St Christopher, 25/07/08

Chat about St Christopher Patron Saint of Travellers

Transport

Let the Beavers design some forms of unusual transport

Game: Helping over the water

Equipment: rope for each lodge

Mark out an area on the floor that is to be the river

One Beavers from each lodge should be on one side of the river, with the rest of the lodge on the other side

The lone Beavers should throw the rope to first the Beavers on the other side - who should catch it and then allow himself to be pulled over the river. First lodge across the water wins.

Craft Base -Travelling

Using a large sheet of paper make a roadway of streets and roads around your area. Add markings such as yellow lines, crossings. Mark where the traffic lights and road signs go.

Let the Beavers make the traffic lights, road signs out of card and lolly sticks.

Let the Beavers make cars out of plasticine or card

Then let them make a model of themselves and talk about travel and crossing the road.

Game: Helping each other (Balloon Duo)

In pairs, give each pair a balloon to blow up and tie.

Mark start and finish lines about 30 feet apart.

Partners stand side by side at the start line, linking their inside arms and holding the balloon in their free hands. When the leader says GO the partners work together hitting the balloon to keep it in the air and making their way down the hall to the finish line.

If a balloon lands on the floor the partners may stop to pick it up, but may not unlink arms.

Set of the Sail

It’s likely that several of you guys have done some sailing and found it to be a lot of fun. The amazing thing about sailing is that two sailboats in the same breeze can be going in different directions! I’m sure you’ve noticed that.

The same thing can be true of Scouts. Let me read you a very short play to show what I mean.

Act 1: Curtain! Two boys enter to join a Scout troop.

The curtain closes. Time passes.

Act 2: The curtain opens again to show the same troop two or three years later. Where are those guys who joined in Act 1? Wait, there’s one! Hey, he’s a Patrol Leader now. And there’s the other one! But look, he’s wearing only an Assistant Patrol Leader badge. Why?

Both had the same chances. One Scout sailed ahead, one limped along. Why? Must be the set of their sails!

As Ella Wheeler Wilcox said:

One ship drives east and another drives west

With the selfsame winds that blow.

’Tis the set of the sails and not the gales

Which tells us the way to go.

St Swithin,15/07/08

Chat about St Swithin - Patron Saint of Weather - then let the Beavers change into the old clothes that they have brought with them

1.Outside Game: Water Relay

Beavers in teams. Place a small amount of water into a paper cup. See which team can carry the water on their heads and empty into a bucket without spilling.

2.Outside Game: Water Rounders

Use water balloons instead of balls. Usual rules apply!

3.Outside Game: Sponge Battle

Similar rules to volley ball but with wet sponges.

Make a ‘net’ with 2 poles and rope. Beavers (in 2 teams) line up on either side of net armed with pieces of wet sponge. Have a bucket of water ready to ‘refresh’ the sponges. See who can get the most sponges into the other teams ½ after (say) 2 minutes.

Come in, and get dry. Have a (wet) drink!

Pearls of Wisdom—Quotes from Baden-Powell

“A week of camp life is worth six months of theoretical teaching in the meeting room.”

St Peter, 29/06/08

Chat about St Peter - Story of St Peter Patron Saint of Fishermen

Game: Crab Football

Make goals at each end of the room. The Beavers get into crab position hands and feet on the floor with their backs to the floor - and then play football. Remember crabs run sideways.

Craft bases:

1.Flapping fish - Cut out paper fish from paper and then decorate - then see later game

2.Gone fishing game - Magnetic fishing. Let the Beavers make small fish (as template or let them design their own) and add a paper clip to their nose. Put a small magnet on a piece of string attached to a garden cane - then go fishing

3.Olly Octopus - Let the Beavers colour and cut out the octopus shape. Cut a kitchen roll inner into 5-cm lengths and stick the paper shape to it

Game: Swimming fish

Give each Beavers a rolled up newspaper to ‘flap at’ their fish with. See whose fish swims the fastest.

I Wish I Was Like That Brother

Upon graduation from college a few years back, a young man received a gift from his older brother. It was a shiny brand-new car, the car of his dreams! One morning as he approached the car, he saw a boy of about 12 peering through the windows into the car. The young man recognized him as the boy his parents paid to mow their lawn and shovel their sidewalk. Obviously enthralled with the car, the boy hadn’t heard the young man approaching.

“Is this your car?” the boy asked when he finally noticed the man.

“Yes, it is,” the man responded proudly.

“Wow! This is a nice car!” remarked the boy. “How much did it cost?”

“I don’t know,” the man answered.

“It’s your car, but you don’t know how much it cost?”

“No,” admitted the man. “You see, my brother bought it for me.”

“I wish . . . I wish . . . I wish . . . ,” stuttered the boy.

The man thought, He’s going to say, I wish I had a car like this. “I wish I was like that brother!” finished the boy.

Amazed at the boy’s response, the young man offered to drive him around the block. The boy hopped in the car and soon asked if the man would drive him home. Thinking that the boy wanted to show off to his friends that he was riding in a new car, and since the boy and his own parents were such good friends, the man agreed. They drove more than a few blocks to where the boy lived and as he turned onto the street the man noticed that it wasn’t the best-kept neighbourhood. The houses were dirty and run down. He pulled up in front of the boy’s house. “Please wait!” the boy yelled as he ran into the house. Oh, he’s probably going to get his family so he can show off the new car, the man thought. The front door opened and out came the boy. In his arms he carried a smaller boy, his younger brother who had been crippled since birth. The older boy brought his brother out to the car, and exclaimed as he hugged him tightly, “See, just like I told you! It’s a brand-new car! And someday, I’m going to buy you one just like it!”

How unselfish this boy was, to be the kind of brother who looked after the other one first. What kind of Scout are you? Are you like the older brother?

Pearls of Wisdom—Quotes from Baden-Powell

“A boy is not a sitting-down animal.”

Two Monks

Two monks on a pilgrimage came to the ford of a river. There they saw a girl dressed in all her finery, obviously not knowing what to do since the river was high and she did not want to spoil her clothes. Without a thought, one of the monks took her upon his back, carried her across the river, and put her down on dry ground on the other side.

Then the monks continued on their way. But after about an hour, the other monk started complaining, “Surely it wasn’t right for you to touch that woman. It is against the commandments to have close contact with women. How could you go against the rules of monks?” The monk who had carried the girl walked along silently, but finally he replied, “I set her down by the river an hour ago. Why are you still carrying her?”

Pearls of Wisdom—Quotes from Baden-Powell

“Vigorous Scout games are the best form of physical education because most of them bring in moral education.”

May Day, 01/05/08

Game:  Gathering nuts in May

Equipment

A plate per player

5 items per player, ie. Spoon, pen, pencil sharpener, anything!

Game Description

Each Beaver stands by his plate with his five items on it. At the blow of a whistle he has to go to another Beaver’s plate and take one item from it, and put it onto his own plate. He continues to do this, going to any Beaver’s plate, until the second whistle is blown. The winner is the Beaver with the most items on his plate.

Craft Bases: May Day Basket

Materials Needed:

• Kitchen Roll inner
• Tape
• Construction Paper or Wallpaper Scraps
• Markers or Paint
• Pipe Cleaner

Instructions:
Cut the roll in to quarters so you have 4 circles.

Cover one opening with construction paper and tape securely in place.

Cut a strip of construction paper or wallpaper to cover the outside of the roll.

Use a hole punch and make 2 holes near the open hole of the roll.

Make sure the holes are directly across from each other.

Thread one end of the pipe cleaner into each hole.

Fold the ends up and wrap around the pipe cleaner to make the handle.

Fill your mini basket with real or home-made flowers

Game: ‘May we get free’

One or two Beavers are "it".

They tig the others who then stand with their legs apart and arms stretched out to the side.

Beavers can free them by running under their arm or by crawling under their legs, after the ‘frozen’ Beavers says ‘May I get free’