GUIDEThe magazine for Cub Scout Leaders

August/September 2009

Fresh startsGet ready for the

new Scouting year

Brain trainers Puzzling puzzles

RESOURCES FOR YOUR ROLE

What you can do to help

keep Cubs in Scouting What you can do to help MOVING ON UP

cubs_NEW.indd 1 14/07/2009 15:42

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IntroEditors:Graeme Hamilton, UK Adviser for Cub ScoutsNicola Ashby, Programme and Development Adviser for Cub Scoutsprogramme@scout.org.uk

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

Contributions to:scouting.magazine@scout.org.uk

This issue’s contributors:Nicola Ashby Charlie DaleGraeme HamiltonDave Wood

ADVERTISINGTom Fountaintom@thinkpublishing.co.ukTel: 020 8962 1258

Top tips

Here’s a some more of your top tips

from the Your Programme, Your Voice survey

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.

As Cub Scouting records a growth for the third year running, we should all be proud of

our achievements, says Graeme Hamilton

It was thrilling to see that over the whole UK our section (along with all the

others) had grown again – for the third year running. Scotland, Northern

Ireland, Wales and England all grew and 45 of the 60 English Counties

celebrated having more people than last year. Every County in the

North-East region saw a growth in Cub Scouting – the only Region to

achieve that for our section.

It makes all the effort feel worthwhile, but there is no room for

complacency. There are plenty of Counties and Districts where numbers fell,

where adult support declined, where joining lists continue to grow and

where leaders struggle on trying to deliver a high quality and effective

programme week in, week out. Our work, and our support cannot end until

we have established a sustainable and developing section for the long-term.

Summer funI had a brilliant day at the Buckinghamshire

County Cub Camp in early May, where I

joined over 900 laughing Cubs at Phasel’s

Wood. I really enjoy these events – it’s a

simple but effective way of meeting leaders

in their own backyard and to discuss the

highs and lows of running or helping at a

Pack. I also noticed the effect such organised

fun has on adults. A dad said to me that he would definitely be taking out

an appointment in his son’s Pack – the Big Adventure definitely works!

I also met Joshua, who is only eight, but the best kudu player in the Pack

and as such was selected to officially open the camp, in a style reminiscent

of Baden-Powell opening the experimental camp at Brownsea island. The

kudu horn is over 70 years old and came across from a Scout group in South

Africa many years ago. It made the camp particularly special.

A growth story

4 Lasting impressionsIdeas for the new Scouting year

8 The right movesHelping Cubs continue their

Scouting journey

10 POPAn autumn programme on a plate

12 Tune in, camp out A jammin’ jamboree for Cubs

15 Safety fi rstCompetition results

16 Puzzled? You will be!Crafty crosswords and other

cunning make and dos

18 Get creative in the kitchenIdeas from Dutch Edam

Contents

cubs_NEW.indd 3 14/07/2009 16:55

4 Cubs December 2008/January 20094 Cubs August/September 2009

Lasting impressions

Start off the new Scouting year

with some help from Dave Wood

W here did that Scouting year go? It’s

hard to believe that those young

people who joined the Pack this time

last year may well have risen to be

Sixers or Seconds by now.

My wife bumped into a senior teacher recently, who

seemed to recognise her. It turned out that she had

been his Cub Scout Leader some 20 years ago (and

many miles away). He excitedly told her of the camp at

which I had shown off my skill at ‘stomach rolling’ – a

30-second diversion at a campfire – and had

subsequently learned to do it himself. The fact that he

remembered this tiny occurrence at a camp 20 years

ago reminded me of how every little thing we as leaders

do in front of the Cubs – both good and not so good –

can stay with them forever.

We should never underestimate the influence we

have on these young people as they pass through

Scouting. When we reprimand a child, would we want

the way in which we do it to be remembered in 20

years’ time? If we have a crafty beer at camp in the

evening, is that the memory of the camp the Cubs walk

away with?

My two youngest sons are starting their adventure

with the Cub Scout Pack this autumn and I’m sure

they’ll have a brilliant time, thanks to the team of

motivated, enthusiastic leaders. No doubt they will

gather heaps of memories, skills and experiences of

their own for the future which will make them

the citizens we, as parents, want them to be.

With all that in mind, here’s a selection of games and

activities to help get the new Scouting year off to a

swinging start and to provide some great memories…

Wave machine

you will need• soft drinks bottle• cooking oil• water• blue food colouring.

1. Half-fill the bottle with water and add a few

drops of blue colouring.

2. Carefully top it up with cooking oil and

screw the lid down.

3. Lie the bottle on its side and gently rock it to

and fro – the water and oil will slowly mingle

like waves on the beach.

4. Swirl the bottle and, if you’re lucky, you’ll

get a whirlpool effect.

5. Shake it and it will all mix, then you can

watch as the oil and water slowly separate.

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IntroIntroProgramme ideas

5scouts.org.uk/pol

Lasting impressions

Microwave chocolate cakeHere’s a brilliant quick recipe for Cubs to make

by themselves. I suggest that the Cubs make

one each and they are cooked while a game is

being played.

you will need • 4 tbs flour• 4 tbs sugar• 2 tbs cocoa• 1 egg• 3 tbs milk• 3 tbs oil• 3 tbs chocolate chips (optional)• vanilla essence• 1 large mug that is microwave-safe.

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together.

2. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.

3. Then add the milk and oil, mixing well.

4. Pop in some chocolate chips and a splash of

vanilla essence if desired.

5. Put the mug in the microwave and cook for

3½ minutes (800w).

6. Don’t worry if the cake rises over the top of

the mug.

7. Allow to cool (beware, the handle may be

hot) and either tip out onto a plate or eat from

the mug with a spoon.

8. Two or three mugs can be cooked at the

same time, but you’ll need to increase the

cooking time a bit.

cubs_NEW.indd 5 14/07/2009 15:43

6 Cubs December 2008/January 20096 Cubs August/September 2009

Money making challengeHere’s a great fundraising challenge over a few

weeks, possibly encompassing half term

holiday (so they have more time to work on it).

1. Give each Cub Scout a £1 coin, taped to an

instruction card.

2. They are challenged to return in six weeks’

time with as much money as they have been

able to turn their £1 into. Perhaps they can buy

some food ingredients, make cakes and sell

them to family and friends, investing the profits

in ever more ingredients? Maybe they can use

the £1 to buy craft materials to make items to

sell? Or they can simply do jobs around the

house and not actually use the money! Award

prizes for the most money raised and for the

cleverest ways of making money.

Instant omelette-in-a-bagAnother great individual cooking project.

you will need • a large egg• grated cheese• sliced mushrooms• a zipper sandwich bag.

1. Put a pan of water on to boil.

2. Crack the egg into the bag (perhaps line a

mug with the bag if the Cubs are a bit clumsy).

3. Close the bag and shake it around to beat

the egg.

4. Mop up the mess caused by the Cub who

was extra-clumsy.

5. Add the cheese and mushrooms to taste and

reseal the bag, trying to squeeze out all of the air.

6. Pop the bag into the boiling water for five

minutes… the bag will inflate but shouldn’t burst.

7. Remove carefully and tip onto a plate.

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scouts.org.uk/shop01903 766 921

Role

Pack

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Pack Assistant R R U U U U U

ACSL E E E U U U U

CSL E E E R R R U U

ADC (CS) E E E U U U R

ACC/AAC (CS) E E R U U U R

Programme ideas

Line of coinsAnother simple fundraiser.

1. Each Six is challenged to collect (with

permission!), copper coins from family and

friends, and which they bring along to a Pack

meeting.

2. Each Six then makes a continuous line of

their coins on the floor.

3. Which Six can build the longest line?

4. This can be great fun and you could turn it

into a race to see which Six gets to the end of

the hall first.

In the pond

you will need • a large circle on the floor using chalk,

the ‘pond’ • masking tape or a length of rope.

1. Players stand in a big circle around the

outside of the pond.

2. When the leader calls ‘In the pond’, players

must jump over the line and into the pond.

3. When the leader calls ‘On the bank’, players

must jump onto the outside of the line.

4. If the leader says ‘In the bank’ or ‘on the

pond’, players must not move. Anyone moving

at the wrong time is out and sits down on the

line. Repeat if time permits.

ResourcesAre you confused about which resources are right for your role?

The table below details which publications are essential,

recommended or useful for each role in Cub Scouting.

E Essential - considered essential that an adult in this role has immediate access to this resource in order to fulfil the role.

R Recommended - access to this resource will help an adult carry out this role more effectively.

U May be useful - an adult in this role may find it useful to access this resource from time to time.

cubs_NEW.indd 7 14/07/2009 15:44

8 Cubs August/September 2009

Membership by age

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Age

2006

2007

2008

The right moves

We lose most young people between 9 and 11, so what can we do to help

keep Cubs in Scouting? Nicola Ashby looks at the potentials and pitfalls

L ast year a project was set up on behalf of the

Cub Scout Working Group, looking at how

we retain older Cub Scouts and ensure a

smooth transition into the Scout section. The

Movement has seen an increase in membership over

the last years, and there is a steady increase in

membership up to age nine. However, there is then a

significant fall in numbers at age 10 and 11 (see below).

In order to investigate the issues, a questionnaire was

developed to collect the views of older Cub Scouts. This

survey was conducted at the Gilwell Fun Days in June

2008, as well as in a few Counties in England and at a

Northern Ireland event. Cubs were asked how they

enjoyed various activities such as games, residential

experiences, gaining badges etc in the Cub Scout

programme. They were then asked if they intended

moving on to Scouts, and what

they were looking forward to in

the Troop.

Our survey said!The results from the survey

showed that Cub Scouts

overwhelmingly enjoyed the

activities they had taken part

in during Cubs. Also, over

90% were planning to move

on to the Scout Troop. The

list of what they were looking

forward to in Scouts was long

and varied, but the favourites

were camping and outdoor/

cubs_NEW.indd 8 14/07/2009 15:44

9scouts.org.uk/pol

Moving on up

9scouts.org.uk/pol

adventurous activities, and making new friends.

Camping was by far the number one response.

There was no particular pattern to the few reasons

given in the questionnaire for not planning to move on.

To follow up on this we adopted a different approach,

talking to Cub Scouts in more detail in a few Packs.

There did not seem to be one all-encompassing reason

for not joining the Scout section but there were a

number of recurring reasons:

• The night clashed with other hobbies, football, judo etc.

• That there was not a Scout section within the group

to progress to

• The next nearest Group was too far away to travel to,

particularly in rural areas

• They did not want to go to that Group as they did not

know anyone there.

• The parents could not always be on call to transport

them to Scout meetings due to other calls on their

time eg younger children needed them to take them

to other activities.

• School activities and homework began to have a

higher impact on them which meant they had to give

up Scouts.

Once we had this information from the Cubs, we

took the opportunity to ask leaders how they managed

the Moving-on Award. It was clear there was a lot of

good practice going on between Packs and Troops in

many Groups. The Moving-on Award requirements are

quite flexible so they can be applied in different

circumstances across the Movement. However it is also

evident that more practical support in applying the

award would be useful, and this view is shared across

the sections.

So where do we go from here?We have already collected some good examples of how

the Moving On Award is used successfully around the

country. Our challenge is to capture these and provide

practical structures and methods to support leaders in

the moving on process, while maintaining the flexibility

in applying the award.

We know a high proportion of young people in Cubs

want the challenge and adventure of the Scout section,

but we also know there are factors which take them

away. If we can retain them and make the moving on

process work better, this means more young people can

develop their potential in Scouting.

Here are some ideas to get you thinking!

• Allow Cubs to attend on alternate weeks.

• Take time out for exams.

• Visit camps rather than attend the whole event.

• Make them welcome at the nearest Troop.

• Open new Troops.

• Collect and travel together.

What ONE thing do you think would improve the transition between Cubs and Scouts?Quotes from the survey:

• ‘Four sessions with the Scouts before moving

on to get to know each other’

• ‘A better link, having more activities together’

• ‘A special day, held say twice a year at at least

District and possibly County level for Cubs of

10+, introducing them to Scout skills so they

are excited about moving forward. Most of

my Cubs do go to Scouts and enjoy it but a

special event would be great.’

• ‘Get the Scout Leader involved in some Cub

activities so that they know them before

they go.’

• ‘I run both Cubs and Scouts, so no great

problem. But otherwise it has to be good

communication and cooperation between

sections. We invite older Cubs to attend some

District Scout activities which gives them a

taster of Scouting life.’

• ‘Inter-section activities so that the Cubs meet

the Scout Leaders and the Scouts who they

are about to join. Also, a previous good

transition which means there are a lot of old

Cubs at the Scout Troop who the Cubs will

know from their time in the Pack.’

• ‘Joint events. Our Scouts can only meet on a

different evening to Cubs, so Cubs don’t see

the Scouts very often, and when a lot of Cubs

go up Akela goes to Scouts until they have

been invested.’

• ‘More joint activities.’

Tell us what you thinkWe would be pleased to have your thoughts on this issue and, more importantly, to learn about your successes and good ideas so that we can share them with everyone. Please contact us at cub.scout@scout.org.uk

cubs_NEW.indd 9 14/07/2009 15:44

Opening ceremony

N/A 10 mins Beliefs and Attitudes

Themes Discuss the theme for the meeting.

Nature Detectives - Matching Leaves and Seeds

37961 20 mins Outdoor and Adventure, Creative

Outdoors This activity is one in a series produced for Nature Detectives from the Woodland Trust. These activities can either be done on their own or as part of the Ancient Tree Hunt.

You will need:• pencils• white paper.

What you do: 1. Print off the worksheet and copy so that you have enough for each Cub Scout.2. Hand out the worksheets and the pencils.3. Explain that they are trying to match the seeds to the leaves.4. Let the young people complete the sheets.5. Check their answers .6. You may wish to have nature identifi cation books to show to them, showing what

the different things look like.7. Explain to the young people that the things they are identifying can all be found in

and around woodland.

Autumn Place Mats

10215 20 mins Beliefs and Attitude, Creative

You will need:• coloured paper • glue • paint • pens • scissors • white paper • laminating machine and pouches or • clear sticky backed plastic or • clear pocket folders • leaves and apples.

What you do: 1. Make a collection of autumn leaves and apples - crab apples are ideal, you could go

for a walk in the local area the week before to collect the leaves and fruit.2. Spread newspapers out over the tables, and prepare the paint, which should be

reasonably thick. 3. Give each young person a sheet of A4 paper and they should start decorating

the paper.4. Brush paint on the side of the leaf with the more prominent leaf but not too thickly

and lay the leaf down on the paper and press. The Cubs can experiment with different patterns.

5. Decorate the paper in any way they want but leave a space in the middle to stick the prayer on.

6. Give each young person a cut out of an apple or leaf shape from a separate piece of paper. This could be on different colour paper and ask the young people to write a short prayer about autumn and/or the harvest, giving thanks for our food. This is glued onto their sheet.

7. When the sheets are all dry, put each into a laminating pouch and pass through the laminator. They now have a lovely place mat that can used at mealtimes.

Closing Ceremony

24641 5 mins Beliefs and Attitudes

Themes, Prayer, worship and refl ection

Ask the Cubs what they have learned.

Activity/Game POL ID Time Zone Method Instructions

Top

5 Pro

gram

mes

on

POL

(July

)

27523 Cub Scout Islam Pack

5275 Water water everywhere

45522 Go-anywhere orienteering course

43631 Map reading

39393 Human dominoes

Ref Activity name

10 Cubs August/September 2009

Test it outWe would love you to let us know what

you think of this programme on a plate. If

you are trying it out, please spare ten mins

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 cub.scout@scout.org.uk

Programmes on a platePOPThis issue’s theme is autumn.

Compiled by Nicola Ashby

cubs_NEW.indd 10 14/07/2009 15:44

Opening ceremony

N/A 10 mins Beliefs and Attitudes

Themes Discuss the theme for the meeting.

Nature Detectives - Matching Leaves and Seeds

37961 20 mins Outdoor and Adventure, Creative

Outdoors This activity is one in a series produced for Nature Detectives from the Woodland Trust. These activities can either be done on their own or as part of the Ancient Tree Hunt.

You will need:• pencils• white paper.

What you do: 1. Print off the worksheet and copy so that you have enough for each Cub Scout.2. Hand out the worksheets and the pencils.3. Explain that they are trying to match the seeds to the leaves.4. Let the young people complete the sheets.5. Check their answers .6. You may wish to have nature identification books to show to them, showing what

the different things look like.7. Explain to the young people that the things they are identifying can all be found in

and around woodland.

Autumn Place Mats

10215 20 mins Beliefs and Attitude, Creative

You will need:• coloured paper • glue • paint • pens • scissors • white paper • laminating machine and pouches or • clear sticky backed plastic or • clear pocket folders • leaves and apples.

What you do: 1. Make a collection of autumn leaves and apples - crab apples are ideal, you could go

for a walk in the local area the week before to collect the leaves and fruit.2. Spread newspapers out over the tables, and prepare the paint, which should be

reasonably thick. 3. Give each young person a sheet of A4 paper and they should start decorating

the paper.4. Brush paint on the side of the leaf with the more prominent leaf but not too thickly

and lay the leaf down on the paper and press. The Cubs can experiment with different patterns.

5. Decorate the paper in any way they want but leave a space in the middle to stick the prayer on.

6. Give each young person a cut out of an apple or leaf shape from a separate piece of paper. This could be on different colour paper and ask the young people to write a short prayer about autumn and/or the harvest, giving thanks for our food. This is glued onto their sheet.

7. When the sheets are all dry, put each into a laminating pouch and pass through the laminator. They now have a lovely place mat that can used at mealtimes.

Closing Ceremony

24641 5 mins Beliefs and Attitudes

Themes, Prayer, worship and reflection

Ask the Cubs what they have learned.

Activity/Game POL ID Time Zone Method Instructions

11scouts.org.uk/pol

For more great ideas visit www.scouts.org.uk/pol

cubs_NEW.indd 11 14/07/2009 15:44

12 Cubs August/September 2009

C amps are traditionally a place where you can

leave modern life behind for a short time, erect

your tent and get back to basics. But in some

cases technology can enhance and not hamper

the camping experience. The organisers of CubJam, a

week-long jamboree for 1,000 Cub Scouts, believe it is

especially important for Cub Scout age Scouts.

Bob Cooper and Steve Hall made a huge effort to

help parents discover real time what their sons and

daughters are doing for the week.

Steve said, ‘A camp like this can be more difficult for

the parents than the young people, especially as it is

often the first time the young people have spent so

long away from their parents. This is why we created

Cubjam Live – an online area where parents can blog,

read their children’s blogs, listen to the radio station,

text in messages and look at the thousands of

photographs uploaded each day. It’s proved really popular

and had over a million page views this week alone.’

One parent blogged on the site: ‘It’s been amazing to

see daily photos, read news, listen to the radio, add

requests, write and read blogs from our 1st and 2nd

Orpington Cub Scouts. Our son is obviously having an

amazing time, he looks so happy. A lifetime of

memories I suspect.’

The team also used advanced technology to deal with

the logistics of 600 Cubs transported to offsite activities

every day. ‘The coaches contain chips that allow us to

check from our computers exactly where they are at any

time of the day. This has been great as it means we can

tell which coaches are nearly back to site.’

The IT crowd But how do you organise such a high-tech event? It

helps that Steve runs his own IT business, so has the

skills in place, but he says that if you look around, you

will probably find enthusiasts in not just IT but media

and communications.

Hilary Galloway meets the organisers of

one jamboree using technology to beam

the adventure into parents’ homes

Tune in,camp out

cubs_NEW.indd 12 14/07/2009 15:45

13scouts.org.uk/pol

Feature

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‘Our radio DJs both do hospital radio, and we asked a

team of Explorers who are keen photographers to be

our resident photographers, which provides them with

a great opportunity to practise their skills.’

Back to basicsOf course, none of the technology hampered the actual

activities, and every day the camp was bustling with

Cubs climbing, go karting, testing their circus skills, and

on the last day they even held a carnival.

Louise Clover, media manager and contingent leader

said, ‘This is a great way for parents to give their

children a bit of freedom to gain their independence in

a safe environment. It’s also the first time that some

parents have really understood what Scouting was

about. We’ve already had five requests from parents to

come and help out at a meeting when we get back.’

The main aim of Cubjam is to encourage Cub Scouts

to meet others from across the UK, and remind them

that they have much in common with each other – no

matter their background or where they are from.’

A camp for all CubsCubJam is a jamboree for all UK Cubs. This year, Cubs

travelled from all over the UK, including Guernsey,

Wales and Yorkshire. It was held at Gilwell Park Scout

Activity Centre. The next CubJam takes place in 2013.

Join the mailing list at www.cubjam.org.uk/09

Happy campersJust some of the comments posted on

CubJam Live:

‘Wow! Seeing the smiles on all the Cubs

faces makes me wish I was ten again. There

hasn’t been a dull moment in CubJam and is

the most rewarding, happiest time of my life.

The experience I have gained is immense and it

makes me wish to become a proper leader

when I’m an adult. I am so glad that our leader

Sue organised this. Thanks.’

Samuel, 14, Sutton

‘This is the second time I have had a child on

Cubjam and the difference for us parents is

huge. Last time round you were somewhat

limited by the lack of technology, but this time

with the ease of uploading photos, blogs,

comments and FM we at home have felt as

included (almost) as our son.’

David, parent

‘It’s put all us parents’ minds at rest to see

and hear what a great time you are all having,

our children will remember this for the rest of

their lives, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou!’

Sarah, mum

cubs_NEW.indd 13 14/07/2009 15:45

All profits go back into Scouting. The Scout Association Registered Charity Numbers 306101 (England and Wales) and SC038437 (Scotland).

During CubJam:

- the website had 2,852,950 hits.

- the majority of visits lasted between five and

15 minutes.

- the most listeners to CubJam FM via the web

at any one time was 62, and they received

over 600 emails.

- 800 blog entries were posted online.

scouts.org.uk/shop01903 766 921

Campfi re Badge Item code: 1027066

£1A new fun badge for Cub Scouts. Shaped as an arrow to point the way to go.Size 12.5x11cm

Cub Zip Pull Item code: 1027063

£1.25A zip pull with the Cub logo that can be clipped on to your jacket, belt loop or daysack.

Cub Tote BagItem code: 1026565

£3A new sturdy Tote Bag for putting your various bits and pieces in. Approximate size 32x39cm

Adult Cub Hooded Sweatshirt Item code: 1024263R

£18The adult version of the Cub Hooded Sweatshirt has Cub embroideries on the chest and sleeve only. Great for wearing around the campfi re. Available sizes: small - XXL

cubs_NEW.indd 14 14/07/2009 15:45

IntroCongratulations!

All profits go back into Scouting. The Scout Association Registered Charity Numbers 306101 (England and Wales) and SC038437 (Scotland).

15scouts.org.uk/pol 15scouts.org.uk/pol

The winners: Connor - 10th Radcliffe, Manchester - First Prize £500

Daniel - St. Pauls 19th Fairfield, Liverpool - Second Prize £300

Dylan - 34th Meir Park, Stoke on Trent - Third Prize £200

We celebrate the winners of the National

Grid Home Safety Badge competition

Download the free pack

www.scouts.org.uk/nationalgrid

Safety first

N ot only do the three lucky winners receive a prize for

their Pack to spend on equipment, they each receive

a voucher of £50 to spend at Scout Shops plus a

winner’s certificate signed by the Chief Scout.

Adam Mallalieu, National Grid’s Director of Safety, who drew the

lucky winners from all the correct answers received said ‘This is

our first Cub Scout competition and we’ve had a great

response. I’d like to thank everyone who took part and offer

my personal congratulations to the winning Cubs. I hope

Connor, Daniel and Dylan and their Packs enjoy the prizes.’

Activity pack success The pack takes the form of a poster which has eight activities

to complete, including a wordsearch, a spot the error picture

along with lots of home safety advice. Also included is a scratch

and sniff card so Cub Scouts can learn what gas smells like. The

activities are designed to be completed at Pack meetings and at

home and they are also fun to do.

Julian Buttery, Head of UK Community Relations said ‘The

take up of our activity pack has been a runaway success with 100,000

packs being issued since our sponsorship began in 2007. Promoting

home safety is a great way for us to get our gas

safety message across to youngsters and their

families. The saying ‘safety begins at home’ is true

and we are proud to continue our association

with Scouting.’

Competition answers can be found at

www.nationalgrid.com/uk/Community/

cubscouts/compresults

National Grid’s Steve Mulloch presents third

prize winner Dylan from 34th Meir Park with

his certificate and Pack prize of a parachute.

National Grid’s Chris Murray, Director - UK Transmission presents first prize winner Connor from 10th Radcliffe with his certificate and Pack prize of a new mess tent.

National Grid’s Malcolm Montgomery presents second prize winner Daniel from St Paul’s 19th Fairfield Cubs with his certificate and Pack prize of outside games

cubs_NEW.indd 15 16/07/2009 10:51

16 Cubs August/September 2009

Puzzles on paperPerhaps the most common form of puzzle, largely

because of its near universal presence in newspapers

and magazines, is the crossword. There are two

forms: cryptic where each clue is a little word puzzle

in itself, and general knowledge. Setting a crossword

can be as much fun as trying to solve one; here’s

how to start:

1. First, draw out a grid of squares on a piece of

paper – 10 by 10, 16 by 16, 20 by 20. These can

be as large as you want but I suggest starting with

a smaller grid until you get the hang of things.

2. Set the puzzles or questions. For a 10 by 10 grid,

I would recommend 16. Remember the whole

point of the “crossword” puzzle is the answers

to different clues share letters where they cross,

so bear this in mind because it’s easy to forget. It

can help to set your crossword with a theme, so for

example all the words could be to do with Scouting.

3. Write the answers in the grid, then block out

the squares to form the spaces in between the

crossed words. To help you I have done a simple

10 by 10 grid below to show you (the blocks

and spaces form a pattern, which is very

common in commercial crosswords).

4. Now you have to number the start of each

word, down and across, so that the people

solving your puzzle will know what clue they are

answering. It is usual to start in the top left of

the grid with clue number 1, and work your way

down the grid, left to right numbering as you go

(as shown).

6. Lastly, don’t forget to separate your clues into

‘Down’ and ‘Across’ listing the number first, then

the clue, and finally how many letters the word

should have.

7. Recreate the grid (minus the answers obviously!)

and photocopy for use.

I t’s always good to look at things from a

different angle, and solving puzzles can help

you do just that. Some puzzles are purely a

matter of proposing a situation and working

out the solution, and I’ll show you some of those.

There are others that require the solver to physically do

something, and I’ll show you some that you can make

too. These are great not just for a Pack night, but also

to keep handy for a rainy day at camp.

Turn your Cubs into puzzle masters with Charlie Dale’s

make and do

Puzzled?You will be!

1 2 3 4 5

6

7

8 9 10

11 12 13

14 15

16

17

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17scouts.org.uk/pol

Make and do

17scouts.org.uk/pol

Word searchesAnother grid based puzzle. As before set out

your grid of squares. Decide how the words

will appear – will you let them go diagonally as

well as up and down? How about backwards

to make the puzzle more difficult? Write your

chosen words in the grid. Don’t have too many

words, otherwise they’ll be too easy to see, six

to eight is plenty for a 10 by 10 grid. If you’re

stuck for words (a theme is useful here too)

how about hiding the names of each member

of a Six in the grid? Then you just have to fill in

the remaining grid spaces with more letters.

Thinking caps onAnd now for some puzzles that don’t require

anything in the way of preparation or materials,

just a quick wit to solve them:

Q: An old fashioned sailing ship travels from

Liverpool to New York, which part of the ship

travels the furthest?

A: The top of the tallest mast. Due to the fact

that our planet is a sphere the top of the tallest

mast is travelling slightly further than lower

parts of the ship. The measured distance is at

sea level, if you were to hold a very long tape

measure all the way along the route the ship

took at the same height as the mast you would

see that it’s a slightly greater distance.

Q: How do you push an orange through a

matchbox without breaking its skin?

A: Take the little drawer out of the matchbox,

put you finger through the matchbox and push

the orange.

Q: A man goes to work every day in a very tall

office building. In the morning he pushes the

button for the 50th floor, but when he gets

there he walks up the stairs a further 5 floors

to where his office is. In the evening he just

goes to the lift on the 55th floor and pushes

the button for the ground floor. Why is this?

A: Because he’s not tall enough to reach the

button in the lift for the 55th floor.

Rope puzzlesThese puzzles aren’t that bad, but they may

take a bit of thought. Obviously you will need

rope or string to make the puzzle – if you have

a long rope you can do these on the floor in

your meeting place, or use pieces of string to

do them at table top scale.

Make a houseA simple one to start with. Using

the rope make the following

shape by laying it down without

ever doubling back on yourself:

A solution (for there is more than

one way) is shown right, the

arrows indicate the direction the

rope must be laid in starting

from the circle.

Join the dots - thinking outside the boxLay out a simple nine by nine grid

of dots inside a square or rope,

if you’re doing this on the floor

simple circles of paper will do for

the dots, on a piece of paper just

draw the dots and the square so:

The puzzle is to join all nine dots using

just four straight lines, again with

no backtracking. Here’s the solution

– there’s nothing in the rules that

says your lines have to stay inside

the box!

cubs_NEW.indd 17 14/07/2009 15:46

The chefs at Edam reveal their favourite recipe to get everyone’s

creative juices flowing

Chef Badge

D utch Edam, a favourite with families, is easy

to recognise with its red wax coating and

wedge shape serving. The cheese

originates from Holland and is named after

the Dutch port town of Edam, located just outside

Amsterdam. It is produced and ripened in the classic

Dutch cheese making tradition, using milk from the

famous Frisian cows.

Baked soufflé potatoes with Edam, tuna and sweetcornCubs will love to help make these soufflé baked

potatoes. Whisked egg whites are folded into the cheesy

potato and tuna mixture to create a light fluffy centre.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients• 4 large baking potatoes

• 25g (1oz) unsalted butter

• 100ml (3½floz) semi-skimmed milk

• 30ml (2tbsp) freshly chopped

chives

• 2 eggs, separated

• 150g (5oz) Edam wedge, grated

• 1 x 198g can sweetcorn kernels

• 1 x 200g can tuna in water,

drained and flaked

To serve:

Tomato salad or

green beans

1. Preheat the oven to

200ºC, 400ºF, gas mark 6. Place the potatoes on a

baking tray and cook for 55 minutes - 1 hour until

tender. Allow to cool slightly.

2. Cut in half and scoop out most of the flesh into a

bowl, leaving a 5mm (¼”) shell on the potato.

3. Mash the flesh with the butter, milk, chives and egg

yolks until smooth. Stir in most of the cheese, the tuna

and sweetcorn. Season to taste with salt and freshly

ground black pepper.

4. Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until they form

soft peaks. Then fold them into the potato mixture

using a large metal spoon.

5. Place the potato halves back onto the baking sheet

and fill with the mixture. Sprinkle over remaining cheese

and bake for a further 15-20 minutes until risen and

golden.

6. Serve 2 halves per person with a tomato salad or

sliced green beans.

Cook’s tip: These potatoes can be made in advance, up

to the point of whisking and folding in the egg whites.

Get creative in the kitchen with Dutch Edam!

For more recipe inspiration, facts and

interactive games looking at how Dutch Edam

is made, check out www.edammade.co.uk

Edam has 14% more

calcium and 25% less

fat than cheddar

18 Cubs August/September 2009

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