explorer

The magazine

for Explorer Scout Leaders

February/March 2009

scouts.org.uk/pol

Caves and kayaks

The East Midlands has plenty to offer

Up in the airMore practical

programmes

SCOUT WATERPROOF

JACKET

SCOUT WATERPROOF

JACKET

NEW!

More practical programmes

MONEY FOR

OLD ROPE OLD ROPE OLD ROPE

Fundraising ideas for your Unit

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IFC_Explorers_Scouting_FebMar09.indd 6 13/1/09 15:40:40

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INTRO

Contents

Your Explorer Scout Section Working GroupChris Brammer UK Adviser for Explorer Scouts,Gemma Veitch Programme and Development Adviser

Contact them at:[email protected]

Explorer Scout Working Group, The Scout Association, Gilwell Park, Chingford, London E4 7QW; Tel: 0845 300 1818

ADVERTISINGSenior Sales Executive: Tom [email protected] Tel: 020 8962 1258

YOUTH WEBSITES ARE CHANGINGIn March, our youth sites will be retired in their current form. In the meantime, consultation and review with volunteers, parents and of course young people is taking place to determine the best sort of provision for our youth members online. If you have thoughts and ideas on this subject, we would be grateful to hear them at [email protected] badge requirements and programme descriptions will still be available at www.scouts.org.uk/explorers

CERTIFICATE TEMPLATESYou can now download word document templates for printing names directly onto Chief Scout’s Award certificates. These print in Arial font and can be found at www.scoutbase.org.uk/6to25/explorer/resources/certs.htm

With The Big Adventure on its way, Mel Brammer ponders the best ways to engage parents and

introduces a bumper 20-pages issue of Explorer

In the Explorer Scout section, as teenagers develop their independence, it can

be difficult to get parents involved in what you are doing. Some ideas tailored

to the parents of Explorer Scouts are:

• Catch them and build relationships when the Explorer Scouts have only just

moved up. Parents are likely to be dropping them off, and may request that

communications go to them as well as their offspring so they know what’s

going on.

• In your registration form include space to find out what skills parents have

and how much they are willing to help out. I’ve just used this method to

recruit a mum to help keep all the Explorer Scout Record Cards up to date.

• Hold a parents’ meeting to discuss your summer camp plans.

• Invite parents and siblings along to an activity every so often. We’re doing

a Saturday conservation activity, and have opened it to family. I’ve yet to

see how many we get, but am hoping it’ll be a good way to get to know

some of them.

In this issue you’ll find some innovative fundraising ideas to try with your

Explorer Scouts when they tire of bag-packing; information on an important

support role and some more programme ideas to try out in the Values and

Relationships and Skills Programme Zones. We also take a look at the East

Midlands, whether you are planning to go there on a summer camp or live there

but are looking for some fresh inspiration. Talking of inspiration, Martin Peake’s

article about keeping it fresh gets you thinking about different ways

of delivering Module A of the Young Leaders’ Scheme.

Enjoy it!

The parent trap

4 Fundraising featureWhat to do when bag-packing can’t cut the mustard

8 In the thick of the action Why the East Midlands makes a superb base for Unit adventures

10 The support roleThe ACC (Explorer Scouts)

12 Sky highMore practical programmes for two important Programme Zones

14 Having their sayTips to get good ideas from your Explorer Scouts

17 Active ExplorersWhy the Sainsbury’s Active Kids scheme is a no-brainer for your Unit

18 Module A: Make it matter!A fresh way of taking on a must-have module

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4 Explorer February/March 2009

Fundraising: Don’t duck out!

‘Not more bag-packing!’ groaned one Explorer Scout when asked about

fundraising. He had spent more than 24 days in 12 months bag-packing

in supermarkets to fundraise for various expeditions that he was due to take

part in. Even if you have found a lucrative method of raising money, it’s definitely

worth trying out a few new ideas if only to keep your fundraisers fresh.


BEST PRACTICE

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Fundraising: Don’t duck out!

• Decide what you are fundraising for. Charity, Unit funds, or a specific piece of equipment or event?

• Involve the Explorers from the beginning through your Unit Forum. Get them to decide on a charity, to come up with a fundraising target and to choose a fundraising activity.

• Talk to the District Executive and make sure that they are on board. How are they going to help? Do they have any other ideas?

• Set out a budget. Make sure you won’t lose money!

• Allocate tasks, either to members of the

Executive (or sub-committee) or to your leader team or Explorer Scouts and set out a timescale.

• Approach individuals or companies for support.• Once everybody has a task to do, regularly

check progress. • As you approach the time of your fundraising

event put out a press release to local media as they may wish to cover the story.

• Enjoy the event!• Afterwards, hold a brief review with

participants and organisers. Did you raise as much as you hoped? What went well? What would you do differently next time?

Note: Remember that the District Executive is responsible for fundraising and financing in the Explorer Scout section, so make sure that they are involved all the way through this process.

STEP-BY-STEP FUNDRAISING

A – Z OF FUNDRAISING IDEAS

A. Auction: Auction unwanted gifts and items donated

from local businesses.

B. Bag-packing: Ask your local supermarket. This is

usually a big earner in return for an afternoon’s work, but

after you’ve done it a couple of times it can get very boring.

Also: Balloon race

C. Car boot sale: Gather together unwanted items from

Explorer Scouts and man a stall at your local car boot sale.

Car parking: Many large one-off events will pay a team of

car-parkers or ushers. Carnival: Put together an appropriate

float at your local carnival. The more people involved the

better to collect more money. You get a percentage of what

you collect.

D. Duck race: You’ll need to hire several hundred

rubber ducks (or buy them and then hire them out to other

fundraisers). Similar to a raffle you sell the number of each

duck for £1. Race the ducks on a nearby river or stream.

Think carefully about how you are safely going to retrieve

them all afterwards! The owners of the winning ducks get

a prize.

E. Enterprise: Provide teams of Explorer Scouts with

£10. They have three months to come up with an



enterprise to increase that £10. Provide a prize to the

team that increases the investment by the most, and

allow each team to decide how the money that they

have made is spent (eg. Unit equipment, charity etc)

F. Fashion show: Go for an environmental theme

where all clothes are made from recycled materials.

Invite guests to come and watch for £2. Fine box:

Introduce a fine box to the Unit where fines of 50p are

paid for poor language or incorrect uniform.

G. Games: Whatever your Unit are in to, be it

football, computer games or Warhammer, hold a

tournament and get them to pay to take part. Invite

their friends to come too.

H. Homeless for the night: Spend a night on the

streets in your town sleeping in cardboard boxes to raise

awareness of the situation many people find themselves

in. Check with the police first. Raise sponsorship and

also collect money in tins to donate to charities helping

the homeless.

I. In the change jar: Give each Explorer Scout a glass

jar and challenge them to be the first to fill it with loose

change. Collect in all the jars and add up the change.

J. Juice: Buy fruit wholesale and juice it up to sell at a

local event or to community groups. Jesterthon: Get

your Unit comedians to devise sketches and stand-up to

hold a comedy night that people can buy tickets for.

K. Karaoke: Pay to sing, or pay people not to sing!

L. Lanyards and woggles: make lanyards and

woggles and sell them to Scout Groups around your

District/County and also to the wider public.

M. Murder mystery party: Hold a party and charge

for tickets.

N. Name plaques: Use your craft skills to make

wooden door plaques and sell them.

O. On fire! – Hold your own bonfire night party

with a bonfire and barbecue. You could charge entry or

just for the barbecue. Safety is paramount here. Make

sure that your insurance will cover a public event.

Funding the adventure

where all clothes are made from recycled materials.

Invite guests to come and watch for £2. Fine box:

Introduce a fine box to the Unit where fines of 50p are

paid for poor language or incorrect uniform.

football, computer games or Warhammer, hold a

tournament and get them to pay to take part. Invite

their friends to come too.

streets in your town sleeping in cardboard boxes to raise

awareness of the situation many people find themselves

in. Check with the police first. Raise sponsorship and

also collect money in tins to donate to charities helping

the homeless.

jar and challenge them to be the first to fill it with loose

change. Collect in all the jars and add up the change.

local event or to community groups. Jesterthon: Get

your Unit comedians to devise sketches and stand-up to

hold a comedy night that people can buy tickets for.

woggles and sell them to Scout Groups around your

District/County and also to the wider public.

for tickets.

wooden door plaques and sell them.

with a bonfire and barbecue. You could charge entry or

just for the barbecue. Safety is paramount here. Make

sure that your insurance will cover a public event.


7scouts.org.uk/pol

BEST PRACTICE

P. Plant sale: Requires quite a bit of organising.

Grow the plants yourselves and sell them on, or buy them

wholesale and package and market via leaflets.

O. Quiz night: Advertise it locally, charging a fee per

team. If you sell refreshments too then you will increase

your fundraising capacity.

R. Rock concert: Organise a venue, book some local

bands and sell tickets at the local schools and colleges.

S. Sponsorship: Climb, cycle, kayak, run, walk –

whatever you do, do it longer and crazier and get sponsored

for it.

T. Trips on coach: Get a group discount for a musical,

trip to a theme park, or local event and charge to fill the

coach. Twenty-four-hour-athon: of staying awake, watching

films etc.

U. Uniform: When Explorer Scouts leave the Unit

(for whatever reason) ask them to donate their uniform.

Explorers remove the badges and give it a good wash.

The items can then be sold at a discounted rate to new

Members.

V. Video blooper: Always keep a camcorder handy,

in the hope that you can submit a recorded comedy

moment to a televised blooper show, raising around £250

for your Unit!

W. Wilderness workshop – Run wilderness workshops

at your local Scout campsite during the school holidays and

sell it to local businesses as a team building day.

The Explorers can teach them how to build shelters and

pioneering projects, light fires and cook cowboy dinners.

X. X-factor – Hold a talent contest and sell

refreshments.

Y. Yo-yo competition and classes: Invite a yo-yo expert

to give a workshop and charge Cubs and Scouts in the

District to take part. Then hold a display for the new

‘experts’ to show their skills at the end of the day, charging

parents to come and watch.

Z. Zodiac party: Invite people for an evening of

astrology. Charge for tickets and provide them with dinner

and an astrological reading.

whatever you do, do it longer and crazier and get sponsored

coach. Twenty-four-hour-athon: of staying awake, watching



In the thick of the action

East MidlandsFor the purposes of this article, the East Midlands Region

contains Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire,

Leicestershire and Northamptonshire. It is a mixture

of urban and rural with a wide range of things

to do for a busy Explorer Scout Unit.

Getting there:Air: East Midlands Airport is between the three main cities

of Derby, Leicester and Nottingham.

Rail: The Midland Main Line and the East Coast Mainline

both run regular high-speed trains between here and

London or the North and North West.

Road: Main roads in this region run north to south, such

as the M1 and the A1.

Campsites:The Region has a variety of campsites to suit the varied

activities of Explorer Scouts:

Drum Hill Scout Camp, Little Eaton, Derby. 47 acres

of woodland, three open camping fields and a choice

of three residential buildings. Several activities on-site

available. www.drumhill.org.uk

Oaks In Charnwood, Loughborough, Leicestershire. Woodland and field in rural setting with two cabins.

A range of on-site activities available.

www.oakscampsite.org.uk

Willesley Scout Camp Site, Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire. Grass and woodland. A wide range

of activities available. www.willesley.org/campsite

Gradbach Scout Camp, Buxton, Derbyshire. 48 acres of mixed woodland and open fields, also two

buildings for indoor accommodation. Right in the middle

of the Peak District, an ideal base for expeditions,

hillwalking and other hill activities.

www.gradbachscoutcamp.org.uk

Tansley Wood Scout Centre, Tansley, Derbyshire. Woodland site with stream, camping area and 16-bed

bunkhouse. In the Peak District with access to a wide

range of activities.

www.tansleywood.org.uk

Trent Lock Scout Activity Centre, Long Eaton, Derbyshire. Field next to River Trent. Space

for camping, perfect for water activity weekends.

www.trentlock.org.uk

Walesby Forest Scout Centre, Newark, Nottinghamshire. Woodland and open field for camping

and indoor accommodation available.

A wide range of on-site activities.

www.walesbyforest.org.uk

John’s Lee Wood, Leicester, Leicestershire. 33 acres

of woodland with camping pitches, four cabins, hot

showers and a shop. www.jlw.me.uk

Looking for somewhere to roam with rowdy Explorer Scouts? Check out the East Midlands for some cool camping and activities with attitude


REGIONAL FOCUS

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If you would like to recommend any campsites or activities for Explorer Scouts in your Region then please email [email protected] with Explorer Scout Supplement in the subject line

contact us

Activities:City of caves. A labyrinth of caves beneath the streets

of Nottingham. Visit the man-made caves and find out

more about the people who would have used them in an

interesting display that takes you through various periods

of history. Entrance is £4 - £6 and group discounts

are available. www.cityofcaves.com

Hillwalking. Derbyshire is in the heart of the Peak

District, offering fantastic walking and expeditions

for Explorer Scouts.

The National Space Centre. Leicester. Hands-on,

interactive discovery centre about space with galleries,

space theatre and much more. Entrance is £10 - £12.

www.spacecentre.co.uk

National Water Sports Centre. Holme Pierrepont,

Nottingham. Wide range of activities including use of both

flat and moving water under the supervision of qualified

instructors. www.nationalwatersportsevents.co.uk

Bosworth Battlefield and Country Park. Near Market

Bosworth, Leicestershire. The battle of Bosworth was the

decisive moment that finished the War of the Roses and

started the Tudor Dynasty. You can visit the battlefield,

a medieval village, tithe barn and exhibition.

Prices vary depending on your activity.

www.bosworthbattlefield.com

Rutland Falconry Centre. Exton Oakham, Rutland.

Entrance from £3.50 - £4. www.rutland-falconry.com

Bosworth Water Trust. Market Bosworth, Leicestershire.

Lake where water sports equipment can be hired

and used. www.bosworthwatertrust.co.uk

Leicestershire Tropical Bird Gardens. Desford,

Leicestershire. Feed free-flying parrots, toucans and

macaws as they fly around you (keep an eye on your

lunch!). Entrance is between £4 and £6 with discounts

available for groups. Keep an eye out for their regular

fun events. www.tropicalbirdland.com



The Assistant County Commissioner for Explorer Scouts is there to support the development of the Explorer Scout section. Mel Brammer looks in more detail at what they do

The support role

M ost Counties, Areas or Regions will have

an Assistant County/Area/Regional

Commissioner for Explorer Scouts. This

person is responsible for supporting the

Explorer Scout section. There are variations on the role

titles and role descriptions, but in general, the role is the

same. In this article, for simplicity, we will refer to the

County and Assistant County Commissioner for Explorer

Scouts (ACC (ES)).

A summary of the role, taken from the generic role

description available as an Information Centre factsheet, is

to ‘work in partnership with the County Commissioner to ensure effective operation of the Explorer Scout section in their County in accordance with the rules as laid down in POR of The Scout Association.’

This means that they are there to help the County

Commissioner to make sure that Explorer Scouting is

good, and the main way they do it is by lots of support

and communication. They support the leaders on the

ground and the District Explorer Scout Commissioners,

Administrators and District Commissioners who are

responsible for the management of the section, and they

facilitate communication between anybody else who

might be able to support the section, and also between

the Districts themselves.

They should:• Makesurethateverybodyknowsabout

developments in the section, initiatives from

Headquarters, appropriate training and support

events, as well as updates to policies and rules

• HelptheDistrictExplorerScoutCommissionerto

make sure that a Balanced Programme is on offer

• SupporttheTrainingTeamtoensurethatthetraining

needs of adults in the section are met

• PromoteExplorerScoutinginthelocalcommunity

• SupporttheDESCs

• SupporttheCountyCommissionerinthe

development of the County.


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ROLES AND SUPPORT

March April

Week 1Monday – County Team Me� ing

Week 1Thursday – a� end Dist ri� Ex� me� ing to explain the su� ort that they should be giving to Explorer Scouting.

Week 2Tu� day – DESC Me� ing Wedn� day – me� with Dist ri� Commi� ioner in Everton Dist ri� to help r� ruit new DESC

Week 2Monday – plan County expedition training with two DESCsWedn� day – County Awards ceremony

Week 3Monday – Update County Explorer Scout Development Plan.Thursday – me� ing with County Scout N� work Commis-sioner to improve links b� ween the se� ions.

Week 3Monday – phone ACC Activiti� and invite to next DESC me� ing, � ere they want more information on Adventurous Activity Permits and funding.

Week 4Wedn� day – me� DESC and DC in Cramond and Edgeley Dist ri� � ere they aren’t g� ing on very well and communications have broken down.Thursday – phone County Training Manager to discuss the training needs � a new batch � Explorer Scout Leaders

Week 4Monday – phone conversation with DESC in Cramond and Edgeley to explain the role � the ESL (YL)Thursday – me� County Media Development Manager – how can we use our Young Spok� people to prom� e Explorer Scouting more? Weekend – County expedition training

The diary of an ACC (ES) can be very varied…

Who can be an ACC (ES)?Simply put, anybody with the right skills for the job!

It could be somebody with experience as a supporter

or leader, or with development experience and knowledge

of the section; or somebody completely new to Scouting,

but with the skills and experience for the role.

When asked what the best part of being an

ACC (ES) was, Sharon Jones from Essex said,

‘Visiting Units across the County and seeing

the diversity of activities in this section. Being

able to share excellent programmes and

good practice with less experienced leaders.’

Chas Hawkins, ACC (ES) in Merseyside

added, ‘The best part of the role is to see

a District willing to receive support

and watching it develop in a quality,

structured manner.’

The ACC for Explorer Scouts plays an important role in support and communication.



Sky HighDo you want your programme to fly rather than flop? Mel Brammer

is in the cockpit with ideas for the Skills Programme Zone and the Values

and Relationships Programme Zone that can give your programme a lift off

Values and Relationships

Flight into the futureRemind the Explorer Scouts that the first engine-

powered aeroplane wasn’t invented until 1903, only

106 years ago. Discuss the changes that they

imagine might take place in the next hundred years.

Start with the idea of flight and what will happen

to that. Then speculate on other changes we might

expect to see in the lifetime of their children and

grandchildren. If they are artistic encourage some

designs and pictures.

This is meShow the Explorers some heraldic emblems or

crests, including the Royal one and talk about what

the different aspects symbolise. A list of the

symbolism of the different colours and pictures

on coats of arms can be found on

www.digiserve.com/heraldry/symbols

Based on this, ask the Explorers to design their

own crest. They can then make wooden plaques

and make the emblem in relief using cloth soaked

in plaster of paris or papier-mâché.

Media challengeDiscussion – how are young people portrayed in the

media? Is it deserved? What can be done to change

this? Involve the Explorers in writing press releases

about Scouting activities. You may like

to have local and national newspapers to pore

through.

If I were a bird…For this quick programme item, which makes a

good meeting starter, the Explorers in turn say

‘If I were a bird I would be [blank] because [blank]’.

It gets them thinking about the type of person that

they are.


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PROGRAMME PLANNING

Skills

Beaver bird feeders and bird boxesArrange for the Explorers to go along to your local

Beaver Scout Colony and make simple bird feeders

or bird boxes with them. Instructions for both bird

feeders and bird boxes are available on Programmes

Online, or on the RSPB website (www.rspb.org.uk/

youth) in the make’n’do section. You could use this

activity as a component of the Environment

Partnership Award.

Know your map symbolsMake a set of coloured cards with Ordnance Survey

map symbols on one colour and the words that

describe them on another colour, or you can

download OS symbol flashcards from the Ordnance

Survey website (Go to www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk

and search ‘flashcards’). Play Snap with the two

piles, or Pairs, where all the cards are face down and

you pick up one of each colour. if they match then

you keep them.

Fly a kiteMake and fly kites. From the simplest to the biggest

and most technical, this is a fun activity, which

can involve quite a lot of skill. Meet at the park, ask

the Explorers to bring their own kites if they have

them, but also take along equipment and

instructions to make a variety of kites (try typing

‘kite’ into the keywords on Programmes Online).

You could even ask your local kite or outdoors shop

if you can test-drive some of their latest toys in

return for a review!

Incident night hikeDevelop night navigation and incident management

skills. Hide one or two casualties (other leaders or

parent volunteers?) on the hill. Give the Explorer

Scouts the casualties’ grid references and a map.

Talk through walking on a bearing and pacing or

timing and their importance in the dark, as well as

group management techniques such as buddying to

ensure that none of the rescuers start to suffer from

hypothermia or exposure. In teams the Explorers

find their casualties and carry out appropriate

emergency aid, before supporting the casualty back

to base.

Simon, an Explorer Scout, writes: ‘This activity

was a good idea as it allowed us to practise skills

vital to both looking after a casualty and night time

navigation. It also showed how important it is to

have a 1:25 000 map with you during any walk, but

especially at night – we encountered a fence not

shown on our 1:50 000.’

scouts.org.uk/pol

if you can test-drive some of their latest toys in



Having their say How do you involve the Unit

in the programme planning process, but avoid coming out with the same old ideas? Mel Brammer shares some tips for active participation.W e’ve all been there. ‘We’re planning the

programme. Have you got any ideas?’

The Explorer Scouts look back blankly.

Then the voices pipe up. ‘Bowling!’,

‘Go-karting!’ and the same ideas are recycled once more.

So what actually works?

Be preparedLay out a programme planning grid for the months you

are planning for and fill in any items which you know are

already going on the programme, such as summer camp,

preparation for camp, Unit Forum, linking night with Scout

Troop, expedition training and so on. Now you can see the

gaps that you will want your Explorer Scouts to fill, and

will have some idea of the Programme Zones to be

covered. You may have a theme in mind too.

Pass the Programme ParcelWrap up the prize in the middle as usual for Pass the

Parcel, but between each layer of wrapping place a card

marked with a Balanced Programme Zone, or a theme, or

both, which you would like the Explorers to come up with

an idea for. When the music stops, whoever gets the card

has to come up with an idea for the programme that fits

in with the zone or theme marked on the card and write it

down. Then the parcel continues around the circle. Once

all the cards are complete, put as many of them as

possible and practical into the programme. As an example,

the cards might look like:

GLOBAL / OUTDOORTheme:Mountains

Litter pick on Snowdon while on summer camp.

GLOBAL / OUTDOORTheme:Mountains

Litter pick on Snowdon while on summer camp.

VALUES AND RELATION -SHIPSTheme: Mountains

Base camp – who would you take in your team for the final push to Everest summit? Like balloon debate

PHYSICAL RECREATIONTheme: Mountains

Climb up Coopers Hill to watch sunrise


PROGRAMME PLANNING

Explorer Scout Programme ZonesPhysical RecreationOutdoorsSkillsCommunity ServiceValues and RelationshipsGlobal

MethodsVisitsGamesOutdoor activitiesTechnologyNetworking activitiesDiscussionResidential experiences

An assortment of items can make up your programme bag

Shortlisting the best ideas

The Programme bag relay• Put all sorts of odd items into a bag. Ideas might be:

a Swiss army knife, a soft toy cow, shell, torch, paper plate, rubber

duck, golf ball, gift bag, carabiner etc. Just pick a random sample

of things from your house.

• Divide the Explorer Scouts into teams. This is a relay race, so requires

quick and lateral thinking.

• The team picks out an item from the bag and has to come up with

three programme ideas related in some way to the item and write

them down. For example, if they pick up a toothbrush

they might think: brush – paintbrush – paint a mural;

toothbrush – teeth – run a session for Beaver Scouts

about dental hygiene; teeth – wolves – debate on

whether wolves should be reintroduced in Scotland.

• Remind them that while we are looking for ‘out of

the box’ ideas, we do still want the ideas to be things

that we could actually do. They bring the piece of

paper to the leaders and then pick out another item

from the bag.

• They do this for six items. Each team will have very

quickly generated 18 different programme ideas.

• As they are bringing the ideas up, the leaders write

them on a flipchart, subdivided into the six

Programme Zones. You will have a lot!

• Each team then chooses their favourite idea from

each Programme Zone and these are highlighted.

Finally, the Unit votes with a show of hands for their

favourite highlighted activities, two from Physical

Recreation, Outdoor and Adventure and Skills and

one each from Community Service, Values and

Relationships and Global. These nine ideas are then

included in the next programme if possible.


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Nick Cowie, an Explorer Scout in the Aquila Explorer

Scout Unit said ‘I like this. Everybody’s ideas are listened to

and nothing is too wacky. Then we get to vote so we’re

doing stuff that everybody wants to do.’

The programme ideas box or listAt your meeting place keep a post box where Explorers

can post their ideas for the Programme. Or on your

notice-board keep a sheet of paper with Programme Zone

headings on it, and encourage the Explorers to put their

Programme ideas or requests up there. This can be an

ongoing feature, and taken along to programme planning

meetings.

BrainstormHaving decided on a theme for the following term, you

can encourage the Explorers to brainstorm. Put the theme

in the centre of the piece of paper and the Programme

Zones around the outside. Encourage them to think

of as many ideas as possible.

Explorer Scout CouncilInvite a keen group of your Explorers to your programme

planning meeting to work out which of the generated

ideas will be done when. They may be happy to share the

responsibility for planning some of the ideas, and will get

a feel for why some ideas are not practical and others are,

as well as the process involved in planning and running

the different activities.


17scouts.org.uk/pol

Active Explorers

Register at www.sainsburys.co.uk/activekids, send out notes to your Explorer Scouts and their friends and family and start collecting the vouchers. It doesn’t cost anything to enter, so you’re on to a winner no matter how many vouchers you collect

action box

With stories about teen obesity, alcohol consumption and the computer game culture continually in the news, Sainsbury’s and The Scout Association are continuing their partnership with Active Kids 2009. Have you and your Explorer Scouts got in on the act?

T he Sainsbury’s Active Kids campaign was

launched in 2005, to support the effort

to inspire young people to become more

active. In 2007, Sainsbury’s, recognising the

part played by The Scout Association in encouraging more

young people to get active, tailored the scheme for

us, allowing Scout Groups and Explorer Scout Units

to register, collect vouchers and order sports, cooking and

outdoor equipment.

Tailor madeWhen you register on the scheme Sainsbury’s will send

you resources to support you in collecting the vouchers,

a catalogue and a resource containing programme ideas

and activities specifically written with your section

in mind.

In 2008, 3,814 Scout Groups or Explorer Scout Units

registered and between them amassed enough vouchers

for nearly half a million pounds’ worth of equipment, with

an average £249 of equipment going to each Group

or Unit.

Still not sure? When you get a look at the catalogue, which you can

also see online, you’ll find equipment perfectly suited

to Explorer Scouts, from volleyballs, rounders or cooking

equipment through to compasses, orienteering kits and

tents! More than this though, you can also spend the

vouchers on coaching or experiences.

Encourage your Explorer Scouts to get involved, not

only by collecting the vouchers, but also formulating

a wish-list from the catalogue and prioritising what they

think should be ordered.

The activity resource for Scout and Explorer Scout

Leaders contains a variety of programme ideas that you

can use to support this important area of the Programme.



Young Leaders’ EssentialsA new edition of Young Leaders’ Essentials is now available from the Scout Information Centre, which contains details of all the missions and training modules.

Module A – Make it matter!Of all the Young Leader Modules, Module A is possibly the most challenging to present. It has to be done regularly, as Young Leaders need to complete it within three months of joining, and there’s a risk of fatigue setting in for the module presenters. Martin Peake looks at how we can make it better

T o keep Module A fresh, vary delivery every

time. If you use the same Powerpoints (yawn!),

the Young Leaders (YLs) will pick up on your

lack of originality. Some Counties make a big

evening of module A, bringing in YLs from every District.

This allows a range of presenters to deliver different parts

of the Module, creating natural breaks and changing focus

regularly. In my County, presenters often deliver different

parts of Module A each time, in order to keep it original.

Between topics, we get the Explorers up and about, never

letting them sit next to anyone they know.

Special deliveryOne key feature about any YL Module is that Young Leaders’ Essentials only suggests a method of delivery.

It’s far more important to get the message across to your

Explorers in a way they can understand, rather than blindly

following a method that may well not work for your

audience. For instance, in the past I have seen the Risk

Assessment module delivered in the manner of William

Tell. One chair had an apple taped underneath, and that

lucky YL was risk-assessed for an archery session. With the

range of skills we have, and pursuits from climbing and

abseiling to shooting and fire lighting,

why would we imagine Young Leaders need to sit and

listen to learn about risk assessment? We’re in the business

of learning by doing, and that’s exactly the angle to take.

Up to youBy now, I hope you’re beginning to get the feeling that

it’s up to you to deliver Module A in a way that works

for you and your Young Leaders. After all, if you bore

them stiff training them, what are your chances of

converting them to Adult Leaders when they turn 18?

Go on: do it your way.


IBC_Explorers_Scouting_FebMar09.indd 6 13/1/09 15:40:15

ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: CANOEING • CLIMBING • COASTEERING

GORGE WALKING • KAYAKING • SURFING • CAVING • WHITE WATER RAFTING

TEAM BUILDING • ASSAULT COURSE/ LOW ROPES • FIELD SKILLS

Nant Y Pobty Farm Coed Y Bryn, Llandysul Ceradigion, SA44 5LQ

Phone: 07787123761 [email protected]

Adventure Beyond is a family run centre

based in West Wales. We have venues and camping or bunk house accommodation in St Davids, Cardigain Bay,

Brecon Beacons.

Jethro MooreAdventure Beyond

OBC_Explorer_FebMar09.indd 6 13/1/09 15:41:31

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