Scouting

[JohnM20]

Hi All
Talking with a couple of caravanning friends the other day we pondered the question, how many people in Scouting (as we three are) are caravanners or, put the other way round, how many caravanners are members of the Scout Association. We could count quite a number of our Scouting acquaintances who we know are 'vanners. It would be interesting, (but probably completely pointless) to know how many more are out there. Just for the record, I'm the Manager for our District Active Support Unit.
JohnM

 

[ValA.]

Or even how many campers or caravanners used to be Scouts or Guides in their youth? We both did! Our camping friends both did. Our camping sons did. Their camping sons did. Two lots of other caravanning friends did. My sister and her husband did!.................................!

 

[Jennifer2]

I was in the Guides, great fun! I was also a Cub leader for a while. My Dad was a Scout leader, latterly a County Commissioner, my mum was a Guide, and a Cub leader too. Our son was in the Scouts, his wife is a Beaver leader. And our daughter was in the Guides.

I look after our Guide Hall, seems we retired people have plenty of time for these things, OH is our "handyman" !!

 

[PR]

I have been a 'Scout' since I was a lad. Now a leader trainer! Took to caravaning as I am getting rather artheritic!

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

Been in Scouting for years, hence the name. Spent many years camping with the family collecting more and more items: trailer, frame tent, toilet tent, chemical toilet, gas bottles, kitchen sink, etc. But about 5 years ago I called a halt to the wife buying anything else 'cos it was always me who had to unpack at the start and pack again afterwards and suggested a caravan. The wife said they were too claustrophobic, but I said no more than a tent. Managed to get her to go into a caravan and she decided that the hot and cold running water, central heating, sprung mattress, etc swayed the balance. Hence we are now happy caravanners.

 

[Easyvanner]

Don't you have to rub two boy scouts together to start a camp fire

Only ever did the Cubs thing myself and did cycling and camping trips and then scooter and motor cycling in my teens and twenties.
I was more interested in Girls than scouting

My wife did all the Brownies and Guiding stuff and we even went camping on our honeymoon. It rained every day, not that we really witnessed it

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

I never got past Cubs. The only memory, which probably was the reason I never progressed any further, was total boredom practicing different knots.
I also remember joining the Pathfinders which was run by the Co-op. Again total boredom learning about the history of the Co-operative Society.
I learned more playing doctors and nurses with friends which probably led to my career with the ambulance service ..... heh! heh! heh!

 

[Easyvanner]

I thought all you peers were public school types and into bondage and other 'activities' where knowledge of knots would have been useful

 

[ProfJohnL]

Scouting has been perceived as being slow to take up new ideas, and to make use of new technologies, And i think that was probably true, but ther has been a change in he last ten years, with new programmes and methods.

I seem to recall that Baden Powel had one of the first caravans in the country, In fact he was very pro technology but also like to keep basic skills alive. I often wonder how he would view the Scout Movement as it is now.

I strongly support the movement, It has the capacity to do a lot of good for youngsters, exposing them to a wider range activities than they are likely to get at home or in school,

But I do find some of its POR's to be unreasonable, or perhaps its just the way sone counties and districts interpret them, especially the modular training scheme, which fails to be consistently managed and assessed across the country. Despite that we do now have better trained adults than every before.

We have Air and Sea Scouts any one want to start a Caravan Scouts unit?

 

[Philspadders]

i tried the scouts but found some of the "excersise" a tad ridiculous and was told that i was perhaps better suited to the discipline of the Boys Brigade.... that did not work out either, there was something a little bit too " hitler youth" about it.

Still , i never ended up in a life of crime, i learned how to skin a rabbit ( after making my own snares), poach trout in the river Wye( after maiking my own night lines , catch ducks to sell to the local butchers and light BIG fires under trees that needed the fire brigade to put out.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

I thought all you peers were public school types and into bondage and other 'activities' where knowledge of knots would have been useful

Bondage came later but by then duct tape was far easier to use

 

[JulieT1]

My husband was a Scout, our 2 sons joined Beavers aged 6 and have both continued through to Explorers. Our eldest has helped with one of the Cub packs for 5 years, our youngest for 2 years as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Awards. They have tried loads of activities through scouting and made good friends with like minded people, it's been very worthwhile for them. The only problem is that once your kids are involved, willing parents gradually get roped in because the groups/leaders are so desperate for help. My husband ended up taking over a cub pack to stop it closing completely and I am on the committee and do alot of the admin. I think we'll be involved for a while yet!

 

[Dustydog]

My old Uncle Ron was District Scout Master at Atherstone. He had a smal farm and we spent most summers living under canvas and getting all those lovely badges that mum spent hours sewing onto our green jumpers.
And as for knots SWMBO spends hours brushing the them out of the dogs.