Rumble in the jungle 2

Luckily, I was one of the only ones who did not wake up to the sound of the Beavers at 4:30am. I only then woke up at 6:30 am from the alarm I set myself.

Before breakfast, the Beavers painted jigsaw puzzles until they then ate bacon, scrambled eggs and baked beans. After breakfast, they then started washing up followed by a scavenger hunt on the campsite. They then made animals masks using paper plates and pens.

After this, they played a quick game of NESW but with a jungle twist. When called out ‘Make the sound of …’ they would sound like the animal and when called out ‘Act like a …’ they would act like the animal mentioned.

Finally, it was time for lunch – a banquet of sandwiches, crisps, fruit and veg. For pudding, they had slime (green jelly), bugs (raisins) and sticks (matchmakers). After lunch, they rolled up their roll mats and stuffed their sleeping bags as well as collecting all of their kit together.

finally, it was time for them to go home. Once all the Beavers left, we helped to dismantle camp by taking down the marquee as well as packing away our own personal tents. The weekend was brilliant and was a nice break from my revision.

Rumble in the jungle

This weekend, I’m on Beaver camp as a young leader. I arrived a couple of hours earlier to help set up camp – I helped put up the Beavers tent and the Marquee.

The Beavers soon arrived and I quickly are my lunch ready to start the activities. We all got given jungle books and then we were off on our first activity.

The first activity consisted of hunting for different tracks – the Beavers had to at first spot the tracks and then understand what each one stood for. There were a few challenging tracks to look for which I did not manage to spot.

After our first activity, we then packed our day sacks to walk to the obstacle course. Here, the Beavers completed the course in multiple variations and even attempted the cargo net. Luckily, no one fell into the stream which the course took place above.

Our third activity consisted of knot tying and putting up a tent. The Beavers learnt the reef knot and a clove hitch whilst the other lodge put up the tent. This was shortly followed by swapping activities before going to wash our hands before dinner.

Our dinner was spaghetti Bolognese, but due to last Beaver camp where I broke multiple Scout laws (https://explorerscout84.co.uk/a-scout-is-to-be-trusted-but-not-on-beaver-camp), I was expecting revenge. I was told that my dinner might become chilli infested but in the end, it was normal. Everyone then helped to wash up.

Me and my fellow Young Leader, then made a string trail. Originally it was too long but we managed to shorten it. The Beavers thoroughly enjoyed this before then proceeding to sit and enjoy the campfire. They toasted marshmallows and sang traditional songs.

Finally, it was time for bed after a long day. The Beavers were read a bedtime story.

I am currently writing this enjoying the silence. I have borrowed the campsites WiFi to upload the post – which I only discovered recently.

Continue reading “Rumble in the jungle”

Cookies and Cakes


Yum, recently at Explorers we completed a £20 challenge. We split up into small groups and our group decided to hold a cake sale to maximise our funds.

We were lucky enough to have our own personal chauffeur service in the form of my fellow Explorer’s older sister, so we were able to go shopping to buy our ingredients without relying on parent help. We bought lots of ingredients at the supermarket ready for the Great Explorer Bake Off one Sunday afternoon.

On Sunday afternoon we made fairy cakes (which were expertly decorated by my fellow Explorer’s younger sister), a lemon drizzle cake, a coffee cake, a banana and chocolate cake, crispy cakes, chocolate crunch and peanut butter and chocolate cookies (made with cutters from the Stanpit Company, another WSJ fundraiser). Plenty of yummy treats for our whole unit from Beavers through to Explorers to enjoy. Except there was a slight problem…

The evening of our cake sale coincided with the Beaver and Cubs bowling trip, so we had to rely on the Scouts and Explorers buying our delicious treats.

We sold a fair few cakes despite having two sections missing. We were able to give our £20 starter fund back and when the ‘profits’ were split we each had raised a small amount. Mine is going towards my Jamboree fundraising.

We’ve also learnt the valuable lesson to plan and check the programme in future!


That’s not my quiz

it’s for Sis84

Last Friday I had a break from my own fundraising, to go along to a quiz being held to fundraise for my sister’s gang show. I didn’t really want to go but I was reminded that Sis84 has been dragged along to multiple fundraising events for me.

So off we went braving the icy roads to get to the scout hut. It turned out to be a very popular evening as they had to sort out extra tables as there were so many teams taking part.

It started with a table quiz of picture questions on Christmas best selling toys and an alphabet take from sweet wrappers which we had to name the sweet. We started off great, with Dad84 naming all the Lego variations and Mum84 doing well on the sweet wrappers due to her sweet tooth.

The first challenge came with the title of the first round ‘Sport’ well Fam84 are not particularly into sporting events so we dreaded this round. The first question was a complete guess, but had they listened to me they would have got it correct – cricket. Mum84 excelled in her sporting knowledge, knowing the answers to a few including who first ran the four minute mile.
We did so well that at the halfway point we were in 2nd place. Amazing …

The second half was also fun, yet again we guessed a few (OK more than a few!) Dad84 disappointed us by getting the name of the newspaper that Peter Parker works for wrong and Mum84 had a good stab at the musicals and film theme songs. The last two rounds were our best – dingbats and logos. I hate to say it but I just don’t get dingbats even though its say what you see. Thanks to my celebrity big brother guess for one of the logos Mum84 correctly got ‘Bird’s Eye’.

We had a great evening and ended up coming 3rd! Not bad for an amateur team. It has to be noted that the winning team consisted of the family of my Beaver Leader. Congratulations.

Money, Money, Money!

I’m in the middle of my mock GCSEs so have been a little bit preoccupied, sorry it’s late again but here is this week’s instalment.

A round up of my fundraising ideas so far:

So as well as having bag packed (lots and lots and lots)

I’ve held a film night,

Had a tombola at a Christmas Fayre

Done a door to door collection with the local Round Table (raising funds for another local charity as well)

Easter egg Raffle with my Scout Group, at my school and parents’ work.

Encouraged people to take part in the 50/50 draw

Sold raffle tickets for the unit raffle

Set up a BT mydonate account

Made heaps of paracord items, hair bobbles and scrunchies

Made a range of sea glass pictures to sell at summer fayres

More bag packing

Sold my unit badges

Collected at a carnival also raising funds for local charities

Did a street collection in a local town.

Sold my soul (only joking…)

Did I mention bag packing.

Equipment: A very serious blog post.

I was recently challenged to come up with a list of things I’d take camping, but only things that began with the first letter of my name. Which of course is E for Explorer, or is it Eighty Four?

It was harder than I thought but here are my top 25 items:

  1. Emergency Blanket
  2. Extra Thick Socks
  3. Earmuffs
  4. Eurohike Tent (other tents are also available)
  5. Envelope
  6. Equipment
  7. Eye drops
  8. Ear plugs
  9. Eiderdown
  10. Espadrilles
  11. Elephant dung (dried)
  12. Entertainment system
  13. England’s Glory Matches (other brands are also available, just not starting with an E)
  14. Email
  15. Energiser Batteries (or maybe Every Ready, still taking bids for product placement on this one)
  16. Electric toothbrush
  17. Elf on the shelf.
  18. Emery board
  19. Edam, eggs, enchiladas, escallops and other edibles.
  20. Embalming Fluid (you never know)
  21. Epic novel (on an e-reader)
  22. Elastic
  23. Eagle Scout Repellent 😉
  24. Erasers
  25. Exam revision
  26. and of course: Everything Else!

Beast of the future

Unfortunately this is not another snow camp unlike the beast from the east but it was another camping trip.

I went camping last weekend with my friend who I hadn’t camped with for a couple of years. It was nice to catch up and because we were the only ones from our unit, we made friends with other explorer groups in our county. I saw my Jamboree friends as well, who as well as I were taking a well deserved break from fundraising.

On the Friday evening I failed at circus skills but instead aced a game of cards. Followed by a disco, to then finally fall asleep at 1am the next morning.
The next day we could choose which activities we wanted to do. I did archery, rifle shooting, caving, a blind folded trail, tomahawks, arts and crafts, laser tag, bushcraft and many more.
The evening entertainment consisted of a silent disco where half the room would be dancing to the cha cha slide and the other half of the room would be singing and dancing along to YMCA. This finished gone midnight so yet again, I finally fell asleep at 1.
The final day consisted of rain and more rain – luckily this hadn’t been over the whole weekend. I did some more arts and craft by building a tower from spaghetti and sweets, did some archery and played some more cards. I went home having had an amazing time and meeting some amazing new friends.

Where it all began

Brownsea Island Map

Before the Jamboree, I set myself the challenge of visiting  Brownsea Island. I achieved this last week when I visited my grandparents on holiday.

I arrived in Poole Harbour with enough time to catch the 11 o’clock ferry. In less than 20 minutes I arrived to my destination and, as if I was landing on the moon, I took one step for man off of the ferry and took one giant leap for mankind explorerscout84sblogskind.

Olivia with the Scout Stone

I found the Scout Stone engraved with the words, “This Stone Commemorates the experimental Camp of 20 boys held on this site from 1st-9th of August 1907 by Robert Baden-Powell later Lord Baden-Powell of Gilwell Founder of the Scout and Guide Movement”. Olivia (the Rainbow from my Mum’s Rainbow Unit) and I took photos with the Scout Stone.

While at the Scout Stone, a group of Cubs came along waiting to have a group photo with it. I spoke to the leaders and told them who I was and what I would be doing – going to the Jamboree of course. I showed them my UK contingent necker which they were very envious of and I persuaded them to buy some of my badges. Who knew I would manage to do some fundraising whilst on holiday! I learnt that the group were camping on the island for their summer camp which I am very envious of.

The Neckers floating in the Trading Post

Being a dedicated badge collector, I had to visit the Trading Post. Inside there were Neckers ‘floating’ from the ceiling and badges were displayed from all across the world. A pin the map was covered with pins – this is where you use a drawing pin to pin the location you have travelled from. They had a UK map and a World map where there were pins covering every county and most countries.

I brought a necker, some badges and a woggle to commemorate my journey and spotted the Brownsea Island Units badges for sale – unfortunately I already had these. However, I learnt that the different colours outline of these badges represent the 4 different patrols.

I donated one of my unit badges to the shop and they were very grateful for it. They have many displays of badges including those from previous Jamborees.

Nature!

After my visit to the trading post, I also spoke to a Scout from Wales who was also camping on the island – I’m still envious of them too. They asked whether I would be willing to trade neckers with them, unfortunately I had to say no. I had only brought my Unit necker and UK contingent necker with me, which I would only receive one of.

Peahen

Being in the National Trust site, allowed nature to live peacefully. I saw many different species of animals, however I did not get to see the rare red squirrels which live on the island. I saw peacocks which did not have there tails up, peahens and peachicks (which are baby peacocks or peahens – depending on their gender). I learnt that even baby peachicks have feathers on their foreheads as well as the peacocks and peahens.

Beautiful scenes

On the way back to Poole, we thought that our ferry would go straight back to Poole harbour until we found out that we were on a tour around Poole harbour. I learnt that one of the islands is used as an oil farm and the oil gets transported back to the mainland via pipes underground. Another one of the islands held a £9 million house and in Sandbanks the houses are worth over £6 million.

Statue of B-P on Poole Quayside

After our detour, we arrived back into Poole Harbour. We went back into the harbour and we headed back to my grandparents house.

Whilst I was on the island I talked to many different people – some ex members of Scouting, members of the public and Scout groups – sharing with them all about my Jamboree experience.

I’ve read that at the Summit Bechtel Reserve there is also a Brownsea Island – I’m looking forward to seeing that one too!

The 3R’s

For the older audience these were ‘reading, writing and arithmetic’ for the youth of today it means ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’. Sometimes there are 5 R’s to include Repair and Reinvent.

Recently I ordered the UK contingent supporters badges, I was shocked to discover that they are all individually wrapped. Inside two further layers of plastic bag.

In a World where we are becoming ever more conscious of the affects of our continued bad consumer habits and the affect that plastic has on wildlife to have them over packaged was a complete travesty. The 5 key principles of the 24th World Scout Jamboree are adventure, friendship, leadership, service and especially sustainability.

I try to reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible.

Lots of restaurants now only give you plastic straws if you ask for them and many restaurants use paper straws, but these often coated in plastic. On a recent visit to a well known Asian based chain of restaurants I had a smoothie and it came with a paper straw which shows even big businesses are trying to cut down, (Although before I’d finished the drink the straw had disintegrated!)

Given our Unit fundraising badges aren’t individually wrapped I don’t see why these ones needed to be. Hopefully this can be rectified for future batches. How about it UK Scouting?

Rain Rain Go Away, Come Back Another Day …

It’s been the first week of my summer holidays and I am already wanting to go back to school – where there is a set timetable and no kittens running around trying to trip you up.

My first week of no school consisted of seeing my friends, getting a new kitten and doing some homework (yes my teachers really did set me homework over the summer holidays). However, I did have an enjoyable time at my county’s Jamboree unit meetup.

We designed a menu for our September camp where I’ll be with my unit and found out that we will have to walk to buy the food to practice for the Jamboree site. We also looked thoroughly through our ‘Jamboree in a bag’ where I spotted an American football, flags, maple syrup, maracas and much more. I am already planning some activities I could do with different sections with the bag and have looked on the UK contingent website of activities I could do – I can’t wait to make a tipee with my Beavers and other local units around me.

I also found out about some unofficial news about the Jamboree. However, this is only a rumour but if it turns out to be true I’m going to be very, very happy.

After our month long UK ‘heatwave’ I can be glad to say that we have finally had two days of rain – yipee! However, I’m starting to miss the sun which is already preparing me for the heat out on the Jamboree campsite.

This week’s top tip is to frequently check the UK contingents website for any new information. I am enjoying looking at the ‘Jamboree in a bag’ section to look at all the different activities I could run in my local area.