St Francis, 24/01/08

Chat about St Francis Patron Saint of Animals

Stencils of doves, other birds and animals. Magazines etc to make a large collage.

Game: Animals in the Ark

Beavers stand in circle and are named lion, monkey, tiger + elephant. When the animal name is called the Beavers run around the outside of the circle (clockwise) back to their own place. On the command ‘tide turns’ the Beavers turn and run in the opposite direction.

Craft: Animal magnets

Make up the animal faces (as templates) in foam-felt. Add a magnet.

Craft: Animal pegs

Make up the animal faces (as templates) in foam-felt. Then stick onto a wooden spring peg.

Game: Ladders

Sit the Beavers on chairs in 2 lines facing each other. Give the facing Beavers (in pairs) an animals name. Tell a story about all the characters named - as their name is said the Beavers stand up and run down the centre isle and back around to their place.

Losing Your Temper

(Hold up a hand axe for all to see.)

Scouts, I have in my hand a tool that helped the pioneers blaze a trail across our country. Many lives depended upon this instrument to protect, shelter, and feed them. The care and handling of the axe, of course, was given only to a very responsible individual, one who was certain to keep it sharp and clean, one who would know that placing the axe too close to a fire would heat up the metal and cause it to lose its temper, thus rendering it useless. Just as the group of pioneers depended upon the axe, so do the people in your life depend upon you as a

Scout. When you joined Scouting, it was you who promised to be an individual sharp of mind and clean of body, someone who could be entrusted with many responsibilities, including fire.

During your time in Scouting, you will undoubtedly be involved in an argument or some fiery discussion while on a campout. When things get out of hand, always try to remain calm and in control of yourself. If you become overheated in those situations and lose your temper, you’ll find yourself rendered as useless as that axe.

Scouting in 100 words

Scouting offers challenge and adventure to 400,000 young people and 100,000 adults across the UK. We do some pretty amazing things in Scouting, but for us, adventure is a way of life and not just an activity or expedition. Our Scouts grow in confidence by trying out new skills and stretching themselves. Whether it’s an Explorer trying out his French on an international trip or a Scout leading his Patrol for the first time, each time we challenge ourselves, it’s a step forward.  When a Scout stands up to a bully, or sticks up for what they believe in; that’s an adventure.

Pearls of Wisdom—Quotes from Baden-Powell

“Success in training the boy depends largely on the Scoutmaster’s own personal example.”

Twelfth-Point Minute

Many of you are members of a large, organized religion. You might be Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Jewish, or any one of a number of others. As you know, part of being a Boy Scout is having a belief in God. Every time you repeat the Scout Oath or Law, you reconfirm that you will do your duty to God, and that you are reverent. Keep in mind that some members of your patrol and troop might not belong to a regular church group. That doesn’t mean they don’t believe in a higher power. Native Americans believe that the Great Spirit is the life force that flows through all living things and controls the wind, fire, and the Earth. You might think of the Great Spirit as Mother Nature. Nature has created a world for its creatures that allows them to live and prosper, from the lowest insects to the mighty eagle. To me, that sounds like a higher power at work. It doesn’t matter to me how you believe in God— whether you attend church every week or simply respect the power of nature as the Native Americans do. But I can’t imagine how this world could have come to exist without God, and I don’t want to think about where it will go if he isn’t there to guide us.

Christmas Party, 17/12/07

5.55pm

Opening ceremony

6.00pm

Christmas game - The leader calls out different types of Christmas activity and the Beavers act the part.

6.10pm

Musical chairs – Christmas CD

6.25pm

Food and drinks (donations welcome)

6.40pm

Musical statues

6.55pm

Short prayer

Closing Ceremony

Hand out letters to parents

Christmas Cards, 12/12/07

5.55pm

Opening ceremony

6.00pm

Game: Who Am I?

A list of occupations

Leader calls out the name of jobs or occupations and the Beavers need to act out what they are. (i.e. A window cleaner, bus driver, traffic warden) If the game goes well, whisper an occupation to one Beaver at a time, and see if the others can guess what it is from the mime.

6.15pm

Make a Christmas card

Using crayons, card, glue, glitter etc., ask the Beavers to make a card for a member of their family with some congratulatory words inside.

6.30pm

Blanket game – Beavers run around room until whistle is blown, they curl up in a ball on the floor with their eyes closed. One beaver is covered with a blanket and the other Beavers guess who it is.

6.40pm

Dragons Tail – Beavers stand in circle and jump over bean bag tied to rope.

6.55pm

Short prayer

Closing Ceremony

Pearls of Wisdom—Quotes from Baden-Powell

“Correcting bad habits cannot be done by forbidding or punishment.”

A Good Turn

Does anyone know when the Boy Scouts of America was started? It was the year 1910. Now for a tougher question: Who started the BSA? Not Baden-Powell. He started Scouting in England. It was an American businessman, William D. Boyce.

In 1909, William Boyce was wandering around London and got lost in a dense fog. A young boy found him and led him to his destination. The boy refused to accept a tip from Boyce, saying that he was a Boy Scout. That intrigued Boyce, and he later asked the boy to take him to meet Lord Baden-Powell.

Because of that meeting, Boy Scouts of America was officially organized in 1910, and there have been more than 93 million Americans involved in the BSA since then.

The Scout slogan is “Do a Good Turn Daily.” That is what the Boy Scout in 1909 did for William Boyce, and that is what you should always try to do, every day—a

Good Turn, without expecting reward.

Pearls of Wisdom—Quotes from Baden-Powell

“Show me a poorly uniformed troop and I’ll show you a poorly uniformed leader.”