Trial Week

The G49 Scout group meet at St Mark's’ church in Greenwich (entrance through the side door). If you go upstairs, there is a square room probably similar size to the main hall at the 8th.

I was introduced to various Beaver, Cub, and Scouts leaders. A surprising number of northerners. A Scot, a Geordie, and a lady from Egglescliffe. They asked me about if I’d been involved with Scouting in the past and I told them about the 8th. I also explained that the group was independent. This is where the communication broke down. They simply couldn’t comprehend it.

The lady from Egglescliffe (a Beaver leader) asked me a couple more questions along the lines of “Well how do you get your uniform?” and “How are your leaders get DBS checked?” before affirming her disbelief by zoning out of the conversation completely. She very clearly thought I was puzzled and didn’t know what I was on about. The Geordie was the same, although he was convinced that we were a part of a “splinter" organisation like BP Scouts (which by the way, there apparently aren’t very many of down south. The Scouting Association has the monopoly). Anyway, he even started Googling the 8th and the BP Scouts looking for some kind of evidence.

This probably isn’t very interesting to you veteran 8thers, but this actually made me realise how unique we are being independent. The leaders at G49 don’t only not know any independent groups, they don’t think they exist!

Anyway, the night I was visiting was an indoor campfire. They had a raffle going on at the same time (do we do this at indoor campfire/ Christmas carol concert?) They seemed to raise quite a lot of money.

They sung campfire’s burning, the bumble bee song, cum by ahhhhhhhhh, and a special version of ging gang goolie which involved snapchat, twitter, and Facebook. The cubs had apparently made it up at their last camp. “Shally-wally Shally-wally Shally-wally Shally-wally snapchat snapchat snapchat snapchat…..” Neil isn’t even dead, but I could hear him turning in his grave at that.

Anyway, it was a good night, maybe the same amount of turnout we get at our Christmas carol concert. Great meeting all of their leaders. They were all very warm and welcoming.

They have around 35/40 Cubs but only about 50/60 people in the whole group. Their GLS, whose name escapes me, explained that they’ve only recently re-opened their Beaver colony after a load of leaders died off. Also, they’ve recently lost a large number of Venture Scouts (or whatever their equivalent to Seniors is) to network.

I’m not sure if the following information applies to just the Cub pack or the whole group but the Cub leader told me that there is a camp in June, an indoor camp in September, and a family camp over the summer too.

The Scout leader was telling me that at the family camp; parents looked after their kids a lot more, so he had a time to put together a video about it. I thought to myself “A video huh...” Before thinking “No Liam, one must not get oneself into a pissing contest. You’re here to help, not to boast”

For Halloween, in a fortnight’s time, the Cub group is going on a ghost walk of Greenwich. This is something that you get in London, an event based off tourism to the area, so I doubt there is really a Darlington equivalent (apart from that bat walk in the deans).

They’re sorting my DBS stuff out next week, then I’ll be invited to all the training sessions that leaders have (to become a full leader it takes three years). After I get my DBS there is an interview with the Scout Association (not internal to the group) where they ask me about why I’m joining and find out what I’ll be able to contribute etc etc. Sounds vigorous.