explorers

The magazine

for Explorer Scout LeadersJune/July 2009

Ask a question

for our new feature

Ask a question WHAT IF?

Woggle idolMake your mark

by making your own

Surf’s up Meet the Unit making waves

PITCH PERFECTPITCH PERFECTCamping the Explorer Scout way

scouts.org.uk/pol

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WELCOMEYour Explorer Scout Section Working GroupAndrew Wellbeloved, UK Commissioner for Programme Gemma Veitch, Programme and Development Adviser

Contact them at:[email protected]

Explorer Scout Working Group, The Scout Association, Gilwell Park, Chingford, London E4 7QW; Tel: 0845 300 1818

ADVERTISINGSenior Sales Executive: Tom [email protected] Tel: 020 8962 1258

Cover image: HalimaPhoto by Allan Baxter

Meet the members of the Tsunami Explorer Unit, pictured here helping out at a charity farm. See page 14 for the full story.

4 Life under canvasFormats and ideas for Explorer Scout camps, from back-to-basics to expedition camping

6 Who ya gonna call?Meet the team that supports Explorer Scouting at UK level

8 Money, money, moneyModels for fi nancing your Unit, with pros and cons from those who know

10 Woggle power A practical programme to make your Unit’s woggles unique

12 East is EastThe Explorer Scout tour bus reaches the East of England, with ideas for camps and activities

14 Crest of a waveHow the Tsunami Explorer Unit in Cheshire are attracting big numbers, and keeping them

15 Question timeA new feature, in which we ask for your questions that need practical solutions

16 Everything but the kitchen sink

Our guide to what you need to run a successful Unit

18 Playing the gameMaking Module E of the Young Leaders’ Scheme matter

Mel Brammer kickstarts the new season with another exciting edition of Explorer, bursting with features

and practical advice

Let’s hear it for the summer! I’m pretty sure that after the cold winter we have

experienced this year, the warmer season and longer evenings already have you

putting the out in Explorer Scouting as often as possible.

Wherever you are, you can make the most of your local environment,

whether that’s a city park, the banks of a canal, your village, or hiking and

camping your way into the hills. If you’re planning the programme for camp

then don’t look any further than our article on page 4. Speaking of camp, if you

haven’t finalised your plans yet, we have some great ideas on offer in the East of

England that you might want to give a try.

Have you ever wondered who looks after Explorer Scouts at UK

Headquarters? On page 6 we find out who the UK staff and volunteer

supporting the section are, and what they do to support you.

We also investigate different ways to finance the section and different

methods for delivering Module E of the Explorer Scout Young Leaders’ Scheme.

Be a part of itDon’t forget, if you have a question you want the answer to, want to share

some good practice or have done something inspiring with your Explorer Scouts

then we want to hear about it. We are always delighted to hear from you, so

email your contributions to [email protected] with ‘Explorer

Scout Supplement’ in the subject line.

A Summer of adventure

Contents

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4 Explorer June/July 2009

Life under canvas Explorer Scouts love camping. It is one of the major activities that bring new members into the section. If you are at a loss for what to do with your Explorer Scouts at camp, check out our ideas

The top three types of camp1. Back to basics. You may have Explorer Scouts who

are fairly new campers mixed in with the survival

specialists, who have been under canvas since they were

eight. This camp gets the experienced sharing with the

uninitiated. Your Explorers should have a bit more

autonomy with catering, much of which will be done

on an open fire. Activities will be mostly on or around

the campsite, involving more traditional Scouting skills.

2. Activity. This type of camp is all about offering

different activity experiences. Occupy the Explorers with

a range of activities, getting wet and getting dry again.

While they should be expected to pitch in with cooking

and washing up, they will appreciate the leaders taking

charge of this area with cooking done centrally.

3. Expedition. The activity on this camp speaks for itself.

The campsite is as mobile as the Unit, with Explorers

working in small groups under supervision, setting

up their own camps and cooking for themselves.

Activities for a back to basics camp• Collectingfirewood

•Firelighting

• Backwoodscooking

• Shelterbuilding

• Toiletdigging

• Gadgetmaking

• Makingovens

• Conservationactivities

• Pioneering

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CAMP ACTIVITIES

In this type of camp, even the simple things like getting

the fire lit and making dinner can take quite a long time.

It’s extremely good for team building and allowing your

Explorers to get to know one another.

Activities for an activity campYou may choose a combination of on-site and off-site

activities, usually aiming for one or two activities

in a morning or afternoon session. To keep costs from

spiralling, make contact with local leaders with the

appropriate activity permits, or book activities with the

campsite rather than using external providers. Try

to balance out your activities, including those that cost

and those that don’t.

Examples are:

• Climbing

• Kayaking

• Bell boating

• Kite buggying

• Conservation work

• Biking

• Archery

• Air rifle shooting

• Caving

• Grass sledging

• Visiting local museums, shopping centres

and other attractions.

Other ways to make your camp stand outTheme it! Themed camps are one way of coming up with

a new range of activities. They work best when you are

planning or attending a larger camp. For example, the first

County Explorer Scout event in Devon was a medieval

weekend. Activities at the camp included an armour

assault course; coracle building; coracle racing; a medieval

themed campfire (with costumes); a display from a

re-enactment group and conservation work.

Give them some space! It is important to allow

teenagers spare time on camp to chill out. Certainly many

of the Explorers will be happy to sit for hours chatting

around a fire. However, too much spare time leads to

boredom, and boredom can lead to trouble. Try to strike

a healthy balance between sufficient free time and bursts

of intensive activity. After all, Scouts is more than just a

youth club!

Get spiritual. A camp is a great time to explore the

spiritual element of our programme, and the Values and

Relationships Programme Zone. You could do this through

flag break, Scouts’ Owns, pause for thought around the

campfire, or ‘thought posters’ tied to trees around the site.

It can also be built into creative and adventurous activities,

with opportunities for reflection given precedence, rather

than simply rushing on to the next thing. Drawing out the

sense of achievement and personal development after

an activity can be as rewarding as the activity itself.

CAMP YELLHave you run a camp that you’d like to shout about, or an idea that you could share? Tell us about it by emailing [email protected] with ‘Explorer Scout Supplement’ in the subject line

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2

1

Who ya gonna call?

UK Adviser (Explorer Scouts)The UK Adviser role came into existence just over two years ago when the UK Headquarters volunteer structure changed. The UK Adviser is part of the UK Programme Advisory Team, managed by the UK Commissioner for Programme. Up until April, Chris Brammer held the post for Explorer Scouts, and he tells us about the role…

‘Between my team (which includes volunteers in the

section and Gemma Veitch, who does a lot of unseen leg

work) we have been to every Region of England, as well

as Wales and Scotland (sorry Northern Ireland, I didn’t

quite make it to you in person). We’ve listened to issues

and delivered workshops to help adults in the section

in their roles.’

The good newsExplorer Scouting continues to thrive! It’s thanks to the

hard work of all of you, delivering quality Explorer Scouting

week in and week out. Thank you to all of you.

Chris Brammer, who recently stood down as UK Adviser for Explorer Scouts, and Programme and Development Adviser Gemma Veitch give us the lowdown on their roles

Chris Brammer

Gemma Veitch

There are really two strands to the role of being UK Adviser for Explorer Scouts:

Keeping the Programme relevant. Firstly, I was tasked with holding my ear to the section: listening hard to leaders, managers and young people to better understand the challenges they face every day; and working to make sure our programme and resources are of the highest quality, relevant to our young people, and if necessary recommending and implementing changes and improvements.

Delivering support. Secondly, I was charged with providing support to the same leaders and managers. This came in the form of workshops, support events and advice, but less obviously in the form of written and web-based resources (all factsheets for the Explorer Scout section, for example, were mine to keep updated and comprehensive).

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SCOUTSHOPS

EQUIPPED FOR ADVENTURE

N

S

Roles at UKHQ

Programme and Development Adviser Gemma Veitch, a bubbly Scot with a big smile, is one of the Programme and Development Advisers, working full time at Gilwell Park.

EXPLORER: Can you give us a brief summary of your job?

What do you do?

Gemma: I support the development of Explorer Scouting

across the UK. A lot of that is working with the

volunteers, the UK Adviser and his team.

EXPLORER: Do you work mostly in the office or

does your job entail you getting out and about

around the UK?

Gemma: It is mainly office based but on average I am out

of the office four days a month doing evening and

weekend work. This can take me right across the UK,

meeting lots of the volunteers who are doing fantastic

work with the Explorer Scout section.

EXPLORER: What’s the best part of your job?

Gemma: Seeing Scouting in action. I also really enjoy the

events we support such as the Queen’s Scout Reception

and Gilwell 24 as they show what young people can

achieve and the activities that Scouting gives them

access to.

EXPLORER: What has been the most challenging aspect?

Gemma: Moving from the north east of Scotland to

London certainly threw up some challenges!

Professionally, trying to make sure that as a national

organisation we put strategies in place to support

flexibility within the Explorer Scout setup and provision.

To get in touch with Gemma and the Programme Team,

email [email protected] or call 0845 300 1818.

scouts.org.uk/shop01903 766 921

Take the Scout towel with you to camp, and be prepared

for any situation.

Made from 100% cottonSize 153 x 75cm

i.SCOUT Polo Shirt and T-shirts

£11.74 (polo shirt) £7.83 (T-shirt)

i.Scout is a theme running across a range of clothing and souvenirs. Available in black, orange, purple and kiwi (T-shirt only). Get ready for summer camp with your i.Scout tops and other souvenirs. Sizes: S-XXL. XXXL (black only).

Kick it, stomp it, crush it, the Really Big Oball bounces right back to

a perfectly formed sphere. This is an amazingly fun and durable outdoor

toy. Easy to grab or catch with vibrant colours. The Oball can

be used indoors or out, anywhere your Unit wants to play.

Protect yourself from the sun

with this 100% cotton navy adult-sized

baseball cap, embroidered

with the Scout logo.

Really Big OballItem code: 1026847

£12.50

Scouts ‘Be Prepared’ Towel

Item code: 1024948

£13

Scout Baseball CapItem code: 1025891

£5.75

All profits go back into Scouting. The Scout Association Registered Charity number 306101 (England and Wales) and SC0384837 (Scotland).

A GROWING SECTIONThe Explorer Scout section experienced another year of growth in 2008-09, with numbers up 5% to 31,948 youth members. This includes a 10.1% growth in the number of girls in the section, which translates to nearly 800 more female Explorer Scouts. The overall trend from the 2009 census shows a growth in membership of 3.2%.

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MODEL 1: EXPLORER SCOUT FINANCES IN THE DISTRICT ACCOUNT

Advantages

The District Treasurer collects in subs and other money.

You just present receipts or request a cheque to get money.

Disadvantages

Getting a cheque requires a bit more forward planning and the District Treasurer needs to be actively on board with the section.

Considerations

Prepare a budget in advance to demonstrate to the District Executive that you know what you are likely to spend and how much you will collect in. If there is a difference between the two sums they can prepare accordingly.

Keep your own records of money in and out.

Money, money, money

T he most important thing to know is that the

District Executive is responsible for Explorer

Scout finances. This means that any changes

you propose will need to be agreed with the

District Executive, so take your suggestions to the next

meeting and ask them to think about a way forward.

The District Executive must ensure that Explorer Scout

finances operate wit hin the rules laid down in Policy,

Organisation and Rules (POR), and in accordance with

charities legislation. Assuming this framework, there is a

degree of flex ibility as to how Explorer Scout funds are

actually administered, based on local needs.

The majority o f Explorer Scout finance falls under

two models, right.

It all adds upThere are other considerations to bear in mind when

thinking about how best to organise the finances for

Explorer Scouting. Be sure to think of the following before

coming to your own conclusion.

It is said that the love of money is the root of all evil. Perhaps, but having some is always helpful. Is Explorer Scout finance in your District working? It may be time to review the way your money is organised to ensure that your financial engine is well oiled, writes Mel Brammer

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FINANCE

MODEL 2: KEEPING YOUR OWN ACCOUNT

Advantages You have more control over money.

Disadvantages

Requires more record keeping.You need to collect subs and membership fees yourselves.You may need the administrator or a parent on the sub-committee to look after the fi nances.

Considerations

The District Treasurer should still be a signatory on any accounts.You should prepare a budget and keep a record of all money coming in and going out.You must send a copy of your bank statements and your accounts to the District Treasurer at least every quarter.

Money, money, moneyAsking Groups to contributeYour District may have decided that as Explorers is a

District section, all money for Explorer Scouting, such as

leader and District Explorer Scout Commissioner (DESC)

expenses and training will either come from the Explorer

Scouts themselves, fundraising, grant applications and/or

a District membership subscription levy. In some Districts

the Explorer Scout section is also supported financially by

the Groups. This particularly applies to the Explorer Scout

Young Leaders’ Scheme, as it can be argued that this

directly benefits Groups.

FundraisingFundraising is more difficult without a supportive Executive

Committee. In a Group, the Group Executive will take the

lead. Does your District Executive support the fundraising

efforts of the Explorer section, or is it largely left to the

Explorer Scout Leaders?

Applying for grantsExplorer Scout Units cannot apply for lottery grants

or many other grants on their own. This needs to go

through the District, as the District Scout Council is the

charitable body.

Gift AidGift Aid can be collected on money paid for subs and

membership fees, which can be a lucrative way of raising

money as you can reclaim income tax paid on the money

that the parents give to Scouts. If your District is collecting

Gift Aid on Explorer Scout finances, does the money come

back to the Explorer Scout section? If Gift Aid is not being

collected, then discuss with your District Executive how to

set it up. See the Gift Aid factsheet (FS190006) for more

information.

The way you currently finance Explorer Scouting in your

District was probably decided six years ago when the

section was new. Sit down with the District Executive and

review the model you have in place, before deciding

if any improvements can be made.

For full details refer to the factsheets Explorer Scout Finance (FS452013) and The Role of the District Executive in supporting the Explorer Scout Section (FS452012)

more info

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Outline: The Explorers will make two different styles

of woggle, Turk’s Head and Pipe.

Programme Zone: Skills

Time: About an hour

Numbers: You can do this with any number of

Explorers provided you have enough paint,

paintbrushes and broom handles! If you have too

many, consider running this alongside another activity

and swap over after an hour.

Note: It is probably a good idea to have a separate

table set out for each type of woggle (the pipe

woggle can get pretty messy).

Pipe wogglePlastic piping about 2cm in diameter

Hacksaw and workbench

Sharp knife (Stanley or similar)

Paper and pencils

Paint suitable for painting on plastic

Sandpaper

Fine paintbrushes

Newspaper or plastic sheeting for covering

the table and floor

Turk’s Head woggleColoured cord or washing line in Unit colours

Broom handles

Candle

Step-by-step instructions (get these from

www.scouts.org.uk/pol - Activity ID: 44091)

How many of your Explorers turn up every week without a woggle? Try following these instructions and give them the chance to make their very own in Unit colours or their own designs

Woggle power

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PRACTICAL PROGRAMMES

Woggle power

Instructions for Pipe Woggle1 Cut the plastic piping into pieces about 3cm long

using the hacksaw and workbench. Ensuring that you

have a suitable surface to cut on, cut each piece down

the length using the knife (this allows a bit of ‘give’

when pulling your scarf through it). You may wish to

do this step for the Explorers in preparation to save

them all queuing to use the saws.

2 Sand down the raw edges of the pipe to give

a smooth finish.

3 Get the Explorers to think about the design that they

will paint on their woggle and draw it out on paper

first.

4 Paint on any background colour and leave woggle to

dry. Once the first layer has dried, add a second or

some more detail.

SUBMIT If you have a tried and tested programme idea then don’t keep it to yourself. Submit it to Programmes Online at www.scouts.org.uk/pol and send it to the supplement team, including photos, at [email protected] with ‘Explorer Scout Supplement’ in the subject line.

Instructions for Turk’s Head Woggle1 Cut a metre of thick cord or coloured washing line

using a sharp knife. If you’re using nylon cord then use

a candle to seal the ends. Watch out, hot plastic

can burn!

2 Allow plenty of time for the Explorers to get their

heads around the instructions and to try things out a

few times. Once they’ve worked it out, progress is

quite fast and they can start to help others.

3 You can carefully melt the ends of the nylon cord

together to seal, or for washing line woggles, suggest

that the Explorers put them in a warm oven for a few

minutes to melt the threads together so that the

woggle will hold its shape.

The Explorers will now have two new and

completely different woggles to choose from and know

how to make more.

Young Leaders can teach small groups of Beavers, Cubs

and Scouts the Turk’s Head woggle. This will help them to

build up confidence in their leadership style and in giving

instructions.

Leader’s advice:‘If you’re going to run this activity then make sure that you

cover the entire painting area with newspaper before you

start, and bring a damp cloth to quickly wipe up any spills.’

What one Explorer Scout said:‘We don’t really have any excuses for not wearing

a woggle any more, do we?’

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The Explorer Scout tour bus has continued its mammoth journey, this time wending its way to the East of England. Here is just a snippet of what the region has to offer, with attractions to keep your Unit busy

East is EastGetting therePlane: Stansted Airport or Luton Airport

Train: The East Coast Main Line and train links out

of London

Road: M11, A12, A14, A11, A10 and A1.

CampsitesCambridgeshire. For a variety of campsites in

Cambridgeshire, including Barton Crofts Scout Centre,

Wisbech, and Holt Island, Huntingdon, visit

www.cambridgeshirescouts.org.uk/campsites

Gilwell Park. Chingford, Essex. A huge campsite with an

array of buildings, camping areas and activities.

www.scouts.org.uk/sac

Belchamps Scout Centre. Hockley, Essex. Large

campsite with indoor accommodation and a huge range

of on-site activities.

www.belchamps.co.uk

Skreens Park Scout Campsite. Chelmsford, Essex.

Parkland with wooded area and lake, two indoor

accommodation blocks, some on-site activities available.

www.skreenspark.org

Thriftwood International Scout Activity Centre. Brentwood, Essex. Woodland with clearings, several

indoor accommodation blocks and loads of activities.

www.thriftwood.org.uk

Phasels Wood Scout Camp and Activity Centre. Kings Langley, Hertfordshire. Meadow, woodland and

activity fields. Indoor accommodation. Wide variety

of on-site activities. www.phaselswood.org.uk

Tolmers Scout Camp. Cuffley, Hertfordshire. Woodland

and meadow with a small lake. Indoor and outdoor

accommodation and plenty of on-site activities.

www.tolmers.org.uk

Bidwell Guide and Scout Centre and Two Mile Bottom Camp Site. Thetford, Norfolk. Purpose-built

accommodation and training centre and gladed woodland

for camping. www.bidwellcentre.org

Eaton Vale Activity Centre. Norwich, Norfolk. Camping

on the banks of the River Yare with indoor

accommodation available and plenty of activities.

www.eatonvale.co.uk

Bradfield Park Campsite. Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

Brand new campsite in historical parkland. Some on-site

activities and one indoor accommodation block.

www.bradfieldpark.co.uk

Wolferton. Sandringham Estate, Norfolk. Back-to-basics

camping field. Good for cycling and walking expeditions

and within walking distance of the coast. For contact

information see the campsite directory on

www.norfolkscouts.org.uk

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REGIONAL REVIEW

ActivitiesZSL Whipsnade Zoo. From £8.70 per person

for advance group booking. Established to breed

and re-release endangered species, the park contains

over 2,500 animals. www.zsl.org/whipsnade

Cycling. There are several great routes in this part of the

UK, and you won’t find many hills in the East Anglian

fenlands of Cambridgeshire and Norfolk! Try the 15-mile

route from Cambridge to Ely along a peaceful towpath.

Imperial War Museum. Duxford, Cambridgeshire.

Europe’s largest collection of historic aircraft. Free for

under 15s or from £11.80 for over 15. A great place

to complete the Aviation Skills Badge.

www.iwm.org.uk/duxford

Long Distance Paths. The Peddars Way and Norfolk

Coast path link to form a 94-mile walking track, and there

are several other long distance routes to choose from.

For a full list and a great deal of other useful

information look at The Ramblers website

www.ramblers.org.uk/info

Boating. The Norfolk Broads offer a wide range

of boating experience with many narrow boats for hire

and watersports activity providers.

Seaside. For the traditional summer holiday

experience take your Explorers to Southend-on-Sea

in Essex or Southwold in Suffolk to play on the beach.

Don’t forget your bucket and spade!

Sandringham Estate. Not only a country retreat

of the Queen with fascinating history, but also a huge

and rambling country park with free entry and countless

walks and bike rides to enjoy.

www.sandringhamestate.co.uk

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Crest of a waveTsunami Unit in Warrington West District, Cheshire has 38 Explorer Scouts. Mel Brammer speaks to Explorer Scout Leader Karin Quarrie to find out the secrets of their success

Where have all the Explorers come from?We have a good take up from the older Scouts, but also

have some from the Guides, and the Explorers’ friends

keep asking if they can come along.

How do you manage 38 teenagers?They don’t all turn up together every week. We offer a

varied programme so they dip in and we usually get 27 or

28 for a meeting night. It helps having a really good team

of leaders. Caroline, Chris and Hannah are the Assistant

Explorer Scout Leaders and Darren is Unit Assistant. We

could always do with more of course! We don’t want to

get to the point where we have to turn away potential

Explorer Scouts just because we are short of adult help.

What’s in your programme?The Explorers contribute to the programme, and

sometimes run the meetings. We do plenty of camping,

and if they want to attend an event further away then we

try to arrange it … it’s all about opportunities. We offer all

the DofE programmes so there’s training for expeditions

and hiking in the programme. On top of this we play

games, have fun investitures and do all the usual

Explorer activities.

What’s the favourite activity?Nearby is a charity farm offering trips and holidays to

children and young people with special needs. We go

there for a weekend and do bits and pieces of

maintenance around the farm, and in between we relax

and have a great time. All the Explorers who go to the

farm want to go again.

Are there any other secrets to your success?Communication. After every Explorer meeting we email all

the Explorer Scouts, some parents, older Scouts, the other

Explorer Scout Leaders and the Scout Leaders. It tells them

what we did (ie what they missed if they weren’t there!)

and gives them all the information they need ready for the

following week. Nobody can say that they don’t know

what’s going on!

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Q&A

Crest of a waveHow do we make Values and Relationships more exciting? How do I get more Explorer Scouts to weekend activities? If you’ve got a question, we want to answer it…

I n future issues of Explorer we are going to be

focusing on real issues, and real solutions that

other people can share. If you have a solution to

one of the questions below, or have a question

that you would like us to tackle, then get in touch at the

usual address. We kick off with some common questions.

We’re aware of a large rural

area of our District with

no Scout Groups and no

Explorer Scout Units – we want to appeal to teen-

agers further out of town

(some are half an hour or

more away) but we’re not

sure how to go about it. Any

ideas?

We have a large Unit,

but how do you get busy teenagers to commit to activities on weekends or outside

their normal meeting night?

Our active and adventur-

ous programme has lured

many new members from

outside the Movement. Now

that we’ve got them, how

do we get across the values

side of Scouting and the

principles behind what we

do? How do I share the

magic of Baden-Powell’s

vision with teenagers?

In our District we are trying to grow

Explorer Scouting, but

don’t seem to have

much support from the

Groups or the District.

How do we tackle this?

I find it very easy to come

up with good programme

ideas for the Outdoor and

Adventure, Physical Rec-

reation and Skills Zones,

as do my Explorers. How

do we come up with some

more exciting activities for

Values and Relationships,

Community Service and

Global?

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16 Explorer June/July 2009June/July 2009

Everything but the kitchen sink

ResourcesUnit Essentials, The Unit Programme and The Unit Programme Plus (all available from www.scouts.org.uk/

shop) are pretty standard and if you have them to hand

then you can always refer to them. In particular The Unit Programme is a useful one to have a few copies of, as the

Explorers can check up on badge requirements, or can

use the tools in there to help plan a programme.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award resources, in particular

the Handbook for Leaders, should be kept handy. You

can download pages relating to activities Explorer Scouts

are undertaking from www.dofe.org

Information and admin• Programme folder. Copies of your current

programme and more information, letters etc on

forthcoming activities.

• Members folder. Copies of record cards

for all members with medical and

emergency contact details. This goes to all

Explorer Scout activities. You should have

a list containing all this information for

every Explorer Scout in the District, as they

should all be able to turn up to any activity

on offer by any of the Units.

• Box of badges. Always keep a few

spare badges for Nights Away, Hikes

Away, Participation and Membership,

as you will then be able to quickly award

them when an Explorer has earned them.

Also keep a list of which badges have

been awarded.

• Money. A record of who owes what.

We take loads with us to Explorers every week, as we don’t have any storage at our meeting place and we like to be prepared for anything! Mel Brammer takes a look at the type of thing that might be useful to have in an Explorer Scout cupboard (or the boot of your car) and why

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ExplorEr Scout toolbox

Everything but the kitchen sink

Games box• Avarietyofballsofdifferentshapesandsizes.

• Folddowncrates.

• Beanbags,batsandracquets.

• Whistles.

• Blindfolds(askfriendsandfamilytocollectthefreeones

fromlonghaulflights)

• Gamesbook.Putanythinginherethatyouregularlyuse

ingames.Asyoutryoutnewgames,addtoyour

collection.

Skills•Maps.LaminatedOrdnanceSurveyonesarebest.Getseveralcopiesofyourlocalareaforregularmapwork,

andalsobegintobuildupyourcollectionofotherareas

whereyougohikingorcampingwithyourExplorers.

Trytogetthemusedtoworkingwithboth1:25000

and1:50000.Youmightalsowanttoincludestreet

mapsofyourlocalarea.

• Compasses. Getseveralforregularpracticeattakingabearinganduseonhikes.

• First aid items. Notforrealuse(youwillhaveafirstaidkitinthemeetingplace)buttriangularslings,bandages

etcwillbeausefuladditionforregularfirstaidpractice.

• Piecesofropearoundametrelong–forpractisingknots.

• Matches,flintandsteel,tinofkindling,cottonwool,for

firelightingwork.

• Routecards.

Miscellaneous• Torch

• Chalk

• Playingcards

• Scissors

• Glue

• Pensandpencils

• Paperandcard

• String

• Dice

• Rulerandtapemeasure

• PinsandBlu-Tak

• Penknife

• Disposablecups,platesandcutlery

• Straws

• Firstaidkitandaccidentbook–forobviousreasons!

• Bookofpositivethoughts.Forourweeklyreflection

attheendofthemeetingwhenwetakedowntheflag.

Mostoftheitemsinthiscategoryare‘justincase’,but

theyhaveallbeenusedalot.Wehaveabasic‘toolbox’in

whichwehavegatheredalltheseitemsandmore.

What’s missing?I’m sure that you can think of many more things that you would recommend. If you have anything that you think should be added, we’d love to hear from you. Just send it in to [email protected] with ‘Explorer Scout Supplement – Toolbox’ in the subject line.

explorer_6709.indd 17 18/5/09 17:21:53


GamE for a lauGh – a casE study‘I went to a Young Leader Unit running Module E. Instead of sitting and listening all evening we had two Scout Leaders from the District running the evening. They played loads of games that would be suitable for the different sections. We all had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed the evening. This was a great way to run the Module, as we still had plenty of discussion about appropriateness for different sections and different occasions and risk assessments. Because it was fun I think the Young Leaders will remember it!’ Mary, Explorer Scout Young Leader

Playing the GameMaking Module E of the Young Leaders’ Scheme matterMartin Peake turns his attention to the Game On module in the scheme, and recommends getting some new faces to deliver Young Leader training.

P icture the scene: a group of accountants meet.

They greet each other solemnly and prepare for

the dreary 90-minute PowerPoint presentation,

‘Having fun with spreadsheets’. Someone fires

up Excel to calculate the amount of coffee required…

Hopefully this sounds a million miles away from your

Young Leader meetings, but we need to remember that

some YLs might well repeat training modules during their

spell in the Unit. We owe it to them to ensure that

modules are unique every time. Throw away those

PowerPoints!

Take the Game On module. The objective is to help

Young Leaders deliver effective and appropriate games

for different audiences at different times. Noisy games,

calming games, team and individual challenges all feature,

but the emphasis of the module is on offering the right

game at the right time. Why would you want to deliver

this module yourself?

Ask a Beaver, Cub or Scout Leader who is good at

games to come along and run it for you. Most YLs are

excellent at behaving like barmy Beavers, clumsy Cubs

or stroppy Scouts, and giving them roles to play

emphasises the learning experience. Using Leaders from

outside the Unit gives the Module a totally different

atmosphere, especially if you invite leaders from more

than one section.

Finally, let’s go back to that 17½ year old Young Leader

who joined you when she was 14. She’s good, she’s

experienced, she’s done it before. So why isn’t she running

the session?

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IBC_EXPLORER_Scouting_JuneJuly09.indd 6 14/5/09 13:57:18

OBC_EXPLORER_Scouting_JuneJuly09.indd 6 13/5/09 12:42:52

explorers

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