3rd Gosport Sea Scouts
Introduction
This is your Cub handbook. In these pages you will find lots of useful information to introduce you to Cub Scouting. It tells you what to expect and what is expected of you.
Cub Scouts are people like you, usually aged between 8 ² 10½. We meet in a pack and do all sorts of different activities
As a Cub Scout you will:
o Have lots of fun o Try lots of new things o Play games o Make friends o Explore your area
You may have swum up from Beaver Scouts and know a bit about Scouting DOUHDG\2U\RXPD\EHQHZWR6FRXWLQJ,I\RXDUHGRQ·WZRUU\² \RX·OOVRRQ be having fun!
The Pack is part of the 3rd Gosport Scout Group. The Group also have a Beaver Colony and a Scout Troop.
The leaders are called after characters in the Jungle Book. You can read about the Jungle Book later. Akela is in charge of the Cub Pack. Baloo and Bagheera will run games and other activities. Raksha will tell you what you need to do for your badges and awards, teach you all about the Law and the Promise and organise cool trips out.
The Pack is organised into Sixes. This is a team that you will do activities and games in. An older Cub Scout, called a Sixer, leads each Six. A Sixer is a bit like a team captain. The Sixer has another older Scout to help him called a Seconder. When a Cub is made a Sixer or Seconder they get a special badge to wear RQWKHLUDUPFDOOHG¶6WULSHV·
During your first few meetings you will learn about our pack and how to be a Cub Scout.
Ceremonies
The Handshake
When other Scouts meet, they greet each other in a special way. They shake hands with the left hand! You will often see Akela using the left handshake ² especially when a badge is presented. There is a very good reason for using the left handshake. When Baden-Powell was a soldier in Africa, he saw lots of tribal chiefs who carried spears and shields. He noticed that it was a sign of great trust to offer your left hand when shaking hands. This was because you had to put down your shield and yet leave the other person with a spear in their hand.
The Salute
The Scout salute is made with the right hand. It is used during the opening ceremony on Pack night. It is also used at other special times such as when you are presented with a badge.
The three fingers of the salute remind you of your Promise to do your duty to God and the Queen and to help other people. Your leader will tell you when you use the salute in the Pack.
The Scout Sign
When you make your Promise you will use a special kind of salute. This is called the Scout Sign. It is almost the same as the salute, but you hold your hand at shoulder height.
The Grand Howl
You may have seen Cub Scouts doing the Grand Howl. It is a very special way of VD\LQJ ¶+HOOR· WR $NHOD DQG D ZD\ RI UHPLQGLQJ \RX DERXW \RXU &XE 6FRXW Promise every time you do it.
When you have made your Promise and been invested as a Cub Scout, you will be able to join the Grand Howl.
Cub Scouts start by forming a circle, with Akela standing in the middle. The *UDQG+RZOEHJLQVZKHQ$NHOD·VDUPVDUHUDLVHGWKHQORZHUHG7KH3DFNVTXDWV down like the wolves did and call out:
¶$NHODZH·OOGRRXUEHVW· Cubs then stand up at the alert and the Duty Sixer salutes Akela and calls out: ¶&XEV'R\RXUEHVW· With a smart salute, the Cubs all call back: ¶:H:,//GRRXUEHVW·
Straight after the Grand Howl has taken place, the Pack faces the Union Flag. The Duty Seconder will pull a string to let the flag fly freely ² this is called ¶EUHDNLQJWKHIODJ·(YHU\ERG\VDOXWHVWKHIODJDWWKHVDPHWLPHDVWKH'XW\ Seconder to show their loyalty to the Queen and the country in which they are living.
At the end of the Meeting, the Cub Scouts face the flag in a circle and stand at the alert while the flag is lowered by the Duty Seconder.
How to stand
Cub Scouts try to look as smart as they can whenever they are in uniform. To help them to look even smarter, they have two special ways of standing ² one is FDOOHG¶$OHUW·DQGWKHRWKHULV¶$W(DVH·
A Leader or Sixer will call out these commands ² try to see how smartly you can do the actions.
When a Leader or 6L[HU FDOOV ¶3DFN $OHUW· RU ¶6L[ $OHUW· \RX VKRXOG VWDQG XS straight with your arms smartly by your sides moving your left leg to put your feet together.
:KHQD/HDGHUFDOOV¶3DFN² DW(DVH·\RXVKRXOGPRYH\RXUOHIWOHJXQWLOLWLV comfortably apart from the other, with your hands held behind your back. Practice standing at Alert and At Ease.
Your Uniform
Your uniform tells everyone that you are a Cub Scout and to which Pack you belong. The uniform is a dark green, long sleeved sweatshirt with either school shorts or trousers or the navy blue uniform activity trousers. You will also wear the black and yellow group scarf (also known as a neckerchief or necker). Underneath your sweatshirt you can wear a T-Shirt. Soft soled trainers should be worn to Pack meetings but smart shoes are needed on occasions such as parades. Your leaders will let you know when you need to wear smart shoes.
Your Investiture
After you have been to Cub Scouts for a few weeks Akela will ask if you want to become a Cub Scout. If you do then Akela will tell you when you will be invested. The week when you are invested is when you can wear the Cub Scout Uniform for the first time
Your Investiture is a very important occasion for the whole Pack. It is a special time for you to say that you are ready to make your Promise and become a full member and for the other Cub Scouts to welcome you properly.
You may want to invite your parents or guardians and Akela may invite the Group Scout Leader to the ceremony as it is an important event and one in which they may want to be involved.
Before your investiture, Akela will make sure that you know what you are going WRVD\DQGGRIRU\RXUVSHFLDOPRPHQW,WZLOOJRDELWOLNHWKLV«
Your sixer will bring you to Akela by walking you around the Pack Circle and under the Pack flag.
Akela: Do you want to become a Cub Scout? You: Yes Akela, I do. Akela: What is the Cub Scout Law? You: Cub Scouts always do their best, think of other people and do a good turn every day. Akela: Are you ready to make your promise? You: Yes Akela, I am. Akela: Pack make the Scout sign. You will make the Scout sign along with the rest of the Pack and say the Promise. Akela will let you choose whether to repeat it after him or say it on your own. Akela will then shake your left hand and welcome you into the Pack. He will then give you your group scarf.
The Cub Scout Promise, Law and Motto
All members of the Scout Movement make a special Promise. When you are invested as a Cub Scout you will have to know the Cub Scout Law and you will also have to make your promise in front of the Pack.
It is easy to learn and say these words, but it us really important that you try to keep your Promise every day. Helping other people means helping them at all times ² not just when you feel like it.
Doing your best means trying your hardest all the time ² and in everything you do.
Doing your duty to God and the Queen really means that you respect your God, the world in which we live, other people and the laws of the land in which you live. It means behaving properly to all those you meet every day.
A good Cub Scout is not selfish but tries to find ways of helping other people. A Good Cub Turn is something you do to help someone else. Every Cub Scout is challenged to do at least one Good Turn every day.
You will see that doing your best is mentioned in both the Law and the Promise. That is because it is very important. If you want to be a good Cub Scout there is no other way ² you simply have to do your best.
The Cub Scout Promise
I promise that I will do my best To do my duty to God and to the Queen, To help other people And to keep the Cub Scout Law
The Cub Scout Law
Cub Scouts always do their best Think of others before themselves And do a good turn every day.
The Cub Scout Motto
Be Prepared
Being a Cub Scout, you will always want to be prepared for anything. You VKRXOGEHSUHSDUHGWR«
o Help other people
o Keep yourself fit and healthy
o Make new friends
o Keep the Cub Scout Promise and Law
Meetings
Meetings at the Hut run to the same format most weeks ² XQOHVVZH·UHGRLQJ something special. We like to start as quickly as possible ² EHFDXVHWKHQWKHUH·V more time for fun stuff!!
First of all we fall in using the Grand Howl ² then we have flag break. Then LW·VRQ WRLQVSHFWLRQ ZKHUH\RXFDQORVH\RXUPDUEOHVLV\RX·UHQRWFDUHIXO EHIRUH moving on to a game.
Then we play a game ² and we try to do loads of different ones ² do some activities and then maybe another game if there is time before badge presentations, notices, prayers and finally flag down.
Inspection
Before we start the first game the leaders will inspect each six. Each cub should be in correct uniform, with clean hands and face and make sure that their folder has all the contents correctly (You should have been given your folder when you got this booklet). Each six starts each week with 10 marbles. If a leader finds anything wrong marbles will get taken away.
Your folder should have: a pen, a pencil, 20 pence, string, a handkerchief or tissues, some paper and your badge book. You will need to collect these yourself (except for the badge book which will be given to you by Raksha).
Commands
Akela has three commands:KHQKHVKRXWV¶3$&.· UHDOO\ORXG DOOWKHFXEV VKRXOGVWDQGVWLOODQGZDLWWREHWROGZKDWQH[W,IKHVKRXWV¶3$&.3$&.3$&.· all the cubs should form a circle in their sixes DURXQGKLP,IKHVKRXWV¶)DOOLQWR VL[HV·WKHVL[VKRXOGOLQHXSEHKLQGWKHLUVL[HU
If someone has done something really well ² or needs congratulations ² then ZH·OOJLYHQWKHPD%5$927RGRWKLVWKHFXEVVKRXW¶%·¶5·¶$·¶9·¶2·¶%5$92· DVORXGDVWKH\FDQ7KHSHUVRQJHWWLQJWKH%UDYRZLOOVKRXWEDFN¶7·¶$·¶7$·
Marbles
Do you know how the Hogwarts house point system works? Well we have one WRR DOWKRXJKLW·VQRWPDJLF ,I\RXGRVRPHWKLQJJRRGRU\RXUVL[WULHVKDUG you will win a marble for your six. Bad behaviour or poor inspection will get marbles taken away. Winning competitions, hard work or good behaviour will win marbles for the team. At the end of term the six with the most marbles will win a small prize.
Baden Powell
The man who started Scouting was called Robert Baden-Powell. He was born in London in 1857. He didn·WNQRZZKDWKHZDQWHGWRGRZKHQKHOHIWVFKRRODQG without telling his family, he took an exam to join the army. He did so well that he was excused a lot of the normal training. When he was 19 the Army sent him to India. He travelled a lot of the world over the next 30 years.
He was a brilliant soldier and was promoted quickly. His men liked him because he did so much to make their lives interesting. He trained his men with competitions and games and taught them how to track and to live in the woods.
In 1899 he went to South Africa because there was going to be a war between the British and Dutch. He was sent to place called Mafeking which was important for supplies an which had no natural defences and only two old guns. When war was declared Baden-Powell and his 1000 men found themselves surrounded and besieged by 9000 enemy. He made up loads of tricks that made the enemy think the town was well defended. This lasted for seven months until reinforcements arrived and Baden-Powell became a national hero in Britain. He became the youngest ever Major-General in the Army.
The First Scout Camp
Baden Powell had written a booklet ² called Aids to Scouting ² about how he trained his army. It was published in England while he was under siege. When he got home from South Africa he was surprised to find lots of boys had bought the booklet and got together in small groups to practice Scouting. They called themselves Boy Scouts.
Baden Powell ² or B-P as he became known ² decided to re-write the book for boys. In 1907 he was ready to try out his ideas of Scouting for Boys. He wanted a place where he would not be interrupted by newspapermen, who were not always interested in what the hero was doing.
Some friends owned Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, Dorset, which provided an ideal location. At the end of July 1907 B-P and some other helpers took 21 boys and his nephew to camp for a week on the island. Some of the boys were sons of B-3VIULHQGVDQGRWKHUVFDPHIURPWKH%RXUQHPRXWKDQG3RROH%R\V· Brigade Companies.
What a fab time those boys had! They had never done anything like it because in those days no-one went camping for a holiday. They swam, signalled, tracked, cooked, hiked and played games. Every evening they sat around a camp fire and listened as B-P told them about his adventures in many parts of the world. The camp was a great success.
Scouting begins to grow.
After the Brownsea Island camp B-P finished writing Scouting for Boys and in 1908 it was published in eight fortnightly parts each costing one penny. B-P had expected that Scouting for boys would be used by youth organisations already in existence. However, all over the country, boys were forming themselves into Scout Troops and asking adults to lead them.
B-P was still an officer in the army. He received hundreds of letters from boys telling him of their adventures and he had to open a small office to deal with them. Before the end of 1908 boys had started Scouting in Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
In 1908, 11,000 Scouts and seven girls from all parts of the country got together for a rally at the crystal palace in London. 6,000 other girls had already registered as Girl Scouts and B-P thought the girls needed a scheme of their own. His sister Agnes agreed to help him and the Girl Guides started.
King Edward VII, who had attended the rally, summoned B-P to Balmoral Castle in October 1909 and made him a Knight for his outstanding service as a soldier, and for giving the country Scouting. The King agreed that boys who passed special tests should be called Kings Scouts.
The First Wolf Cubs.
B-P was pleased but surprised to find that scouting was appealing to boys outside the Commonwealth,. By 1910 scouting had started in 16 countries and was still spreading quickly. B-P felt he should retire early from the Army and give all his time to scouting. A lot of younger boys wanted to be Scouts, but it was difficult for them to do the things described for older boys in Scouting for Boys. B-P realised that boys between the ages of 8 and 11 needed a scheme especially for themselves. He found just the right background in The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling. These are stories about Mowgli, the man cub growing up in the jungle with wolves, obeying Akela the wise old wolf, and learning the law of the jungle form Baloo the bear, Bagheera the panther, Kaa the snake, Chill the Kite and Raksha the other wolf. The Wolf Cub section of the Scouts was started in 1916.
Although Wolf Cubs are now called Cub Scouts, and Cub Scouts of today do different things from the first Wolf Cubs, the first jungle story is still told to new cubs and within the pack the adult leaders are called after the jungle animals. (You will find the story at the end of this book.)
Scouting grew and grew and in 1920 Baden-Powell became World Chief Scout. Nine years later, he became Lord Baden-Powell of Gilwell. Who is the Chief Scout today?
After his death in 1941, Scouting continued to change with the times. In 1967, :ROI&XEVEHFDPH¶&XE6FRXWV·DQGD9HQWXUH6FRXWVHFWLRQZDVLQWURGXFHG to replace Rover Scouts and Senior Scouts.
In 1986, Beaver Scouts were welcomed as full Members of The Scout Association and in 1990 girls were allowed to become Cub Scouts. In the year 2000, we saw an overhaul of the Movement with changes to the Scout and Venture Scout Sections and changes in the badges across the sections. There have also been many uniform changes over the years ² who knows what other changes will take place as you go through the Scout Movement?
Every year, Scouts and Guides across the world celebrate the birthday of Lord Baden-Powell. Can you find out what date this is?
Like all good ideas, lots of boys and girls have tried Scouting and today there are Scouts in nearly every country in the world. During your time in Cubs you will find out more about these Scouts in other countries. Not all Cub Scouts wear a uniform like ours and some even make a different promise.
Whatever Scouts are doing and wherever they are, you will always be able to recognise them. How? Well, when they are in uniform they will all be wearing the same badge ² The World Badge.
The Jungle Book
The First Jungle Story
It was a warm summer night when Tabaqi, the jackal, the mean sly mischief- maker, crept to the FDYHRI0RWKHUDQG)DWKHU:ROI´6KHUH.KDQWKHELJRQH KDVVKLIWHGKLVKXQWLQJJURXQGV+HZLOOKXQWDPRQJWKHVHKLOOVµKHWROGWKHP
Father Wolf was upset, because Shere Khan the tiger killed cattle and angered the villages, bringing trouble to the jungle. But, as they listened, they heard the DQJU\VQDUO\ZKLQHRIWKHWLJHU´+HLVKXQWLQJPDQµVDLG0RWKHU:ROI´/LVWHQ VRPHWKLQJLVFRPLQJµ
Father Wolf crouched, then halted in mid-VSULQJ0DQµKHVQDSSHG´DPDQ·V cub. Look!µ His jaws cORVHGRYHUWKHOLWWOHER\·VEDFNDQGKHFDUULHGKLPLQWR the cave and placed him amongst the other cubs. Then a dark shadow crossed the doorway.
´7KHPDQFXELVPLQHJLYHKLPWRPHµ6KHUH.DKQ·VURDUILOOHGWKHFDYH%XW Mother Wolf and Father Wolf were not to be ordered around by someone not from the Pack.
6R6KHUH.DKQVOXQNDZD\´,ZLOOFDOOKLP0RZJOL 7KH)URJ µVDLG5DNVKDWKH 0RWKHU:ROI´EHFDXVHKLVVNLQLVVPRRWKDQGZLWKRXWKDLUOLNHDIURJ·Vµ6R Mowgli stayed with Raksha and Father Wolf and their four cubs. When they were old enough to run a little, they set off on the night of the full moon, through the jungle to the Council Circle.
There the wolves looked over the young Cubs so they would know them if they met them in the jungle. 7KHQ6KHUH.KDQURDUHGIURPWKHWUHHV´:KDWKDYHWKH)UHH3HRSOHWRGRZLWKD 0DQFXELQWKH3DFN"µ
Akela, the Pack Leader, reminded the wolves that if there was an argument about a cub two others would have to speak for hi..
So Baloo, the Brown Bear, VWRRGXSDQGVDLG´,ZLOOVSHDNIRUWKH0DQ&XE,ZLOO WHDFKKLPWKH/DZVRIWKH-XQJOHMXVWDV,WHDFKWKHRWKHU&XEVµ
And a black shadow dropped from the trees. It was the mighty hunter %DJKHHUDWKH3DQWKHU´,RIIHUDQHZO\NLOOHGEXOOLQH[FKDQJHIRUKLVOLIHµKHVDLG
And that is how Mowgli was accepted as a member of the Pack, for the price of DEXOODQGRQ%DORR·VJRRGZRUG
The Boring Bit - Information for Parents
General information
3rd Gosport Sea Scout Cub Pack meets on Wednesdays from 6.30pm to 8.00pm.
Letters and Information All our cub notices and letters are dispatched by an email system. Please always make sure Akela has your latest email address. Occasionally some letters are sent out in a physical/paper format. Changes to Admission Forms When your son/daughter MRLQHGWKH&XE3DFN\RXILOOHGRXWDQ¶DGPLVVLRQIRUP· for them. If any information on this form changes you must inform Akela LPPHGLDWHO\ZKRZLOOSURYLGH\RXZLWKD¶FKDQJHVRILQIRUPDWLRQ·IRUP How you can help us Do you have a skill, a hobby or an interest that would help some of the members obtain a proficiency or interest badge? Do you have some time to help maintain our equipment and headquarters? Are you able to help at a fundraising event, such as a Jumble Sale, Christmas or Summer Fairs? Can you spare an hour at the start or end of camp to help set up/strike? Could you support the Group Executive Committee? Can you help with transport? Can you help at the occasional meeting? We need your help - even if it's only once in a while - please talk to a leader to find out more! Contact Information: Cub Notices contain leaders contact information.