Attitude

Words could never adequately convey how great the impact our attitude can have on our lives. The longer I live the more convinced I become that life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it. I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude. It is more important than my past, my education, my bankroll, my successes or failures, fame or pain, what other people think of me or say about me, my circumstances, or my position. Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitude is right, there’s no barrier too wide, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me.

Pearls of Wisdom—Quotes from Baden-Powell

“You can only get discipline in the mass by discipline in the individual.”

We Make a Difference

It was just about midweek during our annual canoe trip. Just as dinner was being served, an argument erupted between two of the older Scouts. After separating them and counselling with each of them, I went down to the lake for a little solitude. Somehow the group just wasn’t coming together. I sat on a log with my feet propped up on two rocks resting in the water, trying to think of what I could do to make a difference. Just about when I’d decided that the trouble was all due to some failing on my part, I looked up and noticed some huge thunderheads that had formed. How beautiful they were. Then something caught my eye across the lake. It looked as if diamonds were dancing toward me on the water! Closer and closer they came until they finally reached me. Hail! The hail started coming down harder and harder until I had to put my head down. Still, the hail came down even harder. I pulled my jacket up over my head, but the hail was unrelenting in its force. There I was with my head between my legs, my eyes squeezed shut against the pain of the pounding hailstones, my nose only inches from the surface of the water, thinking, “Why me, God? Why me?” And the hail came down even harder. Finally, I opened my eyes and looked down below the surface of the lake. There, under the protection of my jacket, the underwater life continued as normal, while beyond the influence of my coat the lake churned with the fury of the hailstorm. It was only then that I realized what God was trying to tell me—I did make a difference. We all make a difference to a Scout in life’s storms. Just by being who we are, someone to come to with a problem, someone who can understand the differences of opinions, someone who stands for right and provides a good example. Just remember, we do make a difference.

Pearls of Wisdom—Quotes from Baden-Powell

“The Scoutmaster must be alert to check badge hunting as compared to badge earning.”

Whose Job Is It?

This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.

There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it.

Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.

Anybody could have done it. But Nobody did it.

Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job.

Everybody thought Anybody could do it but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it.

It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

Pearls of Wisdom—Quotes from Baden-Powell

“The Scout Oath and Law are our binding disciplinary force.”

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.”