I blame the parents

As per my post below I spent today at a wildlife rescue center and a fascinating day it was as well. As I am sure you can imagine of such a place on an August bank holiday there were plenty of families with children there, and I can't blame them. There was loads to see, touch and learn about and I can't plug the place enough. I did however notice something, I had noticed it before but this time was more pronounced than ever.

There were various talks on, we saw talks about Lemurs, Otters and Wolves and were joined by many others, mostly families. Some groups listened attentively to what they were being told, while others did not, they made loads of noise and simply talked over what the staff were saying and on occasions made it very difficult to here. Now I know that it is an informal setting and perhaps I'm being a bit prudish, but I thought it was bloody rude. If you don't want to listen then naff off and look at something else. The talks are only ten minutes, you can come back when it's over and see the animals then. Alternatively hang around and listen, you never know, you may just learn something. I know I did, and I have a biology degree! (Did you know that in gangs of a dozen or more the short pawed otter in Asia can attack and force into retreat a full grown crocodile, such is the power of their bite? Amazing!)

Anyway, annoying ignorant fools get everywhere these days, but here's the rub, without fail where the parents behaved well and listened the kids did the same, where the parents were rude and made loads of noise, the kids did the same. Coincidence? Probably not.

And I feel nothing but pity for those poor kids.

Observations

A few observations and things that Akela learned today.

1. Trying to run the communicator's badge with cubs gets trickier when BT helpfully remove the phone box that was once just yards from the HQ.

2. You can only eat so much muesli before it gets a bit dull.

3. Insomnia is pretty dull. Even more dull than an excess of muesli.

4. Muesli is an incredibly difficult word to spell.

5. TV this late at night gets a bit freaky. Have you ever watched quiz call? Some cracking films though, 28 days later, indecent proposal, entrapment. Why aren't they on earlier in the day?

6. Some people are so fucking useless that organising the proverbial social occasion in a brewery is clearly beyond them.

7. Some kids are too bright for their own good. When a 9 year old tells you they've built their own server the temptation has to be there to poke them in the eye.

8. There's none so deaf as those that wont listen.

How it should be

Last night one of my younger cubs came through the door. His necker was wonky and psattered with mud, a big smear of mud was streaked across his face. He had a huge grin on his face. He through himself into everything with more enthusiasm than I have ever seen. He fell over at least 4 times and kept laughing even when he’d obviously hurt his knee.

What a legend!

That is how kids should be!

In Praise of Blue Peter

So Blue Peter is 50 years old today, and I would like to wish them a very happy birthday!

Blue Peter is not cutting edge, lets be clear on that. What it does do though is appeal to all those millions of kids that are quite simply into all kinds of, for want of a better word, stuff. They like making things, they like messing around in the garden, they like planes that go fast, they like sport and they like cooking. Every episode (and I watch it if I'm home from work in time as I've got all kinds of ideas for my cubs off of there!) gives a huge mixture of different things that appeal to all kinds of kids.

It's not too dramatic, although it does look at some big issues, particularly through it's appeals, it entertains yet is still intellectually stimulating while, and this is the important bit, still allowing kids to be kids.

50 years old and going strong, here's to another 50 years!

My Cubs are Ace!

So the ranting about the tabloids is over for the moment, what I want to say is what a great bunch of kids my cubs are. There is a famous bit of film showing Baden Powel saying something like people say that British boys have lost their sense of adventure but he didn't believe them. Well they are saying it again now and I don't believe them either, but I just happen to include the girls as well!

For 4 days and 3 nights 10 of my monsters (it was a small affair) worked hard, played hard and had a brilliant time. There were plenty of bumps, scrapes, grazes, insect bites etc simply because they were busy jumping over and bridging ditches, building dens, running at full speed through the woods and generally making the most of being outdoors. They went climbing and crate stacking and shooting and abseiling and did a 5 mile hike in 27C heat. Not one of them wanted to go home.

I was particularly chuffed with one of my sixers, this girl had a daft grin on her face from the moment she got there until, well, probably still has it! She just kept going and going and going.

So when people tell you how rubbish kids are don't believe them, kids still want to be out there having an adventure, they just have to be given the opportunity to get out there and do it!

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.