Lockdown 2 and ‘Out & About’

So, we were back face-to-face briefly before Lockdown 2 struck!  And then we were in to December 2020……. We had two or three meetings for each section to fill with Face-to face Scouting outside on cold, damp December evenings.

Firstly though, for some sections Zoom meetings continued, perhaps interspersed with the face-to-face option.  It is difficult trying to keep youngsters involved and enthused in online meetings and then trying to keep them socially distanced when face-to-face.  All I can say is we try our best (as per our Scout Promise)!

As well as looking after ourselves we try to look after our Scouting family across the UK too.  For many young people Scouting can be a lifeline but this year Scouting provision has been threatened.  Race Round The World was a Scout Association initiative to help support over 500 Scout Groups in the UK who are struggling due to Covid. The idea is we raise money for The Scout Association to distribute where it’s needed.

Highworth Cubs took part in an adventurous night hike or had a Zoom meeting called Round the World in 80 days (ending with a family tea party with sandwiches, fairy cakes and tea!  Scouts had a long night hike, we started at Idstone at 18:30 on a cool Friday evening and walked back to Highworth arriving at 23:29. This was important as we had told parents to pick up at 23:30, some of the leaders had grins from ear-ear with the timing ‘perfection’ :).  The hike included thick muddy fields, puddles, navigating along footpaths that had been blocked by barbed wire fencing.   As a Scout Group we managed to raise in excess of £1000.  Thank you everyone for your support!

Spreading the wood chip pile around the wild play area

Other face-to-face meetings included hikes, walking some of the Highworth advent trail, wild wooding, making fires & S’mores, campfire and cooking more pancakes outside on gas.

Zoom meetings included Remembrance Day, cooking pizza’s in a mug, Cub Home Safety badge, Salt dough Christmas crafts & decorations and a Christmas Quiz.

One of our Beaver Colonies sent each Beaver a pack with their December programme which could be completed at home in their own time.

Northview’s last meeting before Christmas was a day volunteering at Badbury Clump.  Nine Scouts helped litter pick the area, dismantle the den’s in the Bluebell ring and spreading 4 heaps of wood chippings around the children’s wild play area.  Did you know…. You can play Connect 4 and noughts & crosses in the wild play area.  Find some natural objects (leaves, bark, wood) and use these as your tokens.

As we write this Highworth has moved to Tier 4.  It means no face-to-face meetings so it is back to Zoom etc for the next few weeks!