[hisimp-chat] *New* Explorer Scout Group starting Friday 15th January, Cottenham Scout Hut @ 19:30 (for the 13½–18 yrs age range)

[Richard Martin]

 We're launching Explorer Scouts for Histon/Impington/Cottenham/Oakington.
Explorers is for the 13½–18 yrs age range.  Know anyone who might enjoy it?

Website:  http://www.histon-scouts.org.uk/drupal/node/118

The thing is, we need members.  You guys know kids who got bored with Scouts
or Cubs (or Guides or Brownies), maybe for good reason.  Have a chat?  See
if they'd like to try the real thing?  Please consider forwarding this to
anyone who might have the slightest interest :-)


  a.. Explorers is where it gets fun.  At 14, there is enough camping and
outdoor experience in the group that we don't have to waste a lot of time on
basic skills.  We can just get out and start having fun.  Learn as you go.
  b.. Age is no longer a barrier...almost anything is potentially on the
agenda: abseiling...climbing, caving, cycling...parachute, parascend,
paraglide, potholing...sailing, shooting... & zorbing.
  c.. On average, 50% of an Explorer Unit are girls.  And 50% do not come
directly from Scouts or Guides.  It's cool.  A good Unit attracts mates and
grows.
  d.. We're going to try running the main evening on Fridays.  It's exactly
when most older kids need to decompress.  Most 14-17 year olds are not able
to blag their way into pubs these days.  Explorers might become the best
part of their social life.
  e.. Explorers (and it's predecessor, Venture Scouts) have been mixed
(co-ed) since the '70s
  f.. Adults set a framework.  The Explorers get to organise as much of the
rest as they are able and willing to take on, including organising their own
events.
  g.. For badgework, we follow the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme as far
is it goes, plus a few Scouting specific things on top.  For those young
people that want to pursue this stuff, we're not only the best way to do
DofE, we're the safest and cheapest too.  Schools sometimes send them out
badly prepared.  This does mean that we will encourage our members to give a
little back and better themselves too, with community service and so on.
(BTW our top award is Queen's Scout, which includes D of  E Gold, and might
well be more useful than an A-level in getting some jobs.)  Members who
would rather just hang out are welcome too, so long they don't hold us back
;-)
  h.. We organise a major international expedition every 2-3 years so that
everyone gets a chance.  We're new... a local Cambridge Explorer Unit built
a Scout hut in Africa in 2008, brick by brick.  It's a bit like doing
(Operation) Raleigh before leaving school.  Just think how easy any future
gap year will be...
  i.. We organise a UK expedition every year.  We rarely hang around a
single static site for a week.  It might be in the highlands, or down a
river by kayak, or round the coast, probably carrying everything.  That
includes this Summer... we get to piggyback on the expedition organized by
Over and Hardwick :-)
  j.. Scout Uniform and Promise: we still have these traditional bits.
  k.. Trust.  As soon as we know who's who, and who can do what already, we
keep the paperwork light.  If they know how to camp, a quick phone call on
the Friday morning and they can be in a tent by Friday night, for the
weekend.  We know which pizza companies deliver to campsites.  We try as
hard as we can to take barriers OUT of their way.  14-18 year olds need a
level of freedom and empowerment.  Scouts gives them a safe environment to
learn.
The inaugural meeting on Friday 15th January will be in Cottenham. See the
website and facebook group for details.   I'll run the weeks in between,
which will tend to be more social, or local.  But we'll see how it shakes
out.  I'll run them at the 1st Histon (IVC Sport Centre) Scout hut if we get
enough members.  We have no idea what the balance will be yet.  That's one
of the reasons that I could really use your help!


Different units have different cultures.  We have no idea yet how ours will
turn out.  Young people from other units (or Rangers/Senior Section Guides)
would be welcome to try ours out in parallel if it's closer... or better.
We might get adrenaline junkies.  Or footballers.  Or a party crowd.  Be fun
to find out.


Website:  http://www.histon-scouts.org.uk/drupal/node/118


Forward this to anyone you want.  Read the website.  And join the Facebook
Group.  First meeting 15/1/10 Cottenham Scout Hut @ 19:30-21:30.  For
location, and for info after that, check the website.
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