New group celebrates joining Scout movement

The group has been running under the supervision and leadership of Blackpool District Scout Council for the last few weeks, with the Beavers, Cubs, and Scouts enjoying lots of Scouting activities.

Following on from the Beaver and Cubs concluding their particular activities, the parents were all invited into the main assembly hall, to watch first of all the leaders, and, school staff receive their new group’s neckers, then it was the turn of the children to make they Scout Law and Promise, and, excitedly be given their neckers.

The District Commissioner for Blackpool Scouts Victoria Da Silva, welcomed all the families to the group investiture and said how wonderful it was to see so many happy and smiling faces, and also a new group opening in Blackpool, and looked forward to seeing the neckers at many of the forthcoming district events and activities.

Andy Marsden, the West Lancashire county development officer, had a key role in getting the group up and running.

Remembering Baden Powell

By the time you read this article, the world wide movement of Scouting will have remembered last Friday our Founder Robert Baden Powell, First Baron of Gilwell.

In Blackpool District Scouts alone we have around 1,000 young people aged between six and 18 , supported by over 250 Adult Leaders, along with many Explorer Scout Young Leaders.

Baden Powell has been an inspiration to so many young people and leaders with many of his Leadership words, such as: “ A Scout smiles and whistles under circumstances”, “The most worthwhile thing is to try to put happiness into the lives of others”, or “A Scout is never taken by surprise, they know exactly what to do.”

Maps are still essential kit

The Ordnance Survey was first formed in 1791.

It was first used for military purposes, hence the word “Ordnance”, and in 1801, the first edition of the “One Inch to the Mile” was published

Even today, many of our outdoor activities rely on their use of map and compass, such as during a recent training exercise for Bowlander for the Scout Section.

Sat Nav cannot show contours on a hill, or mountain, the nearest public rural walk way access, telephone box, disused railway line, and many other features.

So as part of their journey of learning by doing like many other youngsters in Scouting, the Cubs of the 37th Blackpool had a chat about the features on a map with their leaders.

They discovered how the map is made into different numbered areas, what those features looked like, then the leaders gave out several maps of the same area, which the Cubs spread across the church hall floor.

They were then given challenges to find different features, and areas.

This type of challenge will go towards their outdoor challenge, and are used to handling the maps with ease, and understand what they have to offer..