One of these things is not like the others

1) What we had programmed
2) What the kids were expecting
3) What we actually did

... one of these things is no like the others, can you guess which?

I'll give you a minute

...

No, you're wrong, it wasn't 2, it was number 3!

We were supposed to be getting the kids to do bivvy building at the local campsite this evening; well, that's if you actually believe the programme plan we write up completely. Unfortunately my foreplanning kind of went out the window and I forgot to get letters etc out to parents in enough time for them to sort out travel arrangements... so something had to be done in the hall.

So the last minute plan of wonders was *drum roll* ... FIRST AID. More specifically, bandaging up someones legs so that you are using one leg as a splint for the other, and then getting them to make stretchers out of stuff from the cupboard (mainly rope and poles- so it kind of tested their knots skills as well).

I was expecting them to enjoy dragging each other round and the stretcher part... but was slightly surprised at how much they got into tieing each other up (and getting tied up). Not sure if I should worry about this!

But this wasn't the only trick I had up my leave. At the recent Patrol Leaders meeting I challenged the PLs to take a more active role in running things, so added to the Duty Patrols duties was to run the initial game, and then next weeks duty PL was to run a 15minute basic skills session (knots, first aid or map and compass). My PLs agreed to this challenge and this was going to be the first week that it was put into effect. Thank goodness it went well- I think it was a big confidence boost for the PLs involved. We'll see how that progresses.

Next week should be interesting. The other big challenge I set the Patrol Leaders was to run an entire night. And I mean the entire night; flag break, inspection, games, basic skills, main activity, packing away, flag down.... EVERYTHING. We haven't given them an entirely free rein tho, we have told them that we want them to cover the parts of the orienteering badge that can be done in the hall (we told them this about a month ago, so in plenty of time). I wonder what they have planned. Or for that matter if they actually have any plans!

I can't wait!

One last thing. I would like to publicly thank Dirty Scout (one of my best mates) for coming down to help out as I was short on leaders that evening and she did a fantastic job with the kids!

Jamboree Meeting

A couple of weekends ago there was a Unit Leader weekend for the next World Scout Jamboree. Unfortunately we didn't have enough spaces for all of us to go... so I wasn't able to attend and get all the buzz about the Jamboree first hand.

Last night the Lincolnshire Unit leaders all met up so that we could all be briefed on what happened during the weekend, also so that we could sort out some of the details for the next training camp in October.

I don't want to give anything away just now... we want to make sure that some of it is a surprise to the sproggage. So you guys will just have to wait a little longer for some of those details!

Wha ha ha ha <= that's an evil laugh by the way!

... where's that post, I saw it a second ago...

You may or may not have noticed that I haven't posted anything about last Friday.

There is a very good reason for this...

I had a week off!!

... crazy I know, but it can happen occasionally

This is the end...

... I'm no longer in Network! *cry*

GI had been very quiet about what exactly he had planned for me. So, understandably, I started to get a tad worried.

A worry that I feel can be slightly justified when you arrive to see this:

What on earth? Is he taking the 'Scotland' thing too far and going to crucify me St. Andrew style?

Thankfully not! We were to build catapults and fire wet sponges at those itty bitty bits of paper.

Look at us, being all industrious

Rather formidable no?

 

 

Look at it fly!

Mind you, that was the other team... we had a minor technical hitch...

... opps

After this point, things started to get rather messy/wet... so such items like cameras and phones were quickly put away. Good for phones, bad for having photos to show you what happened.

So today class we're are going to use our imaginations (keep with me trust me)

[image of water fight with buckets, sponges and water pistols]

[image of us fixing our catapult with a bucket instead of a collander]

[photo of catapults aimed at each other]

[photo of bucket-of-death flying off and hitting people: twice]

[photo of GI handing out whipped cream and shaving foam to teams to 'mark' their hits]

[photo of me COVERED in shaving foam and whipped cream]

GI did have one more surprise up his sleave: investitures... thats right folks I was invested into COLDnet on my last night!

d'oh

COLDnet photos

Was looking on COLDnet leaders facebook page for those photos of my last night that I said I was going to steal borrow permanently relocate... turns out there are loads of photos from numerous nights... so here is a little selection of them:

Mongolian Night:

Making Khuurshuur!

 

It can get rather fiddly...

All good things are deep fat fried!

Believe me, these are tastier than they look!

Network Camp (pre-blog):

Pioneering Project (I'm not looking that stable, am I?)

You know, am pretty sure it was climbing onto this contraption that did in my shoulder...

Look! Proof!... but don't ask me what else is going on in the photo, I have no idea!

(I'm actually having to see a physiotherapist for my shoulders now)

 Marshmallows!... cause traditions are sometimes there for a reason

Growing older *tick*, growing wiser *errr....*

Who says that you have to behave more when you get older? I say we find them, hunt them down and throw foam balls at them and cover them in silly string.

I will do a full post on my 'last night in COLDnet' soon... as soon as I have managed to steal photos off the network leaders facebook (well he did take over 200 photos, and I was far too wet to take more than a couple near the start)

All that I'll say for now is that it involved: rope, shaving foam, squirty cream, water pistols and bungee cords

... I'll let that twisted imagination of yours run rampant for a little bit longer

Kayaking kraziness

When Eric eats a banana, a magical transformation occurs and he becomes....

... Bananaman!

hehehe, sorry that isn't me during the kayaking, this is tho:

Yup, we went kayaking with the sprogs this week. It's one of the many and varied activities put on by teams in Lincoln District.

The sproggage loved their time on, and more often IN, the water. One poor sprog somehow managed to unintentionally capsize 4 times by my count.

.... Wait a minute, did I just say "poor sprog"... for those self same sprogs that all shouted "get Scotland!" when I got on the water...

Yes, yes I did. I think it might be time for that yearly head check!

*prod* yup i have a head, check

... Now just to find the instruction manual...

Lessons learned this week:

• Some sprogs think that steel toe capped boots are okay for kayaking.
• Swans aren't a huge fan of kayaking... or dogs

This is them pretending not to care and lulling you into a false sense of security 

(actually this was taken after while I walked home from work, Mim struggled with my camera and missed the actual annoyed swan)

• Sprogs come out with stupid statements like "You're wet" when you have just spent ages waiting for them to get out of the changing room so that you can use it
• Kayaks can make your legs go numb and make you walk funny when you get out of them!

Ominous news

Ladies and gentlefolk...

I am about to enter the last week of my youth, officially.

... well, last week of being a 'youth member' of the Scout Association anyway. That's right next week I turn 25 and therefore get chucked out of Scout Network *sniff*

But I don't know what is more worrying; turning older, or the 'final night' that I have just been informed about at our local campsite... which I have been told to take a change of clothes to.

The guy organising it has told NO ONE what he has planned for me to ensure that it will remain a surprise.

.... help!

Week of Chaos

Ronnie Soak has been rather busy this week and not with the dairy mind you.

I have certainly been giving the 'blue arsed fly' a good run for its money... and that headless chicken, well, I passed him ages ago!

Just about every day for the past week I have been up to something scout related.

Quick run down:

Friday: Urban Widegame for our normal scout meeting. Mim and Jo organised a treasure hunt for the sprogs. They were given pictures of a specific location, near which was a number that they had to find (house number, painted on a lamp-post etc). To help find the locations they had been given a list of anagrammed street names.

All was running well until some of the sprogs started to runn of by themselves.

The less said about that the better!

Saturday: ok... I had this one day off!

Sunday: Bagpacking goodness. Seeing that we never fill all the tills anyway we invited the Jamboree participants to join us. Thank goodness we did, cause only two of my sprogs showed up!

Monday: Patrol Leaders meetings. We are trying to meet with the patrol leaders every now and again so that we can get a program that they will all enjoy. Not that it's all easy for them... I've set them some challenges, but will fill you in on them when they come to fruitition.
Was unfortunately late for this given that I have to drive way out to SPILSBY to get these:

for use the next day!

Tuesday: Circus Skill workshop for the 2nd Lincoln. As part of fundraising for the troop, myself and the other leaders are offering to run circus skills workshops for other units for a donation. This was our first one and it went really well. All the kids enjoyed it and the leaders have said that they will recommend us to other troops!

Wednesday: Ronnie Soak was really on form today. It was a Network and Explorer mixer. I was going to phone in saying that I needed a night off... until I got a phone call from the guy running it saying that his girlfriend was unexpectantly in hospital and that I would need to run the night! We also had to put the wet weather plan into action. Unfortunately the wet weather plan only really went so far as to say we'll go to the Waddington scout hall. Given that it was originally a BBQ and a game of rounders I had to improvise!

think I got away with it tho (and you'll we happy to know that she is ok and recovering well)

Thursday: Another night of circus joy, this time at Bassingham (a little village just outside of Lincoln). Hopefully it will go well; especially given my newly without-car state (it broke a bit on Tuesday, and is currently getting fixed... will hopefully be getting it back just before I need it tonight!)

Friday: Normal scout night wih the sprogs... but this time on water... Kayaking baby, you got to love it!

Saturday: Apparantly the Jamboree kids from Lincoln are having a get together/social type thing while their parents have a little (or not so little) chin wag about fundraising. 

I think we all agree... that's a whole lotta scouting right there!

Patrol Leaders Training Camp

Beware!

When you're on a night out on town, are onto the third bar of the night (i think); which so happens to be a rather cheap cocktail bar; and you are getting rather pickled... don't answer the phone from your District Commissioner for Scouts!

If she is smart like mine, she'll tell that you're inebriated and take the opportunity to ask you to help with the running of the district Patrol Leaders Training camp.

...

... damn cocktails.

In all honesty tho, even tho it sounded like it might not be that much fun (given that a fair chunk of it was tutorial type talks with the 30odd sprogs)... it actually turned out better than I thought it would be.

The sprogs and the other leaders were a good laugh, and the little darlings seamed to pick up a lot of what being a Patrol Leader is. Tho, only time will tell if they really have learned anything from the experience.

Chris, (my District Commissioner for Scouts) am sorry to tell you that I no longer drink alcohol... so you will have to find other methods.


... I suggest chocolate =)