Beaver/Cub/Scout Volunteering

No they won’t be doing air rifles,  the cubs did it at group camp back in May and the pack has their own I’m sure…. but suspect there is no leader with the tickets currently, however I know they will be focusing on stuff they haven’t done before. 

As I said I feel £90 in a centre (pac car if you want to look it up) is very reasonable,  I’m just stunned by the prices you guys are talking for a camp,  well done!

Yeah osm… I’m trying hard not to be the pestering parent…. struggling!  It’s why I’m asking here and not the pack.

£35 for 2 nights under canvas with maybe one activity.

Doing 2 nights indoors at Hebden Hey in the New Year for £40pp. Won’t be doing any paid activities as the kids are on day hike / nav’ exercise.

Leaders go free!

Our OSM isn’t open to parents BTW.

I’m taking this up, any suggestions on kit?

I’m thinking I can get a half decent helly commercial waterproof I can layer with cycling gear, possibly some matching work pants.

Any footwear suggestions, it’s sea scouts that leave the sea in winter and start messing in the hills?

Anything I’m not thinking of?

Boots that you can wear for 18 hours at a time! I have Lomer Keswicks that pretty much waterproof and are as comfy as slippers.

My camp kits is typically a HH long sleeve base with a Scouts polo shirt and a hoody, and combat pants from your nearest army kit type place. Don’t wear anything that will upset you if it gets a hole burned in it!
Cutlery is cheapo stuff from Millets because it gets lost.
Sleeping bag a Vango 3 season job.

You get a 20% discount at Millets and a few other places if you say that you are a Scout Leader. I have my “purple card” as proof, but have never been asked to show it.

Hadn’t thought about army surplus kit. And millets for that matter.

Cheers.

My local one. 

https://www.nicks-kit.co.uk/

My dad worked the stores when he was in the RAF. Between him and the generous American National Guard pilots that came on exercise every year, I was a very well equipped Scout….

Go Outdoors layer a scout discount on top of the members discount as well. Thats leaders or kids BTW. Just show them an email or some form of correspondence. Not are if DofE is on top of that as well mind you…

I mentioned to our group leader that I’m doing first aid for work training next month and as a result I’ll probably be doing the necessary extra paediatric modules at some point and moving from occasional Helper to a leader.  The Scouts will pay for the extra first aid,  I just need to work out when/ if I can make the time for the training.   Although work don’t need first aiders with the extra paediatric quals I might see if they will give me the time to do it as it might benefit them.   We shall see. 

Although work don’t need first aiders with the extra paediatric quals I might see if they will give me the time to do it as it might benefit them. We shall see

If your work offers time for volunteering they might be willing to help you out

I’ve just agreed to be a leader at my daughter’s cub pack. Holy hell!

I’ve got nothing to add other than to say well done to everyone who volunteers for the kids. I’m a helper at my son’s beaver colony and in the last year or seen the kids grow hugely in confidence. They get so much from it, but none of it would be possible without you all – so well done and keep going!

That’s the line I will try next,  I’ve started with the,  ‘The organisation policy is only fa@work is needed’ but we occasionally have kids of staff in the office so if scouts are paying will you give special paid leave for the course?

Fingers crossed. 

Yay Ransos! I’ve only done a little so far and find it terrifying but awesome too. 

They get so much from it, but none of it would be possible without you all

And a lot of what units achieve can’t be done without our parent helpers

so well done and keep going!

I mentioned to our group leader that I’m doing first aid for work training next month and as a result I’ll probably be doing the necessary extra paediatric modules at some point

I’ve done the mandatory first aid training twice now with the Scouts, and I don’t remember anything specifically paediatric (other than CPR on a small child).

I’ve just agreed to be a leader at my daughter’s cub pack. Holy hell!

haha welcome to the madhouse

top tips: make sure everyones photo is in OSM so you can remember their names!

our group uses OSM quite heavily and its worth spending time getting to know how it all works

reach out to other leaders for support 

IHN, when on the st John’s website booking my FA4 work course I saw the others they run and noticed one was a paediatric first aid.  So I wasn’t surprised when I spoke to our group leader that she asked if my training was including the paediatric stuff. She went on to say they (by they I assume somewhere further up the organisation) are reassessing what’s needed but I’ll probably need to do something like 5 modules to get the extra for the qualification to be of use to them,  and said scouts would pay if I were happy to do it.   My view with first aid (I’ve been trained in the past but currently out of date) is that I hope its never needed but I’ve found with mtb and rock climbing accidents happen and it’s a bit less stressful if you know something more than nothing…. so I’m happy to get training. If that qual can be of use to the scout group I’m happy to have it on my records. 

OSM is brilliant.   As I got Helper access to the beavers bit a few weeks ago (before I was just accessing my own kids records) I have had a look around and continue to be impressed by it.   Easy to use and extensive.   Although…. when viewed on a phone I’ve not found a way to see the kids photos any larger than the little thumbnails.

I’ve a question about YouShape, does anyone do the badge in their pack?  Ours haven’t but been reading a bit about it on the scouts website and it seems a good way to get the kids contributing to their group.  I’m toying with helping my daughter with the badges (they are set to ‘can complete at home’ on osm) to see how it goes.  Any tips from someone that does it?

I got to do something new and exciting at beavers tonight. It involved investigating an “unpleasant” smell coming from the kitchen in our scout hut. Turns out it was coming from a “liquid” that had managed to escape from some 6+ year old cartons of milk after eating through the containers. 🤮

Don’t think I’ll be in any sort of hurry to taste anything that gets made in the planned cooking session for next week. 

Turns out it was coming from a “liquid” that had managed to escape from some 6+ year old cartons of milk after eating through the containers

Its all glamour!

Chaired an AAC meeting tonight, saw two fantastic new leaders, one of whom is looking to help set up the second Squirrel drey in the district. The other works in a creative/crafty field and loves hiking. camping and outdoorsy stuff and will be great as a Beaver leader.

Nicked a couple of ideas for activities they had led to pass on to our unit.

Squirrel drey, wow! 

Where are you based mctd? If its OK to ask?

@neilnevill I’m with Ilkeston district, soon to merge and be part of a new “Erewash” district – another committee to sit on…

Our group started a Squirrel drey back last spring. We’d immediately rejected the concept when Squirrels were first mooted by Scouting, but we suddenly got a couple of former leaders with kids that age offering to run a drey, and damnit, it’s been a roaring success.

You absolutely have to have leaders who really want to work with that age group. And the risk assessments are amazing….

You absolutely have to have leaders who really want to work with that age group.

Our local scout group have a squirrels group. They have some explorers helping as part of D of E (my son being one of them).
He did his online young leader training and is slowly growing into it.

Squirrels (shudders). No thanks!

I’m getting some pressure from my kids to move to Explorers. Happy where I am in Scouts though.

We are well on with some pioneering work at the moment. Got A couple of 10ft tripods built and had 6 kids stood on the cross braces to test their knots. Next week we’ll rope them together and make a bridge. 

Our local scout group have a squirrels group. They have some explorers helping as part of D of E (my son being one of them).

We ended up with some non-Scouting DofE volunteers as young leaders at Squirrels, who have since got properly involved as Explorers. Win win.

To be fair, quite a lot of our Explorers are young leaders, it’s almost automatic.

According to the Croydon District website there is one squirrel drey here. With my youngest being 3 I can grasp that the right kids with the right parents would have fun doing the right activities at squirrels.  I’d fear too many parents would try and use it as cheap childcare for an hour though.   Maybe I’m too sceptical Maybe.

I’d fear too many parents would try and use it as cheap childcare for an hour though.

We’ve got parents that do that. Kids to want to be here and don’t engage. Parents won’t buy uniforms, and if they do they don’t put the badges on.

Yeah, we have at times too, although not at the moment.

We had one lad who’s parents clearly didn’t give a shit, and his grandad paid his subs (probably because he thought it would be good for him, as his parents clearly didn’t give a shit). The lad never engaged though, was really hard work and disruptive, but all probably because, you’ve guessed it, his parents clearly didn’t give a shit. Whilst he was a PITA, you couldn’t help but feel sorry for him really.

Shameless plug here, the scout/guide event I’m involved in running has just opened bookings for next year. It’s two weekends at the end of June, with the first weekend for scouts, guides, explorers and rangers, and the second for cubs/brownies. 

We’ve got pretty much unrestricted access to Cirencester park, for full weekends of challenge bases and entertainment. It’s an incredibly easy weekend to attend as all you need to do is turn up. 

We’re also appreciative of anyone who wants to come and volunteer as a helper, the small payment for that is to cover (some) food costs for the weekend. Helping is a good way to see what it’s like and whether to bring units the following year. 

Details here: Strategy & Evolution – https://s-e.org.uk/

Whilst he was a PITA, you couldn’t help but feel sorry for him really.

The kind of kid who would have got so much out of Scouting with a bit more support from home.

Squirrel parents don’t seem to be as bad for the cheap child care angle. Its only an hour, 5-6pm is a nightmare for many busy families, and we quote often have parents involved in outside activities.

Other groups have told me that Squirrel parents are quite a good source of unit helpers/leaders going forwards. We shall see about that.

The kind of kid who would have got so much out of Scouting, school, and life in general with a bit more support from home.

Indeed

Indeed

Well yes, fair point.

So no one done/doing YouShape in their groups then? Is there a reason?

I’m definitely not a cub leader, just a parent helper.

That’s my new mantra that i was telling myself stood in the pissing rain last Sunday, and while I was dealing with a screaming kid on the canal while night kayaking Monday night!

I just can’t commit to the time with full time jobs that /could/ take me or the Mrs away for a week at a time and leave us unable to do the scouting thing and let the kids down. So i’ve been a parent helper for about 18 months now and probably only missed 2-3 sessions. in that time.

It is great though, and it’s fantastic to get to know all the kids.

I preferred helping out with the scouts, but two nights a week was getting a bit much

So no one done/doing YouShape in their groups then? Is there a reason?

I’d never heard of it until now.

I doubt we’ll do it, if for no other reason that if you tried to do everything that they come up with, you’d go nuts.

It’s new ish I think,  from what I’ve found it appeared about 2018.  I can definitely see that doing it could be challenging for leaders that have put a lot of effort into establishing a fun and affordable programme….. its enough effort running that let alone helping cubs and scouts introduce changes! BUT, from what I see it’s about the kids learning to represent their needs,  take the lead and responsibility for making it happen,  teaching them SMART so that means their ideas have to be achievable and realistic. Getting them to deliver some of this stuff so they learn the effort it takes to do it well. And so on.  I’d take that not as ‘you will be driven mad trying to deliver’ rather ‘you will be driven mad trying to get them to realise just because Musk sends rockets to space doesn’t mean it’s achievable for 61st Croydon cubs to do’ 🤣  Little difference perhaps…. the result is still madness!  Haha. No I can see that it starts to teach them the skills they need come explorer and young leader time (as it was designed to) and it can generate some great ideas and ensure the programme is ‘Youth Shaped’  ie fun and what the kids want. 

So as a new occasional Helper I don’t want to appear to rock the boat…I don’t want it to look like my daughter is being critical of the pack leaders, but I can see the badges will teach her something and if the pack started doing it there might even be a good idea or two. 

scaledFree MemberI’m definitely not a cub leader, just a parent helper.

That’s my new mantra that i was telling myself stood in the pissing rain last Sunday, and while I was dealing with a screaming kid on the canal while night kayaking Monday night!

I just can’t commit to the time with full time jobs that /could/ take me or the Mrs away for a week at a time and leave us unable to do the scouting thing and let the kids down.

Nobody can, so in our group we focus on volunteering communities. Tonight our ‘leader’ for cubs couldn’t make it. The world rolls on as the team knows what to do. I’m a GSL I struggle for time, but everyone does. Don’t make it a barrier to play, thank you for what you do. It’s making memories for the young people and that’s vital. 

Just out of the Edinburgh Gang Show, which is a whole different level. Huge respect to all involved. 

I’m definitely not a cub leader

we’re all volunteers now, no leaders!

we’re all volunteers now, no leaders!

I’m still struggling to remember they are trustee boards and not exec committees…..

Update having done the FAW course this week I can see why a bit of extra paediatric FA is needed.  The course didn’t cover any differences for kids and trainer refused to answer questions when asked about it…’not covered in this course’ was the response.   Anyway scouting will pay,  work will give me the time as volunteering time,  so once the district (re)determine what is needed I’ll likely get trained. 

I am nearly done on a marathon badge sew.  Wednesday night was cubs end of term awards and my eldest daughter picked up 6 badges.  Tuesday was rainbows and beavers for the younger daughter and another 3 and 5.  With stage badges coming off uniform and going to camp blanket and moving 2 rainbows badges that apparently are not where she wants them that’s  17.  Beavers and Cubs panto trip yesterday meant I had to get cracking with the first 11 at least.   Now I’ve had enough practice I’m fairly swift and very neat now though! 4 rainbows badges still to do but neatly there. 

With 2 cubs,  both boys,  now moving up to scouts,  and 4 beavers,  all girls,  moving up to cubs,  the cub pack boy/ girl ratio is very even.   

Oh and if any of you haven’t ventured on to Scratch for a simple introduction to computing I thoroughly recommend taking a look!  One wet Saturday a month or more ago I looked it up as something to do with my kids.  The 3 of us had a great time with my daughters drawing Digital cub/ beaver avatars of themselves and then programming them to simply animate a cub camp/ beaver sleep over scene when commanded.  I was very impressed with the Scratch tool and am now trying to find any schemes for charities to get old computers donated….. if the group could get hold of some laptops cheaply it would make a few pack sessions on digital stuff possible.  If anyone has any tips re getting computers free or cheaply please shout!