Scouts is the third section in the scouting family and is for boys and girls aged 10-14. It comes after cubs and before Explorers.
Our scouts meet as two separate troops at the Group HQ. Both troops meet between 7:30 and 9. “Wildcat” troop meet on a Wednesday, “Raptor” troop on a Thursday.
Plus of course both troops have plenty of weekend camps and trips out mostly together. Recent trips have included white water canoeing, a weekend climbing in the Peak District and mountain biking in Thetford Forest.
A typical evening could include anything from wide games to cook offs to falconry to first aid training. Having once even run a fashion show there’s not much we won’t have a try at!
Here are some of the things we’ve done recently:
A firm fixture in the troop programme the scouts were invited to flip, flop, top and generally show off their culinary skills.
Top marks to Eagles for their creativity, Hawks for their awesome flipping ability and Kingfishers for brutal efficiency at cleaning up!
And finally we were joined for the evening by Lucas, a Brazilian scout leader who is currently in Cambridge learning English, see below with our Young Leaders. We’re hoping we didn’t leave him thinking that British scouts are in a state of constant noise, chaos, mess and always eating but then again…… 🙂
We’ve already had a number of new Scouts join from the original waiting list, and last week we opened things up to friends of existing Scouts and others locally who are interested in joining. Some members of the current Thursday night Troop have asked if they can switch to Wednesday, and that’s absolutely fine. We’d suggest having a chat with Graham first – no offence will be taken, and in fact it would help the running of the current Troop if numbers reduced slightly.
Last week we talked about the Troop camp planned for the end of July. That’s a general camping event, but we also have some specific activities in the diary, including the chance to take part in the National Scout Archery Competition from Friday 8 to Sunday 10 May. This is held at a campsite called Phasels Wood (just north of Watford), and is a great opportunity for anyone who’s interested in archery. As we do have to book places in advance, please reply in the next week or two to ask for more detailed information, if you might be interested.
Outdoors and adventurous activities are key to Scouting, but the programme is wider than that. It’s split into zones which include community involvement, creative expression and learning about the wider world. Our weekly meetings cover a mixture of these themes, and are delivered through games, discussions, team activities and more. As always, you can find out more at www.scouts.org.uk
And it’s only 9 weeks til we start seeing it all in action!
Events to look forward to…
- Archery competition camp: Friday 8 to Sunday 10 May (book by end of February)
- Troop camp: Friday 10 to Sunday 12 July
More to be released in the coming weeks!
We’ve offered places to all of those already on the waiting list, and we’ve got about ten new Scouts signed up. We’re looking to start the Troop with around double that number, though, so we’re now opening things up to friends of existing Scouts and others locally who are interested in joining. Anyone who’s wants to find out more is welcome to drop an email through to cambridgescouts12th@yahoo.co.uk
Those Scouts who do join the new Troop have a busy summer to look forward to! There are lots of events planned, one of which is a weekend camp from Friday 10 to Sunday 12 July, joint with the existing Thursday night Troop. We’re still sorting out all the details, but it’ll be a great chance for new and old Scouts to spend a couple of nights under canvas, learn camping skills, tackle some adventurous activities, and generally have fun outdoors!
That’s one of the basic ideas of Scouting – everyday adventure. We want to offer young people the chance to try new activities, to learn different skills, and to gain confidence. By working in small teams and taking on personal challenges, Scouts can benefit experiences quite different from formal education and other leisure activities. You can find out more about Scouting at www.scouts.org.uk
So, if everyday adventure sounds appealing, getting involved with the new Wednesday night Troop at the 12th Cambridge could be for you – whether as a Scout or as a leader. Do get in touch!
See you all next year!