scouts

[aza148]

its nice to no that there was so many people that have being in scouting nd other organisations like that because you dont realy here much about wot they get up to nowadays ino they arent teaching the old tradiainol metohds of scouting anymore wich is kind of upsetting to see good skills go to waste

 

[forestwalker]

I was a scout for 3-4 weeks when I was 11 or so. Then I went to a scout camp. Got up one morning (nothing special, it was probably almost 5 AM), and went of down along a creek to try to spot the beaver that has felled a bunch of trees. Came back about 2-3 hours later, well in time for breakfast. And found that people were upset when they found out, since I might have gotten lost (along a creek? HTFH would that happen?). Most of them spent all their time sitting around playing games and talking, while I was far too deepwoods to not go out into the woods.

I do not run in packs.

 

[phaserrifle]

I was a scout for 3-4 weeks when I was 11 or so. Then I went to a scout camp. Got up one morning (nothing special, it was probably almost 5 AM), and went of down along a creek to try to spot the beaver that has felled a bunch of trees. Came back about 2-3 hours later, well in time for breakfast. And found that people were upset when they found out, since I might have gotten lost (along a creek? HTFH would that happen?). Most of them spent all their time sitting around playing games and talking, while I was far too deepwoods to not go out into the woods.

I do not run in packs.

you tend to find alot of that sort of thing depends on the troop. some troops are camping mad, while others would be unsure what a tent even is.

I will admit, it's not for everyone.

 

[Dave Budd]

I had no interest whatso ever in scouts as a kid. I used to do lots of the things now practised as bushcraft at home in my wild back garden.

I've recently been draughted in as Skip or my local scout group. not sure how that happened

 

[traderran]

Any Eagle scouts hear

 

[forestwalker]

you tend to find alot of that sort of thing depends on the troop. some troops are camping mad, while others would be unsure what a tent even is.

Apart from the "pack" thing I quite like the idea of scouts. This gang knew about tents, they just had the notion that just being out in tents, and then playing games and socializing in camp was the way to go. While my notion was more along the lines of walking out into the woods and being there.

 

[Mang]

I was a Cub and Scout and now Assistant Cub Leader (via the Scout and Beaver Scout sections).

its nice to no that there was so many people that have being in scouting nd other organisations like that because you dont realy here much about wot they get up to nowadays ino they arent teaching the old tradiainol metohds of scouting anymore wich is kind of upsetting to see good skills go to waste

Not so, Only last night I gave the Cubs a small taste of Silver Birch sap and they loved it (they liked Rosehip tea too), I also do a nature walk or two with them and point out foods, medicines etc, I've demonstrated fire by friction, they've seen the positive image of me correctly using a knife, I've made them Elderflower whistles, we do as much camp cooking as I'm allowed to get away with, they love using hobo stoves and seeing my Kelly kettle in use, they've been let loose with cotton wool and natural tinder and ferro rods, and then there's the two camps this summer within three weeks of each other on rolling fields with a Badger filled wood nearby. the first group camp will probably have close to 100 kids from 6yo to mid teens and they will be rafting, climbing, going on the bouncy castle (ahem). the second will be our pack and the neighbouring village pack and I'm planning to use our Dutch oven, make some Jerky in a smoking tent, make them some Elderflower cordial (albeit from frozen syrup) and cook them some Cat Tail root.

I'm no expert and usually take rather than give from this site but boy the kids benefit from it as well as me.

I'm guessing all those who are leaders on here will do stuff with their charges too. Try www.scouts.org.uk and maybe folk could consider signing up to a local group as a Bushcraft expert? It could possibly work to your advantage by opening up areas to practice/ demonstrate in that you may not get otherwise. There's nothing better than an 'Oohh, that's good!' from a bunch of 8, 9 & 10 yos!

Also, try http://www.escouts.org.uk/forum/group.php?groupid=22 the biggest social group on the site in terms of members and posts by a Roman mile.

 

[aza148]

thanx mang its nice to no that is still some good scouting going on i was a young scout leader at my local troop but the kids there wernt interestd in anything tradinal, they didnt even like sleeping in tents as the new scout leader was all modern and he did every thing for them and he had to have them indoors on a night, then all the groups in the district followed his example so its kind of gone down the pan so i left, wich was a real shame as i was in for 9yrs most of my life as i was 17 wen i left and now only 19

 

[Mang]

All 'camping' indoors? What the...?! Whilst the movement has modernised that hardly puts the 'Out' in 'Scout'. And not interested in traditional stuff? Bizzare.

Could you go to another group or district? Is there a B-P scouts group locally which are traditional? As you are on here you obviously like bushcraft etc and it's a shame to see someone leave the movement with 30,000 kids on waiting lists nationally.

 

[Wallenstein]

Scout groups tend to be as individual as their leaders - "traditional" scouting is as much about community engagement (litter picks etc) and personal development (challenge badges) as about hiking/camping etc.

We have 40 kids and 3-4 main leaders, and we're in a town centre, so that limits what we can do in terms of "bushcraft". It can be expensive and time-consuming to take kids to a greenfield site for camping - at least in a hall they can experience putting up tents etc. Not saying that the case here, but you have to make the best of what you have.

Anyway, my campaign to get back to "hands on" scouting continued last night - we did knots and lashings... balloons filled with sweets hanging from the rafters, and cubs had to lash broomsticks together with a pin on the end to reach and puncture the balloons. Amazing how interesting knots can be when there's the promise of chocolate at the end of it.

 

[John Fenna]

I was a cub for a couple of weeks and did not much more than play "British Bulldogs" - so I left....
As a Adult I joined again as an ASL, later VSL, and drifted away aftr Ventures were done away with...I did my 15 years, got my LSD and my uniform is still intact and stored in the loft...
I mainly did very outdoorsy stuff with the Scouts, mainly canoeing and what we then called "Survival" or Backwoods skills.
The local bigwigs in Scouting have recently been in contact again.....

 

[aza148]

that sounds like a fun thing to do with the scouts i used to love the activeties as a scout but i mostly loved the w yorks county survival camps as im from the south yorks i had to ask to go onit that is were i realy got into bushcraft and survival as a scout i got my instructor badge, which i wore with pride lol

then my troop leaer askd me to help him run a survival camp for the troop which the scouts built there bivis then all went indoors and played a dvd version of who want to be a millionare thats wen i fort ive had enough.

but i would like to get back into now and get my leaders warrent but i might try a diffrent troop cos ive just moved and theres a scout group just down the road but its in the same district tho.

 

[Peter_t]

i was in scouts and army cadets
scouts was OK but not that great tbh. army cadets on the other hand tort me a hell of alot of stuf. not just army stuf like shooting but many life skills aswell, it showed me responsability and teamwork. also many bushcrafty things like map reading, feild cooking, knowing what the bear essentials you need to be to live in the feild. also feildcraft shares alot of similar skills used in tracking.

pete

 

[Rothley Bill]

I started as a cub and I am still a scout. Over the last few years I have with the help of the other leaders turned an indoor group into a outdoors group.

But I do like the idea of baloons of sweets, we use liquorice laces for knots, get it right and you can eat it - works every time

 

[aza148]

yes ive learnt alot threw the cadets as well as im in the aircadets ino we dont go as deep into the field craft side as the acf does but i find the scouts use more tradinol skills and cover a wider range of skills

 

[Rothley Bill]

I started as a cub and I am still a scout some 30 years later. We have a big group in the village who after 4 years of hard work and fun are an outdoors group, instead of the indoor group when i moved here.

I like the idea of baloons full of sweets, we simply use liquorice laces, get the knot right and you can eat the lace - works every time

 

[wicca]

I was a Sea Cadet at 12 and Leading Seaman Gunner at 14 ..D ) We had an old deactivated Oerlikon on a mount out on the after deck, well actually it was the area outside the boiler room of the village hall, which on Friday nights became our 'ship' The gun gleamed from continual polishing and on gunnery nights with the elevation and traverse wheels being wirred round like spinning tops we would engage attacking enemy destroyers...the local country buses going along the lane a half mile away...we always managed to sink them before they turned to Starboard out of range.(.behind Reynolds Farm buildings)...