I Blame The Parents
So due to a lack of female leaders at the group I have been establishing a mum's rota to help with scouts. It's been easier than I expected with 7 mums volunteering following a quick email round. What's been most interesting though has been the individuals that have volunteered and the nature of their kids.
The parents that have volunteered are those who's kids are well mannered, that listen, that don't answer back, that clean up after themselves, that are enthusiastic, that smile, that work hard and most of all that say thank you.
And you have to ask yourself, is anyone really surprised by that?
Showing posts with label scouts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scouts. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Bodies
Having spoken to various people it would seem that in my area of town there are 3 scout troops and 3 Girl Guide units. All of them are full to bursting. Unless you are a cub or brownie moving up you have to next to naff all chance of becoming a scout or guide at my end of town unless you want to travel some considerable distance.
It's great that it's all proving so popular, but I just wish we had the adults to take these kids on.
Having spoken to various people it would seem that in my area of town there are 3 scout troops and 3 Girl Guide units. All of them are full to bursting. Unless you are a cub or brownie moving up you have to next to naff all chance of becoming a scout or guide at my end of town unless you want to travel some considerable distance.
It's great that it's all proving so popular, but I just wish we had the adults to take these kids on.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Getting to know them
So last weekend was my first proper camp with the scouts (the family camp didn't really count). While it's true that I knew many of them from cubs it's also true that kids change as they get older and it's also true that you see a different side to the same kids when they are asked to step up a level and take more responsibility both for themselves and for each other. They responded pretty well. Some have some skills to learn, others need to learn to do what they can already do quicker, the fact is though that despite faults in what they could and couldn't do their attitude was truly magnificent.
We hear so much these days about kids are rubbish and useless and have a bad attitude, and these kids do exist, yet I also know a bunch of kids who will work their arses off and I am incredibly proud of all of them (even our resident pyro who wouldn't leave the fires alone, even he worked hard). It's also nice to just get to know them properly personally, see what makes them all tick and develop that relationship of trust that leaders need with their scouts.
My scouts have so much potential, and I'm looking forward to telling you about it!
So last weekend was my first proper camp with the scouts (the family camp didn't really count). While it's true that I knew many of them from cubs it's also true that kids change as they get older and it's also true that you see a different side to the same kids when they are asked to step up a level and take more responsibility both for themselves and for each other. They responded pretty well. Some have some skills to learn, others need to learn to do what they can already do quicker, the fact is though that despite faults in what they could and couldn't do their attitude was truly magnificent.
We hear so much these days about kids are rubbish and useless and have a bad attitude, and these kids do exist, yet I also know a bunch of kids who will work their arses off and I am incredibly proud of all of them (even our resident pyro who wouldn't leave the fires alone, even he worked hard). It's also nice to just get to know them properly personally, see what makes them all tick and develop that relationship of trust that leaders need with their scouts.
My scouts have so much potential, and I'm looking forward to telling you about it!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Discipline
Two things made me smile at scouts last night on the discipline front. A couple of weeks ago one scout was told to stay inside while the others played a wide game, essentially for being gobby. He however became "selectively deaf" and disappeared outside with the rest. Said scout however reckoned without my elephantine memory! Last night I deliberately arranged the same wide game but this time made dam sure he stayed inside, but instead of having to simply sit in the hall I presented him with marigolds, a dunny brush and toilet duck (other toilet cleaning products are available) and escorted him to the gents where, to my eternal joy, one of the beavers from Wednesday night, had left skid marks, where were now dry and crusty. I invited the scout to get cleaning.
And he did. He took it entirely on the chin, despite the clear horror on his face. Good lad!
Next up, we were stood in a horse shoe at ease for flag down. One scout was being noisy again. Each time he spoke I stopped and waited for silence and eventually exactly what I was looking for happened. Peer discipline! He was stood next to his APL. He spoke, I stopped, I wasn't looking at him so only caught was happened in the corner of my eye. There was movement from his APL, so quick it made a cobra bite look sluggish, and by the time they had my full attention he was clutching his ear in pain, she was stood smartly at ease looking smug. Both were silent.
Superb!
Two things made me smile at scouts last night on the discipline front. A couple of weeks ago one scout was told to stay inside while the others played a wide game, essentially for being gobby. He however became "selectively deaf" and disappeared outside with the rest. Said scout however reckoned without my elephantine memory! Last night I deliberately arranged the same wide game but this time made dam sure he stayed inside, but instead of having to simply sit in the hall I presented him with marigolds, a dunny brush and toilet duck (other toilet cleaning products are available) and escorted him to the gents where, to my eternal joy, one of the beavers from Wednesday night, had left skid marks, where were now dry and crusty. I invited the scout to get cleaning.
And he did. He took it entirely on the chin, despite the clear horror on his face. Good lad!
Next up, we were stood in a horse shoe at ease for flag down. One scout was being noisy again. Each time he spoke I stopped and waited for silence and eventually exactly what I was looking for happened. Peer discipline! He was stood next to his APL. He spoke, I stopped, I wasn't looking at him so only caught was happened in the corner of my eye. There was movement from his APL, so quick it made a cobra bite look sluggish, and by the time they had my full attention he was clutching his ear in pain, she was stood smartly at ease looking smug. Both were silent.
Superb!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Characters
I posted a few days ago about whether any of the cubs and scouts that passed through my life in recent years and how I remember them. So I thought I'd tell you about a couple of the more memorable ones. Not necessarily the best or the worst or particular favourites but the ones that stick in the mind for one reason or another.
First there was J. He was one of these kids that simply exploded into cubs. There was no 2 or 3 weeks when he was a bit shy, no settling in period, it was bang and in. He walked through the doors and more or less dived straight in, pretty much head first I think. He was no clown though, this was a bright kid who was quick on the up take of pretty much everything, and things did just seem to happen around him.
Next I'll give you M. She will stick in the mind a long time for a long time for simply being the most stubborn cub I have ever met. Stubborn as a mule doesn't do justice, I simply never got her to change her mind on anything. Ever. And I am a bloody minded little sod! Was last heard of breezing through school and pissing off all of her teachers. Her older brother had gone through cubs a few years earlier. And yes, he was pretty much the same.
G. G was a cub and is still a scout. I have simply never met anyone who talks so much. He simply never stops. It's not in an intentionally annoying way (although I did have to ask him to leave the room last week), he just has loads to say. For some one who can act like such a prat at times though he's surprisingly popular with the girls in the troop. How?
Anyway, that's just a few of them, maybe I'll return to the subject one day.
I posted a few days ago about whether any of the cubs and scouts that passed through my life in recent years and how I remember them. So I thought I'd tell you about a couple of the more memorable ones. Not necessarily the best or the worst or particular favourites but the ones that stick in the mind for one reason or another.
First there was J. He was one of these kids that simply exploded into cubs. There was no 2 or 3 weeks when he was a bit shy, no settling in period, it was bang and in. He walked through the doors and more or less dived straight in, pretty much head first I think. He was no clown though, this was a bright kid who was quick on the up take of pretty much everything, and things did just seem to happen around him.
Next I'll give you M. She will stick in the mind a long time for a long time for simply being the most stubborn cub I have ever met. Stubborn as a mule doesn't do justice, I simply never got her to change her mind on anything. Ever. And I am a bloody minded little sod! Was last heard of breezing through school and pissing off all of her teachers. Her older brother had gone through cubs a few years earlier. And yes, he was pretty much the same.
G. G was a cub and is still a scout. I have simply never met anyone who talks so much. He simply never stops. It's not in an intentionally annoying way (although I did have to ask him to leave the room last week), he just has loads to say. For some one who can act like such a prat at times though he's surprisingly popular with the girls in the troop. How?
Anyway, that's just a few of them, maybe I'll return to the subject one day.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
The Ghost of Christmas Past
The ever thought provoking Snuffy is back again with a post about bumping into a former pupil in the supermarket and the wave of emotion that brought out in her. And it got me thinking about all the kids that have passed through my hands over the years. They must number in the hundreds somewhere, and that's just the regulars. Those who I've dealt with fleetingly, filling in at their groups, or camped next to at a jamboree would stretch to thousands.
I wonder how many of those hundreds remember me? I would like to say I remember everyone of them, but I'm sure I don't. I certainly remember a hell of a lot of them. I still have a photo on my wall of the group I was a leader with at uni, and what a bunch of characters they were! I still have all the presents and cards that my current lot have given me over the years, at Christmas, at the end of camp, when they've moved on to older sections. Even when the names escape me I still remember the loud one, the quiet one, the bright one, the comedian, the shy one, the adventurous one, the happy one, the twins, the brothers, the sisters. Do they remember me? I hope they do. I hope they remember the adventures we had together. I hope they remember the first night away from their parents, the first time they cooked for themselves, the first time they abseiled or canoed or fell in a river, got soaking wet through on a hike.
Most of all I hope they remember how proud they all made me.
Where are they all now? Some of them may be married and have kids, some will be at uni. Are they successful? Are they happy? Did I help them in any way?
I guess like Snuffy the day will come when I'll find out. Till then, I wish everyone of them all the luck and love in the world.
The ever thought provoking Snuffy is back again with a post about bumping into a former pupil in the supermarket and the wave of emotion that brought out in her. And it got me thinking about all the kids that have passed through my hands over the years. They must number in the hundreds somewhere, and that's just the regulars. Those who I've dealt with fleetingly, filling in at their groups, or camped next to at a jamboree would stretch to thousands.
I wonder how many of those hundreds remember me? I would like to say I remember everyone of them, but I'm sure I don't. I certainly remember a hell of a lot of them. I still have a photo on my wall of the group I was a leader with at uni, and what a bunch of characters they were! I still have all the presents and cards that my current lot have given me over the years, at Christmas, at the end of camp, when they've moved on to older sections. Even when the names escape me I still remember the loud one, the quiet one, the bright one, the comedian, the shy one, the adventurous one, the happy one, the twins, the brothers, the sisters. Do they remember me? I hope they do. I hope they remember the adventures we had together. I hope they remember the first night away from their parents, the first time they cooked for themselves, the first time they abseiled or canoed or fell in a river, got soaking wet through on a hike.
Most of all I hope they remember how proud they all made me.
Where are they all now? Some of them may be married and have kids, some will be at uni. Are they successful? Are they happy? Did I help them in any way?
I guess like Snuffy the day will come when I'll find out. Till then, I wish everyone of them all the luck and love in the world.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Getting the message
It has been an interesting few hours where yours truly has had his powers of diplomacy stretched to their limits.
First of all let's be clear on something, girls can be scouts of any sort so beavers, cubs, scouts, explorers, network, leaders, fellowship, the whole lot. The only exceptions are where groups are attached to single sex schools or young offenders institutions (and there are some believe it or not). So girls can be scouts in any main stream group. Thank you, the end, goodnight.
Last night I got a phone call from my successor at cubs telling me they had a new member who had simply turned up. This happens from time to time rather than getting a phone call and is no great problem. The problem is when they turn up because a neighbouring group turnned them away for being a girl. My successor, being a woman, was hopping mad over it, I, having warned the other group before, was pretty irritable myself. Thus a series of phone calls began to try and fix this without losing an otherwise very capable leader at the other group. I won't do the detail, it's dull. But the problem is in the process of being fixed.
It did make me wonder though, why do some people still not get it? Why does the fact that there are two sexes in the world who have equal rights to everything not seem to get through?
It's infuriating!
It has been an interesting few hours where yours truly has had his powers of diplomacy stretched to their limits.
First of all let's be clear on something, girls can be scouts of any sort so beavers, cubs, scouts, explorers, network, leaders, fellowship, the whole lot. The only exceptions are where groups are attached to single sex schools or young offenders institutions (and there are some believe it or not). So girls can be scouts in any main stream group. Thank you, the end, goodnight.
Last night I got a phone call from my successor at cubs telling me they had a new member who had simply turned up. This happens from time to time rather than getting a phone call and is no great problem. The problem is when they turn up because a neighbouring group turnned them away for being a girl. My successor, being a woman, was hopping mad over it, I, having warned the other group before, was pretty irritable myself. Thus a series of phone calls began to try and fix this without losing an otherwise very capable leader at the other group. I won't do the detail, it's dull. But the problem is in the process of being fixed.
It did make me wonder though, why do some people still not get it? Why does the fact that there are two sexes in the world who have equal rights to everything not seem to get through?
It's infuriating!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Agendas, idleness and collateral damage
It all started on Sunday when as I munched on my muesli I surfed through the Sunday scream sheets and I stumbled across this. It would seem, from the headline that scouts were being banned from using pen knives. And my first thought was, “yeah right,” on the basis that firstly it was in the Mail and second, as a scout leader, I get any important rule changes like this cascaded to me pretty quickly. So I read on to discover that apparently
“The Scout Association is advising boys* and their parents that they should not bring knives to camp – despite it being legal for anyone to carry a foldable non locking blade in public as long as long as it is shorter than 3 inches.”
Eh? What the hell was going on? There was nothing on the website, there was nothing on any recent emails, where was this all coming from?
“in a recent edition of their official in-house magazine, Scouting, they are advised that neither they nor their parents should bring penknives to camp”.
Now this rang a bell, I’d read something about knife law in scouting some months ago, so had a rummage under the bed and found the relevant article. Now I wont just cut and paste (more on cut and pasting later) wholesale, I shall simply leave you to compare what the Mail selectively quoted from that article, with what the whole article actually says (you’ll need to scroll to page 50).
As you can see all it is is clarification of what Britain ’s complex knife laws allow and recommendations as to how to put that into practice. And that boils down to stay within the law and only use them when appropriate. Now I ask you, is that really so controversial?
So far just a piss poor bit of research.
It got worse though, as on Monday the Scouts Chief Commissioner made a statement on the scouts website in reaction to the story, in particular he said
A Mail on Sunday journalist approached us on Friday having read the latest guidance we issued in Scouting Magazine/online in December 08 and April 09 on advising Scouts on the situations in which they can use a knife as part of normal Scout Activities. He was looking to make the story into "Scouts Ban knives shocker". The media team took them through the facts and sent them links to our various documents and magazine articles giving him the following info,
- The Rules changed about wearing knives with uniform in 1968
- We have issued regular guidance to the Movement on this matter ever since 1968 e.g. early 1980's , 1996, 2008 and 2009 (the latest being the magazine article in April/May)
- We need to support leaders with information to help them support young people
Despite making these facts available the Mail on Sunday published the piece, They used a few selective statements and quotes some out of context..
Yes, it would seem that despite being told directly what the situation was the Mail decided to go ahead and publish this story anyway to make the scouts look bloody stupid, wet and generally part of the ‘elf and safety/political correctness gone mad crap that they churn out ad infinitum.
And they have form for this as well. I was ready to put my fist through the monitor at the distortions they published in 2007 over the “sun rise” camp on Brownsea Island. On that occasion the situation was that a camp was held on a remote island with limited cooking facilities for 300 kids from 150 countries including every religion and culture you can imagine including Jews and Muslims (no pork) Hindus (no beef), Buddhists (vegetarian) and many that you probably can’t all with their own variations. Given this the organisers went for a vegetarian menu for simplicity. The Mail naturally span this in to “scouts ban bangers, political correctness gone mad”. Rather than report on kids from all round the world living peacefully together.
Spinning out right lies about scouts fits perfectly with the whole “why oh why can’t it be the 1950’s again” agenda of the Mail which is itself made up of its various prejudices, prejudice against anything not white middle class and Christian with nice little women who know their limits and Dixon of Dock fucking Green on every street corner cuffing cheeky young scamps round the ear. Which is of course what the 1950’s were like. Apparently. You see in this world we should wear pointy hats, shorts and sharpen sticks with not a girl in sight. My lot will be going canoeing, go karting and to the ballet this term. Times change and the Mail does not like it one bit.
They could have written something positive this weekend. An explorer scout called Lucie Jones looks like she’ll be a big star on X Factor (not my thing personally but still positive). They could have written about the centenary celebrations of our sister organisation the Girl Guides, but they ignored it. Instead the scouts just became canon fodder for their constant crappy agenda.
Yet what are we to make of the rest of the press? Indeed in particular the broad sheets and how they responded to this? Did they see a story and decide to check the facts? Do a spot of research? Pick up the fucking phone and speak to someone? Did they?
Did they bollocks.
No instead every single one of them simply lifted it straight from the Mail (although in fairness the Indie The Mirror and The Sun pulled theirs after being contacted by Scouts press office). At least the Guardian made some vague attempt to put it in their own words. Not so others who seem to have discovered the copy and paste function. Worst of the lot in this insipid bout of utter bone idleness was, I’m afraid to say the Times. Yup The Times, I may not agree with all their politics by had at least credited them with some decent journalism. Clearly I was mistaken.
Let’s play spot the difference shall we?
Exhibit A The Mail
Exhibit B The Times
Oh I’m sorry, did I get those the wrong way round? Sorry, it’s just I can’t tell the sodding difference. If one of my scouts had been as bone fucking idle as that I would happily kick their arse, where as journalists right across the country get paid for this crock of shit.
Arseholes.
*And another thing, if I have to tell one more person, be it journalist, parent or random punters that girls can be scouts (and beavers, cubs and explorers as well) then I’ll happily strangle them with by bear hands. And yes that does go against the scout promise and law, and I don’t care either!
It all started on Sunday when as I munched on my muesli I surfed through the Sunday scream sheets and I stumbled across this. It would seem, from the headline that scouts were being banned from using pen knives. And my first thought was, “yeah right,” on the basis that firstly it was in the Mail and second, as a scout leader, I get any important rule changes like this cascaded to me pretty quickly. So I read on to discover that apparently
“The Scout Association is advising boys* and their parents that they should not bring knives to camp – despite it being legal for anyone to carry a foldable non locking blade in public as long as long as it is shorter than 3 inches.”
Eh? What the hell was going on? There was nothing on the website, there was nothing on any recent emails, where was this all coming from?
“in a recent edition of their official in-house magazine, Scouting, they are advised that neither they nor their parents should bring penknives to camp”.
Now this rang a bell, I’d read something about knife law in scouting some months ago, so had a rummage under the bed and found the relevant article. Now I wont just cut and paste (more on cut and pasting later) wholesale, I shall simply leave you to compare what the Mail selectively quoted from that article, with what the whole article actually says (you’ll need to scroll to page 50).
As you can see all it is is clarification of what Britain ’s complex knife laws allow and recommendations as to how to put that into practice. And that boils down to stay within the law and only use them when appropriate. Now I ask you, is that really so controversial?
So far just a piss poor bit of research.
It got worse though, as on Monday the Scouts Chief Commissioner made a statement on the scouts website in reaction to the story, in particular he said
A Mail on Sunday journalist approached us on Friday having read the latest guidance we issued in Scouting Magazine/online in December 08 and April 09 on advising Scouts on the situations in which they can use a knife as part of normal Scout Activities. He was looking to make the story into "Scouts Ban knives shocker". The media team took them through the facts and sent them links to our various documents and magazine articles giving him the following info,
- The Rules changed about wearing knives with uniform in 1968
- We have issued regular guidance to the Movement on this matter ever since 1968 e.g. early 1980's , 1996, 2008 and 2009 (the latest being the magazine article in April/May)
- We need to support leaders with information to help them support young people
Despite making these facts available the Mail on Sunday published the piece, They used a few selective statements and quotes some out of context..
Yes, it would seem that despite being told directly what the situation was the Mail decided to go ahead and publish this story anyway to make the scouts look bloody stupid, wet and generally part of the ‘elf and safety/political correctness gone mad crap that they churn out ad infinitum.
And they have form for this as well. I was ready to put my fist through the monitor at the distortions they published in 2007 over the “sun rise” camp on Brownsea Island. On that occasion the situation was that a camp was held on a remote island with limited cooking facilities for 300 kids from 150 countries including every religion and culture you can imagine including Jews and Muslims (no pork) Hindus (no beef), Buddhists (vegetarian) and many that you probably can’t all with their own variations. Given this the organisers went for a vegetarian menu for simplicity. The Mail naturally span this in to “scouts ban bangers, political correctness gone mad”. Rather than report on kids from all round the world living peacefully together.
Spinning out right lies about scouts fits perfectly with the whole “why oh why can’t it be the 1950’s again” agenda of the Mail which is itself made up of its various prejudices, prejudice against anything not white middle class and Christian with nice little women who know their limits and Dixon of Dock fucking Green on every street corner cuffing cheeky young scamps round the ear. Which is of course what the 1950’s were like. Apparently. You see in this world we should wear pointy hats, shorts and sharpen sticks with not a girl in sight. My lot will be going canoeing, go karting and to the ballet this term. Times change and the Mail does not like it one bit.
They could have written something positive this weekend. An explorer scout called Lucie Jones looks like she’ll be a big star on X Factor (not my thing personally but still positive). They could have written about the centenary celebrations of our sister organisation the Girl Guides, but they ignored it. Instead the scouts just became canon fodder for their constant crappy agenda.
Yet what are we to make of the rest of the press? Indeed in particular the broad sheets and how they responded to this? Did they see a story and decide to check the facts? Do a spot of research? Pick up the fucking phone and speak to someone? Did they?
Did they bollocks.
No instead every single one of them simply lifted it straight from the Mail (although in fairness the Indie The Mirror and The Sun pulled theirs after being contacted by Scouts press office). At least the Guardian made some vague attempt to put it in their own words. Not so others who seem to have discovered the copy and paste function. Worst of the lot in this insipid bout of utter bone idleness was, I’m afraid to say the Times. Yup The Times, I may not agree with all their politics by had at least credited them with some decent journalism. Clearly I was mistaken.
Let’s play spot the difference shall we?
Exhibit A The Mail
Exhibit B The Times
Oh I’m sorry, did I get those the wrong way round? Sorry, it’s just I can’t tell the sodding difference. If one of my scouts had been as bone fucking idle as that I would happily kick their arse, where as journalists right across the country get paid for this crock of shit.
Arseholes.
*And another thing, if I have to tell one more person, be it journalist, parent or random punters that girls can be scouts (and beavers, cubs and explorers as well) then I’ll happily strangle them with by bear hands. And yes that does go against the scout promise and law, and I don’t care either!
Sunday, September 06, 2009
14 Sept update - A quick hi to all those guardian readers arriving on here, just a couple of things.... first please appreciate that this post is a particularly sweary one, the Mail caught me on a particularly bad day. There is other stuff on here varying from scouts to football to film to religion to just about everything else that isn't as sweary, although there are others that are. Sorry! So read on dear people read on! Second, it wasn't me that put a link to this on the comments section, I don't do self promotion!
15 Sept- For the benefit of Anonymous/Les - I suggest you clear your cache and hit refresh, I have pub;ished your comments and have replied as well. I don't do censorship of comments except for Trolls and that has only happened once.
Daily Mail Talks Shit About Scouts Yet Again
For fuck's sake, they just never stop do they? They simply can't go a day without making shit up to support their whole "broken Britain" theme. This time they have touched a raw nerve with me, making crap up about the scouts, and judging by the readers comments the great British Public have fallen for it.
So what is today's lie? Apparently scouts have been banned from using pen knives.
100%, complete and utter bollocks. Lies. Incorrect. Bull shit. Not one shred of truth to it what so ever.
What is the truth? The truth is that scouts are taught to use knives as a tool, simple as that. To look after them, the same as a hammer or a saw, to use the correct knife for the job, and to obey the law as it stands.
Stuff like this makes me so angry, because I am lucky enough to know the truth, on other stories they publish I am not privy to the truth, so what other lies and innuendo am I missing? How fucking dare they just sit and make stuff up. I've tried to get a comment on the story pointing out that they are talking rubbish but I doubt they'll publish it.
Bastards.
Update----Update----Update - 7 September
It's nice to see that the Times have discovered where the cut and paste functions are in word. I had thought better of them than that.
15 Sept- For the benefit of Anonymous/Les - I suggest you clear your cache and hit refresh, I have pub;ished your comments and have replied as well. I don't do censorship of comments except for Trolls and that has only happened once.
Daily Mail Talks Shit About Scouts Yet Again
For fuck's sake, they just never stop do they? They simply can't go a day without making shit up to support their whole "broken Britain" theme. This time they have touched a raw nerve with me, making crap up about the scouts, and judging by the readers comments the great British Public have fallen for it.
So what is today's lie? Apparently scouts have been banned from using pen knives.
100%, complete and utter bollocks. Lies. Incorrect. Bull shit. Not one shred of truth to it what so ever.
What is the truth? The truth is that scouts are taught to use knives as a tool, simple as that. To look after them, the same as a hammer or a saw, to use the correct knife for the job, and to obey the law as it stands.
Stuff like this makes me so angry, because I am lucky enough to know the truth, on other stories they publish I am not privy to the truth, so what other lies and innuendo am I missing? How fucking dare they just sit and make stuff up. I've tried to get a comment on the story pointing out that they are talking rubbish but I doubt they'll publish it.
Bastards.
Update----Update----Update - 7 September
It's nice to see that the Times have discovered where the cut and paste functions are in word. I had thought better of them than that.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
My Scouting Top Ten
I've had an exchange of emails with a fellow blogger recently in which I was very open about why I think scouting and similar organisations are great for kids. Everything from leadership to creativity to cultural tolerance to team work, it's all there. I know it did a great deal for me. So I thought I'd put a few of my experiences down, in particular the most influential ones.
These are not necessarily the most memorable, or the most fun or my biggest achievements, but they are the ones that were probably the biggest influence on me when growing up. And they are in no particular order either.
1. My first night away without family. I was a 9 year old cub, and a pretty timid one at that. I'd done camps before but only our group's annual "father and son" camp. When I was 9 I want a 3 night camp at Tolmers in Hertfordshire. First time without my family, I was pretty timid it's true but I loved every second of it!
2. Being 15, on a scout summer camp and having to dig trenches around the patrol tents to keep the water out. Marvelous!
3. My patrol picking a fight with some army cadets when I was 13 and running away when we realised there were more of them and they were mostly older. Valuable lesson learned there!
4. Learning how to light a cooking fire in the pissing rain the hard way.
5. A sad one this. A lad in my Venture Unit lost his mother while we were in the Lake District on a 2 week trip. Our leaders had to leave to take him home leaving the rest of us to look after ourselves. A lot of growing up was done very quickly on that camp.
6. Being voted scouts scout of the year when I was 14. Having been savagely bullied at school to get that kind of recognition from my peers was bloody brilliant!
7. As a venture scout building a rope bridge for a beaver funday, thinking we knew it all. We didn't. A leader, who came across as a right old git, put us right. Turned out he was a top bloke. Looks can be deceiving!
8. Waking up in a wet through sleeping bag, moaning and then finding that another tent had copped even worse than mine had and they were all laughing about it.
9. Being chased across the field by a knife wielding guide leader after I and the other 2 patrol leaders had made the mistake of trying to chat up her girls. Hilarious! (Same camp as the trench digging incident)
10. In the pissing rain on camp, with not a dry stitch of clothing left, building an impromptu mud slide down a steep bank. Brilliant fun :)
I might do another one of these soon, maybe the happiest, or funniest or something like that.
I've had an exchange of emails with a fellow blogger recently in which I was very open about why I think scouting and similar organisations are great for kids. Everything from leadership to creativity to cultural tolerance to team work, it's all there. I know it did a great deal for me. So I thought I'd put a few of my experiences down, in particular the most influential ones.
These are not necessarily the most memorable, or the most fun or my biggest achievements, but they are the ones that were probably the biggest influence on me when growing up. And they are in no particular order either.
1. My first night away without family. I was a 9 year old cub, and a pretty timid one at that. I'd done camps before but only our group's annual "father and son" camp. When I was 9 I want a 3 night camp at Tolmers in Hertfordshire. First time without my family, I was pretty timid it's true but I loved every second of it!
2. Being 15, on a scout summer camp and having to dig trenches around the patrol tents to keep the water out. Marvelous!
3. My patrol picking a fight with some army cadets when I was 13 and running away when we realised there were more of them and they were mostly older. Valuable lesson learned there!
4. Learning how to light a cooking fire in the pissing rain the hard way.
5. A sad one this. A lad in my Venture Unit lost his mother while we were in the Lake District on a 2 week trip. Our leaders had to leave to take him home leaving the rest of us to look after ourselves. A lot of growing up was done very quickly on that camp.
6. Being voted scouts scout of the year when I was 14. Having been savagely bullied at school to get that kind of recognition from my peers was bloody brilliant!
7. As a venture scout building a rope bridge for a beaver funday, thinking we knew it all. We didn't. A leader, who came across as a right old git, put us right. Turned out he was a top bloke. Looks can be deceiving!
8. Waking up in a wet through sleeping bag, moaning and then finding that another tent had copped even worse than mine had and they were all laughing about it.
9. Being chased across the field by a knife wielding guide leader after I and the other 2 patrol leaders had made the mistake of trying to chat up her girls. Hilarious! (Same camp as the trench digging incident)
10. In the pissing rain on camp, with not a dry stitch of clothing left, building an impromptu mud slide down a steep bank. Brilliant fun :)
I might do another one of these soon, maybe the happiest, or funniest or something like that.
Sunday, August 09, 2009
There were rats, rats, rats the size of cats......
Oh what joy, a full weekend of tidying up the HQ and sorting out all the camping gear. 2 Full days of hard slog. I still can't believe exactly how much shite we seemed to have accumulated. We filled an 8 yard skip. Filled it, completely. And we can probably fill a second one with the amount of crap that's still there. It also meant the joy of discovering evidence of rats, mice and squirrels in the attic. If you have never encountered rat shit then frankly keep it that way, it looks and smells disgusting. We also identified, via the bright green colour of their droppings, that mice can't digest the dye used in patrol tents.
So what did we discover?
1. We can put together 12 complete patrol tents (ish!), enough to get all the cubs and scouts under canvas at once and still have plenty of light weight tents to spare! I consider us very lucky.
2. We have a hell of a lot more canvases for dining shelters than we have complete sets of poles for. I consider us not so lucky.
3. There was a leg from a shop dumby in the attic. Why?
4. One catering size jar of pickle. 8 years out of date. Nice.
5. Some old patrol pennants dating back to the 1950's.
6. Some old sailing gear at least 30 years old from when we used to be a sea scout group.
7. Some original 1950's Primus stoves. Worth a fortune!
A hard work but fascinating weekend!
Oh what joy, a full weekend of tidying up the HQ and sorting out all the camping gear. 2 Full days of hard slog. I still can't believe exactly how much shite we seemed to have accumulated. We filled an 8 yard skip. Filled it, completely. And we can probably fill a second one with the amount of crap that's still there. It also meant the joy of discovering evidence of rats, mice and squirrels in the attic. If you have never encountered rat shit then frankly keep it that way, it looks and smells disgusting. We also identified, via the bright green colour of their droppings, that mice can't digest the dye used in patrol tents.
So what did we discover?
1. We can put together 12 complete patrol tents (ish!), enough to get all the cubs and scouts under canvas at once and still have plenty of light weight tents to spare! I consider us very lucky.
2. We have a hell of a lot more canvases for dining shelters than we have complete sets of poles for. I consider us not so lucky.
3. There was a leg from a shop dumby in the attic. Why?
4. One catering size jar of pickle. 8 years out of date. Nice.
5. Some old patrol pennants dating back to the 1950's.
6. Some old sailing gear at least 30 years old from when we used to be a sea scout group.
7. Some original 1950's Primus stoves. Worth a fortune!
A hard work but fascinating weekend!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Something to ponder
Here's the deal. Close to where I live, and close to the scout group I'm a leader at, is a small but nevertheless significant Asian community, and by that I mean of middle east descent rather than far east. Where the streets that they are concentrated in are is probably equi distant from three different scout groups, one of them being mine. And not one of these 3 groups has a single member from them and neither, as far as I know, do any of the guide groups in the similar area. They have white kids, black kids, far eastern kids, but no asian kids. And I am genuinely curious as to why?
Is it a religious thing? 2 of the 3 scout groups and 1 of the 3 guide groups in the area are attached to churches. Yet there are still those, including mine that are not.
Is it a class thing? Those streets are, for want of a better and less patronising word, working class. Of the 3 scout groups mine is admittedly pretty middle class, the other 2 aren't though.
Do they even know that we are there? Certainly none of the 3 groups has any great need to actively recruit, we are all fighting kids off with a stick. Other than when we opened a beaver colony 3 years ago we have done know active recruiting in living memory, the others are similar. So why would they be less inclined to know that we are there than the parents of other kids?
Is it a race thing? Are we seen as a "white organisation"? Possibly, but I see black kids turning up, why not Asian kids?
I simply don't know the answer to these questions. I don't even know if the answers matter.
But I'm curious.
Here's the deal. Close to where I live, and close to the scout group I'm a leader at, is a small but nevertheless significant Asian community, and by that I mean of middle east descent rather than far east. Where the streets that they are concentrated in are is probably equi distant from three different scout groups, one of them being mine. And not one of these 3 groups has a single member from them and neither, as far as I know, do any of the guide groups in the similar area. They have white kids, black kids, far eastern kids, but no asian kids. And I am genuinely curious as to why?
Is it a religious thing? 2 of the 3 scout groups and 1 of the 3 guide groups in the area are attached to churches. Yet there are still those, including mine that are not.
Is it a class thing? Those streets are, for want of a better and less patronising word, working class. Of the 3 scout groups mine is admittedly pretty middle class, the other 2 aren't though.
Do they even know that we are there? Certainly none of the 3 groups has any great need to actively recruit, we are all fighting kids off with a stick. Other than when we opened a beaver colony 3 years ago we have done know active recruiting in living memory, the others are similar. So why would they be less inclined to know that we are there than the parents of other kids?
Is it a race thing? Are we seen as a "white organisation"? Possibly, but I see black kids turning up, why not Asian kids?
I simply don't know the answer to these questions. I don't even know if the answers matter.
But I'm curious.
Focusing our energies
For various reasons work took me to Bootle for the last few days. If you've never had the dubious pleasure of Bootle then it is a sight that you really should see. It is unbelievable. It is quite possibly the worst place to live in Britain. I mean honestly, you have no idea.
This is not somewhere with a bit of graffiti here or a broken window there. In fact there are no broken windows at all, because they are all either boarded or shuttered. Instead there are holes in the roofs. All the shops are shuttered, even when they are open. Speaking to the locals it seems that they have such a problem with theft and vandalism that it has reached a point where shops that are trying to show off what they are selling can't do so. Most heart breaking of all was the youth centre, boarded up, burnt out and covered in graffiti.
What an absolute hell hole.
And it made me wonder why I do what I do in scouting. My group draws from a very wealthy, very middle class area. While I'm sure all the kids get a lot out of what they do with me I'm also pretty sure that if they didn't have a scout group to go to that they would find plenty more to stimulate them and would still grow up well rounded and well adjusted. In actual fact shouldn't it be places like Bootle where we concentrate our efforts?
I know that sat here typing away while I eat my morning muesli that it's very easy for me to say. To ask people to volunteer their time in unpleasant places with kids that are likely to be a lot harder work than perhaps they are used is a huge ask. To try and get bums on seats in places like this would also be far easier said than done. And yet.... just because something isn't easy doesn't stop it being the truth now does it?
Food for thought indeed.
For various reasons work took me to Bootle for the last few days. If you've never had the dubious pleasure of Bootle then it is a sight that you really should see. It is unbelievable. It is quite possibly the worst place to live in Britain. I mean honestly, you have no idea.
This is not somewhere with a bit of graffiti here or a broken window there. In fact there are no broken windows at all, because they are all either boarded or shuttered. Instead there are holes in the roofs. All the shops are shuttered, even when they are open. Speaking to the locals it seems that they have such a problem with theft and vandalism that it has reached a point where shops that are trying to show off what they are selling can't do so. Most heart breaking of all was the youth centre, boarded up, burnt out and covered in graffiti.
What an absolute hell hole.
And it made me wonder why I do what I do in scouting. My group draws from a very wealthy, very middle class area. While I'm sure all the kids get a lot out of what they do with me I'm also pretty sure that if they didn't have a scout group to go to that they would find plenty more to stimulate them and would still grow up well rounded and well adjusted. In actual fact shouldn't it be places like Bootle where we concentrate our efforts?
I know that sat here typing away while I eat my morning muesli that it's very easy for me to say. To ask people to volunteer their time in unpleasant places with kids that are likely to be a lot harder work than perhaps they are used is a huge ask. To try and get bums on seats in places like this would also be far easier said than done. And yet.... just because something isn't easy doesn't stop it being the truth now does it?
Food for thought indeed.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Moments that make it all worth it
On the way home from work today I bumped into one of my former cubs who has just moved to scouts (I'll be following her very soon). Now while you shouldn't have favourites I have to confess to a real soft spot for this kid. I said that if she wanted she could come along to cubs tonight for my last night as Akela (basically a giant water fight followed by a BBQ), which she nearly ripped my arm off to do!
What was lovely though was that mum told me how thrilled this kid was that I'll be moving up to scouts and what she had been telling her friends there had come from other cub groups about me and couldn't wait to have me along.
Right now I feel about 20 feet tall!
On the way home from work today I bumped into one of my former cubs who has just moved to scouts (I'll be following her very soon). Now while you shouldn't have favourites I have to confess to a real soft spot for this kid. I said that if she wanted she could come along to cubs tonight for my last night as Akela (basically a giant water fight followed by a BBQ), which she nearly ripped my arm off to do!
What was lovely though was that mum told me how thrilled this kid was that I'll be moving up to scouts and what she had been telling her friends there had come from other cub groups about me and couldn't wait to have me along.
Right now I feel about 20 feet tall!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
This is it
Well the time has come, tomorrow (Monday) yours truly will be at his last cubs night as Akela. It seems rather self indulgent to say I'm feeling say or even to write about it as I'm not exactly going far. I'm taking over the scout troop and will be faced with the same kids I was dealing with over the last 3 years or so with my current lot following me over the next 2 and a half. It's at the same HQ and I will still be close friends with all the old cub leaders. And yet......
I started helping with cubs 15 years ago during my sixth form and it's become a part of my life that's been pretty difficult to let go of. Scouts is different to cubs, the relationship with kids that age is different. In some ways it's easier, in other ways it's harder, there certainly wont be as many "awwww.... how cute?" moments. (The time 3 of the cubs presented me with home made book marks on my birthday was cute to the point of nauseating. I still use those bookmarks by the way!) That said I'm sure it will be easier to have a more grown up conversation and let the kids just get on with things without being supervised. There will still be the 2am issues on camp but it will be less wet beds and more "will you please be quiet!"
I have had more fun than I can ever properly put into words but the time has come to move on, a new door is about to open and I'm pretty excited!
Well the time has come, tomorrow (Monday) yours truly will be at his last cubs night as Akela. It seems rather self indulgent to say I'm feeling say or even to write about it as I'm not exactly going far. I'm taking over the scout troop and will be faced with the same kids I was dealing with over the last 3 years or so with my current lot following me over the next 2 and a half. It's at the same HQ and I will still be close friends with all the old cub leaders. And yet......
I started helping with cubs 15 years ago during my sixth form and it's become a part of my life that's been pretty difficult to let go of. Scouts is different to cubs, the relationship with kids that age is different. In some ways it's easier, in other ways it's harder, there certainly wont be as many "awwww.... how cute?" moments. (The time 3 of the cubs presented me with home made book marks on my birthday was cute to the point of nauseating. I still use those bookmarks by the way!) That said I'm sure it will be easier to have a more grown up conversation and let the kids just get on with things without being supervised. There will still be the 2am issues on camp but it will be less wet beds and more "will you please be quiet!"
I have had more fun than I can ever properly put into words but the time has come to move on, a new door is about to open and I'm pretty excited!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Royalty gets it right (for once)
Regular readers will no that I am a pretty much dyed in the wool republican. I really don't see any excuse for having a head of state who is not democratically elected. That said I have nothing against them personally, none of them are particularly offensive as far as I can see and indeed on occasions they can come out and do something quite marvelous.
Like this for example. Prince Charles hosted a garden party for YOU, an organisation that is trying to boost the number of kids in London attending uniformed youth groups. As part of this all but one of the London Assembly members. And who did they fail to invite? The one and only Richard Barnbrook of the BNP.
Prince Charles, for once I take my hat off to you! The BNP have NO place at anything to do with the scouts, or boys brigade, or cadets or St John's, democratically elected or not. And Charles has stood up to these nasty little fuckers.
Fantastic!
Regular readers will no that I am a pretty much dyed in the wool republican. I really don't see any excuse for having a head of state who is not democratically elected. That said I have nothing against them personally, none of them are particularly offensive as far as I can see and indeed on occasions they can come out and do something quite marvelous.
Like this for example. Prince Charles hosted a garden party for YOU, an organisation that is trying to boost the number of kids in London attending uniformed youth groups. As part of this all but one of the London Assembly members. And who did they fail to invite? The one and only Richard Barnbrook of the BNP.
Prince Charles, for once I take my hat off to you! The BNP have NO place at anything to do with the scouts, or boys brigade, or cadets or St John's, democratically elected or not. And Charles has stood up to these nasty little fuckers.
Fantastic!
Monday, July 13, 2009
18 - 25 Year Olds in having a drink and a party shock horror
The world was in up roar last night as your ever campaigning Daily Mail brought you the shocking news that some people aged 18 - 25 went away for the weekend with their friends and had a drink. This shocking news that people of a similar age to the vast majority of students were out meeting their friends will come as bolt from the blue to those who thought they would all be at home darning their socks. Even more of a shock though is that they were engaging in the dangerous and subversive activity if playing twister, something that can surely lead down the road of destitution and crime. If only they stayed at home they could get a job as a journalist where they could spend all day surfing facebook to find non stories to fill up column space.
*Seriously, I don't think it is possible to buy this kind of PR!*
The world was in up roar last night as your ever campaigning Daily Mail brought you the shocking news that some people aged 18 - 25 went away for the weekend with their friends and had a drink. This shocking news that people of a similar age to the vast majority of students were out meeting their friends will come as bolt from the blue to those who thought they would all be at home darning their socks. Even more of a shock though is that they were engaging in the dangerous and subversive activity if playing twister, something that can surely lead down the road of destitution and crime. If only they stayed at home they could get a job as a journalist where they could spend all day surfing facebook to find non stories to fill up column space.
*Seriously, I don't think it is possible to buy this kind of PR!*
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