The UK website has a series of badge support blogs which provide activity ideas and tips for a range of Activity Badges, Staged Activity Badges and Challenge Awards. There is material for all sections.
https://members.scouts.org.uk/supportresources/4627/badge-support-blogs/
The Scottish Campsite Directory has been updated (April 2018) and is a useful resource.
The UK directory, which lists some Scottish sites, is also available at UK Scout Campsite Directory .
The Edinburgh Gang Show is a major theatre production and has been staged annually at the King’s Theatre since 1960. The cast is made entirely of members of Scouting and Girlguiding and is supported behind the scenes by many adult volunteers. Being part of the Gang Show is great fun but hard work and a high level of commitment to the show is expected.
All individuals who wish to audition for Main Gang must be at least 10 years old at the date of the Dress Rehearsal (19/11/18) and an active member of a Guide Unit or Scout Group at that date. In addition, all who audition for Main Gang must also be an active member of the Guide and Scout Association at the date of the audition (a date which varies from year to year but this year is 13/05/18).
Older Brownies and Cubs at the date of the audition may become members of the Main Gang provided they meet the age and membership criteria by the date of the Dress Rehearsal.
Results of the auditions will be advised on the day.
If successful, further auditions for song, dance and sketches will take place in June with rehearsals commencing for Main Gang in late August. With the exception of a couple of dates, rehearsals will be held every Sunday from then through to show week. Cast members are expected to attend regularly and show a high level of commitment to the show.
After the auditions, a rehearsal schedule and a Registration Form (to be signed by a Section Leader) will be issued to those who have been successful, along with other information.
To aid with registration on the day please complete the Audition Form in advance and bring to the audition along with the Activity Information Form.
Further information available by e-mailing edingangshow@hotmail.co.uk.
Note: Cubs do all performances.
Cubs must be at least 8 and a member of a Cub Pack at the date of the audition (a date which varies from year to year but this year is 27/05/18). As a member of Junior Gang, they must remain with their Pack until after the show week.
Cubs will be told the results of the auditions on the day. If successful, rehearsals will commence for Junior Gang in September.
After the auditions, a schedule of rehearsal dates and a Registration Form (to be signed by a Section Leader) will be issued to those who have been successful, along with other information.
To aid with registration on the day please complete the Audition Form in advance and bring to the audition along with the Activity Information Form.
Further information available by e-mailing edingangshow@hotmail.co.uk.
Last summer the Danish Scout Associations came together to run a National Jamboree. Having experienced fantastic Danish Jamborees several times before, a contingent made up of 65 Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Network and Leaders from 4th Braid, 103rd Braid and Greenbank Explorers embarked on a trip to Jamboree Denmark 2017.
Cubs, Scouts and leaders on the ferry
We travelled by coach to Newcastle and then overnight ferry to Amsterdam where another coach took us the almost 9 hours through Netherlands and Germany into Denmark. Our kit travelled on the same ferry in a large van.
Feedback from the young people was that the coach to Newcastle was a bit cramped (5 seats across) however that this was more than made up with the “luxury” coach we’d hire for the continent.
The whole site
On arriving in Denmark, our van drivers had managed to negotiate access to drive our kit all the way onto our site and therefore we only had to carry personal kit the 1km from the coach drop-off point to our site. One
downside of the time of our method of travel was that we had to pitch our sleeping tents as it got dark. Only one modification required in the morning as we’d pitched one of the leaders’ tents over a ditch. With such a large group, we had decided to bring a marquee without the side walls which was quickly pitched before breakfast on Sunday morning. The Danes are very traditional in their camping with a focus on skills such as pioneering and an expectation that food is cooked on open fires. We therefore spent most of the day on Sunday building our fireplaces, tables and benches, true Danish style out of pioneering poles (topped off with plywood table tops we’d prepared and brought from Edinburgh).
Throughout the day on Sunday we also took some time to explore the site (which was 2km x 2.5km large).
After lots of hard work on Sunday it was time for the evening opening ceremony. This brought together all 40,000 participants. This was quite an experience, although some of our young people found it difficult to follow, as unsurprisingly it was mostly in Danish.
After the hike
During the week the young people took part in a wide variety of activities. There was a good mix of activities to suit our full age range. Some of the activities we had signed up individuals or groups in advance, some we could just drop in to and others were set activities for the whole group / sub camp to do. For many of the activities the Scottish Scouts took part alongside Scouts from other countries and made new friends.
Lifting car
One activity that was a favourite with both Scouts and Explorers was the world’s largest inflatable “The Beast”. A couple of days of activities featured patrols of Scouts paired with a patrol from another country and going around a variety of challenges. These activities ranged from carving whistles, lifting a car with pioneering poles & pulleys to launching water rockets.
Chariot race
One day was designated a sub camp day when the whole of our sub camp came together to build and race chariots.
One afternoon we held a joint camp fire with our Danish neighbours.
Having been apart for most of the day, our group came together each evening to eat our dinner under our marquee. Explorers and Scouts take turns days about to prepare dinner for everyone using recipes from the Danish Camp Cookbook and a bit of improvisation depending on what ingredients could be sourced from the food supply tent.
Preparing food
After a great week the camp finished with the closing ceremony. We then departed the site about 3am to travel back to Amsterdam. We made good time and had a few hours explorer the centre of Amsterdam before taking the ferry back to the UK.
“I enjoyed the giant inflatable (The “Beast”). I didn’t enjoy the opening and closing ceremonies because these were in Danish. However, I did like the fact that there were so many people there.”
“Absolutely class, slip and slide bouncy castle was good and the rainbow café was my favourite destination because I could really let my hair down.”
“I really enjoyed meeting some Norwegian Scouts and becoming friends.”
“We met lots of nice people from different countries and it was a great experience.”
“My favourite bit was eating, sleeping and cycling around the town in the rain and the Beast, it was so much fun.”
“One night we went to the International Camp Fire. There were Japanese singers, Greek Scouts and Danish people there. Other Scottish Scouts were there. We got to meet new people.”
“The best thing was meeting Scouts from other countries, it’s not something I’d expected to be my favourite part before leaving Scotland.”
Boating at the camp
“Our whole experience in Denmark was AMAZING, there was so many fun and exciting activities to do” Our five favourite activities were 5) Star Gazing, 4) Sailing, 3) Cycle Hike 2) Raft Building and last of all our favourite activity was 1) The Beast.”
“The travel was very fun, 18 hours ferry, 9 hours coach, nice coach by the way 5 Star. Activities all were very fun as well meet a lot of new people. The cycle is good go for pink bike with basket on front. The exhibition was very fun as well meet people from different countries. The journey back in Amsterdam is very good nice sightseeing and also go along the backroads of the city.”
“We met some wonderful Danish Scouts whom we shared our unique Scottish customs with. It was a life-changing and unique experience which I count myself extremely lucky to have been a part of.”
With our Danish neighbours
Exploring Amsterdam
James Sievewright, expedition leader
The 1st North Berwick Bear Cubs recently created some fantastic scarecrows!! They used their knotting skills to bind the wooden poles together, before choosing some uniquely quirky clothes to style their scarecrows. Once they were stuffed and had their hats and gloves put on, they were ready to take pride of place in a local farmer’s field. There have been lots of comments from passing car drivers who have loved seeing the scarecrows’ smiling faces!
Cub-built scarecrow
Knots, lashings and clothes
1st North Berwick Scouts enjoyed an evening of ‘Human Hungry Hippos’ recently. Scout Leader David Hay split the session in two with patrols initially working towards their DIY badge, using power tools and hand tools and following instructions to construct a small trolley.
Then came the fun: one ‘hippo’ from each patrol was launched into the middle of the hall on the trolley, with a washing-up bowl ready to scoop up as many balls as possible. The patrol then hauled the hippo back with a rope and emptied the balls from the bowl, ready to go again. The winner was intended to be the patrol with the most balls but in the end so much fun was had by all that the balls were left uncounted! The trolleys have now been kept so that the game can be enjoyed by the North Berwick Group as a whole.
DIY – preparing the board
Hungry Hippos game
Reeling in the hippo
Every year in North Berwick, all our Scouts and Guides come together to celebrate our Founder’s Day in a service led by our Young People and supported by the Minister Rev. David of The Abbey Church.
This year the theme was our impact in the world on people and how important our Scouting and Guiding values are in responding to that. This was explored through the readings and prayers led by all sections in Scouts and Guides and summarised in a reflection led by the Minister.
Founder’s Day Service
Flags in church
The Promise
1st Longniddry Cubs decided to take a different approach to their Photographer Activity Badge. We built pinhole cameras, using old drink cans and photographic paper, inspired by the work of Bristol-based Justin Quinnell. The Cubs followed the instructions on his website, http://www.pinholephotography.org/Beer%20Can%20construction.htm to make their cameras and then took photographs around the hut before they developed them in our home-made darkroom. Some of the results were amazing.
After this, their cameras were reloaded with photographic paper and the pinholes covered. The Cubs took their cameras home this time to create a solargraph. This is when you secure the camera pointing towards the south, ideally pointing towards something of interest. You then remove the pinhole cover and leave it exposed for as long as you want. This exposure will in effect ‘burn’ the image of the sun’s arc across the sky for the hours, days or months. After that you remove the photographic paper and scan the negative that was produced, then invert the image to give your final result. Most of the Cubs had images that were up to three months old.
When we showed our local librarian the images she suggested that we create a display for Longniddry Library. Everyone’s images were on display for a month and it was very well received.
One of our Cubs took his camera away loaded with photographic paper and put it up in his garden to cover the 6 months between the Summer solstice and the Winter solstice. The image is amazing and shows how the sun tracks across the sky in in gradually lower arcs each day.
We posted some of our work on our Facebook and Twitter pages and were proud to receive a Tweet from Justin Quinnell saying ‘Longniddry Rules!’
The British Red Cross deliver workshops in Everyday First Aid and Refugee Awareness as part of our ‘Crisis Education’ remit. This is a new service and so far it has been hugely popular with youth groups in Edinburgh and Dundee. (Message from Sarah McCrory)
The workshops are fully-funded by us, therefore we are seeking to develop our partnerships within communities to equip young people with valuable, life-saving skills. It is also our ambition to ensure that all young people are informed about first aid as our research has shown that this is an issue in communities, with 59% of pre-hospital deaths potentially being prevented by basic first aid training. This workshop could be used to support the current first aid training within Scouts.
Our Everyday First Aid workshops increase confidence and empower young people, and also support health and wellbeing. During these workshops, young people will learn valuable first aid skills, for example, responding to someone who is unconscious and breathing/not breathing, choking, bleeding heavily and burns etc. The workshops support young people in assessing risk and understanding the impact of risk-taking behaviour. We address common barriers to providing help and we encourage young people to take control in an emergency. Our aim is to ensure that young people develop confidence and willingness to act, therefore our education is easy to learn and easy to remember. Participants will be awarded with a British Red Cross certificate of learning for taking part in this course.
The workshop would most likely equate to Level 2 on the Scouting Emergency Aid Staged Activity Badge scale, however, we also cover elements from Level 3. An example of these would be:
We primarily focus on the ‘everyday’ approach to first aid, e.g. what to do when we don’t have resources such as a first aid kit available. Our ambition is to make life-saving skills accessible to all young people, so therefore our methods are easy to learn and easy to remember.
We will also focus on the ‘Bystander Effect’ and examine barriers that would stop people from helping in a crisis, as young people who have received first aid training will not always use it due to a variety of reasons. These workshops could be used to support the first aid learning with Scouts.
The aim of the Refugee Awareness workshops is to reduce stigma and discrimination in communities. We inform young people on reasons why people migrate and need to leave their homes, promoting an awareness of international issues and global citizenship. Common misconceptions held about refugees and migrants are addressed through activities and quizzes. In these workshops, young people learn the difference between terms such as ‘asylum seeker’, ‘refugee’, and ‘migrant’. Through games, participants will also look at reasons why people leave their homes and share their own opinions on what they might do or feel about similar situations, encouraging empathy and challenging young people to look at issues from a different perspective. Our aim is to encourage young people to be more confident in welcoming people from different countries, and also to apply this understanding in their communities.
Both workshops help young people to develop self-awareness and respect for others, and promote personal and social development. They are delivered in an informal and interactive style and are planned around the needs of individual groups, lasting approximately 60 – 90 minutes. There can be up to 30 people in a group, and the workshops are aimed at age range 10 – 19.
If you feel that your young people would benefit from either workshop, feel free to contact me by email or phone.
Sarah McCrory
Youth Education Coordinator (Edinburgh and Dundee)
West Point House, 69 N Gyle Terrace, Edinburgh EH12 8JY
07739331866
sarahmccrory@redcross.org.uk