Summer Scouting and into the Autumn Term!

So much has happened to continue Scouting over the COVID lockdown and now restrictions are eased, find out how 1st Woodcutts have adapted!

Naomi Booth :: Thursday 8th October 2020 :: Latest Blog Posts

Not the normal opportunities to get involved in camping out with Scouts this summer  - so Dorset County Scouts organised Brownsea 113. A virtual camp based on Brownsea Island - it was the 113th Anniversary of the first camp there by Lord Baden Powell.

The first challenge was to virtually get to Brownsea - a boat was needed! Cubs ran a boat making session on Zoom. Magnificent boats from Captain Akela and Chief Engineer Verity were shown with instructions. Then each family chose the activities they wanted to join in from the camp website.

Getting back to face-to-face Scouting

Scouting uses the National Youth Association guidelines to determine levels of activity permitted. In July, the level moved from Red (no face-to-face Scouting) to Amber (small outdoor groups permitted) and so the 1st Woodcutts team completed and submitted the required Risk Assessments and could begin Scouting again...

So what did it look like?

Scouts were first to get back to the campfire. The guidelines allow for groups of up to 15 with 12 Scouts and 3 leaders. So their first evening, they shared their news and COVID guidelines around the campfire and made pizzas and since then, have enjoyed an axe-throwing evening, cycling and more...

Cubs began with some evening of games at the end of the summer holidays: big circle games of Wink murder and Zip, zap, boing and Splat! We tried chair football too - like a giant table football!

Throughout the summer break, Beavers continued with the badges and challenges set.  Some great faces of the children were sent in when they tried to eat a piece of chocolate or sweet placed on. their foreheads which needed to be eaten without using their hands or dropping the piece of chocolate or sweet.  We are working towards our new term with the children, with fun and games planned for both evenings.

Everyone is now preparing for the autumn term and we are looking forward to trying out new skills and new games or old games in a new socially distanced way!

Photos show: Breakfast at Virtual camp: Brownsea 113, Axe throwing when Scouts returned over the summer, Viking ship made by captain Akela which all Cubs had a go at making this Autumn