Explorer - The magazinefor Explorer Scout LeadersFebruary/March 2010

The magazine

for Explorer Scout Leaders

February/March 2010

scouts.org.uk/pol

A BARGAIN

CAMPING PACK

SAVE

Scouting basicsGet skilled up in backwoods and

campcraft

Directory enquiries

An adventure alphabet you won’t regret

TIME TO ACTTIME TO ACTScouts tackle climate change

explorer_FINAL.indd 1 13/01/2010 11:08

IFC_Explorer_FebMar.indd 6 13/01/2010 12:10

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WELCOME

This is the last issue of Explorer compiled by Mel Brammer, and it’s as action-packed as ever. As we wish Mel well for the future, she introduces

a magazine with ideas aplenty

The focus of the main magazine this issue is Scouting skills. In the Explorer Scout

section, we are perfectly placed to build on the foundations laid during the

younger sections and develop those skills. We may even help teach them to the

younger Scouts. Scouting skills covers everything from pioneering and fire

lighting to tracking and camp oven building. Check out pages 4-5 for more.

With Bear Grylls as our Chief Scout there’s really no excuse for letting these

areas slip out of your programme. Start planning your summer programme now

and make sure it’s brimming with outdoor adventure.

In this issue, we open the purple pages of programme activities for you to

add into the mix in your Unit. Two are explored in more detail. We consider the

tricky area of how to get support from the District for Explorer Scouting. There’s

also important follow up information about the changes to the upper age range

we reported in December.

A date for your diary Don’t forget Founder’s Day (Baden-Powell’s birthday) is 22 February. If you

aren’t holding a Founder’s Day service or other special event perhaps spend

some time with your Explorer Scouts telling the story of Scouting’s beginnings,

or impart some of B-P’s wise words as you pause for thought at a meeting.

Back to basics

10 Jet skiGet wet, go fast, and go home

11 A question of supportThe big question asks how to get more from the District for Explorer Scouting

Contents 4 Skills with pedigree

A quick-fi re guide to the skills Scouting was built on

6 The adventure A to ZYour handy directory of programme gems

8 Bat boxesA conservation activity your Explorers will love

14 Moving with the timesImportant information regarding the moving-on age for Explorer Scouts

17 Two of the festDates to inspire and evoke refl ection

18 Sitting prettyMore from our resident games experts

Your Explorer Scout Section Working GroupAlex Minajew, UK Commissioner for Programme Gemma Veitch, Programme and Development Adviser

Contact them at:[email protected]

Programme Team, The Scout Association, Gilwell Park, Chingford, London E4 7QWTel: 0845 300 1818

ADVERTISINGRichard [email protected] Tel: 020 8962 1258

ON THE COVERExplorer Scout Jack, 17, attended a Q&A with Ed Milliband on the COP15 Climate Conference. Jack said: ‘We need to get a stronger, legally binding treaty that ensures that climate change is taken more seriously across the world. Scouting has a massive part of play in this. We’ve got to make a big move before it’s too late.’

CorrectionIn Young Leaders’ Essentials chapter 5 there is an error on Mission One. It should read:Plan and run three indoor activities for the section with which you are working.Sorry for any inconvenience this has caused.


4 Explorer February/March 2010

I t can be easy to forget that many Explorers have

never been Scouts before they join the Unit, so

while some traditional skills will be second nature

to you, they might be completely new to them.

While saying that, there will also be Explorers in your Unit

who could light a fire with their eyes closed (don’t try this

at home!) and they can be useful in introducing the core

skills of Scoutcraft to the newer recruits.

Why teach Scouting skills?The answer may seem obvious to you, but every one of

the skills featured below have been met with an

incredulous ‘What’s the point of that?’ at one point. If not

explained and contextualised, young people can feel like

they are not learning anything with a practical use, but the

bottom line when it comes to Scouting is that the skills you

gain prepare you for adulthood or increase your self-

reliance and independence. There may be little use for a

bivouac in the classroom, but when faced with a survival

situation (which given the weather events of January is a

distinct possibility) knowing some Scouting skills can mean

the difference between life and death.

What skills are there?Survival skills and fieldcraft. This includes:

• animal tracking

• skinning a rabbit

• knife, saw and axe skills

• shelter building

• fire lighting

• backwoods cooking.

Pioneering projects. It’s amazing what can be built from

wood and rope. From simple structures like A-frames to

complex bridges and intricate gateways, Explorers can get

seriously addicted to pioneering if they are confident in the

basics. Pioneering materials are getting harder to come by,

but several Scout campsites offer this as an on-site activity

and it’s well worth investigating if you’re a novice. See

www.pioneeringmadeeasy.co.uk – a website started by

Scout Leaders with a passion for poles.

Tracking wide games. Fun in the woods teaching

strategy and teamwork, while developing wit and

derring-do.

Codes and signals. Espionage may not be an entry-level

industry, but learning codes and signals will improve your

Explorers’ communication skills, and can be fitted in

to various games and activity base meetings to give

added flavour.

Knot tying and lashings. Useful in several scenarios

from climbing to sailing, knowing knots will put your

Explorers ahead of the pack.

Skills with

pedigree

Kicking off the Scouting skills issue of

Explorer, Mel Brammer

shares some creative

ideas to put some time-

honoured, outdoor

skills at the heart of your Unit programme


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SKILLS FOR SCOUTS

SCOUTING SKILLS ACTIVITY BADGEFind the requirements of this badge in The Unit Programme or by searching for ‘Explorer Activity Badges’ on www.scouts.org.uk

Find the requirements of this

Making and reading plans, charts and maps. Scouts

should be experts in getting from A to B in the fastest and

most comfortable way. Making maps is a highly skilled

profession, which Scouts should be well-placed to

consider as a career.

Weather forecasting. Recognising cloud patterns, wind

direction and other natural signs that can turn your

Explorers into amateur Ulrika Jonssons.

A Scouting skills camp. Get back-to-basics on a

greenfield site (a greenfield Nights Away Permit is

required). Include some of the following activities in your

camp programme:

• Dig a latrine

• Make camp gadgets

• Pioneering project

• Make a camp oven

• Explorers cook a meal, at least some of which on an

open fire.

The Scouting Skills Activity Badge is a good way

of structuring your programme with a common aim in

mind. The basic requirement is lots of camping, and while

working towards your 20 nights the Explorers can begin

to take on higher levels of responsibility, so that by the

end they are able to plan and organise the camps

almost unaided.

‘Skilling up’If you aren’t sure where to start with some of these

activities, and it’s as new to you as to some of the Explorer

Scouts then there are plenty of places you can go for help.

The first port of call should be a fellow leader. There will

always be a leader in the District with eons of experience

in these more traditional skills who would be only too

happy to have you along to one of their camps to train

you, or who you could ask along to run the activity and

teach you and your Explorer Scouts at the same time! You

can also check out the factsheets on www.scouts.org.uk/

infocentre in the General Activities, Land Activities, and

Scout sections for information on fire lighting, shelter

building, pioneering and more. The Scout Handbook and

the newly-published Scouting Skills book are also

must-haves. See the main magazine pages 20-25 for

details of this new book.



Outdoor adventures are the bread and butter of the Explorer section. This article has an online counterpart, and the A-Z of Activities at www.scouts.org.uk/a-z should be your starting point when planning adventurous activities for your Unit

B efore you read the list, a word of guidance.

These aren’t meant to be off-the-shelf

ideas; for those you should

go to Programmes Online

at www.scouts.org.uk/pol

However, the list below should at least get you

and your Explorer Scouts thinking. Get them to add

to the list and before you know you’ll never be without

an idea.

AAerial runway

Aircraft identification

Allotment

Archery

Astronomy

Athletics

Axes and saws

BBackwoods cooking

Ballooning

Bat boxes (see page 8)

Bat walk

Bell boating

Bike maintenance

Bird boxes

Birds of prey

Bouldering

Bungee running

CCamping

Canadian canoeing

Candle making

Canyoning

Car maintenance

Carving

Caving

Clay pigeon shooting

Climbing

Coasteering

Code of conduct

Come dine with me

Community survey

Conservation

Coracle making

Cow milking

Crafts

Crate stacking

Cycling

DDecorating

Dinghy sailing

Dragon boating

Drumming

Dry-stone walling

EEquipment maintenance

FFairtrade quiz

Fencing

Film making

Fire lighting

Fire safety

First aid

Flying

Forestry

GGardening

Ghost walk

Gliding

Go-karting

Gorge walking

The adventure A to Z


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Grass sledging

Gym fitness assessment

HHang gliding

High ropes

Hill walking

Horse riding

Hot-air ballooning

Hovercrafting

IIce climbing

Ice cream making

Incident hike

International evening

JJet ski (see page 10)

JOTA/JOTI

Junk band

KKayaking

Kite flying

Kite making

Kite surfing

Knot tying

LLaser games

Leadership and team

development

Letter writing

Life saving

MMarshalling

Martial arts

Microlighting

Mini hot-air balloon

making

Mini pioneering

Model making

Monopoly games

Morse code

Mountain biking

Mountain rescue

Museum visit

NNarrow boating

Newsletter

Night hike

OOrienteering

PPainting

Parachuting

Parascending

Phonetic alphabet

Photography

Pioneering

Pizza making

Prison visit

QQuartermaster

Quad bikes

Quiz

RRadio broadcast

Radio production

Raft building

Ready, steady cook

Relay games

Remembrance

RNLI

Role-play games

Rollerskating

Route planning

Rowing

SSand sculpture

Scouting history

Scouts’ Own

Scuba diving

Sculpture

Sheep shearing

Shelter building

Skateboarding

Skiing

Snorkelling

Snowboarding

Surf rescue

Swimming

TTheatre performance

Treasure hunts

Tree/plant identification

Trips abroad

UUrban golf

Uniform tidying

VVoluntary work

Viking night

XXylophone making

WWaterskiing

Weather forecasting

Website workshop

White water rafting

Wide games

Wild food walk

Windsurfing

YYo-yo tournament

ZZorbing

Activity directory

>>

A TO ZOver the next few issues, we’ll randomly take a few of these activities and explore them in more detail with further information and inspiration for you.


Diagram 1 - Cutting plan for wood

Do this as a stand alone activity or as part of a

conservation project on bats. This would also make a

good joint activity with Cubs or Scouts: the Explorers learn

how to do it first and then guide the younger section. This

way, all the Scouts can work towards the Environment

Partnership Award.

Skills and equipment It would be helpful to have enough equipment for the

Explorer Scouts to use in pairs or threes rather than

everybody waiting to use the only hammer or drill. This

activity is well suited to asking someone with skill in

woodwork/DIY to come in and deliver the session. This

could be in the form of a parent, local wildlife trust

volunteer, or a Scout Active Support member (formerly

Fellowship). This frees the leadership team up to supervise

the wilder Explorers who your risk assessment judges

more likely to take somebody’s hand off with the saw!

Building the boxyou will need (per box):

• plank of untreated wood 120 x 23 x 2cm

• odourless external wood glue such as Extramite

• nails (40mm)

• metal eyelet for hanging

• pencil

• woodsaw

• hammer

• ruler.

1. Using a pencil, divide and cut the plank as shown in

diagram 1.

2. Place the backboard on a flat surface and cut ridges into

it, 2mm deep every 5mm, to make a ‘ladder’ for the

bats to climb up.

3. The top edge of the backboard and the rear edge of the

roof must be bevelled to fit.

4. Fix the box together as shown in diagram 2, but cut off

the acute angled ends of the sides to give the entrance

slot the required width.

5. Use both nails and glue and make sure all the sides fit

together well to prevent drafts. Ensure the door is a

loose fit to allow for the wood swelling.

Where to put your bat boxesAim to put your bat boxes where bats are known to feed,

such as woodland, parkland, riverbanks and of course

Scout campsites! Try to keep the boxes sheltered from

strong winds. Make sure they are close to a tree line or

hedge, as bats will often use these to navigate and are

reluctant to cross open spaces to get to roosts. It’s a good

idea to position bat boxes in threes, all facing in different

directions around a tree trunk for example, so that the

bats can move into the one that is the optimum

temperature depending on the time of day or year. They

should be at least 5m from the ground.

Bat boxes

Adventure A-Z


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Diagram 2 - Side view of bat box

ACTIVITY DIRECTORY

MORE INFO Bat Conservation Trust. www.bats.org.ukLocal Wildlife Trusts. www.wildlifetrusts.org

Diagrams courtesy of the Bat Conservation Trust (www.bats.org.uk)

Going battyBats need a range of roosting sites and their

natural roosts in the wild are often

disappearing as modern houses seal up the

nooks and crannies favoured by these

fascinating creatures. There are a range of

different bat box designs online, some of which

can be found on Programmes Online. The most

important features are insulated and rough sawn,

untreated wood. Don’t be alarmed if bats don’t take to

your box immediately, they can take a while to move in to

unknown premises. Check for crumbly black or brown

droppings on the ground to see if it’s occupied, and if it

isn’t after three years, then you might want to consider

moving the box.

It is illegal to disturb any bat when it is roosting, or to

kill, injure or handle a bat without a licence. If your box is

occupied or you find an injured bat, contact your local bat

conservation group or wildlife trust – both are good

contacts for extending this project or borrowing bat

detectors.

Related activitiesBat walk. Contact your local bat conservation group or

Wildlife Trust and ask them to take you on a bat walk with

detectors. The best time would be late spring or early

autumn when dusk hits at Explorer Scout meeting time.

Bat talk. Ask a representative of your local bat

conservation group to come and do a talk on bats.



Offering the chance to jet ski would be a programme

highlight for many Explorer Scouts. A jet ski is a

lightweight motorised personal watercraft which can be

sat or stood on.

Do it yourselfIf you are lucky enough to have personal watercraft at

your disposal then you need to look at the Scout Led Activities Index (FS120086). This lists all the relevant rules

and guidance needed to run this activity yourself. The

main factsheet is Personal Watercraft (Jet Ski) (FS120658).

To run the activity you will need to have either

somebody with a leadership permit for this type of craft

and class of water responsible for each craft or a

supervisory permit holder supervising up to three craft and

with immediate access to a rescue craft. Alternatively, the

Explorer Scouts and leaders taking part might have been

assessed previously and hold a personal permit (this would

indicate that they’ve quite a bit of experience).

Buy it inAs few Explorer Units would be lucky enough to have

access to jet skis for all their members, or enough people

with the appropriate permits, it’s more likely that you

would buy in this activity, perhaps as a taster session. Use

the Commercially Led Activities Index (FS120086). This

refers you to the relevant rules and factsheets to look at

before you start, and also takes you through the steps you

need to take before you engage an outside organisation

to run the activity.

For jet skiing, the external provider does not need to be

licensed by AALA (Adventurous Activities Licensing

Authority), but instructors should at minimum have the

RYA Personal Watercraft Instructor Qualification. Finding

an external provider might prove tricky. Try the ‘Where’s

my nearest’ tool at www.rya.org.uk and select Personal

Watercraft. A local shop that sells jet skis may point you in

the right direction, but then do your insurance and safety

homework very carefully.

Jet skiAdventure A-Z

A TO ZFor all your activity needs, make the A-Z of Activities your first port of call. www.scouts.org.uk/a-z


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Q&A

A question of support

We are doing quite well with our Explorer Unit, but I don’t think that we are getting enough support from the Groups or the District. What do we do?

Travelling around the country speaking to Explorer Scout Leaders has shown Mel Brammer that District support is clearly a key issue for the section. It’s obviously not easy to overcome, and one size fits all solutions are few and far between. Here she offers some personal thoughts on the matter

What‘s the problem?In my view some of the problems here stem from the way

that Explorer Scouts was set up in many Districts. The idea

of the section being a District-wide provision and

managed at District level, meant to overcome some of the

problems with low numbers that the Venture Scout

Section had experienced, has been shown to work, as the

Explorer Scout section has been able to offer a vibrant

programme and has continued to grow since its

introduction. However, the concept was a new one and

some people struggled initially with its intended flexibility.

In some Districts it became a bit of a wrestling match

between the newly appointed District Explorer Scout

Commissioner and the Group Scout Leaders. The District

Explorer Scout Commissioner had his or her own ideas

about where the Explorer Units should be placed, and in

many cases the Group Scout Leaders wanted Units

partnered with their Groups. Some wanted Units to

‘belong’ to them, which wasn’t quite the idea! As a result

a lot of Groups out there felt disenfranchised about the

whole section, and felt 14 year olds were being ‘taken

away’ from them.

Added to this, District Executive Committees now faced

having direct responsibility for a youth section, a new

concept and one which is still escaping many Execs.

Several years on, some may still feel the section is not very

well served by the Groups and the District.

What do we want?In answering this question, we first need to look at who

‘we’ is, which goes to the heart of the matter. Groups,

Explorer Units and ‘the District’ should not be viewed as

separate entities. Groups and Explorer Units (together with

local Networks and Scout Active Support Units) go

together to make up the Scout District. Explorer Scouting

may belong to a District, but so do all the Group sections,

and every Member has a role to play in supporting its

Units. Equally, Explorer Scouts have a role in supporting

the Groups.

Group volunteers have to understand that the Explorer

Scout section is a youth section with a Programme of its

own (not just a reservoir of Young Leaders). Older Scouts

need to be told about Explorers by their leaders, so that

they see the Unit as a natural progression from the Troop.

We need more cooperation and sharing of expertise,

experience, skills and equipment in both directions

between Groups and Explorer Units. After all, Scout

Groups and Explorer Scout Units are in this for the same

purpose: providing activities, experiences and

development opportunities to young people. It isn’t a

competition and a case of us and them. Scouting is about

working together to offer a life changing opportunity to

young people.

Of course we also need more District Executives to

understand and take their role and responsibility as the

Executive body of the section seriously. (This was covered

in more detail in the April/May 2009 issue of Explorer.

How can we achieve it?It’s all about building good relationships and re-educating

people without conflict, with perhaps a bit of a reminder

about what Scouting is all about!

The role of the DESC includes making sure that the

section is supported by the District and there are good

>>


relationships with the Groups, so they need to manage

this. They should be supported by the District

Commissioner, who is both their line manager and the line

manager for the Groups, as well as being the person who

appoints the District Chairperson. If there are real issues

then an intermediary such as the Assistant County

Commissioner (Explorer Scouts) or the County

Commissioner might be called on to lend a bit of support.

It might be worth exploring some of the issues at a

District Team or District Leaders’ meeting as well as the

District Executive. Some of the problems in this area may

have been festering beneath the surface now since

Explorer Scouts was introduced in 2001.

Talk about what the problems seem to be and the

outcomes that you would like, and be prepared to listen to

what everybody else thinks too.

Partnering upAs time goes by it could be that a Group would like to be

partnered with an Explorer Unit, is well placed to do so

and would offer a lot of support. Their request shouldn’t

be ignored ‘because it’s a District section and we’ve got

one District Unit’. Embrace the flexibility which was such

an important building block of the section. As long as the

section is managed by the District and is offering a

Programme which is open and accessible to all Explorer

Scouts in the District, the placing of Units is entirely up to

the District – which should be the District Explorer Scout

Commissioner, in consultation with other members of the

District, including Group Scout Leaders. With an open and

frank discussion about what support the Explorer Section

wants, and how that might be achieved, great steps

forward could be taken.

On a smaller scale, Explorer Scout Leaders should be in

regular communication with Scout Leaders and Group

Scout Leaders. If they aren’t telling you about their older

Scouts then a) keep asking them, and b) think about how

well you communicate in the other direction – do you tell

them about your Programme, do they know who you are

and what your Explorers get up to?

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, from

anecdotal comments and questions from District Explorer

Scout Commissioners and Explorer Scout Leaders we

know this is still a very big issue out there. If Explorer

Scouts has managed so much success with limited support

>>

With effective District support, bigger camps and wider opportunities become a possibility.



13scouts.org.uk/pol

From Groups and Districts in some places, imagine the exponential leap we’d make if we managed to sort the

problem out!

In the next issue we’ll explore how to get ideas for the Community Service, Values and Relationships and Global

Programme Zones. In the meantime get back to us with some answers to this question for a future issue…

We want to offer the Chief Scout’s Platinum and Diamond Award in our Explorer Unit, and the linked DofE Awards. None of our leaders have any experience of the awards or the permits or know how to train for, organise and supervise expeditions in the outdoors. How can we offer these Awards?

If you have any answers to this question, or would like to ask readers of Explorer your own Big Question, then

please send it to [email protected] with ‘Explorer Scout Supplement: Q+A’ in the subject line.

Q&A

Caption competitionOpen to Explorer Scout Leaders and Young Leaders

(so please share with members of your Young

Leader Unit) can you come up with a cunning

caption for this photo? We are looking for the

funniest and most poignant entries, to celebrate

the value of Young Leaders within Scouting.

Entries must be submitted by 31 March,

to [email protected] with

‘YL Caption Competition’ in the subject line.

Please include a name, age and postal address.

Depending on the quality, appropriate prizes

may be given.

Good luck!



Moving with the timesIf you read your December/January issue of Explorer you will know that from July Explorer Scouts will be required to move on from the section on or before their 18th Birthday. Gemma Veitch answers your questions

D uring the past few years we have

received numerous pieces of

feedback from the Movement that

the current age range flexibility (up

to 18½ years old) causes confusion in the Explorer

Scout section in relation to the following:

• Lack of clarity as to the need for a CRB/Access

Northern Ireland disclosure*SV at 18 years old.

• An individual can hold an adult appointment

and be an Explorer Scout at

the same time – giving rise to conflicting

responsibilities and confusion about their

status.

• Confusion surrounding sleeping arrangements

for someone aged 18 to 18½ years old when

on an Explorer Scout event with fellow

Explorers aged between 14 and 18 years old.

• The Scout Association’s Permit Scheme applies

to those aged 18 years old and over.

• Confusion regarding the position of Explorer

Scout Young Leaders aged between 18 and

18½ years old.

With the implementation of this change from July

2010 the above issues will be clarified.

Q: When do people have to get a CRB/ Access Northern Ireland disclosure?*SV

A: When a young person

reaches the age of 18

(and wishes to remain in

Scouting) they must be

registered on the Vetting

and Barring Scheme and

complete a CRB/Disclosure

check.*SV

Q: When an Explorer moves on where can they go?A: Explorer Scouts can move

on to any or all of:

• The Scout Network section

(from 17½ years of age)

• To a role in Scout Active

Support (from 18 years

of age)

• To any other adult role in

Scouting (from 18 years

of age).

It is hoped the age changes will encourage more 18-25 year olds to take

on section leader roles


15scouts.org.uk/pol

ExplorEr agE rangE

Q: When will Explorers have to move on by? A: The transition window to

move on from Explorer Scouts

will be from 17½-18 years old.

They will have to move on by

their 18th birthday.

Q: There is no local Network for my Explorers to move on to?A: This is an ideal

opportunity to look at the

Network provision

across the County and

ensure it is suitable.

Your District Explorer

Scout Commissioner and

District Commissioner should

be having conversations with the County

Scout Network Commissioner/Area Scout

Network Commissioner/Assistant Regional

Commissioner Scout Network (Scotland) to

help this process move smoothly.

Encouraging Explorers to move by the time

they are 18 years old allows the local Network

much more opportunity to build an attractive

and active programme with the larger numbers

and utilising the skills the Explorer Scouts will be

bringing as they move on.

Q: I have an Explorer Scout who will turn 18 during summer camp/Jamboree what do I need to do?A: Before the camp the Explorer Scout will need

to complete a CRB/Access Northern Ireland

disclosure*SV. It will be good practice for them to

have their own accommodation from the

beginning of the camp instead of having to move

on their birthday. This can be a great opportunity

to invest them into the Scout Network in a

memorable way!

Q: Does this affect the DofE and Queen’s Scout Award Expedition?A: No, Explorer and Network members will still

be able to complete their expeditions together.

They will still need to ensure that their

accommodation is separate for over 18’s and

under 18’s.

Q: Does this affect DofE and Queen Scout Award Volunteering/Service in Scouting?

Move on up! Reaching 18 can be cause to celebrate, as many options are available to Explorer Scouts

*SV ScottiSh variationSThe legislation regarding the availability and applicability of disclosure checks is different in Scotland. For further details please contact Scottish Headquarters on 01383 419073 or [email protected]

>>


01903 766 921

All profits go back into Scouting. The Scout Association Registered Charity number 306101 (England and Wales) and SC038437 (Scotland).

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A: No nothing will need to change. If someone is under 18

they will be participating in the Young Leader’s Scheme.

Once they turn 18 they will participate in the Adult

Training Scheme.

Q: I have an Explorer Scout who is definitely ready to move on at 17½. How can I support them with this?A: You need to contact the local Scout Network Leader so

they are aware of this Explorer Scout. Ideally you will have

already had joint meetings so the leader will be known to

both you and the Explorer Scouts. When they are invested

into the Scout Network section they automatically need to

register on the VBS and complete their CRB/Disclosure.

They will need to continue having separate sleeping

accommodation until they are 18 years old. The person

running any activities that they participate in before they

turn 18 will need to hold the relevant permit.

Although this change does not take effect until July 2010

it is worth thinking about it now and use the opportunity

to produce a strategy for moving Explorer Scouts on. It is

important that everyone takes on the responsibility to

ensure that these Members are supported and have full

understanding of the opportunities they have within the

Movement.

Gemma Veitch is the Programme and Development Adviser for Explorer Scouts

For more information please refer to www.scouts.org.uk/vbs or contact the Programme Team via the Information Centre 0845 300 1818 or [email protected]

more info

>>

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Scouts Be Prepared

65 Litre RucksackItem code: 1027425

£45

With adjustable back system, emergency whistle

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17scouts.org.uk/pol

FESTIVALS

Bahá’í festival of RidvánBahá’í is one of the world’s youngest

faiths, founded in Iran in 1863. It was

founded by a young Iranian, known as

The Báb. He foretold of the coming of

Bahá’u’lláh, whom Bahá’ís believe is the

latest manifestation of God.

The Bahá’í faith accepts all world

religions as having noble, true

beginnings. Unity is a core principle to

followers. There are 6 million Bahá’ís in

the world, of which about 6,000 live in

the UK.

The festival of Ridván last 12 days and

commemorates when Baha’u’llah

declared that he was the Promised One

of all previous religions. During this time,

followers observe holy days, meet

together, pray and tell stories about the

experiences of the early Bahá’ís. One of

the special beliefs of the faith is that

whenever you open your mouth to pray,

whether alone or among friends, the

spot you are in becomes a sacred place

of worship.

Idea: Learn more about the Bahá’í faith

as a Network and spend some time of

personal reflection without any ritual.

For more info see www.bahai.org

Deaf awareness weekEvery year in May, hundreds of deafness

charities get together to raise awareness

of deafness.

There are 35,000 deaf children in the

UK and three more born every day.

Idea: Contact your nearest deaf school

or support group for deaf children. Put

on a Scouting activity for the children,

learn some basic sign language, and

think about how you can raise

awareness together about the issues

facing deaf people.

Deaf Friendly Scouting, a resource produced by The Scout Association and NCDS, is available from the Scout Information Centre. Call 0845 300 1818 or email [email protected]

more info

Faith and awareness events for April/MayApril 2 Good Friday (Christian)

4 (19th Orthodox) Easter Day

(Christian)

5 Ch’ing Ming/Festival of pure

brightness (Chinese)

8 Hanamatsuri (Buddhist)

12 Yom Ha-Shoah (Jewish)

14 Vaisakha/Baisakhi (Sikh)

21 1st Day of Ridván (Bahá’í)

23 St George’s Day

25 Start of Save the Children

week

26 Start of RSPCA week

MayNational share a story month

2 Lag B’omer (Jewish)

3 Start of deaf awareness week

3 Start of Red Cross week (tbc)

8 World fair trade day

9 Start of Christian Aid week

13 Ascension Day (Christian)

19-20 Shavuot (Jewish)

23 Pentecost/Whitsuntide

(Christian)

23 Anniversary of the declaration

of the Báb (Bahá’í)

27 Vesakha Puja/Wesak/Buddha

Day (Buddhist)

29 Anniversary of the ascension

of Baha’u’llah (Bahá’í)

Two of the fest

Spiritual development is no less important a principle in the Network, but no less difficult as we all have searching questions and different journeys. In forthcoming issues we will be mentioning events that could form the basis of an activity or discussion at a future meeting



My chair

Electric chair

Check out www.scouts.org.uk/pol for more Explorer Scout games

more info

Sitting pretty

Iona and Alasdair are back again sharing some of the games they play at Unit meetings. Add these to your repertoire: they are both indoor games and can be played with up to 25 Explorers

Equipment:a chair for everyone

This one’s a bit like the game Shuffle Bum but with a twist…• Arrange the chairs in a circle facing inwards. Everybody

sits on a chair except one person who stands in the

middle leaving an empty seat.

• The person with the empty chair on their right moves

on to it, saying ‘my chair’.

• Then the second person moves to the new empty seat

(directly on their right) and says ‘my chair’.

• The third person will call out somebody else’s name,

eg ‘Alasdair’s Chair’, and doesn’t move themselves.

Alasdair has to get up and move to the empty seat and

then the game continues with the person with the new

empty seat on their right. In the meantime the person

in the middle is trying to get into the empty seat before

the player who is due to get to it, making them

the person in the middle.

• Occasionally you can shout ‘change direction’ so that

now the person to move is the one with the chair

on their left! The confusion adds to the excitement.

Equipment: a chair/tarpaulin/chalk circle/mess tent in bag or similar

• Everyone links wrists in a circle. The chair or other object

is in the middle.

• The aim of the game is not to touch the chair or break

the chain, but to make other people do so. When

someone hits the chair they are out, the circle is

re-linked and the game continues.

• If the circle breaks, then both people are out, regardless

of who let go of whom, so it’s important to keep a tight

hold of your neighbour.

• The game continues in this way until only two people

are left. They link back to back and continue until one

of them touches the chair, deciding the winner.


ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: CANOEING • CLIMBING • COASTEERING

GORGE WALKING • KAYAKING • SURFING • CAVING • WHITE WATER RAFTING

TEAM BUILDING • ASSAULT COURSE/ LOW ROPES • FIELD SKILLS

Nant Y Pobty Farm Coed Y Bryn, Llandysul Ceradigion, SA44 5LQ

Phone: 07787123761 [email protected]

Adventure Beyond is a family run centre

based in West Wales. We have venues and camping or bunk house accommodation

in St Davids, Cardigan Bay, Brecon Beacons.

Jethro MooreAdventure Beyond

IBC_Explorer_FebMar.indd 6 13/01/2010 12:10

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Explorer - The magazinefor Explorer Scout LeadersFebruary/March 2010

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Transcript of Explorer - The magazinefor Explorer Scout LeadersFebruary/March 2010