Posts

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Previous Scout Master

I got a phone call from one our old Scout Masters (that dates him immediately!) the other day. He was the Scout Master from 1949 to about 1954 and he invited me round for a chat.

It was fascinating hearing of Scouting from over 50 years ago. He also gave me a pile of old photos to copy.

 1951 camp

Camping in 1951

Group 1951

The Cubs and Scouts with our local Guides in 1951

It's really interesting to look at these photos and see what the Scouts of the past got up to and actually looked like. The earliest photos are from around 1949. So along with the couple of photos I have of Scouts in 1913 & 1916 (although not in uniform), I only have a gap of around 30 years to fill!

15/05/2009 UPDATE: I've just realised I never put the link here for the actual gallery of these photos. You can see them all here.

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Getting There…..

Scouts on Tuesday went quite well again. The Scouts were not badly behaved, a bit boisterous perhaps!

I think the Scoutmaster Minute idea from the BSA is a very good one and something that we’ll keep doing.

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St. George’s Day

Today is St. George's Day. St. George, amongst other things is the patron saint of Scouting. Today Scouts can wear their uniform at school and we renew our Promise (although I did it at the parade on Sunday and at Scouts last night!).

On My Honour, I promise that I will do my best
To do my duty to God and to the Queen,
To help other people
And to keep the Scout Law

Although I'm not wearing uniform at work today I am wearing a Scout badge. It's a Boy Scouts of America one that I was given by my old Scout Leader when he moved to the States and helped out at a BSA Troop in California for a while.

BSA Badge

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Scout’s Behaviour…….

Has improved! Last night the Scouts were a little better behaved and were a bit more cooperative! We were looking at mapping a grid references and even the ones who can play up put their best into the task!

I also had a go at a Scoutmaster Minute where I talked about a couple of the bits of the Scout Law and if the Scouts had lived up to them during the day. They seemed to listen, think and take it in. All I’ve got to do now is think of something for next week!

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Helping Each Other

After my last post about the behaviour of some of my Scouts, I’ve been having an interesting Transatlantic chat by email with Jerry of Troop 664 from Gresham, Oregon in the US. This came about after he left some comments on my last post.

It’s always good to have a fresh pair of eyes to look over a problem and especially interesting when that person has a different perspective. We are all Scouts and have the same main aims, but we achieve them by using different programmes and methods. One of the things Jerry has been talking about is the Scoutmaster Minute. This is where the Scout Master (Leader) talks to the Troop at the end of their meeting on a relevant topic. We don’t have anything similar in the UK, but it sounds like a good idea, so I’m going to give it a bash.

Thanks for ideas Jerry.

One thing I noticed about Troop 664 is that one of their patrols is called Fried Potatoes Patrol! Someone has got a good sense of humour!

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Kid’s Behaviour

At Scouts last night I was expecting them to be a little more subdued than normal – Wrong!

As soon as they came in they were fighting (not in a malicious way, but ‘playing’) and generally messing. When I was talking, they were chatting away to each other etc.

They do not have any concept of manners. I do wonder why we all bother sometimes.

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Scout Leader Again

Tomorrow I get to run the Scout Troop for the first time in nearly three years. The good news is that our previous Leader has decided to stay on, but in a lesser capacity. He’s staying away for a bit so he can get his head together.

Trouble is that leaves muggins here to run everything. I was quite enjoying helping out, but not being THE Leader (being Group Scout Leader is enough thank you!). Hopefully the family camp we’re doing soon may throw up someone suitable.

We’ve got a parent’s meeting for the camp tomorrow. It’ll be interesting what, if anything, the parents say about their kid’s behaviour!

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Etruria’s Gone!

Well not the whole area, but the remains of the station. Thanks to the Dft‘s shortsightedness another bit of public transport in North Staffordshire bites the dust! Only about 9 more to go and then we will have no more stations!

Well to be fair, Wedgwood, Blarlaston, Stone and Norton Bridge are all effectively closed as no trains actually stop there, just buses! Stone is pretty safe, but the others aren’t. Angry

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Behaviour of Scouts

I’m depressed.Sad

Last night the Scouts were being little sods (I’m being extremely polite).

The Scout Leader had spoken to the Patrol Leaders and Assistant Patrol Leaders about what they wanted to do for this term’s programme and that they were now to take more responsibility for their patrols and to help teach the other patrol members what skills they had learned. They all seemed to listen and react in a positive manner.

However, while we were making a bridge without rope with our pioneering poles, a group started messing around, ‘play’ fighting and hitting each other with their neckerchiefs. After being told to stop messing a few times, the Scout Leader had to tell them off again and they ignored him and were laughing while he was talking. This ended up in tempers being lost and the net result was that the Scout Leader went home.

I’ve now had his resignation.

He’s said that there is no point in carrying on if there is no respect from the Scouts. The thing is they all like him, it’s just that they don’t really respect any adult figures. For example, they all like camping, but don’t want to do any of the work associated with it. Ask them to wash dishes and the sulks are massive. However, ask them to put wood on a fire and they’re all there.

It seems to me that they all get everything done for them at home and they don’t have to lift a finger which is why they only want to do what ever they want.

So how is respect taught? I don’t know, but it’s certainly difficult to do so in an hour and a half each week, especially when they don’t seem to have to respect or learn social skills anywhere else.

So now I’ve lost a very good, experienced and capable leader.

I’m not a happy bunny!

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Art, the Tate and Tigger!

While in London on Sunday I went to the Tate Modern. This is an old power station converted into an art gallery. I like going there as it’s quite funny sometimes seeing what is classed as ‘art’! Some of the most funny is in the old turbine hall. This is a huge area where the turbines for generating electricity were once housed.

The current ‘installation’ is called ‘Shibboleth’. This is basically a dirty great crack in the floor. It is supposed to represent the history of racism or something! Another barking mad artist who takes themselves far too seriously.

So I decided to create my own temporary installation!

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‘Holiday Tigger sitting on a crack’

I’d bought Tigger for Carol as she’d stayed at home to look after her Dad who’s recently had a hip replacement. I couldn’t resist!

Perhaps I should charge £500 a print as it’s art. And it’s art ‘cos I say so!

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Family

I’m in London, staying with my Uncle and Aunt, for the model railway show at Alexandra Palace. I was chatting to my cousin yesterday and we realised that it was 90 years ago that our Great Grandfather was blown up and killed in the First World War. It was 1 day before our Grandpa’s (his son’s) 5th birthday. I realised that she’d never met Grandpa as she wasn’t born when he died. He knew she was coming, but that was it. Shame really as she would have really liked him.

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Oooo, it’s snowed & the tent is on my face!

We took the Scouts to Consall camp site over the Easter Weekend. The weather forecasts were causing us some concern as it was said to be very cold and continuous rain and snow. After some umming and ahhing we went.

Now Consall is a rather exposed site and cold wind can blow through. However, we were in a more sheltered bit, so it was too bad and it didn't rain, but it was cold! However, we did have to nag the Scouts about putting more clothes on to keep themselves warm. We would see one looking cold, so we'd tell them to put another shirt, jumper, whatever on. They'd go away and we'd see them a bit later still shivering away, so we'd ask if they'd put extra layers on and the reply would be 'no'! So again, they'd be told to put some more clothes on and they would go away but not put more on and later complain that they weren't feeling well!!!! So we made them put on more clothes, a hat and gloves, gave them warm drinks and off they'd go. A bit later they'd be running around as happy as Larry.  Sometimes I think we might as well talk to the tents!

Anyway, on Easter Sunday morning, the Scout Leader woke up at about 6.15 and said to the rest of us in the tent 'I think we have a problem'. So I wake up and think 'what's that weight on me', open my eyes and notice the tent is actually on me! Someone else said 'it's snowed!' and it had!

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After pushing the snow off, the tent popped back to its correct shape and we got up. It was a complete contrast to the previous day and everywhere was white. We got the fires going and eventually the Scouts woke up and got up quite quickly once they realised there was potential for snowball fights!

I have to admit that's the most snow I've ever seen whilst camping. I have woken up some mornings and had to scrape the frost off the inside of the tent, but this is different and it looks prettier!

Of course, by the time we were due to go home after lunch, there was no sign of the snow as it had all melted! Good while it lasted though.

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The Alcock Trophy

Last night we were emptying our gear store in preparation for the building of some new storage cupboards. These are being professionally built so they stand a change of lasting for more than 5 minutes! Hopefully they’ll be Scout proof!

Anyway, amongst the stuff I found the ‘Joe Alcock All Round Sports Trophy 1958’. This was awarded annually to the Troop that won the District’s sporting competition. We were the last Troop to win it in 1986. I vaguely remember winning it at a cricket match – shame I can’t remember which Troop it was we played against.

I wonder why it wasn’t contested again? I guess that the District forgot about it when our District, Burslem, merged with Hanley in 1990.

Funny how the only time we win it is the last time it’s contested!

Anyway, I’ve polished and cleaned it up and it will go on display in the refurbished gear store in a couple of weeks. Perhaps one day Troops will contest it again.