Tuesday 27 November 2012

Fitness Challenge

Tonight we managed to resume the fitness challenge with the cubs.

This is a busy badge with a lot of work to be done at home as well:


  • Show how you have done your best in a sport or activity over a two-week period. This can be something new or a sport or activity you currently take part in.
  • Show how you have improved your physical fitness over a two-week period. This might include examining what you eat and improving your diet, how much exercise you take, how much sleep you get and how you might continue to improve your fitness in the future.
  • Try two new sports or physical activities at least once. For example, tennis, dance, basketball or tai chi.

We have measured their fitness level over a small number of tasks. After the Christmas break we will re-measure them and look at trends.
Exhausted after the fitness challenge
We also did some fire safety, specifically safety with matches and candles as Christmas is coming. This was done in a fun way. We had two teams running relays. The cub would approach the table and strike a match to light a candle. They would dispose of the match and then blow out the candle. Once they had the hang of lighting candles we upped the ante by having then move the candle to the other table and blowing it out there. Aspects such as the safe way to handle a box of matches, checking for hanging clothes, reaching over flames, leaving unattended flame were all addressed.

Tuesday 20 November 2012

Climbing Wall

We were a bit short on the ground tonight. Green Six were missing in its entirety - it seems they are all away with the school. This scuppered our plan to do the fitness challenge with the Cubs.


It did allow us to hit the climbing wall though!

We had a few quick rounds of Mosquito Tig and Silly Chicken but this was just to limber them up.

After an introduction and a quick traverse of the lower wall we got the cubs harnessed up and let them attempt the full wall.

The cries of "its easy" quieted down as they made their attempts, but they all did really well.

They all managed to ring the bell at the top.

A full on game of hockey followed by a few rounds of the 60 second game finished the evening.

Next week its the Fitness challenge (fingers crossed)

Tuesday 6 November 2012

Short Table Tennis?

Tonight we brought out the table tennis bats and set the cubs up for a game.
After a few attempts we felt that the level of bounce was beyond our ability so we invented Short Table Tennis. This replaces the normal ball with a normal tennis ball sized foam ball. This makes the game much slower. By adding an element of volley ball (any number of bounces on each side) we began to get some rallies.

While we were inventing this game, the other cubs were playing table air football.This involves 2 teams, straws, and a table tennis ball.
We finished off the evening with a rousing game of Total wipeout followed by the 60 second game.

We obviously got their heart rates up tonight as no one hit the times as accurately as normal.

Remember the Armistice Parade this Sunday at 1015 at the Scout Hall. Full Uniform please.

Also no Cubs next week (13 Nov) as too many cubs will be at Parents night at school

Tuesday 30 October 2012

Happy Halloween

Tonight was the Halloween party. Cue Cubs in a variety of costume - we had a pair of clowns, a pair of ghosts, a manic doctor, a giraffe, a skeletal pirate, a werewolf, to name a few.
Good fun all round!

Tuesday 23 October 2012

Back from Holiday

Welcome back from holiday.
We started off tonight with a new game - Chinese football. This is where you have two teams defending their goal by linking hands and blocking the goal. The scoring team can only hit the ball with their hands and have to bend over to do it. The 'Chinese' part comes from the fact that it suits a large number of players at a time. Sadly, with our small numbers it didn't work well at all. A fiasco might be a better explanation. Perhaps once we recruit more or have a shared event...

We quickly followed this with Husky racing. A cub sits on a tea tray while another has to slide them to the end of the hall where they swap positions. The first team to get all their cubs to the wall and back win. The first few attempts were pushing.

They soon found out that all of them pushing was even better. Soon someone realised that pulling was even quicker!

After this we took advantage of the smaller than usual numbers and managed a 'proper' game of indoor hockey - the first time I think we have ever managed to do this.

After a well needed rest and drink it was clothes peg tag. This is where each cub has 3 clothes pegs clipped on their back. They have to capture pegs of everyone else while defending their own pegs. Captured pegs are clipped to their front. Last one with a peg on their back wins and who ever has the most pegs comes second.
To slow everything down for the end of the night we played sneak the keys.  A blindfolded cub armed with a torch, has to listen for the cub trying to sneak the bunch of keys from beneath his seat. If the cubs hears you and shines the torch on you, you are out.
Good fun and lot of laughs tonight.
Next week its the Halloween party. Costumes and no uniform required.

Tuesday 9 October 2012

Model Painting

We had part 2 of our clay model making but before that we had a quick game of something like volleyball or croquet...
We had the Cubs stand in a circle with their legs apart. They then had to get a ball through another Cub's legs in order to eliminate that cub. Last one standing won.

Despite being quite a simple game it got quite competitive.

We then got the clay models out from where we left them to dry last week. We were lucky and all had dried and none seemed to have broken, but some we a bit delicate so the glue came out to repair some paint damaged petals.

Once the paint was on, glitter was added and masterpieces were completed.

The last event of the evening was bucket ball with a sin bin. Bucket ball is always a popular game (its like basketball but you have a team mate hold the bucket to catch the ball)

The introduction of the 'sin bin' was tried for the first time tonight. Traditionally, there is always a bit too much running (once you have the ball you are not allowed to move your feet) and crowding of the goal catcher (there is an exclusion zone around the bucket). Tonight we simply set the offending cub into the bin for a short time. It worked a wonder. After the first few exclusions the game picked up quite well.

No cubs next week as the schools are out.

Bonfire Night

We have organised our annual bonfire and fire works display for Sat 3rd November. We hope you and your family and friends shall come along and support us.


We shall light the fire at 6.30pm and set the fire works off at 7.15pm.

We shall provide a B B Q with hot and cold drinks for all.

If you have any queries, please feel free to give me a call.

PS – any donations of home baking/cakes would be very welcome – if these could be dropped off at the hall on the Saturday afternoon that would be appreciated.






Armistice Parade


This year’s Armistice Parade will take place on Sunday 11th November.  
Our short service of Remembrance will be conducted in the Scout Hall, Loans.  
We should all gather there at 10.15am for the service starting at 10.30am.  
The collection, as usual, will be sent to the Earl Haig Fund.  
Cubs and Scouts will, thereafter, march to the Memorial at the Village Cross to lay our wreath at 11.00am, with Beavers and parents walking along to join us there.  
We normally have an excellent turnout for this event and would hope to see you all again this year.

Many thanks
Philip McGowan
Group Chairman

Tuesday 2 October 2012

Model Making

Bit of a busy night tonight.
We started the cubs off with a quick round of dodge the ball. In this game if the ball hits your legs you sit out. As more Cubs are out you get added back into the game as only 4 can be out at a time. Its a good one to get everyone fired up.
We then calmed it all down again.
We had part one of our clay model making sessions. Each cubs was given a fist sized amount of clay and let loose with their imaginations. We had a dinosaur which became and squirrel, a flower, a boat, and a few finger bowls. Next week they will paint the dried clay. This was the first time in a long time that we made use of clay and the cubs seemed to really enjoy it.
It also took a remarkably long time to get their models the way they wanted them so we only had time for a game of detective.
To end the evening we issued some badges.
One cubs has completed his Home Help Activity badge and another cub was invested, and then issued the badges he earned at the recent Olympic Camp.
Another cub was promoted to Sixer in preparation for the Moving On of the current Sixer.

Sunday 16 September 2012

Olympic Camp

This weekend we ran our Olympic Capers Camp at the Loans Scout Hall.
In total we had 15 Beavers and Cubs, all of whom seemed to have a great time. Personally I missed the start not being able to arrive until the end of Friday's activities. By the time I arrived I missed the Opening Ceremony, supper, the Entertainment, the Hike, and the Glow Sticks. All I got was the film before bed.

Saturday morning dawned early, but was a dry day.
We all tucked into breakfast of cereal, eggs, bacon, sausage, square sausage, hash brown and beans because we had a busy day ahead of us.
After breakfast the teams had their colours painted onto their faces and it was outside for the first three events: welly toss, long puck, and a sock lob.
After these three we had our first relay race. This was a long one. The five stages covered the entire perimeter of the field outside the hall. And they had three permutations to run giving them all a good workout. After a short break we resumed with our archery competition.

While lunch was being prepared, the Beavers and Cubs produced drawings of their favourite moments so far.

This soon evolved into a paper air plane construction master-class.
After lunch it was back outside for the team pole vaulting relay race (which was actually very funny to watch). Then the toughest assignment so far - The cream cracker challenge - the first person to eat a cream cracker and then whistle! Much, much harder than it sounds.
We finished the day of with a game of rounders.
Back in the hall for the closing ceremony and awarding of badges which took quite a long time:
The Beavers all earned their Nights Away, Hikes Away, Adventure and Health & Fitness badges



while the Cubs earned their Nights Away, Hikes Away, Entertainer and Outdoor Challenge badges.




Everyone who attended also earned their Olympic badge and a commemorative trophy.


Tuesday 11 September 2012

Passports

We had an energetic evening tonight.
After warming the Cubs up with a game of hockey we settled them right down by fingerprinting them for their Olympic Camp Passport which they will need this weekend.
This led us into the discussion about some do and don't for this weekends camp:

  • Do have the right gear and let us know if you won't have it;
  • Don't bring any battery powered items except torches. No phones, mp3s, laptops or psps;
  • Do bring old clothes, not you best new outfit as we will be outside;
  • Don't leave things laying about as they will probably get wet;
  • Do bring some sweets;
  • Do not bring so much sweets that you make yourself sick.
  • Do have fun!

After some rowdy Port Starboard and Jump the rope we awarded some badges - 3 pet carers and one IT proficiency badge which the Cub worked on at home.

Tuesday 4 September 2012

Funky Chicken

Played a new game tonight, involving a  rubber chicken.
Is a variation of an old favourite where the cubs have to crawl between the legs of the rest of their team and be the first to make the rubber chicken squeak.
That's a rubber chicken they are racing towards

Its amazing how much fun a rubber chicken can bring to a party!
We then split the pack. The cubs who were present last session completed the final tasks on their Home Safety badge with Dave and Gillian (Akela and Otter) while the new cubs came with me (Bagheera) and the youth leaders to explain about the Promise, the history and what is involved with their upcoming investiture.
After a snack we played a few sessions of Jump the rope and finished off the night with a couple of rounds of the 60second game.
After the flag break we handed out the Home Safety Badges to the cubs who completed the activities.

Wednesday 29 August 2012

Olympic Capers Camp

The Cubs and the Beavers will be camping out on the night of 14th September at the Loans Scout Hall.
Meet at the Hall at 7.15pm.
Collect from the Scout Hall at 3.15pm 15th Sept

The Kit List for this event is:

Complete uniform
Warm sweaters, jumpers or sweatshirts
T-shirts or similar
Trousers or shorts
Spare underclothes (one pair per day)
Spare socks (one pair per day)
Nightwear
Hike boots or strong shoes
Waterproof (coat and trousers)
Swimwear and towel
Hankies
Personal washing requirements and towel
Scarf, hat and gloves
Sun hat, sun cream and sun glasses
Sleeping bag
Foam roll / karrimat
Plate, bowl, mug and cutlery
Tea towel
Torch and spare batteries
Personal first aid kit
Day sack and plastic drinks bottle
Polythene bags (for dirty clothes)
Teddy! (Optional)


It is best to pack a rucksack or sports bag that you can carry on your back. Suitcases are not suitable for tents.
All items should be clearly labelled with the young person’s name.

Tuesday 28 August 2012

Global Challenge Badge

Tonight we started on our Global Challenge Badge.
As with many of the badges this is a multi-part activity to be carried out over a number of weeks, with work to be done at home.
Each cub will have to complete four of six activities.
This week we focused on step 1: Find out about the traditions, culture, food, religion and other interesting characteristics of a country different from your own.
With this in mind we started the evening with a game of Dingos and Hunters. This involved the Dingos wearing a tail and going off into the field to hide. The hunters were then let loose to capture the tail.
We then sampled Anzac biscuits and Damper bread. Akela explained the history behind both of these foods.
One of the young leaders then entertained us with a rendition of Waltzing Matilda. Akela translated and explained some of the more obscure Australian English words.
As the weather was still good, the Cubs finished the evening out in the park.
And the Leaders sang Waltzing Matilda...




Tuesday 21 August 2012

2012 - 2013 Session Starts

Tonight was our first night back for the new session.
We had a busy night with 10 Cubs present - 8 from last year and two new boys, one who has moved up from Beavers.

After reminding them about what we do it was straight into hockey. After that thirsty work we took advantage of the OK weather and let them outside into the park.
We finished off the evening with some ball games back in the hall and a short game of Mosquito Tig.
We handed out the permission forms for the Camp out on the 14th of September - more details to follow.
We hope all the Cubs are able to attend.

Monday 25 June 2012

End of Session Beach Party

Tonight was the end of session AGM. This year we had a very good turnout but we had to have the AGM before the BBQ. Naturally we had the food cooking already...
Once the technicalities of the meeting were complete the serious business of food was dealt with in short order. Hotdogs all round.
The sandcastle competition was quite intense...
Though not everyone agreed with the Judges decision.
The sun sets on another year for the 31st Ayrshire.
Back in August.
Have a good summer!

Tuesday 19 June 2012

AGM

Loans Scout Group AGM
Monday 25 June
7:00 until 9:00pm

  • Sandcastle Competition
  • BBQ
  • AGM

As a bit of a change, this year we are having our AGM on South Beach just out of the car park near Royal Troon.

This will let us have an end of session Sandcastle building competition, some beach games and a Beach BBQ in addition to the AGM.

All Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers and their families are welcome to attend.

Please check back here in case of any last minute location changes

Athletics Badge Take 2

Cubs waiting to start the 50m Sprint
What a glorious night.
We welcomed a new Cub moving up from Beavers.
Tonight we had those Cubs who missed the original running of the Athletics Badge get their chance to shine.
As not to exclude, we simply had all the Cubs redo the activities. This time everyone was able to achieve the requirements and were awarded the badge. Well done to all. It must be the first time a Cub on their first night received a badge.
After some time in the park it was back to the Hall for a "farewell to the session" meal.
The explorers had prepared hotdogs and pop corn for us all to enjoy.

Cubs are now finished for the session.
We will resume on 21 August at 1915 at the Scout Hall

Remember next week's AGM at 1900 MONDAY evening down at South Beach!


Have a good summer!

Tuesday 12 June 2012

Done: Smugglers Trail



What a beautiful night to be outside!
Tonight the Cubs along with a pair of Scouts, a pair of Explorers, and our 2 DoE students all took to the woods to walk the Smugglers Trail from Loans into Dundonald.
After starting off from Collenan Cottages just outside Loans we headed up the road passing cows and horses before entering onto the path proper.
With great excitement the cubs all found sticks to carry and poke at things.
As we passed the reservoir we explained how Troon's water used to come from there but how now it is just used for fishing.
After climbing some trees we finally caught up with the Explorers who had a campfire going along with some drinks and snacks.
After this short break it was a high speed trek into the park at Dundonald Castle as play time would be reduced the longer it took us to get there.

Tuesday 29 May 2012

Smuggler's Trail


There are no Cubs next week, 5 June, as the schools are closed.

Cubs will resume on the 12th June with our annual “Smugglers Trail” hike from Loans to Dundonald Castle.

This means the cubs will have to be dropped at the Bus Stop at Collenan Cottages on A759 (Loans Main Street) at 7:15.

Cubs will need to be collected from Dundonald Castle car park at 9pm

No kit is required and we will provide a drink and a snack.

Please make sure sensible shoes and appropriate clothes are worn!

Athletics Badge

Hectic night tonight.
Had the Cubs complete their athletics badge. This consisted of two running events - 50m sprint and a 50m skip; and 2 throwing events -ball and welly. Points are awarded for speed for the running events and distance for the throwing. The faster and further the more points.
A total of 8 points are needed to achieve the badge.
All but 2 of the cubs managed to get their 8 points and have gone home with their badge.
If we have an opportunity while the weather is still good we will let the cubs that didn't get the badge tonight (including those cubs absent tonight) try again.

Following a quick snack it was back out for a fast and frantic game of rounders.

Once the game was done we headed back in for the badges to be awarded and the route map for the Smugglers Trail to be issued.


No cubs next week and then the Smugglers Trail!

Wednesday 23 May 2012

Animal Carer Activity Badge

With our visit to the Heads of Ayr Farm Park, and handing out the pet care logs on Tuesday evening we have finally kicked off our Animal Carer Activity Badge which the Cubs can work towards over the summer.

In order to obtain this badge the cubs must do at least 3 of these activities:

  • Visit a zoo or wildlife park. Find out about some of the feeding habits and natural habitats of the animals they see.
  • Take care of a pet for three months and know the correct foods to give it. Be able to recognize common illnesses and know how to treat them.
  • Help to care for a farm animal and know the correct food to give it. Know how to recognize common illnesses and what special care is needed before and after the birth of farm animals.
  • Keep a record, in pictures, sketches, photographs or tape recordings, of bird, animal and/ or insect life in their garden or local area/park.
  • Know six different freshwater, seawater or tropical fish and what types of foods they eat.
  • Belong to an animal, bird or wildlife society. Either take part in one of its activities or make progress in any award scheme offered.
  • Find out about the dangers in the countryside that threaten wildlife and either make a poster, collage or drawing or tell other Cub Scouts about their findings.

Since we have already been to the Farm Park, that means choosing at least 2 of those that are left. Most of the cubs have a pet or animals at home so that makes the second choice easy too.

Tuesday 22 May 2012

Welly Relay

What a beautiful evening to be out and about. We spent almost the entire session tonight out in the park.
We started off with some jousting. With bamboo lances the cubs had to collect gold rings held aloft by our young leaders. The team with the most gold rings at the end would win. In order to rouse the cubs before hand we tried to get them to roar.
"What would a knight do before going out to joust!"
"Get up on his horse!"
Not the answer we had in mind but they got there in the end and the joust was on.
Its not as easy as it sounds. The lances are long and thin but the rings are small. And no one told the explorers to keep them steady.

Once that game over we had a welly relay. This one was easy. You fill your welly with water, run around the hall and then empty the (remaining) water into your bucket and pass the welly to your teammate. The first team to fill their bucket wins.
The instructions use 'remaining' so there is an expectation that some water will be lost from the welly during the run around the hall. However, once cubs started arriving back soaked with little or no water we discovered that the explorers had again added their own element into the mix. They were stationed halfway around, armed with water pistols. Now our cubs aren't going to let an explorer squirt them and not retaliate, especially if they are holding a welly full of water!

In order to let the cubs dry out a little we then organised a traditional obstacle course race.
Team 1 had to go over the climbing frame and then slide down the big slide at the opposite end of the park and return to the start. Team 2 had to go the other way. Once they arrived back one team complained that they had further to go. Naturally this means that they had to run it again but in the opposite direction. There were no comments about it the second time.

We headed back into the hall for a drink and a biscuit and to introduce the Animal Carer Activity badge which we want the cubs to work towards over the summer.

It was then back outside for the water balloon shot putt game.
The objective here is to lob your water balloon into the bucket for points.
As we completed setting up for this game we recognised how similar this looked to bucket ball. Bucket ball is like basket ball but instead of throwing into a basket mounted to a pole, you have a teammate hold the bucket and they can move it to catch a wayward shot.
Since the explorers had added their own mark to the other games tonight we felt bucket ball with water balloons would be a fitting variant.

The cubs were certainly excited about this, the explorers less so once they realised there were three of them and three buckets and that Dave, Gillian and I intended them to hold the buckets not us!
To their credit they accepted then and got stuck in. 
It took only a few moments to figure out that they would not get we if they actually caught the balloons as the water would not come out of the buckets. If they did catch a balloon then they would have water in their bucket which could be thrown at a cub.
Lets just say that almost everyone got a little bit wet.

A couple of rounds of mosquito tig finished off the evening.

Saturday 19 May 2012

Heads of Ayr Farm Park

We had a great day at the Heads of Ayr Farm Park.
This kicks off the Pets Care badge which the Cubs will be working towards through the summer. More details of this will follow...

The farm park has a variety of animals and a variety of 'activity zones' mostly involving jumping and sliding.

Once we arrived and made it into the park itself we headed straight to the slides - three different styles and 2 different heights.

After that session ended it was onto Fowl Play where two teams fire foam balls from air cannons at each other and at who ever decides to go collect the balls.
Then some animals - the Guinea Pig Village, the reptiles and horses.
This brought us to lunch at the tractors and the gift shop.
After lunch we headed out to the big field. Where the cubs immediately staked out the jumping pillows and the sand pit.
From here the group split with some heading off to the animals - goats, cattle, deer, donkeys, llamas and camels, while the others took part in water wars, aerial slides, bumper boats, and ringo sledging.
After a quick detour into Digger World we brought them all back into the adventure barn before back to the car park to be collected