How far we’ve come.

I went to the England V USA game at Wembley last night and it made me feel very proud. Not of the result, the fact was England coasted to an easy win, without having to raise their game, over a very disappointing and frankly lack lustre side.

What made me proud was before the game myself and Mrs Akela were drinking in a pub called The Bear on Wembley High Road. As you can imagine it was pretty busy, trade was brisk at all the bars and restaurants in the area before the game. And in it I saw a group of young women, clearly of Asian decent, in England shirts. And it made me realise how far we have come.

Now seeing a group on Asian women in one of the most ethnically diverse boroughs of one of the world’s most ethnically diverse cities in the world may not be a surprise. Actually in that area it would be more surprising to see a group of white women! It was the fact though that they were wearing England shirts that made me so proud. Not because of some jingoistic Daily Mail style crap about them having immersed themselves in our culture, but simply because they were comfortable doing so.

Twenty years ago things were very different, England games at Wembley were packed to the rafters with skin head Neanderthals, all racist, all up for a fight, all utterly vile. It was a hot bed of and a recruiting ground for the likes of the National Front and the BNP. You certainly wouldn’t have taken a child there, unless you had taken complete leave of your senses, women were scared to go and as for anyone that was black or Asian, you could forget it. They would have been abused, beaten up or worse. It was a horrible, vile atmosphere.

Today though things are different, families go to games, black and Asian people go to games. The atmosphere is so much more friendly, yes it’s noisy and the crowd get behind the team and there is a certain amount of banter with the other side’s fans, but it does not have that nasty edge to it that it once had.

In a crowd of 71,000 like we had last night, or the 90,000 there would be in a sell out crowd there will be unpleasant people, that’s the way it is. Indeed I saw the police having a “quiet word” with one individual who was selling UDA/UVF pin badges etc. Despite this though it is a so much healthier atmosphere.

Race relations in the UK are still not perfect, we have a lot to, both white, black and Asian. Yet if young Asian women are proud to walk where was once the home of the most vile people this country has to offer, it can’t be all bad can it?

Being a scout leader can be amazing. It can be one of the most fulfilling, most up lifting, most worthwhile things you can do. Anyone that has seen a kid smile the first time they throw themselves off an abseil tower despite being convinced they couldn't do it, or been to a major jamboree will tell you that.

It also has its moments when it is utterly crap.

Right now I have reached the end of my tether with parents who don't support me and my team and what we do. Parents who have to be chased every time, every time with out fail to pay over subs or camp fees or hand over health forms. And its not through lack of cash, half the time it's bone idleness. They simply seem to have no idea, no idea at all about what the hell it is we are actually doing for their kids.

I wrote down today all the different roles that I perform, have a look at these, can you spot anything I've missed?

Chef, accountant, party planner, entertainer, writer, administrator, photographer, janitor, decorator, mechanic, debt collector, surrogate parent, first aider, health and safety officer, navigator, driver, courier, tent errector, fire lighter, artist, diplomat, policeman, public speaker.

I do all this, for other people's kids, every week, in fact most days I do one of those things or another. The kids appreciate it, they are great (ok, one or two don't, but that's part of growing up), but half the parents don't. Half don't say thank you, and is it a surprise that these are the ones I'm always chasing? Every term and every camp? Is it fuck!

I feel like standing on top of a tall building and screaming, very loud, "I'm a volunteer, cut me some fucking slack, for once, you selfish barstards".

I've just asked my GSL and treasurer to send out a very stroppy letter because frankly I've had enough.

I don't want to start saying kids cant come to things but if that is what it takes to get some of them to change then is it how it will have to be.

Stress

Another day, another British service person killed in Afghanistan and two more injured. Name yet to be released.

My two friends out there are both safe and sound. It doesn’t stop me stressing about them though.

I hate this bloody war.

On being bored

So earlier today I had the rather nasty insect bite on my leg, that you will recall had turned green, sorted out. It was pretty minor, the most minor of anaesthetics, actual opp took about 5 minutes, stitched, dressed and sent home.

Trouble is that I've been told not to do anything the rest of the day and sit with my leg elevated. I've been effectively horizontal now for the better part of 4 hours and the fact is that it's getting a bit dull.

You may have realised from previous entries that I'm a pretty active individual, whether I'm screaming my lungs out at football or running round the woods with a bunch of kids or reading books by the dozen I'm normally doing something. Yet now I'm reduced to not a lot but the tv. Have you tried reading while lying down? It makes your neck hurt. Typing this is a bit uncomfortable, lap top, on lap, sprawled on sofa. Day time tv is crap.

And now the stitches are itching. I mean really itching. It's driving me mental. And I'm not even allowed to go to cubs tonight.

This is shit!

The Kids Are Alright

You know for all my ranting in recent weeks the world is not all that bad after all. You know that even though the Mail and the Express will tell you that every teenager is either a knife wielding gang land hood rat or a totally suicidal and led into dangerous cults because of the music they listen to, the fact is that the vast majority of our teenagers are fantastic, intelligent, compassionate and well adjusted individuals.

I have 2 Explorer Scouts aged 14 and 16 who help me run cubs and everytime someone tells me how shit kids are these days I hold them up as shining examples of why those people are wrong. The 16 year old is a gobby, girl obsessed lad who could talk the hind legs off a donkey. Yet he plays cricket and rugby and volunteers his time to help with cubs, not for any reward but because he loves it. He brings out the best in the kids, particularly the shy ones by being fearless. Nothing slows him down, even a broken foot. Last night he got one kid who can barely sit on a bike, let alone ride it properly to charge down the field at lightning speed and cycle over a seesaw!

The 14 year old is quietly spoken and less experienced but on camp at the weekend was fabulous organising silly games off the cuff and is at her best when the kids are a bit worn out and are flagging towards the end of camp. A smile and a silly song from Shere Khan and they are back with us! She is a dancer and a musician and fantastically intelligent.

I have had previous young leaders, and the are as diverse as they come, quiet, loud, sporty, accademic, all action, artistic, scary looking, yes some wear hoodies, are pearced all over and drink under age and smoke when I would prefer that they didn't. But you know what? They are as kind hearted, well meaning and compassionate as they come.

No matter what the bastards in the press may tell you, the kids are alright, and I challenge anyone to convince me otherwise.

After last nights election result I had a quick look at the BBC have your say page today and I am really quite appauled. 3 of the top 4 most recomended posts were from people saying either they had or would have voted for the BNP.

I am qute lost for words. Yes get mad with the government, yes go out and protest, yes vote for someone else. Lets be clear however, the BNP are nothing more than a bunch of racist thugs praying on the badly educated and badly payed, convincing them that all their troubles can be solved by just turning on anyone that has skin that isn't white, a religion that isn't Christian or a birth place that wasn't here.

It makes me really quite angry and really quite upset. I would write more but this time I'm lost for words.

Equipment of various types.....

Just been sorting out kit for our sixers and seconders camp and have discovered that our HQ is eating kit and no one knows where it goes. And this time its important because our scouts are away the same weekend. One of the two first aid boxes, gone. All the lanterns, everyone of them, gone. Where? Half the malets vanished. Most frustrating. The result is that I now have a long shopping list of stuff to get. Grrrr......

I also think I have a great excuse not to do any more dusting. The scart lead that connects our tv to the digi box is so lose that the slightest nudge and no more sound! So my decision? No more dusting!

Not sure how Mrs Akela is going to take that idea. I shall keep you posted though!