Cubs - April/May 2010

The magazine for Cub Scout LeadersApril/May 2010

Have tools, will make

A practical guide to using knives

Suburban safariGo wild in your

local area

BOOKS BONANZA

BOOKS NEW

Activities and games,

whatever the weather Activities and games, Activities and games,

ALL WEATHER ADVENTURE

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Intro

Challenges, tips and tricks from your UK Cub Scout Adviser Graeme Hamilton

It’s great to hear that so many Cub Packs are taking up the challenge to

camp or sleepover in an unusual place during 2010. Do continue to email in

your plans. If you can, invite someone unusual to your event to help

generate some excitement – perhaps a local mayor, or even a celebrity or

radio station presenter. And don’t forget to build up some publicity around

the event. Afterwards, remember to send in some photographs or details to

the Cub Scout office at [email protected] Every participating Pack

will receive a certificate.

Development Advice and Support daysThis year’s round is complete. A good number of Assistant District

Commissioners (or their equivalents) have attended the events in all the

Regions and countries this year. Hopefully discussions at these meetings and

the resulting actions including development plans, skills workshops and

much more is now being shared at district meetings and in the support

visits. We’re already planning the 2010-11 round of meetings and I’d

welcome your thoughts on what we should be discussing.

Top tips Here’s some more wise words from readers on running a successful Pack:

• Attend leader meetings to exchange ideas.

• Be firm but be fair. Do not become over familiar with the children or you

will lose respect. That does not mean you can’t have fun, just know where

to draw the lines.

• Expect some evenings to go better than others so have spare ideas or

games to produce if something does not seem to be going well.

• Be organised – write everything down and don’t forget to order and

present any badges Cubs earn quickly.

• Attend a training course as soon as possible to meet others and gain ideas.

• Don’t try to do everything. Take it step by step and don’t be rushed into

taking on more than you are prepared to cope with.

Sound advice

4 NewsThe latest national

and local news

5 Sharpen up Simple tools using knives

6 Outside inSummer adventures

10 POPHelp bees and play foxes with

this outdoor programme on a

plate

12 On safari Look local for big games

14 Moving on, not moving outKeeping Cubs in Scouting

17 Celebrating safetyThe Home Safety Activity Badge

and an event to mark 100,000

activity packs being used

After reading the December/

January Cub supplement Wendy

Nicholls, Assistant Cub Scout

Leader for 7th Manchester Cub

Scouts in Failsworth decided

to create a Tree of Life. She said

‘The idea was from Charlie Dale’s Make and Do. Our Cubs

really enjoyed this activity and

hopefully they can fulfil their

hopes and promises for 2010.’

Contents

Editors:Graeme Hamilton, UK Adviser for Cub ScoutsNicola Ashby, Programme and Development Adviser for Cub [email protected]

Published by: The Scout Association, Gilwell Park, Chingford, London E4 7QW

Contributions to:[email protected]

This issue’s contributors:Nicola Ashby Charlie DaleGraeme HamiltonRuth HubbardDave Wood

ADVERTISINGTom [email protected]: 020 8962 1258

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4 Cubs April/May 2010

Faith and awareness events June/July

June5 World Environment Day

1 Volunteers Week

3 Corpus Christi (Christian)

14 Refugee Week

16 Dragon Boat Festival (Chinese)

16 Martyrdom of Guru Arjan

(Sikh)

20 Father’s Day

21 Recycle Now Week

July6 Children’s Art Day

8 The Prophet’s Night Journey

and Ascension (Muslim)

9 Anniversary of the Martyrdom

of the Bab (Baha’i)

11 World Population Day

13 Ratha Yatra (Hindu)

15 Chokor (Buddhist)

20 Tisha B’Av (Jewish)

26 Asalha Puja (Buddhist)

26 The Night of Forgiveness

(Muslim)

News News and views in Cub Scouting.

Email your stories, reports and opinions

to [email protected]

Haiti support Following the devastating earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Scouts from the UK

and around the world have responded through fundraising and action to

help the victims.

Cub Scout Sixer Barnaby was so moved he decided to make a difference

and raise some money for the children of Haiti. Using his creative abilities,

he made notebook covers, selling them at Cub meetings. So far, he has

raised £38 but is hoping to reach £50.

His Cub Leader said ‘We are overjoyed at having such a thoughtful and

caring Cub in the Pack.’ Barnaby designed the covers using a method called

marbling, where paper is carefully placed in water containing oil-based

paint, then removed and allowed to dry before being used to brighten up

the notebooks.

Every little counts and Barnaby’s efforts have contributed to the millions

of pounds raised for Haiti.

Be prepared for summer As camp season is upon us don’t forget to use the new home contact

system called InTouch. A more flexible system that can be used for all

activities and events, it helps everyone to stay in touch. For full details visit

www.scouts.org.uk/intouch. For advice on the system or any other Scouting

related info as you prepare to go outdoors, call the Scout Information

Centre on 0845 300 1818.

Books bonanza for better Cub ScoutingWith advice and guidance on everything from planning a night away to

packing a rucksack and running the perfect camp games and activities the

new Nights Away book is the essential guide to overnight trips.

The Pack Programme Plus book has been such a success we’ve

produced a volume two for you, packed with even more ready-

made programmes for a full year.

We’ve also created a series of new games books for Beaver, Cub

and Scout Leaders. Packed with games specifically for a Cub Pack

and split into chapters of different game types, the Cub Scout Games Book is a handy and colourful guide for Cub Scout Leaders.

Order today at www.scouts.org.uk/shop.

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Skills

B eing able to use a knife is a traditional skill,

which many feel is suitable only for older

Scouts. Provided simple rules are followed,

there is no reason why a Cub should not use

a knife and in doing so learn to see it as a tool which

makes everyday life easier.

Making a toggleToggles can be used to identify an individual’s mug and

then to attach that mug to the outside of their pack. They

are easy and fun to make – I’ve made them with Beaver-

aged children.

You will need:• A finger-thick, green hazel or birch stick about 15cm long

• A length of thin nylon cord

• Small, sharp knives with blades no longer than the

width of a hand. Blunt knives are dangerous as they

require more force behind the blade. Mora knives are

widely used by bushcraft practitioners and are a great

investment for any Scout Group, while Opinel produce

a round-tipped safety knife often used for teaching

younger children. But do beware as it does look like a

butter knife, which can be misleading.

1. Cubs remove the bark from the top third of their stick

and sharpen the end to make a ‘fang’, as if they were

sharpening a pencil.

2. Cut a small groove (2mm deep) towards the base of

the fang. Then cut out a deep wedge about 2cm below

that right around the stick (Cubs may need help at this

point), so the fang can be snapped off.

3. Tidy up the snapped end (an adult should do this) –

the longer the fang the safer this is!

4. Make a loop in one end of the nylon cord, then

either tie or whip the other end tightly around the

shallow groove in the toggle.

5. The cord can then be threaded through a mug

handle or similar, the toggle pulled through the loop

and attached to a rucksack

or belt.

Safety checks1. Set clear safety rules

before the knives even come

out of their locked box:

• Never cut towards yourself

or someone else.

• Keep knives in their sheaths

when not in use,

particularly if walking.

• Never use in poor light.

• Never lend a knife.

• Always treat it with respect

– make it clear that any

silliness will immediately

result in the knife being

taken away and

participation ending.

2. Tell the Cubs ‘if in doubt,

stop and ask an adult for help’.

3. 1:1 supervision (1:2 at most)

by an adult who knows how to use a knife.

4. Work in small groups – a Six at a time is plenty.

5. Use a separate room, or a quiet area free from

distractions. If behaviour shows ANY sign of lapsing, or

distractions occur, supervisors MUST act immediately

and consider stopping the session.

6. Demonstrate the basic knife grips (the power grip and

reinforced ‘pencil-sharpening’ grips will be sufficient).

7. Use soft, knot-free, green sticks such as hazel or birch

8. Use a section of log or chopping board on a table to

support the work.

9. Count the knives back in at the end of a session and

lock them away.

Sharpen up Simple tools using knives,

by Ruth Hubbard

A toggle is a handy implement

to attach a mug to a bag.

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6 Cubs December 2008/January 20096 Cubs April/May 2010

Outside inBe prepared for anything, whatever

the weather. By Dave Wood

M any Cub Packs plan to have their

summer term’s meetings out of doors

and, of course, camps are primarily

outdoor events. Even if the forecast is

poor, a marquee or some large gazebos that could be

erected just in case and a good supply of raincoats and

brollies will prevent you from cancelling. Do make sure

you accommodate for any bad weather, and make

alternative arrangements. Otherwise, what was to have

been a memorable, exciting activity for everyone can

quickly turn into a disorganised nightmare. It is rare that

you would need to cancel an outdoor activity

altogether and just a little preparation will prevent a

meeting being a wash out.

I’ve compiled a broad mixture of indoor and outdoor

activities that may trigger your imagination as you plan

your summer programme.

Countryside codeBefore letting your Cubs out into the great outdoors,

it’s a good idea to ensure they are all aware of the

Countryside Code. Play them the short Creature

Comforts video (www.tinyurl.com/

countrysidecodevideo) and ask them questions in their

Sixes about what the characters say and do.

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Programme ideas

Mr Grass tube

you will need• a plastic cup and a cardboard crisp tube

per person• potting compost• stones • grass seeds • plain paper• sticky tape • colouring pens.

1. Cover the tube with white paper and

decorate it to look like a person, with their

head right at the top.

2. Put about 5cm of stones in the base of the

tube, then wedge the plastic cup into the top.

3. Fill the cup with potting compost and sow

the grass seeds, watering well.

4. Leave on a sunny windowsill and it will soon

sprout lovely green hair.

Cereal bars

you will need• 65g low fat margarine• 160ml runny honey• 50g brown sugar• 130g wholemeal flour• 100g sunflower seeds• 200g rolled oats• 160g chopped dried fruit (raisins etc)• 50g chopped nuts (check for allergies)• 25g sesame seeds.

1. Melt the margarine and add the honey and

sugar, stirring carefully and bring to the boil.

2. Simmer for five minutes then remove from

the heat and let it cool for a few minutes.

3. Meanwhile mix up the dried ingredients and

then stir into the cooling mixture.

4. Squash the mixture into a greased baking

dish and bake for about 25 minutes or until

golden brown.

5. Cut into slabs and enjoy.

Camp noticeboard

As a DIY Badge activity before camp, Sixes

could make a camp noticeboard.

1. Using fibreboard (so pins can push in easily)

and strips of wood to make a surround, each

Six will then have its own place at camp on

which to view its points, menu, programme

and any other important things that happen.

2. Clever Sixes will make theirs self-supporting

so they can be sited indoors or out.

3. Astute Akelas will make a general camp one

which incorporates a clock, so no one has an

excuse for being late to anything.

Rainy daze

you will need• two buckets• cup• chalk• water.

1. Find two leaders who are either exceptionally

brave or gluttons for punishment (or who are

absent during your planning meeting).

2. They stand at one end of the playing area,

holding a bucket. Cubs line up in two teams,

relay-style at the other end and have a full

bucket of water and a plastic cup.

3. On the word ‘go’, player one in each team

fills their cup with water and runs to a line

marked 2-3 metres away from their leader.

4. They then throw the contents of their cup

into the bucket.

5. They return and pass the cup to player two

who repeats the process.

6. When all have had a go, or after five minutes

or so, which team has collected the most water

in their leader’s bucket?

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Kite making

you will need (per kite)• A4 paper• 1 barbecue kebab stick• strip of plastic bag about 2m long• sticky tape• thin string.

1. Fold a sheet of A4 paper in half to A5.

2. Fold again along the diagonal line A.

3. Fold back one side to make the kite shape and

tape along fold.

4. Place stick from C-D and tape it down, trimming

to size.

5. Tape plastic ribbon to the bottom of the kite.

6. Flip kite over and fold the front flap so it stands

straight up.

7. Punch a hole in the flap about one third down

from the top.

8. Tie the string to the hole. You may like to wrap

the rest of the string around a piece of thick card.

A

1 2 3

4 5 6

A

B B

B

C

D

Model pioneering

Issue the Cubs with a bag of marshmallows

and some dried spaghetti. See if they can

create a model tower, table, chairs or other

creative design, using the marshmallows as

connecting joints.

Emergency wet-weather alternativesActivities that can be rustled up at a moment’s

notice and with minimal resources, could include:

• quizzes

• origami

• watching a film

• acting and drama games

• poster drawing

• mapping

• bingo

• book/TV/film discussions.

more info

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Programmes on a platePOPThis issue’s theme is outdoor adventure, compiled

by Nicola Ashby

Opening ceremony

10 mins Beliefs and Attitudes

Themes Introduce the theme for the meeting.

Bamboos for bees(POL ID: 24640)

30 mins Outdoor and Adventure; Creative

Make things; Outdoor; Themes

Bees are good pollinators of fruit trees, herbs and nectar-rich plants. Although honey bees are sociable creatures, many bees are solitary, and will be on the hunt for a safe, sheltered place to make a home.

- Cut a few stems of bamboo to a length of about 20cm. - Get the Cubs to bundle them together and tie with garden twine or string. - Leave them in a quiet corner of a garden, shed or garage (bees don’t like the

damp). - Solitary bees will seek them out, and you can watch them as they come and go. - Sometimes they’ll even build a tiny trap door inside, using a piece of leaf, to

keep themselves safe.

This idea was adapted from an article in BBC’s Gardeners’ World magazine.

Fox and hounds

30 mins Outdoor and Adventure

Outdoors;Games;Activities with others;Themes

- Split the Pack into two groups. - Each member of the first group is given a necker, and they tuck the top of

this into the tops of their trousers so that it hangs down like a tail at the back. These are the ‘foxes’, and they then ‘go to ground’ (hide). The hounds are held back to give them time and are then released – howling like a pack of hounds.

- The hounds search out the foxes and attempt to steal their tails. - A fox who has lost his tail becomes a hound dog. - The game is over when all the tails are retrieved, and the teams then switch

sides.- Hounds should be reminded that they are not allowed to tackle or grab

foxes, only their tails.

Notes: The hiding area should be agreed before the game so that no one goes beyond safe boundaries, and leaders should be placed at strategic points if necessary to enforce this. It is a good idea to know how many tails are in play and have a designated leader to return these to, so you know when the game is over. It is also good practice to have an agreement from the participants that a shout of ‘all in’ means that the game is over, any remaining hiders have ‘won’ and they must return to base (some find fantastic hiding places).

Closing ceremony


Prayer, worship and reflection

Activity/Game Time Zone Method Instructions


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Opening ceremony


Themes Introduce the theme for the meeting.

Bamboos for bees(POL ID: 24640)

30 mins Outdoor and Adventure; Creative

Make things; Outdoor; Themes

Bees are good pollinators of fruit trees, herbs and nectar-rich plants. Although honey bees are sociable creatures, many bees are solitary, and will be on the hunt for a safe, sheltered place to make a home.

- Cut a few stems of bamboo to a length of about 20cm. - Get the Cubs to bundle them together and tie with garden twine or string. - Leave them in a quiet corner of a garden, shed or garage (bees don’t like the

damp). - Solitary bees will seek them out, and you can watch them as they come and go. - Sometimes they’ll even build a tiny trap door inside, using a piece of leaf, to

keep themselves safe.

This idea was adapted from an article in BBC’s Gardeners’ World magazine.

Fox and hounds

30 mins Outdoor and Adventure

Outdoors;Games;Activities with others;Themes

- Split the Pack into two groups. - Each member of the fi rst group is given a necker, and they tuck the top of

this into the tops of their trousers so that it hangs down like a tail at the back. These are the ‘foxes’, and they then ‘go to ground’ (hide). The hounds are held back to give them time and are then released – howling like a pack of hounds.

- The hounds search out the foxes and attempt to steal their tails. - A fox who has lost his tail becomes a hound dog. - The game is over when all the tails are retrieved, and the teams then switch

sides.- Hounds should be reminded that they are not allowed to tackle or grab

foxes, only their tails.

Notes: The hiding area should be agreed before the game so that no one goes beyond safe boundaries, and leaders should be placed at strategic points if necessary to enforce this. It is a good idea to know how many tails are in play and have a designated leader to return these to, so you know when the game is over. It is also good practice to have an agreement from the participants that a shout of ‘all in’ means that the game is over, any remaining hiders have ‘won’ and they must return to base (some fi nd fantastic hiding places).

Closing ceremony


Prayer, worship and refl ection

Activity/Game Time Zone Method Instructions

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Test it outLet us know what you think of this programme on a plate. If you are trying

it out, please spare 10 minutes to email us your thoughts. Provide your

name, role, Group and number of Cubs and of course what worked and if

anything didn’t. Email [email protected]

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I t’s a little pricey to take a Pack abroad to a

jungle wilderness, or even to a UK safari park, so

let’s focus on the big adventures we can have a

little closer to home. All it takes is a bit of

preparation (which the Cub Scouts can help with),

comfortable shoes and an enquiring mind.

I bet there’s a lot about your local area that you don’t

know, and even the most independent Cub Scout is

unlikely to have explored very far afield. Mount a

reconnaissance mission to find out a bit more about your

locality and you never know what you might find out…

Reconnaissance mission First you need some maps of your area. In advance of

your Pack meeting, you need to hunt down maps of

your area.

If funds are tight and don’t run to buying more than

one map for your adventure, part of your recce mission

could be to take the Sixers to the local library to find

the best map to work from before you buy one. Each

Six will need a copy of the important points, so ask the

librarian for permission to copy any maps.

The Cub Scouts will see that there are lots of

different kinds of maps drawn to different scales and

from different points of view. Have you ever seen a

geological map of your area, showing all the rock

formations under the soil? Maps can make you look at

your local area in a new way.

For this project, you will need a map showing enough

detail to see streets and local places of interest (1:25,000

or even larger scale). If you are based in a large town or

city, you may have access to much larger scale ‘A to Z’

maps of your locality showing street names.

For outdoor adventures in bad weather, maps with a

plastic coating that you can draw on are great.

Once you have your maps, share them with the Cub

Scouts at the next meeting. This is when you will plan

your safari together.

Suburban safari or rural rampage?• First, where are you on the map?

• How far are the local points of interest from your

meeting place?

• How many churches or other places of worship are

there in a one-mile radius of the meeting-place? How

many schools? How many parks or playgrounds?

• How far do they think they can walk, as a group in

half an hour? Could they walk a mile out and a mile

back to the meeting place?

• Where would it be good to stop en route?

• Do the Cub Scouts know what the map symbols mean?

The spotter’s guide to homeUsing the map as a source of information, you need to

create a list of ‘things to spot’ for your journey to and

from a point of interest within a one mile radius of your

meeting place.

Your ‘Spotter’s Guide to Home’ could list things such

as cats, dogs, lamp posts, post boxes, blue cars,

manhole covers, litter bins, and so on, depending on

the environment. If your walk is likely to be through

countryside you could go for different species of trees

or birds, gates, farms, edible fruits or mushrooms.

Include some less obvious items too, to get the Cubs

thinking about their environment in a new way.


On safariCharlie Dale gets ready for a suburban adventure

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Make and do

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The challenge

you will need• sheets of paper (one per Six)• pen• clipboard (one per Six)• map.

1. Cub Scouts divide into their Sixes with the

appropriate number of adults to accompany

each Six.

2. Sixes and accompanying adults should leave

the meeting place at 5 minute intervals to avoid

walking together.

3. The Sixer is the guardian of the map and the

‘Spotter’s Guide to Home’!

4. Each Cub is responsible for calling out the

objects to the Sixer to write down on the list,

walking to and from the point of interest.

5. Cubs are also responsible for making sure

that the whole Six makes it to the destination

point according to the agreed map route!

6. Back at the meeting place, leaders collect

the Spotter’s Guides and see which Six spotted

the most of any item.

7. What did they learn about their locality from

the walk?

Indoor alternative: fantasy safari

If you can’t manage the outdoor safari, you

could make a fantasy map of your local area,

using a real map to plot the main streets and

then creating a whole new locality within that.

you will need• map• tracing paper• pens.

1. Put the tracing paper over the map and trace

on the main streets or roads of your local area,

leaving the details blank.

2. Photocopy this traced sheet for each Cub Scout.

3. Using coloured pens, Cub Scouts can create

a fantasy landscape using their local streets as

a template.

4. Would they have a zoo, or an adventure

playground, or a crocodile swamp next to the

meeting place?

The Ordnance Survey website contains

map-reading projects for schools

www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk

more info

CUBS FINAL.indd 13 12/03/2010 16:31

W ith continued growth over the last five

years, we’ve cracked the desire to join

Scouting, and can see growth in

younger Cubs joining.

However, if you look at our census figures more

closely, there is a common theme – that we are still

losing lots of older Cubs and younger Scouts. The table

(right) is composed of data for the UK from 2007, 2008

and 2009 census years. It shows that despite all our

good work in growing the section that we still have a

high drop-off at ages 10, 11 and 12.

Follow the green coloured boxes as one example.

There were 54,218 9-year olds in 2007. This dropped in

2008 to 46,863 10-year olds (a drop of 13.57%) and by

2009 when these children were 11 there was a further

reduction of 22.25% (down to 36,434).

Assuming all other things are equal and we are

measuring the same children each year that’s nearly

20,000 fewer young people actively involved in

Scouting than the previous two years. We’ve debated

this at the regional Development Advice and Support

days and recognise there are many underlying reasons.

‘No quick fix’There will be no quick fix to stopping the decline. We

also have to recognise that there will always be a small

reduction. For example Scouts could be on a different

night from Cubs, causing a clash with another activity,

or if the journey to the nearest Troop is not practical for

some. Whatever the case, there is still potential to

reduce the leaving rate and it is for all of us to recognise

the scale of the challenge in our areas and to help

leaders and the young people themselves find ways to

want to stay in Cubs and in Scouts when they get there.

By working jointly with the Scout section we can help

retain more young people through the transition phase,

and reduce this drop off.

age 2007 2008 2009

7 50942 52414 53838

8 54419 55441 8.83% 57245 9.22%

9 54218 56713 4.22% 56781 2.42%

10 45215 46863 -13.57% 47559 -16.14%

11 32145 33973 -24.86% 36434 -22.25%

12 30010 -11.67%

Moving on, not moving out


One of our biggest challenges is to

keep Cubs in Scouting after 10½.

Graeme Hamilton looks at solutions

cubs_040510.indd 14 11/03/2010 14:17

Moving on

Share your camp stories. If any other Counties

or Districts have done or are planning similar

joint activities to tackle the challenge of

drop-off at this critical age band, please share

these with us and we’ll feature in a future

supplement.

more info

15scouts.org.uk/pol

Joined up thinking Here are just a few innovative solutions that some

Groups, Districts and Counties are doing to help

Cubs move on to Scouts.

Joint activitiesMany Groups have a sound Moving-on process. Rob

Rowles from Gloucestershire and Ian Stewart, Cub

Scout Commissioner for Northern Ireland both

recently completed some research and developed

some practical support for leaders. Communication

between leaders of both sections and the young

people themselves was seen as the key.

Joint campsIn 2009 we saw the huge benefits through The Big

Adventure, encouraging adults to volunteer after

participating in a weekend of camping activity. The

Big Adventure will be repeated again in 2010. I’m

sure many of us, who have ever run a camp of any

kind, will agree that it’s the type of event that hooks

in most young people and their appetite is well and

truly whetted for the next camp.

I’ve had many leaders tell me about different

camps they have run – Pack-only camps, Group

camps where Beavers visit for the day and so get to

join in with the wider ‘family’ and do joint activities

some of these older Scouts, District camps just for

older Cubs or Sixers. I remember one District taking

all the older Cubs from Glasgow on a weekend trip

to London staying on the Scout project boat, the

Lord Armory in London’s docklands.

Ruth Bennett, Scottish Commissioner for Cub

Scouts told me recently about a camp that she and

the Scottish Scout Commissioner, Kenneth Robertson

have asked a team to organise for May 2010 at

Fordell Firs campsite. The idea grew from a joint

meeting of Assistant District Commissioners for Cub

Scouts and Scouts in 2009 to assist in reducing the

drop out rate identified above. The target audience is

some 500 Cubs and Scouts aged between 9½ and

12 years, hopefully camping together in Group

contingents.

The two-night weekend camp will include an

opening ceremony, a campfire on Friday evening and

two days of non-stop activities. As well as building

links between older Cubs and younger Scouts in a

group, the event also provides a chance to meet with

Cubs and Scouts from across the whole of Scotland.

This is a huge undertaking but significantly

demonstrates the leadership to tackle the issue at a

national level and in doing so to develop a model

that can be replicated at any level with the right

support. We’ll feature the outcomes of this camp in a

future supplement later in 2010.

Camping essentials The new Nights Away book

contains everything you need for a

camp or residential experience.

£8.50, item code: 1027818

www.scouts.org.uk/shop

cubs_040510.indd 15 11/03/2010 14:17

In a recent online survey by MSN, results revealed that

64% of under-18 year olds in the UK have been

contacted by someone they don’t know online, and

worryingly, over one third responded. February saw the

launch of the UK Click Clever, Click Safe, digital safety

code – ‘Zip It, Block It, Flag It’.

Internet safety tipsTo help make the online world a safer place for young

people share these simple safety rules with your Cubs.

• When chatting to people online, try not to give out

any personal information about yourself such as your

name, address, phone number or school.

• Only add people to your online sites who are your

friends in the real world.

• Never open an email from someone you don’t know,

always delete it in case it contains a virus.

• Treat people online with the same respect and

consideration as you would in the real world. Never

write anything that might hurt or upset someone

• It’s easy for people to lie when they’re chatting over

the internet, you should try not to meet up with

someone that you have met online. If you do decide

to go make sure you take an adult you trust and

meet in a public place.

• If you are ever worried about anything you see on

the internet talk to an adult you trust such as your

leader, parent or teacher.


Dive in

Click clever, click safe

L ife beneath the English waves can be as

exciting and colourful as any tropical reef. Over

10,000 creatures and plants call it ‘home’.

Become an undersea explorer and discover

shipwrecks, deadman’s fingers, mysterious places such

as the Mixon Hole all while gaining the Naturalist

Activity Badge.

Have fun and get crafty, try out our undersea

activities, make a wolf fish door guard or a basking

shark pen pot or fly a herring kite – you can even make

your very own undersea landscape in a shoebox

complete with creatures of the deep. Look through a

porthole and imagine you are a diver when you watch

our fabulous films from under the sea near to you.

Natural England can show you where you can go to

experience the best of England’s coasts, perhaps visit a

national nature reserve or join in at an event near you,

you’ll find all you need to know here too.

So have you got your snorkel and flippers? Let’s go.

Sharks, jewel anemones, kelp forests, whales, rocky

reefs and sand dunes as tall as Nelson’s Column – you

can find them all under the waves around England

Internet safety tips from Microsoft

For activities related to the Naturalist Activity

Badge visit www.scouts.org.uk/naturalengland

Discover more about England’s underseas at

www.naturalengland.org.uk/millionchildren

For more information on internet safety see page

70 of the main magazine and visit

www.scouts.org.uk/microsoft

more info

more info

CUBS FINAL.indd 16 12/03/2010 16:32

Partners

Double Dutch

Dig in for victory

Happy Easter from Original Dutch Edam!

This year Scouting is teaming up with the BBC to

encourage Cubs to grow their own grub. Here’s our

guide to planning your own plot or going potty!

D ig In is designed to get

you and your Pack

gardening by growing

some delicious

vegetables in whatever space you

have available. There are five featured

vegetables this year: carrot, salad,

courgette, basil and French beans.

You can order free seeds at www.

scouts.org.uk/digin, download the

activities and use the special Scout

link that accompanies the ideas.

Growing games and pots of projectsThere are also several activities on Programmes Online

to guide you through the season. Ranging from

decorating your pot to veggie trumps, they help you get

the most out of the campaign, and are linked to the

Global Programme Zone, which leaders have told us is

often one of the hardest to deliver.

Get startedTo begin your Dig In project go to

www.scouts.org.uk/digin where you will find links to

Programmes Online and a Get Started guide.

Download your fantastic free activity pack from www.scouts.org.uk/edam It provides fun activities, games and recipes to help your Cubs on their way to achieving their badge.

Programmes Online


For the second year running, Original Dutch Edam has teamed up with us to put the fun in outdoor cooking and sponsor the Chef Activity Badge

The Chef Activity Badge involves creating a delicious

dish and you can get some recipe ideas from the

Original Dutch Edam website, www.edammade.co.uk.

Or try rustling up your very own recipe using the

famous Edam wedge and ball, packed full of goodness

with 25 per cent less fat and 14 per cent more calcium

than cheddar.

Finally, don’t forget to don your Edam Chef’s hat and

send us a picture of you and your Cub Pack making

your yummy dish.

Send to [email protected]

or post a copy to:

Original Dutch Edam

4 Great James Street

London WC1N 3DB

CUBS FINAL.indd 18 12/03/2010 16:35

17scouts.org.uk/pol

Partners

Celebrating safety Over 100,000 Cub Scouts have been issued with activity packs since

National Grid began its sponsorship of the Home Safety Activity Badge

in 2007. So, National Grid did something special to mark the occasion

For more info on National Grid’s sponsorship of

the Home Safety Activity Badge visit

www.nationalgrid.com/uk/Community/cubscouts/

Free activity packs can be downloaded from

www.scouts.org.uk/nationalgrid

more info

Cubs at the event came from: 1st Dunchurch Cub Scouts

1st Barford Cub Scouts

2nd Warwick Sea Scouts

1st Stockton Cub Scouts

7th Warwick Jubilee Cub Scouts

1st Wellesbourne Cub Scouts

1st Harbury Cub Scouts

T o celebrate this milestone, National Grid

invited Cub Scout Leaders who work for the

company and whose Cub Scout Packs have

received funding from the company’s

Employee Community Grants, to bring their Cubs along

to a Mad Science event held at the company’s offices in

Bath Place, Leamington Spa.

Over 60 Cubs attended the February event to see Mad

Science put on a spectacular show of Fire and Ice, which

started the morning of activities. This was followed by a

selection of workshops where the Cubs were given the

opportunity to learn about electricity with the Watts Up

activity, which included making indoor lightning while

conducting hair-raising experiments with an electro-

static generator.

Highlighting the safety messageTransmission Director Chris Murray, who hosted the

event, said: ‘Sponsorship of the Cub Scout Home Safety

Badge has allowed us to get our safety messages to

over 100,000 Cubs and their families. Safety is a key

issue for National Grid and helping young people

become aware of the importance of safety in their

home environment is a very good place to start.’

Leader, Janet Crossley from the 2nd Warwick Sea

Cubs said, ‘I am delighted to be able to bring my Cub

Scout Pack along to the event especially as they are

currently working on the Home Safety Badge. The pack

is designed to be interesting and fun. We had a great

laugh using the scratch and sniff card so I could teach

the Cubs what gas smells like.’

Phoebe from 1st Wellesbourne Cub Scouts said

‘Coming along to this Mad Science day was cool.

My friends will be so jealous. They don’t get to do stuff

like this.’

Back row: Peter and Sarah from MAD Science with Chris Murray (centre) Front row: Cub Scouts Dominic

(8) Tom (9) and Katie (8)

Cub Scouts Adam (8), Sarah (9) and Toby (9)

Front left to right: Cub Scouts, Ben (8) and Ellie (9)

Phoebe from the 1st Wellesbourne shows off her Home Safety Badge.

Janet Crossley with

Chris Murray and the 60 Cub Scouts

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Documents

Cubs - April/May 2010