get active! august/september 2014

THE

ARCHIVE

I S S U E 2014

Blipp to see how Get Active! might have looked in the past…

A s you can probably tell, Get Active! is heading off down memory lane this issue. To tie in with Scouting magazine’s

intergenerational theme, we’ve raided a century of archives to find out what volunteers and young people got up to in earlier generations. Thanks to Claire Woodforde, archivist at Gilwell House, and Chris James, Brand Adviser, for showing us through a fascinating treasure trove of Scouting history.

We unearthed a few archaic gems – from how to catch a runaway horse, to glass-slide photography – but a lot of what we found still offers a heap of fun, relevant Scouting skills to this day.

Knowledge, fun and adventure spans the Movement’s long history, some half-forgotten and some still going strong today. Try these timeless activities with your young people and talk to them about Scouting in previous generations. We hope they’ll help forge a sense of connection to their forebears.

Welcome

Get Active! Editor Anna Scrivenger Art editor James Daniel Content Advisers Rachel Jones, Michael Regan and Kevin YeatesWith thanks to... Chris James, Claire Woodforde ISSN 0036 – 9489© 2014 The Scout AssociationRegistered Charity Numbers: 306101 (England and Wales) and SC038437 (Scotland)

Get Active! is produced by Immediate Media Branded Content, 6th Floor, Tower House, Fairfax Street, Bristol BS1 3BN

ADVERTISINGAdvertising Manager Tom ParkerEmail: [email protected] Tel: 0117 314 8781

© Immediate Media Branded Content. Printed in the UK by William Gibbons. All rights reserved. Unauthorised reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission. Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright material. In the event of any material being used inadvertently, or where it proved impossible to trace the copyright owner, acknowledgement will be made in a future issue.

This magazine can be recycled, for use in newspapers and packaging. Please remove any gifts, samples or wrapping and dispose of it at your local collection point.

We are proud to say Get Active! is PEFC certified. For more information go to pefc.co.uk. Promoting sustainable forest management.

The national magazine of The Scout Association,Gilwell Park, Chingford, London E4 7QWTel: 0845 300 1818Get in touch at [email protected]. Read Get Active! and Scouting online at scouts.org.uk/magazine

Please note that the views expressed by members and contributors in the magazine are not necessarily those of The Scout Association.

Anna Scrivenger, [email protected]

116,700 average circulation of Scouting (1 Jan–31 Dec 2013)

scouts.org.uk/magazine GET ACTIVE! 3

17 Analogue arts Boost creativity with some pre-digital problem-solving

20 Satellite dishes explained Fun experiments that teach you about satellites

21 Rapid recipe Try Baden-Powell’s own coat-cooked damper on camp!

22 Surf safely A new initiative to help young people stay safe online

23 Canny camping A roundup of a century of Scout-camp wisdom

27 Carve your own tent pegs A handy camp skill every Scout should know

28 What’s where? Plan a virtual adventure with this fun challenge

29 Footprint tracking How to indentify wildlife tracks

30 Make your own compass Scouting ingenuity points the way

Learn…

Discover…

4 Model making Build these mini vehicles from our archives7 Build a bee café

Help save our bees with this garden project8 Recreate historic photos

And win a Canon IXUS 155 camera worth £1299 Potato prints Potato-based fun for Beavers and beyond

Create…

Explore…

Contents

10 20 timeless Scout games Great game ideas from 100 years of Scouting14 What makes a brake?

Learn the basics of mechanics with Volvo15 Uses for your necker

Find out how versatile your Scout uniform is16 Move like a marshall Play a plane-parking game

PEFC/16-33-795

4 GET ACTIVE! August/September 2014

Wooden toy vanSuitable for Cubs+

From

The

Wol

f Cub

Ann

ual,

1954

(abr

idge

d)

1 Cut the main baseboard first, about 8 x 2 inches, from fairly

thick wood. This gives the floor of the van and cabin. Cut four notches for your wheels (Sketch No.1) and fit your wheels on wire axles.

2 Cut side sections to cover the edges (Sketch No.2), 1 inch high.

3 Next cut the back of the cabin to fit, with a small cut-out

window (Sketch No.3). Make a driver’s seat from an inch-square strip rounded on the edge.

4 Now make the van front and back. The back panel is

2 x 1 inch. The front is made in one

piece, coming to the same height as the rear of the cab. Tack on at an angle, sawing the main base to a corresponding angle. Cut out the windscreen and sand to round off.

5 Make and fit the sides of the cab and paint the inside.

Then make and fit the roof. If you use several thicknesses of wood, you can sand it to a domed effect.

6 Run a beading strip round the edge of the platform so

that goods do not fall off. Add a steering wheel made from a small curtain ring and piece of dowel, clean the model up and paint.

Scouts have always been a practical lot. Try some of these timeless toy-building projects from our archives…

The design is simple, but you will need to do plenty of work with the sandpaper to make your van well finished.

You will need• Wooden boards, planks

or offcuts• Toy wheels, approx 1 inch

across (from hobby shops, or recycled toy cars)

• Stiff wire• Sandpaper and block• Saw• Woodwork paint• Short strip of square

beading, approx 1 x 1 inch• Thin square beading,

approx 8 inches long • Curtain ring and short

length of thin dowel

Sketch No.1

Sketch No.2

Toy van

Sketch No.3

Create...Model

MAKING

Seaworthy matchstick boatsSuitable for Cubs+

From

The

Cub

Sco

ut A

nnua

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73

1 Glue the edges of a sheet of paper carefully to the sides of

a matchbox tray.

2 Bring the two sides of the paper together at each end

and snip off at an angle to make the sloping bows and stern. Fasten the edges with tape.

3 Cut four slits in the hull, close to the matchbox. Overlap the

cut edges and tape or glue, to make the ends of the hull slope upwards.

4 Glue matchsticks along the hull to cover the paper

completely. Start at the top, at one end, and run matches end to end in rows. To make a matchstick follow a curve, crack it so you can bend it

Here is a simple way to make attractive models of wooden ships, using only matchsticks and paper. This method allows the hulls to be rounded off realistically, and is very easy to do.

to shape. Start alternate lines of matches with a broken match, so that the joins are staggered (like bricks). Glue matches vertically up the bow and stern. When the glue is dry, sand the hull lightly.

5 Cut two lengths of garden cane to make masts

and attach to the ends of the matchbox, their base reaching the bottom of the boat. Cut two sails from the plastic, make two holes and thread over the masts.

6 Paint your ship with smooth strips of colour. To use it on

water, it’ll need two thorough coats of varnish, inside and out. Before you set sail, put a few bits of stone in the hull to act as ballast.

You will need• Matchbox• Matchsticks (headless

sticks available from craft or model shops)

• Paper• Sticky tape• Wood glue• Fine sandpaper• Garden canes • Opaque plastic

squeezy bottle• Paint• Varnish


These activities, though taken from the previous century, will still count towards today’s Scout Model Maker and Explorer Creative Arts Activity Badges.

August/September 2014

Save our vital bees from starvation with this gardening projectSuitable for Cubs+

Badge

More infoB&Q sponsors the Cub and Scout DIY badges. Its resources help take the fear out of DIY, and help young people develop these crucial skills for their futures. Download them now at scouts.org.uk/bandq.

1 Take the basket, place on a stable

surface and unclip the chain from one side to keep it out of the way.

2 Position the bin liner securely and

fill the basket two-thirds with compost.

3 Place the large centre plant in the

middle of the basket so that the top of the plant is about 4cm from the top of the basket.

4 Plant the trailing bee-friendly plants

around the edges, and then add the filler plants in the centre.

5 Tuck all the plants in with plenty of

compost, leaving a 4cm gap at the top.

6 Place the bee café on bare soil and

water thoroughly, then leave and re-water after 12 hours.

7 Hang up the basket in a sunny

but sheltered location and watch the feeding frenzy unfold!

You will need• 14-inch wire hanging basket• 9 litres multi-purpose compost• 1 bin liner to line basket• 1 large centre plant• 6 bee-friendly plants such as snapdragon,

cornflower, mallow, aster or nasturtium, and non-root vegetables

• 4 medium-sized ‘filler’ plants in bedding packs• Gloves• Apron

What to do

Build a bee caféThe importance of bees Bees pollinate 75% of our main crops worldwide, including favourites such as apples, strawberries and tomatoes, and textiles such as cotton. An independent study by the University of Reading estimates that without bees it would cost over £1.8bn a year to pollinate UK crops by hand. One of the biggest threats to this helpful little insect is the disappearance of their food and nesting sites, with 97% of wildflower meadow habitats destroyed in the past 60 years. By making a bee café, you can create much-needed food for these amazing insects.

Our fun bee bingo game

bq.co.uk/BeeBingo.

The great British bee countB&Q, Friends of the Earth and Buglife have teamed up to urge the UK to take part in the first Great British Bee Count. By reporting the type, number and location of bees they see, people will be contributing data to the National Biodiversity Network, used by experts and scientists investigating the plight of bees and the steps needed to help them. So get outdoors with your friends and family – the data collected could help to save these vital creatures. You can also download the bee count app at greatbritishbeecount.co.uk.

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Recreate scenes from the past with this fascinating photo competitionSuitable for Scouts+

Badge

More infoPlease submit your before and after images to corporate.partnerships@ scouts.org.uk or visit scouts.org.uk/canon for more information.

You will need• An old photo print,

showing a group shot, view, event or building

• A camera • People and props to

recreate the scene

1 Find an old photograph, such as an old photo of a person,

a street, view, event or even your Scout Troop or HQ.

2 Look at how and where the image was shot, such as the

angles and composition, and try to replicate it. If there are people in the original shot, find people to copy the positions and clothing.

3 Take into account the lighting. Was the original

picture taken in the daytime?

If so, can you tell when by where the sun is in the sky?

4 Think about the kind of camera you are using. Does

it include settings to help you capture the same style as the original picture, eg. black and white or sepia?

5 Take a few photographs, then have a look at them

and choose one that matches the original the most.

6 Use your camera, computer or an image-editing app to crop

and edit the picture, making the most of any special effects.

7 Print your photo out at roughly the same size, and

compare them. Why not display them in frames side by side?

8 To enter your photos into our prize comp, email your image,

along with a scan or photo of the original, to the address below by 30 September.

What to do

Bring old photographs back to life

Win!A Canon

IXUS 155 worth

£129

The White House at Gilwell Park captured in 1919 and

recreated in 2014


Create more

If it’s pouring with rain and you have to spend a day indoors, don’t get down in the dumps. It’s a grand opportunity for trying your hand at potato printing. Be sure to have an adult on hand to supervise the knife work, as you need to use a sharp blade.

A fun activity for a wet day, using the humble spud…Suitable for Beavers+

You will need• Potatoes• A sharp knife (adults

should assist here)• Ink or paintWhat to do

1 Find a potato. Wash it, dry it, and then carefully cut it in

half with a good sharp knife.

2 To print in a diamond pattern, take one half and mark out a

diamond shape with a pencil.

3 For printing ink, try real printers’ ink, stiff watercolour

paint or a tube of oil paint.

4 Spread the colour thinly and evenly on a slate or flat piece

of wood.

5 Take a postcard or a clean sheet of paper and start

making designs with your stamp.

6 Later on you can make all sorts of other shapes

– squares, crescents, stars, semi-circles and so on.

Cook an egg the backwoods wayNo pans to cook your eggs? Let the potato come to the rescue… Cut the top o! a potato, hollow out and break in an egg. Replace the top part of the potato and wrap in two layers of foil. Cook the potato in hot ashes and you will scoop out a beautifully cooked egg.

PRINTSPotato

FROM

The Wolf Cub

Annual, 1948

How to cut potato for a diamond

pattern


From

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1 Granny’s footsteps

Players lineup, with one player, ‘granny’, about 20 yards away with their back towards them. Players try to move up to the latter without being seen on the move. ‘Granny’ may not turn until he or she has counted to a number between 20 and 40 since they last turned. Each player must start again if caught moving. If caught three times they fall out. First to touch ‘granny’ wins.

2 Line dodge ball

Two lines are chalked parallel on the ground about 10

feet apart. One team lines up outside

these lines ready to throw tennis balls (not too hard). The other

team runs up and down between the

lines until a player member is hit with a ball, when that player falls out ‘dead’. For each journey from end to end a player scores one point. The team who wins is the one with the most successful runs before all in the team are dead.

timelessSCOUTING GAMES

Group games have been a part of Scout meetings since the early days of the Movement. Try these timeless games with your young people; some enduring favourites and some forgotten gems Suitable for all

3 Dog and bone

Two teams face each other and are numbered; an object is put midway between the ranks. When a number is called the player from each side having that number comes forward and tries to grab the object and get back to their place without being touched by their opponent. They can only be touched once they've touched the object, but not before. A time limit is often needed. The team winning the most contests wins.

4 Paper hunt

Each player is given a copy of the same newspaper. The leader mentions some place, event or object, and the first to find mention of it in the paper gets a point. This may well be made a team contest, the paper being shared out.

5 Intercept the ball

Players form a circle, with one person in the centre who tries to intercept the ball being thrown. Thrower of an intercepted pass, or of an uncatchable ball, or of a ball that goes above shoulder height, swaps with the player in the centre. Variations include bouncing or rolling the ball.

6 Pandemonium

Each player is given a card on which is an order. As soon as the game starts everyone tries to carry out the orders on their cards. The success of the game depends on the originality, variety, etc of the orders. Some orders should be to prevent others being carried out. As a variation, put the orders in a very simple code.

20Discover...

Please note

Some of these games are

inappropriate for young

people with additional

needs or differing

abilities.


SCOUTING GAMES

7 Escape

Players join hands in a circle, one or more go into the centre and try to get out, over or under the arms of the rest. No bursting through is allowed and the circle must not close in.

8 Nose potato relay

Teams in file; each player in turn dribbles a knobbly potato round a given course, using only their nose to touch the potato. First team to finish wins.

9 Form Xs

There can be any number of teams. The leader calls out a letter of the alphabet, and the team first forming up in such a way as to make that letter wins. Lying on the floor may well be substituted, and makes the formed letter easier to read.

10 Cat and mouse

Players fall-in in fours, holding the hands of those on each side. One player chases another in and out of the lines. Each time the leader blows a whistle all players turn right and hold hands with the player now on each side of them, thus changing the lanes for the runs. If the mouse is not caught in a fairly short time, a change of runners should be made.

11 Fill the

bottle race

Teams in line; each team has a bucket of water at one end of their line, an empty bottle at the other, and a teaspoon. The first team to fill the bottle up to a fixed mark wins. The water may only be transferred by the spoon being passed along the line from one player to another.

12 Night attack

One team makes a barricade of chairs, string entanglements, crackly leaves, etc, across the room and appoints one player as sentry who is armed with an electric torch. The lights are put out and the other teams try to pass through the barricade. If the sentry hears one they shine the torch, and if a direct hit is scored that player falls out. Team getting most through wins. The sentry should be blindfold.

13 Obstacle race

Set up a course of obstacles of infinite variety. Suggested indoor obstacles include: drink a cup of water with a teaspoon; find own boots out of a heap and put them on; procure a length of cord out of a tangle; eat a sticky bun off a string; get a penny out of a tray of flour with the mouth, etc.

House Ad-SAC_B617473_2mg.indd 1 11/07/2014 14:52

What makes a brake?Learn the basics of mechanics with Volvo TrucksSuitable for Scouts+


More info

Visit scouts.org.uk/Volvo for more information about its partnership with the Scout Association.

What to do

Match the brake parts on the left-hand side with their function on the right. Use the labelled images if you need a helping hand.

Badge

Volvo is keen to educate Scouts on career and development opportunities within Volvo and the truck industry in general. As part of its commitment to Scouting values Volvo is the brand new sponsor of the Explorer Scout Science and Technology badge.

DISC BRAKE

CALIPER ASSEMBLY House the brake padsWHEEL BEARING Allow the wheels to rotateDISC PADS Using friction, they convert the vehicle’s kinetic energy to thermal energyWHEEL STUD Secure the wheels to the vehicleDISC ROTOR Provides a hard surface for brakes to come into contact with

How it works

When the brake pedal is applied, friction between the brake pad and disc causes the vehicle to slow down or stop.

DRUM BRAKE

WHEEL CYLINDER Helps stop the vehicle with friction by exerting force on the brake shoesBACKING PLATE Hold the brakes togetherBRAKE SHOES Carries the brake lining which is glued to the shoe SELF ADJUSTER Ensures the shoes remain close to the drumHARDWARE AND SPRINGS Return the brake parts to their initial positionHAND BRAKE CABLE Tension on this creates the force needed to set the brake in motion

How it works

When the brake pedal is applied, the two curved brake shoes are forced by hydraulic against the inner surface of a rotating brake drum. This contact produces friction, which causes the vehicle to slow down or stop.

Brake cylinderPistons

Hand brakemechanism

Brake shoesAdjuster

mechanism

Cable

Drum

To HandBrake Lever

CaliperPiston

Brake Pads

RotorHub

Wheelattaches

here

Disc brake

Drum brake

In an emergency, your Scout necker can prove very useful, as these ideas from 1924 show. Try some of these handy hacks with your GroupSuitable for all

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Discover moreTa

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Did you know?Neckers were traditionally worn by sailors and cowboys. They have been a part of the Scout uniform since 1915, introduced partly to identify different troops, but also as a versatile piece of survival kit.


Have a go at air marshalling and discover whether you can park a plane with this fun wide game Suitable for Scouts and Explorers

Badge

More infoHeathrow sponsors the Aviation Skills Activity Badges for Scouts and Explorers. New resources for these badges will touch down soon. Meanwhile, for more information visit scouts.org.uk/heathrow.

1 With two or more other Scouts, find a space big

enough to run around and spread your arms wide.

2 Between yourselves, assign one Scout to be the marshall,

and everyone else to be aircraft. The marshall should stand to the side, out of the way of the aircraft Scouts who should be evenly spread out.

3 When the marshall says go, the aircraft should run

around in a clockwise direction – if you have enough space, use your arms as your aircraft wings!

4 After a while, the marshall will shout ‘signal!’ and use

their arms to give one of the signals below. The aircraft watch and follow his instruction. For example, if arms are moving downwards, the

aircraft should slow their pace. For turn signals the aircraft changes direction, and for ‘straight ahead’, keep running. When the marshall gives the signal for ‘normal stop’, all aircraft should slow to a halt, and one can swap with the marshall before the game starts again.

5 Keep playing, and keep a record of how many signals

you get correct in a row!

You will need• The marshalling signals in

the box at the bottom of this page.

Marshalling is used on the ground at an airfield to move an aircraft through tight gaps or into its parking space (known as a stand). It is a set of arm movements that allow workers on the ground to communicate with a pilot without talking to them.

Move like a marshall

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What to do

Turn right Turn left Straight ahead Normal stop Slow down

Marshalling signalsThese are the main signals used by marshallers on an airfield. The easiest way to remember how to turn an aircraft is to imagine holding a rope attached to the wing that you wish to turn. Learn them all then play the game!


An everlasting notepadSuitable for Cubs+

What did Scouts do before today’s digital gizmos were invented? They used their Scouting skills to create their own versions! Here’s how…

We’re sure Scouts will find a great many uses for this everlasting notepad. It’s just the thing for jotting down odd notes at meetings. If you have to make a list, just scribble the items on the pad and you can’t go wrong! What’s more, this novel little pad saves paper.

When you have finished with your notes, just raise the paper sheet and hey presto! The writing disappears and the pad is ready for use once again! I’ve had one on my desk for years and it’s still going strong. Here’s the way to make a similar one.

Analogue gadgets

You will need• A piece of good stiff

cardboard, about the size of a postcard so that it will slip into your pocket. You can, of course, make a bigger pad if you wish

• A thin sheet of celluloid (acetate) cut to the same size as the cardboard

• A sheet of thin white paper (tissue paper is ideal) trimmed to the same size as the cardboard

• Two paper fasteners (the ones which are pushed through paper and fixed by bending their ‘legs’)

• A couple of wire paper clips • Beeswax or paraffin wax

(such as a candle stump)

1 Paint the sheet of cardboard with black paint (watercolour

will do), and leave to dry.

2 Now the secret of the everlasting pad. As soon as

the paint has dried, rub the surface with a lump of beeswax or some paraffin wax. Be sure to give the cardboard a good even coating of whatever wax you use.

3 Assemble the pad. Pierce two holes at the top of the pad

and insert the paper fasteners; then slip the wire paper clips in place at the two bottom corners.

4 When you write on the celluloid sheet, the pressure

of your pencil will cause the piece of paper underneath to stick to the waxed cardboard, and the letters will show through the thin paper quite clearly.

5 When you want to ‘rub out’ your notes, slip off the paper

clips and gently lift the paper off the cardboard. As it peels away from the wax, all your notes will vanish.

6 You could show your Scouts how to make these

notepads for themselves and then use them for writing secret messages to each other.

What to do

Two kinds of paper-clip are needed

Wor

ds: D

ownl

ande

r, in

The

Wol

f Cub

Ann

ual,

1948

What

Scouts used

before the

iPad

Learn...


Screen printing for beginnersSuitable for Scouts+

With very little money, a few scrap materials, and a bit of help from an adult, you can try this basic printing process for yourself. You can print your design over and over on paper or card – or even on T-shirts and fabrics if you use the correct inks.

What to do

1 Mark out your piece of card. Cut out the

shaded areas using a ruler and knife. Score the lines.

4 Tape inside and out so the tape overlaps

onto the mesh. Cut a piece of card for a squeegee.

7 Attach your paper stencil with tape to

the outside base of the printing box.

10 Place blank card or paper under

your box. Pour a bit of paint into one end.

8 Tape down two pieces of card on a

board or old table top to hold the frame in place.

11 Place the card squeegee

behind the paint and pull smoothly towards you.

9 Mix up the paint and add a teaspoon of

wallpaper-paste or soap flakes. Mix until creamy.

12 Repeat the process as many

times as you wish, adding more paint as required.

5 Using household varnish or gloss

paint, paint the box inside and out.

6 Place the paper on a piece of scrap board

and cut out your stencil with a modelling knife.

2 Lay the screen mesh under the card

and staple around the outer edges.

3 Fold up the four sides of the card

along the scored lines and secure corners with tape.

Learn…W

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and

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What Scouts

used before the

COLOUR

PRINTER

• Some stiff card approx. 50cm x 30cm (eg an old shoe box)

• Pencil• Ruler• Modelling knife• Scissors• Small stapler• Masking tape or

gummed paper tape• Household varnish or

gloss paint• Household paint brush• Cotton organdy or

polyester screen printing material (from craft shops)

• Containers for mixing ‘inks’ (empty yoghurt or cream pots make ideal mixing pots)

• Soap flakes or wallpaper paste

• Powder paints or water-based inks (from craft shops)

You will need


Semaphore signallingSuitable for Cubs+

What to do

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Signalling is well worth knowing. It’s good fun to be able to signal your friend across the street without other people understanding what you’re talking about. You can communicate from separate mountains, or opposite banks of a river.

Semaphore signalling is easy to learn. You form different letters by putting your arms at different angles. It may look complicated, but you will find it’s really very simple.

1 The sender must always face the place they are sending to.

They alert the receiving station by the calling up signal AAAA.

2 When the receiving station is ready it must give the ‘carry

on’ signal, K. If not ready it sends Q, meaning ‘wait’.

3 When the receiving station has read a word correctly

it sends C or A. If a word is not answered it must be repeated until acknowledged.

4 To send numbers, give the numeral signal, or spell out

the number in letters.

5 To end a word, bring both arms down in front of you.

6 The receiving station ends with the ‘message received’

signal, R.

Semaphore alphabet

A/1

G/7

M N O P Q R

S T U V W X

Y Z REST/SPACE

NUMERALS CANCEL ERROR

H/8 I/9 K/0 LJ/LETTERS

B/2 C/3 D/4 E/5 F/6

Font Arial black

What Scouts

used before the

TEXT MESSAGE

Semaphore skills contribute to the Communicator Activity Badge.


Experiment A How do radio waves compare to light waves?

Scouts can investigate the technology behind satellites with two simple experimentsSuitable for Scouts+

Pack

What to do

What to do

• Torch• Portable radio• Clear plastic container• Glass, eg a window• Cardboard box• Aluminium foil (to cover the box)

You will need

You will need• Torch, with parallel paper slits

taped over the light• Handheld mirror• Concave mirror, such as the reflector from

a car headlamp

Experiment BInvestigating the shape of satellite dishes

1 Place the radio in the following locations

and see whether your Scouts can still hear it:a. Inside the clear plastic containerb. On the other side of a windowc. In the cardboard box

2 Repeat this with the torch and note which

materials allow light waves to pass through.

3 Now place the radio in the cardboard box

and wrap the box in tin foil. What do you notice?

1 Get your Scouts to work in pairs in a dark

room. Ask one Scout to shine the torch upwards. The second Scout should use the flat mirror to try and beam the light back to ‘Earth’.

2 The flat mirror should then be replaced by a

concave mirror.

3 Scouts should now find that the

parallel beams produced by the slits on the torch are brought closer together. Satellite dishes are concave, or curved, to focus satellite signals on one spot – the receiving station on Earth.

More infoThe UK Space Agency sponsors the Scout Astronautics Activity Badge and aims to inspire our next generation of UK scientists and engineers by motivating young people to study Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, and space. Visit scouts.org.uk/ukspaceagency to download activity resources for Scouts.

Did you know?The largest ever European communications satellite, AlphaSat, was launched in 2013. Its dish was so large (11m across), that it had to be folded up for its launch, then opened out once in orbit.

Satellite dishes explained


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Disney’s Club Penguin is here to help young people stay safe onlineSuitable for Beavers and Cubs

Pack

More infoClub Penguin is a virtual world for kids guided by an unwavering commitment to safety and creativity. Visit clubpenguin.com/safety for more online safety resources, tips and info for young people and parents.

The internet has become a part of everyday life for young people in the UK, with 90% of under 10s online*. It has been shown that early use of computers improves language skills, social development and creativity. However, the internet is not without its risks, so it’s important that children learn from an early age how to act responsibly and stay safe online. Here’s an activity you can do with your section to get them discussing their experiences online.

Surf safely

Protect your personal information

Respect others

Divide the room into two – a ‘Yes’ side and a ‘No’ side. Ask the Beavers or Cubs to move to the ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ side of the room, depending on their answers to these questions: • Do you like to chat

with friends online? • Do you play games? • Do you like to create

characters/avatars? • Do you like to play on a

games console? • Do you have an online

profile? • Do you share pictures/

photos/videos online? • Do you post comments? • Do you like playing

with other children? • Do you watch videos?

• Do you look up information for your homework?

• Do you have access to a phone or tablet at home?

After you’ve read out each one, and the young people have moved to the relevant side of the room, ask them what they think the safety issues of doing these things might be. Might they ‘meet’ other people while doing these things, are they revealing any personal information by doing them?

Young people, leaders and parents can visit the Club Penguin website (below) to find out more.

What to do

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Innovations such as dome tents, thermal mattresses, solar lights and gas stoves have made camping more comfortable these days. But there’s plenty to be learned from the Scout campers of yesteryear, as our roundup of camp ideas from the 1960s and 1970s shows.

How to light a

wet matchIf your only match falls into a puddle just as you are preparing to light a campfire do not despair. Take it and dry it roughly on your clothing, then stick it in your hair. Leave it there for a minute and it will come out perfectly dry again.

Some 20th-century camping wisdom that might just come in handy on your next adventure…Suitable for Cubs+


CAMPINGCanny

You will need• Potatoes• Apples • Sausages• Butter, sugar and currants• Flour

The great thing about cooking over the embers of a fire is that there’s no washing-up afterwards.

Twists, sausages, jacket potatoes and baked apples form a great menu. Prepare the fire about two hours before you want to eat, as the flames have to die down to make a bed of hot embers before cooking. Put two logs at the side to stop the embers blowing about.

Remove cores from the apples and fill with currants, brown sugar

and butter. Prick the potato skins with a fork to stop them bursting, then individually wrap the apples and potatoes in two layers of foil.

Cut green sticks and peel off the bark. Hold them over the embers to dry out the sap (it can taint food). Skewer sausages onto the sticks.

To make twists, mix self-raising flour, water and a pinch of salt in your mugs. Roll the paste into a long sausage and wind this around one end of a green stick.

Kit list, 1924This is what a Cub was expected to pack for camp in 1924…

• Complete Cub uniform – Cap, scarf, jersey, shorts, stockings, garter tabs and badges

• Blankets – thick ones• Palliasse cover – to be filled

with straw as your mattress. An old sheet sewn up at the sides and fitted with tie tapes at one end will serve splendidly

• Overcoat or mackintosh• Complete change of

underclothes and stockings• Extra shirt or jersey• Extra pair of shorts – old ones,

if possible, as clothes get torn easily on camp

• Extra pair of boots or gym shoes

• Pair of pyjamas or night shirt• Comb, flannel, soap,

toothbrush or paste or powder, boot polish and brush

• Towel, plate, mug, knife, fork and spoon

• Kitbag

What to do

Build a bridge

Ember cook-up!

Scout staves hold the handrails apart, as a Scout bravely crosses the crocodile-infested stream


Often built by Scouts, rope bridges can call for a good knowledge of knots, but it’s always worth looking at the materials that are at hand. If there are logs or boughs which can be placed across the river you won’t need to worry about ropes and knots. The important thing is that they work and are safe.

To make a simple footbridge, try a scaffold bar long enough to span the ditch, two good long ropes, some shorter lengths of rope and some Scout staves.

Place the pole over the ditch and use some short bits of wood (large tent pegs are ideal) in the ground to stop it rolling. Next you need some rope handrails. Make use of any trees to tie them to, but if you need more, fix a long, strong stake into the ground and another a short distance behind it, then rope the two together so they cannot be pulled out of the ground. Then, by tying two of the staves together like an upside-down V, they can be used to keep the handrails apart. The bridge should be checked by an adult before use.

One of the simplest knife-sharpeners is an ordinary terracotta flower pot – the bigger the better.

Equip yourself now at scouts.org.uk/shopStay in touch for new products, sales, promotions and competitions:

Scouts.org.uk/shop facebook.com/ScoutShopstwitter.com/ScoutShops pinterest.com/ScoutShopsUKEmail [email protected] and sign up to our newsletterVisit your local District Scout Shop

DID SOMEONE SAY SCOUT HERITAGE?See our recent additions to the popular Heritage portfolio.

To view the full range visit Scout.org.uk/shop.

© Scout Shops 2014. All prices and specifications are correct at time of printing and reserves the right to amend prices and specifications without notice. E&OE August 2014.

Kit Heath Log and Axe Silver Cufflinks Beautifully crafted men’s cufflinks designed and manufactured by Kit Heath in the traditional Log and Axe design.Material: Sterling Silver Size: 2.1 x 1.3cmRef: 106073

£45.00

Scout Heritage Baden-Powell ‘School of the Woods’ T-shirt High quality T-shirt available in both men’s and ladies fit, featuring an eye catching ’School of the Woods’ quote by Baden- Powell.Material: 100% Ring spun cottonColour: Antique RedMen’s Ref: 106104 Ladies Ref: 106105Size: S - XXL Size: 6 - 16

£12.00

‘Boy Scouts’ Heritage Hat PlumeA decorative Scouts hat plume that is ideal for wearing with the Baden-Powell hat.Material: Medal/Back fitting - Nickel Plated Plume - Green nylonSize (including plume): 6.5cmRef: 105933

£25.00

Scout Heritage Navy Mini SatchelClassically designed navy mini satchel featuring the Heritage logo which is ideal for carrying A4 books and electronic devices.Colour: Navy/Brown straps Size: 33 x 24 x 8cmVolume: 5 LitresRef: 106006

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SS_Get Active_Teamwork_Aug_Sept_AW.indd 1 01/07/2014 16:42

Free up valuable packing space by making your own tent pegs on campSuitable for Scouts+

More infoVictorinox sponsors the Scout Survival Skills Badge. Resources are downloadable from scouts.org.uk/victorinox. Also check out facebook.com/victorinoxuk, @Victorinox on Twitter and instagram.com/victorinox for ideas.

1 Cut your branch into several 6–8 inch pieces.

2 On one such piece, cut an ‘X’ about an inch and a half

from the top end of the peg. Make a kind of rolling action with your blade around the stick as you press down. The cut should be reasonably deep.

3 ‘Push cut’ into each axis of the ‘X’, forming the notch.

Try to create a curved cut into the notch.

4 After each couple of push cuts, perform another

downward cross cut, cleaning out the notch.

5 Continue with these two cuts until you are happy with

the depth and look of the notch.

6 Harden the points of your stakes by sticking the points

in the coals of the fire. Wait until the tip starts to glow red, then take them out, cool them down and re-work the tip to a sharp point.

You will need• A straight, green branch,

about 2in across and 3–4ft long is ideal. Depending on how many stakes you need, you may want to grab a couple of branches

• Victorinox Swiss Army Knife • A roaring fire

What to do

Victorinox, maker of the world-famous ‘Swiss Army Knife’, has joined forces with The Scout Association to ensure that young people are using these versatile pocket tools safely. This activity shows just how easy it is to make invaluable Scouting tools with just a blade and some wood.

The ‘push’ cutHold the knife with your right hand, but push the blade with your left thumb.

Downward cross cut Cut across the branch in a regular back and forth motion.

Carve your own tent pegs


What’s where?Plan your classic Scouting adventure with National ExpressSuitable for Beavers and Cubs


More infoNational Express offers fantastic discounts for Scout Groups and volunteers. Visit scouts.org.uk/nationalexpress for info.

What to doUsing the maps and the internet if you have it, work out where in the country you would need to travel to have the following Scouting adventures.

1. Go to the beachWhere would you go?

How would you get there?

2. Climb a mountain Where would you go?


You will need• A photocopy of this activity for each

young person• Internet access• A map of the UK• A map of your local area

3. Eat haggisWhere would you go?


4. Walk in the countrysideWhere would you go?


5. Watch the footballWhere would you go?


6. Go to a theme parkWhere would you go?


Repeat for the followingGo climbing, fly a kite, go dragon boating, Stargaze.

Badge

Scouting is about adventure, trying new things and having new experiences. National Express now sponsors the Cub Outdoor Challenge Plus Badge to help young people plan their own outdoor adventures, from travel to overnight plans. Try this activity with your Group to help them plan their dream adventure – a great way to involve Beavers and Cubs in shaping their Scouting adventure.

There are hundreds of species of birds resident throughout the year in this country, braving the worst our weather can produce. Mammals are far fewer and for that reason their footprints are easier to distinguish. And then, of course, there are all the domestic animals like dogs and cats as well as cattle and sheep.

The footprints of a cow or sheep can look remarkably like those of a deer (they’re all cloven-hoofed), and it takes practice, as well as experience of the animals' habits, to tell which is which. The subject is so vast that it would take a whole book to do it justice. Meanwhile, good luck in your own, personal, nature detective work!

Snow, mud, dust or sand are perfect for seeking out animal tracks and discovering what sort of wildlife is about

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TRACKINGFootprint

Explore

These activities can contribute towards the Cub, Scout and Explorer Naturalist Activity Badge. For more information see members.scouts.org.uk/supportresources.

Cat

Dog

Badger

Fox

Track left by a mole, showing the imprints of the strongly

clawed forepaws, adapted for digging the soil, and those

made by the less distinctively shaped hind feet

Tracks of a rabbit, running. The longer prints are made by the hind feet, which overlap

the forelegs

Footprint of a coot, a common water bird. Note

the lobes on each claw

Trail of a house mouse. Note the sweep of the tail between the foot-marks

Grey squirrel, running at speed: four-toed forepaws

preceded by five-toed hindpaws

Trail of a carrion crow


More infoOrdnance Survey sponsors the Cub and Scout Navigator Badges. To download its activity packs visit scouts.org.uk/ordnancesurvey.

You will need• A needle or a straightened

paper clip• Something small that floats,

eg a slice of cork or the cap from a milk container

• A shallow dish around 20–30cm diameter.

Safety warnings• Needles are sharp.

Be careful!• Wind may affect your

compass working properly, so make sure it's shielded.

Make your own compassIf you don’t have a compass when you need one, it’s easy to create your ownSuitable for Cubs+

1 Fill the shallow dish with water until it’s about 2.5cm deep.

2 First of all you need to turn your needle or paper

clip into a magnet. You can do this by rubbing it with a magnet using steady strokes in the same direction; lift the magnet away from the needle after each stroke. After quite a number of strokes – probably around 50 – the needle will be magnetised. You may want to take it in turns to do this.

3 Either push the needle through the cork so that the

same amount is sticking out each side, or place your compass needle on top of the cork or container lid so that it is balanced across the middle.

4 Now carefully place it in the middle of your dish of

water and place your compass on a flat surface.

5 The needle will slowly oscillate and point toward north.

What to do

Magnetise the needle

Push needle through cork

…or float cork in waterBalance on floating bottle top…

Badge

If you’re on camp and

don’t have cork or

a lid, you could use

a leaf to float your

compass needle.


get active! august/september 2014

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