Month: December 2007

We've now completed the Scout's Christmas parties. Last week we took 30 or so Beavers & Cubs to see the Bee Movie at the cinema. They all had a good time and behaved really well, albeit a bit noisily (you have to hear thirty 6 – 10 year olds to believe it)!

Then last night I went with the Scouts bowling. Another good evening with some interesting new styles of bowling being exhibited by the Scouts!

But the thing that got me, was that one of the parents came up to all the Leaders and gave us all a Christmas present for looking after 'little Johnny' for the last year! I had to pick myself up off the floor!

In the 18 or so years I've been a Scout Leader of one sort or another, I've never had this happen. Normally, it's unusual enough to get a 'thank you' from a parent let alone a gift. Now of course, we don't do Scouting for personal gain, but the occasional Thank You is always appreciated. Especially after a week long camp!

Anyway, thank you to the parent for the most unexpected gift!

Just read this article in the Telegraph about an Explorer Scout who has spent one year under canvas to raise money for a children’s hospice.

Well done to him! I hope the Scout Association recognises him in some way!

I was chatting to my sister last night and she asked me ‘what would you do if a parent with a child who has special needs came to you and asked if their child could join Beavers, Cubs or Scouts?’ So I said I have a chat with the parents, see what their child’s needs were, check with the District’s special needs advisors and then if the child was able to join us draw up a ‘contract’ between the Group and the parents stating what we can and can’t do, what help we’d need from the parents and reminding the parents that we’re not child care professionals, but we will do our best to get their child to join in and enjoy Scouting.

She was a bit shocked as a colleague of hers had been told by a client (they’re both psychologists dealing with children with special needs), that a local group had turned their child down flat!

As we’ve had two young people in the Group in the past who’d both had Asperger’s Syndrome I was a bit shocked. You don’t just say ‘No’.

Scouting should be available to all young people irrespective of their background or circumstances. Even if they couldn’t accommodate a young person with special needs, at least they should have tried and then seen if there were alternatives. Saying ‘No’ is just not on.

I’ve spent the last couple of days writing a newsletter for the parents of our Beavers, Cubs & Scouts. I got landed with, er, volunteered for the job at our Group Executive last week.

Now I’ve finished it (just a load of printing to do now), I’ve realised what a lot of activities we’ve put on for the young people in our Group over the last year. Even though it’s nearly the end of the year there’s still activities to come. The Scouts even had a martial art demonstration last night in which they all participated in as part of their fitness challenge.  In fact we’ve got loads planned for next year as well.