We ended with our traditional water fight.

Got 40 Scouts and Explorers off to the Red Rose Jamboree for a week on August 3rd, but I’m not involved in that.

Back in September to do it all again. We’ve lost all of our senior ones up to Explorers, so we’re starting from scratch with the new batch :-/ .

We’re going through summer, we have a week’s annual camp in August as well.

We’ve had the same with the older ones moving to explorers.  A few years ago seemed natural progression for APLs to take over but there seems to be quite a gap getting the new PLs up to speed.

Sometimes I think it would be nice to have a break over summer especially when only a handful show up.

We’ve got a silly sports night tonight – welly wanging, sack races with whole patrols in a builder’s bag, that kinda thing. Then it’s the end of term trip to laserquest and bowling next Thursday.

We’ve lost all of our senior ones up to Explorers

We’ve got a batch off to Explorers too, it’s a whole gang of good ones too from both an ability and fun perspective, and I have to say I’ll really miss ’em :’-(

A few years ago seemed natural progression for APLs to take over but there seems to be quite a gap getting the new PLs up to speed.

We’ve got a lead, er, leader who decides who’s going to be PL/APL, and he pretty much does it just by age, and some of  them are just effing useless, which just demoralises the whole patrol…

I’m done for the summer too.  Was helping tonight with beavers at a joint beavers and cubs multi game fun night, so nearly 60 of them. Fun.

I do intend to spend the summer finishing plans for several more stem sessions.  Astronomy,  air activities (VE day tie in for the 80th anniversary….. our hut address is Biggin Hill so something BoB related…) ,  building camera obscuras and doing photography,  and at least one,  maybe two other science nights, and that da vinci bridge needs building.   I won’t get all that done over the summer but I’ll get a couple finished and another started.  Oh and I’ve got a bat walk organised for the autumn…. and I’m trying to find a new idea for something Community impact….litter picks are worthwhile but a new idea would be welcome!  I may message another of our local ‘friends of xyz park’  ….a mural maybe fun to do…hmm.

Lots of sewing for me to do over the summer to.  I decided it would be good to get a small and a large cubs sweater since my girls will both be cubs for 6 months and I’d need two…. why not have uniform well sized…. hmm… something like 20 badges to transfer!

something like 20 badges to transfer!

Seriously man, Copydex.

something like 20 badges to transfer!

We had a lad* who was fundraising for a Jamboree who was sewing badges on uniforms and camp blankets for £1 a badge or whatever. Had a very busy summer a couple of years back.

*Well,  it was mum, a machinist at a furniture factory or something,

Saw this today in the news.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ced3z8kx9eqo

Now, can’t excuse it, but also kind of feel for the fella as there’s been times when I’ve had to surpress these urges when they really getting on my nerves…

I can excuse it.  He is a coach driver paid to drive not paid to perform crown control.   The SEVEN teachers on the bus should have been ensuring the little shits had their seat belts on and behaved.

Ironically likely to be the kind of kids who would benefit most from Scouting and Guiding.

I sort of don’t mind sewing badges. I am pretty good now,  stitched surely and invisibly which I take a bit of pride in,  and it’s a bit like fixing punctures, it’s ASMR sort of relaxing.

I’ve thought about offering a service to others to raise a few quid,  but not at £1/ badge!  Sod that!  £2.50 probably wouldn’t get many takers though we my conclusion.

Trouble with sticking badges is that it makes it difficult to hand down old uniform due to the mess left behind when taking them off for a camp blanket. We had one scout with his nights away badges stuck over the preceding one.

Bittersweet night last night. Should have been a night hike & sleepover at the hut. However our hut & storage units are on church land. They are doing building work which means we have to move the storage. They informed us work is starting early so we had to pull all the kit out & store in the hut.
Naturally we took the hot weather/water fight option for them while moving kit. One of our scouts mum runs the local ice cream van so she made a welcome visit part way through.

Then later on got the news that one of my ex scouts (who’s a gymnastics coach & coaches my sons disability gym sessions) recently broke his neck and is paralysed from the neck down.
Can’t really get my head around it tbh. For the past 2-3 years he’s practically been 1-2-1 with my son in the gym and has really worked on his physio to help his balance/walking/coordination. Now he’s likely to be less able than my son.

On my first  scout camp 6 years ago we went paddleboarding on a tidal river. No one had done it before (not even this lad), while we were gingerly getting upright he was on it from the start and was even doing handstands by the end.

Although my sons gets frustrated by the limitations of his CP, it’s something we’ve had 18 years to adapt to and even now he can get small progressions to get encouragement from. I can’t comprehend what it’s like to have such a change to your life in your early 20s.

Just read your post FB-ATB. :-/

—

Back again tomorrow after the summer off.

All the older ones have gone to Explorers and we have half a dozen Cubs moving up, so it’ll be a completely new dynamic to the troop with 5 new PLs and APLs.

Got a busy couple of months too. The Explorers are off to The Mersey Moot next weekend then we have two Scout and two Explorer teams in The Beavan Challenge, which was the absolute highlight of last year for me.

I’m supposed to be running a martial arts session with the Cubs along with my daughter, who is an Explorer, which will be “interesting”.

There’s also the Manchester Monopoly Run, a trip to a climbing centre and a back-woods camp in November.

Onwards!

Just read your post FB-ATB. :-/

Indeed

half a dozen Cubs moving up

You lucky get, we had twelve! Soooo many names…

First week back last week, we cooked Indian food, it was great.

I’m in hols now for a couple of weeks, when I get back I’ve got first aid stuff to organise.

In happier ex-Scout news, over the summer one of our ex Scouts became the first non Tory MP for Macclesfield in, like, ever 🙂

You lucky get, we had twelve! Soooo many names…

I’m awful at names, so tend to point and call them “Dave”.

We have three Harrisons, a George and a Lucas.

We also have 6 girls that we inherited from another troop who move around in a clump and are pretty much identical. They are known as The Borg.

Good luck to you all going back.

We had our postponed Group BBQ on Sunday, lots of hyperactive Squirrels and Beavers, very few Cubs and Scouts beyond those picking up awards, but it was short notice.

Hopefully some of those younger kids parents will keep coming to events to support in some way or other. We’re really short of leaders, parent helpers and trustees, and need new blood. Needs raising at the next exec/trustee meeting.

If you’ve not already got a set, “soft” axe throwing kits are great fun. The dads all loved it!

My eldest was there to take pics for the website and FB group as a final thank you to the group – he’s moved to Rugby now he’s graduated and got his first evening with one of their units tonight, wants to finish his King’s Scout and get his wood beads, which I’m pleasantly surprised about.  His other half is trying to find a Guide unit as she works away alternate weeks.

Doing Fire Safety with the Cubs this week. Anyone got any good activities (that ideally do not result in a trip to A&E)?

“soft” axe throwing kits are great fun

not as good as the real thing, tho! I’m running tomahawks at our AGM in a couple of weeks in a bid to get parents interested (we’ve also got archery & climbing running). Have had Beavers throwing angels and bigger cubs tomahawks.

re fire safety, could have a go at putting a fire out with a fire blanket? We teach them how to start fires & then be respectful of a fire- this gets them used to having to approach a fire on purpose to put it out.

@neilnevill- Kent scouts have a microlight, always a popular activity. Not sure on ages they fly from tho.

Had a bit of positive news- my son went to see the lad who was injured this week. He has some small leg & arm movement back so fingers crossed there’s no severed nerves