I have recently volunteered at an explorer unit in north manchester area,is this a good way to go as a practicing busher?
Assistant leaders?
- Thread starter redisherfox
- Start date
well if the scouts down this way are anything to go by no,they just seem to hate the outdoors,never camp except for the time that they put dome tents in the town hall!the scout association is the last place on earth i or my kids would go for practicing bushcraft!lol
In which case you need to look around more at other Scout troops. Variety being the spice...
Plenty of groups would be out camping every weekend if the leaders had the spare time with the kids being the driving force behind it.
Some leaders encourage camping/outdoor lifestyle others enjoy crochet, modelling and suchlike.
Just make the effort to find a group that fits with what you/your kids want to get out of it and offer to throw your hand in and help if you think the bushy side is lacking. Its often lack of knowledge that leaders are only to happy to be shown and can then use again and again with the kids.
Regards,
Tim
Plenty of groups would be out camping every weekend if the leaders had the spare time with the kids being the driving force behind it.
Some leaders encourage camping/outdoor lifestyle others enjoy crochet, modelling and suchlike.
Just make the effort to find a group that fits with what you/your kids want to get out of it and offer to throw your hand in and help if you think the bushy side is lacking. Its often lack of knowledge that leaders are only to happy to be shown and can then use again and again with the kids.
Regards,
Tim
I started as an assistant scout leader a few years ago.
My main motivating factors where;
1. To help a mate (he is the leader)
2. To build positive memories and experiences for the scouts
3. To play in the woods, lighting fires and passing on bushcraft/scouting skills.
I know over the last 10yrs or so there has been many changes in scouting, not all are my idea of scouting. But what you do as a group is down to the leaders. I find the scout and explorers love nothing more than preping game and cooking it on a fire they started in some unfamiliar way (matches not included).
I think scouting is a great way to practice and pass on bushcraft skills...
A member on here (Tetley I think) posts some very good stuff on what he does with his scout group, well worth a read! I Think the Scout movement like many of its ilk, is the type of organisation in which what you get out of it depend on what you put in. My Father was a Scout leader for 40+ years, and was away on camps pretty much every weekend.
SimonM
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Scout Groups all have individuality which is inspired by its Leaders...
The key to being happy in Scouting is to find a Group that matches your interests, and then helping to take it to the next level.
I know some Groups that camp every month and some that camp nice a year...I think Tetley sums it up nicely when he says "putting the OUT in SCOUT" is the way to go tho.
Simon
The key to being happy in Scouting is to find a Group that matches your interests, and then helping to take it to the next level.
I know some Groups that camp every month and some that camp nice a year...I think Tetley sums it up nicely when he says "putting the OUT in SCOUT" is the way to go tho.
Simon
Quite frankly Bushcraft is a new name for Scoutcraft.
As has been said all Groups/units are different based on is involved.
I once asked a Cub Leader if he could light a fire and he said yes with the remote (he meant it and was talking about the gas fire in his living room)
Scouts love nothing more than cutting wood lighting a fire and cooking something on in the wide.
They always love playing (safely of course) with sharps just like you. Look HERE and you will see Scouts using knives (I was teaching them) I had not met most of them before the camp.
How has scouting actually changed in the last 10 years btw.
As has been said all Groups/units are different based on is involved.
I once asked a Cub Leader if he could light a fire and he said yes with the remote (he meant it and was talking about the gas fire in his living room)
Scouts love nothing more than cutting wood lighting a fire and cooking something on in the wide.
They always love playing (safely of course) with sharps just like you. Look HERE and you will see Scouts using knives (I was teaching them) I had not met most of them before the camp.
How has scouting actually changed in the last 10 years btw.
Definitely - if the group you're with doesn't get out much then help change that!
My group is in North Manchester (Middleton) and at least 2 of our Troops and our Explorer unit get outside fairly regularly and like to camp in hammocks when they can. Our Explorers have occasionally done a whole pig roast while hammock camping at Giants Seat, often carving spoons while it cooks.
My Scouts love carving and enjoy the sessions we do on firefighting using a variety of different methods. We have picked wild garlic to use in our food and have had a go at making nettle tea.
Like others here have said, not all Scout Troops/Explorer units do much bushy stuff but it is all down to the Leaders. If you start introducing a few simple bushcraft skills the kids will definitely be interested.
My group is in North Manchester (Middleton) and at least 2 of our Troops and our Explorer unit get outside fairly regularly and like to camp in hammocks when they can. Our Explorers have occasionally done a whole pig roast while hammock camping at Giants Seat, often carving spoons while it cooks.
My Scouts love carving and enjoy the sessions we do on firefighting using a variety of different methods. We have picked wild garlic to use in our food and have had a go at making nettle tea.
Like others here have said, not all Scout Troops/Explorer units do much bushy stuff but it is all down to the Leaders. If you start introducing a few simple bushcraft skills the kids will definitely be interested.
Grew up in a scouting family, not surprisingly became a young leader before becoming CSL. Left scouts due to the lack of discipline and organisation in the District I was in at the time (hasn't improved Ex is still a ASL). Have been in a cadet Organisation ever since, was as a young person also. I will say that Scouts when run properly is defiantly a good place for Bushcraft, just sad to see so many poor Scout Groups and leaders.
well if the scouts down this way are anything to go by no,they just seem to hate the outdoors,never camp except for the time that they put dome tents in the town hall!the scout association is the last place on earth i or my kids would go for practicing bushcraft!lol
It is a shame that a lot of Scout groups give this impression. There are lots of other groups that are getting outside at every opportunity. As for buschcraft skills, our group dabbles in quite a few aspects - we don't claim to make them into experts but we give them a taste of it - usually they love it and want to do more.
So sorry to hijack the thread slightly with a long answer and lots of photos but here's some of the things we've done over the last couple of years:
Making shelters from both natural and non-natural materials,
It was a nice night so I just slept in my bivi bag,
We often try firelighting with different materials,
We make things from leather, paracord and wood - often working on our knife skills to do so,
And any chance they get, our Scouts love to use their hammocks and the group parachute shelter
If you want real inspiration and evidence of how intertwined bushcraft and Scouting are check out posts by Brancho, Mang, SimonM and Stovie (I'm sure there are others - but these are the ones who spring to mind).
Lots of groups do stay indoors and play games, but there are lots out there who are inspiring kids to love the outdoors, to get stuck in and giving them the basics of the skils to do so.
So back to the original post, if anyone from this community was wondering whether to get involved or not I'd say give it a try, if you don't like it you've no obligation to stay - more than likely you'll get hooked, find a whole new outlet for your bushcraft skills and get a lot of satisfaction from seeing the looks on kids' faces as they learn about the outdoors.
