In this Topic:

Artistic Expression: Drama

Technology: Energy

Spirituality: One with Others & Morality

Rope work

Rescue

Cooking for the patrol

Train Scouts

Organize Troop Meeting

Living with others

Time Management

Adventurous Activity

Journey Introducing Voyager Level

The Journey

This Journey in the Troop has reached its end but this does not mean that this is the end of all your travels. Each Journey’s end is but the start of the next one. We learn from our past experiences so that future journeys will be even better!

The Explorer

This level is the next step up in your Journey in the Troop. The information that you will find here is structured around what you have learnt at the Pathfinder level. However, here you will now be increasing your knowledge to a higher level. Seeing that you have understood the basics, you will use them to reach out to more advanced themes.

How do I achieve this level?

The topics at this level require that you have a sound understanding of similar topics in the previous levels. Therefore it is important that before you attempt to start anything at this level you are confident that you have mastered the previous topics well.

Look at the sheet on the next page so that you are able to keep track of your progress.

2 Progress Sheet

When did I When did I Leader for Topic learn about it? complete it? assessment

Artistic Expression: Drama

Technology: Energy

Spirituality: One with others & Morality

Rope work

Rescue knots

Cooking for the Patrol

Train Scouts

Organize Troop Meeting

Risk Assessment

Time Management

Adventurous Activity

Journey

3 Artistic Expression – Drama

Requirements

Choose an activity which satisfies the aim of Drama and Entertainment.

Aim

While many of the creative arts will help bring out your individuality, drama can also help you bring out your teamwork skills. In drama a group of actors from diverse backgrounds and with different abilities come together to stage a play. This is one of the best examples of teamwork!

Can you do it?

Here are some examples below: a) Write and direct a play, of about 10 minutes’ duration, for your patrol. b) Take part in a professional stage production. c) Watch 2 professional dramatic productions and tell your troop about them. d) Compare and contrast 2 plays or films. e) Achieve the Entertainer Badge. f) Speak about your favourite film or play to the troop. g) Talk about your preferred genre of drama. h) Speak about the achievements of your favourite actor/actress throughout his/her career. i) Any other activity relating to drama. Talk to your leader for approval of the activity.

4 Technology – Energy

Requirements

Choose a requirement which satisfies the aim of exploring Energy.

Aim

The topic of Energy is a very vast and varied one. Amongst others one can look at the historical, futuristic or technological aspect of Energy. A scout should be aware of the world around him and technology is an integral part of today’s modern life. Young people should research and learn more about new technological innovations so that they can be protectors, creators and developers, able to criticize constructively and make a difference, instead of simply being users.

Can you do it?

Here are some examples below: a) Produce a simple model that makes use of alternative (to fossil fuels) energy. Show how its principle can be adapted for use in today’s world. b) Make a moving model that uses any kind of energy. Give an explanation of the type of energy being used and how this supports the statement: ‘Energy cannot be created or destroyed’. c) Prepare a presentation on how the use of energy sources has changed through history. d) Show how the use of some energy sources causes pollution and how this pollution adversely affects your town or city. e) Compare and contrast 2 typical towns, one in the 1500s and the other in the 2000s. Discuss ways in which the use of energy has helped or hindered the progress of such communities. f) Examine primitive energy sources (those before the discovery of electricity). Find out their uses, advantages and disadvantages. g) Any other activity which is related to exploring the theme of Energy. Talk to your leader for approval of the activity. • Make the activity interesting by using pictures or videos, or building models with your patrol. • Ask your PL for help and ideas.

5 Spirituality – One with Others & Morality

Requirements Can you do it? Choose a requirement which satisfies the aim of a) Choose any 2 points of the scout law. Find out how the local judiciary system deals Morality and Spirituality with similar incidents of wrongdoing which it deems illegal.

Aim b) Together with your patrol put on a play or a sketch where the topic is: ‘Being Being open with others one with others’. Present a live example of how persons of different cultures, helps bring together all faiths and social backgrounds can relate the values previously positively towards each other through discussed in spirituality. their ability to listen, be receptive and No man is an island! It show compassion. is very important for c) Choose 2 recent situations that made scouts to be able to news, which showed how difficult it is at understand others as times to live and be with others. Discuss your feelings about these with your this understanding is leaders. the strength that allows us all to live together d) For one week, jot down the occasions when you or someone around you failed peacefully. This topic to follow the scout law. After one week of focuses on how a scout record keeping discuss with your leaders can fulfil being at one how not adhering to rules affected you. with oneself and nature Explain how your experiences have helped you to develop responsibility through being with towards yourself and others, and what others. you have learnt about self discipline.

e) Organize a Scout’s Own during camp or troop meetings, and use this time of reflection to express and discuss what you are trying to achieve and learn from each other.

Note A Scouts’ Own service is usually short, often lasting no longer than 15 minutes. It is made up of a mixture of readings, prayers, reflections and music. These can be sourced from both religious and non-religious material.

f) Any other activity which you deem expresses your views regarding Faiths. Talk to your leader for approval of the activity.

6 Rope Work Pre-requisite: (at Pioneer Level)

Requirements

• Whipping and splicing of a rope, and Constrictor • Care of a rope.

Aim

As with most possessions, it is not only important to know how to use something but it is equally important to know how to take care of it. This holds true also for . If you know how to tie all the knots and lashings but do not know how to care for the rope you use your projects will become weaker and weaker over time. Good knowledge about how to care for ropes will complement the knowledge you have gathered so far about how to use them.

Can you do it?

a) Know and show how to whip to a rope end. b) Know and show how to splice a rope end. c) Show knowledge of different rope types. d) Show how to care for any kind of rope.

7 Whipping a Rope End Rope Whipping is a binding of twine around the end of a rope Work to prevent the fibres of the rope from unravelling.

Whipping Knot

Form a with the twine (a strong thread or string) you are using for the whipping. Place it parallel to the rope you are going to whip.

Hold the bight with your thumb and the twine round the round the rope. Always remember to pull tight.

Keep on turning the twine round the rope until the whipping length is approximately equal to the diameter of the rope and pass the working end through the bight.

Pull the standing part of the rope until the bight is in the centre of the whipping.

Cut off both of the remaining ends of the twine.

8 Rope Work

Splicing a Rope End

Rope splicing is the forming of a semi-permanent join between two ropes or two parts of the same rope by partly untwisting and then interweaving their strands. Splices can be used to form a stopper at the end of a line, to form a loop or an eye in a rope, or for joining two ropes together.

There are different ways to splice a rope:

1 Back Splice

Form a Crown Knot by tucking each strand over its neighbour and back down beside the standing end.

Splice each strand into the rope by passing it over and under alternate strands in the standing end.

Repeat step 2 twice and the back splice will be complete.

9 2 Rope Work

Undo around 13 cm of the rope starting from the working end.

Tape the rope to prevent further strands from being undone.

Make a loop with the rope.

Starting from the middle strand, pass the strand under a strand on the standing end of the rope.

Pass the lower strand under the lower adjacent strand on the rope.

Pass the upper strand under the upper adjacent strand on the standing end of the loop.

Repeat steps 4, 5 and 6 five times over.

3 Cut Splice

To make a cut splice the exact same splicing technique as in the back splice and eye splice is used. The only difference is that the ends of the rope are spliced in the standing parts of the other rope (as shown in the figure ).

10 4 Long Splice Rope Work

Undo the end of each rope a length of 40-60 cm. Securely tie both ropes with a twine as shown to prevent ropes from unravelling further. Place ropes together, alternating the strands from each.

Take the tie off one side. Undo one strand (2) a minimum of 20 cm and replace it with a strand from the other side (5) as it is being undone. Tie securely as shown to hold strands in place.

Step 3 is like step 2, except in the opposite direction. One strand (6) is replaced with another (3). Once again make sure that each point is securely tied.

Now remove the lashings and tie each pair of opposing strands (2/5, 6/3,1/4) with an . Be sure knot is tied in the direction of strand twist.

Tuck each strand around 4 times as shown below.

Roll the rope under your feet to make sure that the splice is uniform throughout.

11 Rope Work

5 Short Splice

Undo at least 7 turns of each end of the ropes and place each end between two strands of the opposite end.

Starting with the centre strand pass it under the nearest strand as shown below.

Using the same technique as in the back splice and eye splice weave all the strands to the standing rope.

Cut off any remaining strand ends.

12 Rope Work

The Constrictor knot is appropriate for situations where secure temporary or semi-permanent binding is needed. Constrictor knots can be for used for temporarily binding the fibres of a rope end together while splicing or when cutting to length and before properly whipping the ends.

Make a full round turn round the rope (standing part of the rope you are working with should be on top)

Cross the working end over the standing end forming a bight

Pass the working end of the Pull the working end rope as shown below

Finally lock the knot by pulling both the working and standing end together

13 Rope Work

Different Types of Ropes

1 Laid Ropes These ropes normally consist of three strands which run over each other. Originally laid ropes were made from natural fibres however nowadays they tend to be made from synthetic materials.

2 Braided Ropes The strength in these types of ropes is obtained from a strong core of fibres. To protect these fibres braided ropes have a plaited or braided sheath on their outside. Braided ropes are always made from synthetic materials.

3 Natural Ropes Natural ropes are relatively cheap and quite easy to knot. These ropes are made from materials such as hemp, manila, sisal and cotton. Their main disadvantages are that they cannot withstand a lot of stress before breaking and they are very unpredictable in different environments.

4 Synthetic Ropes As opposed to natural ropes synthetic ropes are much more expensive. Synthetic ropes tend to last much longer than all the other ropes. They are also normally lighter, stronger, less prone to rot, water resistant and they are able to better withstand difficult and extreme environments.

14 Rope Caring For a Rope Work

1 Synthetic, Braided and Laid Ropes

a) Safety The life of these ropes depends greatly on use and any damage that they have suffered. If you are not aware of a rope’s condition and history, play safe and replace the rope.

b) Cleaning Synthetic ropes should occasionally be washed by hand with mild soap in cold water. The rope should then be rinsed free of all the soap and spread out to dry. Do Not put synthetic rope in direct sunlight; dry it using a dryer or place it above a heat source.

c) Care Keep your rope off the ground to protect it from dirt which contains sharp small chips and crystals. Avoid contact with chemicals, acids, alkalis and bleach. Never hang a rope as with time internal fibre damage will start to occur. Store your rope only after you have successfully dried it and, if available, in a storage bag. Most importantly only use the rope for what it was designed. Therefore if you have an abseiling rope, do not try to lash staves with it!

2 Natural Ropes

a) Safety As mentioned previously, natural ropes are very sensitive to the environment. During the night, when air tends to be much more humid, these ropes shrink while during the day they start to elongate. It is important to note that even though natural ropes act like this naturally, in time damage to the fibres forming the rope starts to occur. Therefore special care must be taken when using old natural ropes in pioneering projects or in situations where there is a considerable risk.

b) Care Be sure to either splice or whip the ends of natural ropes in order to prevent the rope strands from unwinding.

Since in the majority the natural ropes in the troop box are of various diameters and lengths, colour code the ends of each rope. In this way each rope can be easily identified.

15 Rescue Knots Pre-requisite: - Pioneering at Pioneer level

Requirements

• Know how to tie Rescue Knots. • Know the uses of Rescue Knots.

Aim

It is a fact that when you tell your friends that you are a scout they presume that you are a person who practices the art of knotting. However knots are not used solely for pleasure activities. Knots are frequently used in emergency rescue operations.

The aim of this topic to ensure that you are capable of tying rescue knots which can be useful in emergency situations when the life of a person may depend on such a rescue knot!

Can you do it?

a) Show that you can tie all these rescue knots: i. Double ii. Bowline on the Bight iii. Alpine Butterfly iv. Fireman’s Chair v.

b) Briefly describe their uses.

16 In all the rescue knots mentioned below particular care and attention must be given when the casualty being rescued is unconscious. In such cases you Rescue must make sure that the knot is very secure as the casualty cannot exert any force against any Knots loop or part of the rope.

Double Bowline

This knot is used to attach a rope to the rescuer’s harness in the case of an emergency or when a carabiner and figure of eight are not available. The main advantage of the is that after the load is applied this rescue knot can be undone quite easily.

Tying the knot: 1. Using the working end of the rope form two loops. 2. Insert this end into the harness loop. 3. Pass the rope back through the loops previously made, and around the standing part of the rope. 4. Re pass the working end through the loops.

17 Rescue Knots

Triple Bowline

When using a triple bowline in a rescue operation, the knot can support an injured person quite well. The legs are passed through two of the loops and the third loop goes around the casualty’s back.

This knot is also ideal when a knot needs to be tied in the middle of a rope and one does not have access to the ends of the rope.

Tying the knot: The exact same steps for tying the bowline are followed, the only difference being that a double rope is now used.

18 Rescue Knots

Bowline on the Bight

There are different applications of this rescue knot. It can be used to make a secure foothold in the middle of a piece of rope. Because two loops are created it has been claimed that it makes an emergency bosun’s chair which is more comfortable than a single loop. One loop can go round each thigh with the free tail going round the chest for security. Alternatively, one loop would go round the chest and one round the thighs.

Tying the knot: 1. Form a bight in the middle of a rope. 2. Use the bight to form a small loop. 3. Pass the bight through the small loop. 4. Spread the bight out and pass the whole knot through it. 5. Finally tighten the bight.

19 Rescue Knots

Alpine Butterfly

The Alpine Butterfly is also known as a midline knot since it is very useful anytime a secure loop is required in the middle of a rope. An advantage of the alpine butterfly is that, like the double bowline, after the load is applied it remains relatively easy to undo.

Tying the knot: 1. Form a loop in the rope. 2. Twist the loop, so that it becomes two loops as shown below. 3. Grab the top of the upper loop and fold it underneath the line. 4. Continue the wrap, feeding it back through the original loop. 5. Pull tight and clip your load to the protruding loop.

20 Rescue Knots

Fireman’s Chair

This knot can be used for light rescue when a harness is not available. The finished knot has two loops, one of which goes under the person’s arms and the other under his legs. In this way the person can be either lowered or lifted in an emergency.

Tying the knot: 1. Make a (right over left) in the middle of the rope. 2. Make a second half hitch (again right over left. 3. Place the right loop behind left loop and pull loop as shown. 4. Pull each loop outwards until it is big enough to fit a person. (Note make sure that the knot tightens as you do this). 5. On the right hand side make another half hitch and put the right loop through this hitch. 6. Bring the half hitch close to centre knot and tighten. 7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 now on the left hand side.

21 Cooking for the Patrol Pre-requisite: 3 Course Meal at Explorer Level

Requirements

• Prepare a balanced menu for all the meals for your patrol, for the duration of a weekend activity; make a list of ingredients, quantities needed and total cost. • Cook all the meals for your patrol, for the duration of the weekend. This can be done in teams of up to 3 scouts. • Discuss with your leader hygiene & food safety standards.

Aim

This topic will not only test your ability to cook but also your organisational skills. You will have to manage a budget, follow recipes and cooking times, manage your time and allocate tasks.

Can you do it?

a) The first thing you need to know before you start making any plans is the set budget. This budget has to cover all the costs incurred for the food and drink. You will need to show receipts for all your purchases and balance your accounts.

b) Ensure that the meals are healthy balanced ones. Plan your menu carefully.

c) Cook the meals ensuring hygiene and food safety at all times.

d) Clean up after the activity.

22 Cooking for the Patrol When preparing meals for others the first important thing to establish is whether they have any dietary restrictions, food preferences, food allergies, restrictions imposed by their religion or are intolerant to anything in particular. You do not have to get their approval for your menu, but you do need to make sure you bring food that everyone can eat or, in the event that somebody does not eat a particular dish, have an alternative for that person.

Before you start planning anything visit your local supermarket and check out the prices of commonly used food items. This will give you a good idea of costs and therefore help you keep to the budget you are set!

Menu planning

• Prepare a menu keeping to the set budget and discuss it with your Leader. • Take note of the time of the year and the weather expected during the activity; the choice of meals will sometimes be influenced by these factors (e.g. stew in winter). • Keep in mind what activities will be planned that weekend; strenuous activities produce hungry scouts! • Make separate lists of ingredients for those items that need to be bought and others that the group may have in stock. • Divide you food items into those that can be stored at room temperature and those which need to be kept cooled or frozen. A cooler can be used for a weekend camp, while wrapping up frozen meat in newspapers or paper bags is a good alternative for a hike or an expedition.

23 Cooking for the Patrol

Equipment planning

Depending on your menu, you will need to have a selection of cooking gear. Once you have set your menu, go over each meal and make a list of the items you will require to cook it.

Below is a list which serves only as a guide; remember that it is your menu which will dictate what you will need.

Equipment Utensils Consumables

Large Pot Wooden spoon Roll Tinfoil

Large Kettle Tin opener Washing-Up liquid

Large frying pan Measuring jug Rubber Gloves

Chopping board Sharp knives Paper Towels

Small Pots Forks and spoons Dish Cloths

Washing basins Garbage bags

Cooking

• You have to cook two meals a day, one for lunch and one dinner. If you wish a cooked breakfast may also be prepared. Keep in mind that food is a very important factor in the success of any activity!

• Maintain the highest possible standard of cleanliness and hygiene when cooking. Just because meals are prepared regularly does not mean that this is an easy thing to do. A lot of care must go into food preparation for proper safety.

24 Cooking for the Patrol

Prevention of Food Poisoning:

1. Food should be stored at the right temperature. 2. Keep food covered when possible. 3. Use clean equipment. 4. Work on a clean surface. 5. Wash your hands before handling food. 6. Cooked and raw food must be kept separate. 7. Do not re-heat food. 8. Make sure that all meat is cooked well; this is especially important for chicken and pork.

Cleaning up

Food residue left for any period of time becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and germs.

• After every meal it is very important to clean up everything that came into contact with the food. This includes the utensils, work surfaces and cooking implements. You will want to find everything clean when you start preparing your next meal!

• Do not forget to wash up your mess tins and cutlery immediately after a meal. You will want to find these clean too!

• Any peelings, leftovers, crumbs, food wrappers etc should be cleared away; these will attract unwelcome animals to your campsite. Tie up garbage bags and place them at a distance from the ‘living’ space at camp.

25 Training Scouts Pre-requisite: Teaching to Teach (at Pioneer Level)

Requirements

Help 2 scouts in your patrol achieve a level of the progressive training scheme.

Aim

Using your knowledge to help 2 other scouts on their journey within the troop will contribute to the increased knowledge of the troop as a whole. At the same time this will also result in the leaders having a helping hand in presenting the programme.

However you must keep in mind that knowing the information is one thing, while passing what you know on to others is another!

This topic will help you personally to improve the training skills you have already acquired, and help the troop as a whole to have better scouts, thus leading to better scouting in general.

Can you do it?

You will be assigned 2 Scouts who are at the Pathfinder or Explorer level. You are to help them through the programme as they complete this level.

26 Organize a Troop Meeting Pre-requisite: Patrol Activity (at Pioneer Level) Time Management Risk Management

Requirements

• Prepare a plan for a Troop meeting and discuss it with your leader. • Run the Troop meeting. • Together with your leader conduct an evaluation of the meeting.

Aim

Now that you are at the last level of the troop programme there is more responsibility on your shoulders. You are now able to help the leaders in the running of some activities. By helping in the running and preparation of activities and meetings you will act as a bridge between the leaders and the rest of the troop.

Can you do it?

Show your leader that you are able to organise an entire troop meeting from beginning to end.

27 Organise a Troop Meeting Before you start this topic review the session ‘Teaching to Teach’ at the Pioneer level!

1. Planning

Together with your leader plan a meeting for the whole Troop. This does not take place an hour before the actual meeting! Proper planning needs to be done at least a month in advance. This will give you enough time to see that all is prepared to achieve the goals you set for the troop meeting and plans are not disrupted by inadequate arrangements.

Start by dividing the troop meeting time in parts (e.g. flag break, prayers, programme work, games etc). Take each point on your list and allocate the appropriate time needed. Thus you may need 5 minutes for flag break and prayers but this will definitely not be enough for a game! However do not set too rigid time frames and understand that often, even with the best possible intentions, things do not always run to time. Be prepared to make quick small changes to keep things going well. Thus if a game is taking too long you may change the rules (e.g. running a shorter distance, taking less turns etc).

After allocating time you now need to see what equipment you will need on the day. You may need compasses and maps if you plan to do map work or alternatively ropes if you plan to do knotting. You also have to make plans for the equipment you will need for the games you choose (e.g. balls, buckets, instruction cards, rope etc).

The last important point to consider is the manpower resources you will need throughout the meeting. You may want to think about enlisting the help of other leaders or ventures for particular activities.

Discuss your plans in detail with your leader. Listen to his or her advice and suggestions and do not be afraid to ask for help!

28 Organise a Troop Meeting

2. Running the Meeting

On the day it is you who will be the one in charge of the meeting although your leader will be there to help you. Make sure you are at HQ before the start of the meeting for the final touches to your preparations andbefore the arrival of rest of the troop.

Remember that a good leader knows how to get a job done and this often entails delegating tasks. Doing everything by yourself does not show that you are good leader. Anybody wishing to lend a hand should always be welcomed!

3. Evaluation

After the meeting conduct an evaluation together with your leaders. This is important as it will give you the opportunity to see what went well and what did not. It will help you to build on your strengths and also identify your weaknesses so that future activities can be more successful.

29 Risk Management

Requirements Can you do it?

• Consider the risks a) Choose 3 activities that scouts commonly involved in scouting participate in. activities. Discuss i. Take each one individually and risk assessment and consider the risks associated with risk management of that particular activity. scouting activities. ii. Think of ways that these risks could be minimised by plans made before • Discuss a recent troop the activity. activity with your iii. Think of ways these risks could be leader, focusing on minimised during the actual running the risk assessment of the activity. and management of iv. Discuss whether minimising risks potential problems that has an effect on the amount of could have arisen or enjoyment an activity can provide. actual problems that Below is a list of some scouting activities arose on the day. to get you thinking. You may choose activities from this list or any activity, Aim scouting or otherwise, that your troop organises or intends to participate in. Running an activity is not • Hiking just about planning the time • Fire lighting and date of the event. As • Pioneering a leader you having to look • Swimming out for any risks that an • Camping activity may have. It is only • Canoeing after proper risk assessment • Abseiling and risk management can you allow an activity to go b) Choose an activity that your patrol has ahead. The aim of this is recently participated in (other than the to minimise the chance of 3 situations you discussed above). injury. Discuss this activity with your leader to identify: i. the risks that were involved. ii. the preparations made beforehand to minimise these risks. iii. any unexpected problems that arose during the activity and how these were addressed.

30 Risk Assessment

Identification of Type of Risk

• Objectives-based risk identification Any event that may endanger achieving an objective partly or completely is identified as a risk. Thus swimming midway through a hike may lead to several members of the party being unable to complete the hike.

• Scenario-based risk identification In scenario analysis different situations are created. Any event that triggers an undesired scenario alternative is identified as risk. Thus the start of a thunderstorm and rain when hiking in a valley may result in your passageway becoming flooded.

• Taxonomy-based risk identification Taxonomy is the term applied in a wide and general sense to a classification of things with a breakdown of possible risk sources. Based on the knowledge of best practices, a questionnaire is compiled. The evaluated answers reveal the risks.

• Common-risk checking Many industries know the risks involved in their operation. Each risk can then be checked for application in a particular situation.

Assessment of Risk

This is no easy task. When considering any situation we should ask ourselves: i. What is the rate of occurrence of an identified risk? ii. What impact will it have on the event?

Let us consider a particular situation: During a hike we can take one of two routes. The first goes by a field known to have many bee hives while the other passes over an old rickety bridge suspended high above the ground.

The rate of occurrence of a bee sting is relatively higher than that of the bridge collapsing. However the impact of a bee sting is negligible compared to that of falling off the bridge.

31 Risk Potential Risk Management Assessment

Avoidance (eliminate) Avoidance may seem the answer, but at what cost. (e.g. To avoid the risk of the airplane crashing we will not be taking scouts to the next jamboree abroad).

Reduction (mitigate) By implementing measures that reduce the risk in question, we now have a different picture of our risk. Run the assessment of occurrence vs. impact and see if this is favourable. (e.g. Having a fire extinguisher in a kitchen or at camp reduced the risk associated with fire.)

Transference (insure) Insurance can be a method to reduce risk. (e.g. Travel insurance reduces the risk of you not having your possessions since you will be compensated for any loss.)

Retention (accept) Some degree of risk is unavoidable if the sense of adventure and excitement is to be achieved. It is up to those responsible to decide if the activity is worth undertaking.

Implementation After the risk assessment, each risk needs to be addressed individually and solutions found to minimise these potential problems.

Review and Evaluation At the end of each activity it is good to review all the risks that were identified. Did you give the right amount of consideration to each risk? Were there risks you failed to identify? Were the methods you used to reduce the risks effective? If not, why?

Uncertainty The uncertainty of particular events is a reality. If we were to know exactly what was going to happen we would make sure that we were prepared for that particular thing. The reality is that we can never be completely sure of how things turn out and hence our motto: Be Prepared!

Five Steps to Risk Assessment and Management:

1. Look for the hazards. 2. Decide who might be harmed and how. 3. Evaluate the risk and decide whether existing precautions are adequate or whether more should be done. 4. Record your findings. 5. Review your assessment and revise it if necessary.

32 Time Management

Requirements

• Plan a weekend camp. • Plan and manage your personal time.

Aim

Time management not only helps you as a scout, but also as an individual. The secret of success in many things is good time management. You will learn to appreciate this even more in the future. Good time organisation is important not only in big projects but also in the everyday chores you need to carry out. Always keep in mind that time wasted can never be brought back!

Can you do it?

a) Use a time planner / organiser to show your leader how you would plan a weekend camp. You should show that you know how to allocate time wisely so that all your weekend activities at the camp can run smoothly.

b) Use a time planner / organiser to plan your daily activities over a period of 2 weeks. After 2 weeks discuss this with your leader. You should talk about how following a time plan, which was set before you started, has helped or hindered you completing tasks, and whether you had to change your plan at any time for some reason. Talk about the advantages of managing your time in this way.

33 Time Time management is an organisational concept traditionally associated Management with adults and the workplace. The experts tell us that more efficient use of time means greater productivity. So organisations encourage individuals to prioritise, plan ahead and make the most of the time that they have at work.

However, time management is not just for adults. Children also benefit when putting basic management techniques into practice!

Time management for children is primarily about self management. It is not being suggested that you abandon your sense of spontaneity and slavishly regulate your days. However some basic planning strategies can help you deal with your load.

Planners Make sure you have some means to plan and sort out your activities and chores. You may convert an old exercise book into a diary or buy one designed for young students. On the other hand you may prefer to use modern technology such as a computer or PDA. Whichever system you choose to use make sure that the planner is easily available and that you can refer to it whenever you need to.

Use your planner to make a note of all the activities that you have. These could include homework, extracurricular lessons, music lessons, dance classes, sports training, home chores etc.

Prioritise You need to categorise which jobs are more important to do than others. These will have to be done first. Thus homework due for the next day needs to be finished before the project that has to be handed in the following week!

Tasking big projects When faced with big projects it is better to break them up into smaller tasks and plan out the work. Thus a homework project due to be handed in next week may need research and drafting this week and finalising next week.

Time allocation It is important to work quickly and efficiently. Time sitting at your desk sharpening pencils and rearranging books is not time spent studying! Set yourself a time to do a task and try to stick to it.

For completeness sake this fact sheet will advise you to allocate time for rest and breaks, although it will be hard to believe anybody who has not already thought of doing this without this fact sheet’s advice!

Work routine A valuable time management technique is to establish a work routing that suits your individual physical requirements as well as schedules. Some people are night owls who can work really productively after dark, whereas others tend to crash when the sun goes down.

34 Adventurous Activity

Requirements

Undertake an adventurous activity.

Aim

The Voyager is the final level in the scouting programme. The aim of this activity is to prepare you for the next big step in your scouting life, that of joining the Venture Unit where similar adventurous activities are held regularly. Thus this adventure will help to bridge the gap between the Troop and Unit.

Can you do it?

Undertake an adventurous activity. There are many adventurous activities to choose from. Some examples are listed below but you may wish to do something different. i. Abseiling ii. Canoeing iii. Diving iv. Rock climbing v. Archery vi. Rifle shooting

a) Choose the activity that you want to undertake and discuss your choice with your leader. b) Talk about the risk aspect of this activity. Discuss the safety precautions that need to be taken to make this adventure successful. Depending on the activity chosen this discussion could also be held with a qualified instructor. c) Before you start the activity talk to your leader or instructor about the equipment that you will be using and how one takes care of this same equipment. d) Undertake the activity under the supervision of your leader or the instructor.

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Requirements

Undertake an Expedition

Aim

The aim of the Journey is to put into practice all that you have learnt till now. For a successful expedition you will have to use your knowledge of orienteering, cooking, mapping, living with others, tents, proper equipment and planning.

Can you do it?

Plan a journey of approximately 35km to be undertaken by 3-8 scouts. The distance is to be covered over 2 days and 1 night under canvas.

a) Planning the journey. Your plans must include: i. Dates of the Journey. ii. Route to be undertaken & location where you will camp overnight. iii. Menu for the whole journey. iv. Equipment needed for the journey. When the plan is ready discuss it with your leader.

b) The Journey. When you and your leader are satisfied that all plans are ready, set off on your journey.

c) Recording the Journey After the Journey prepare a report on the expedition and present it to your leader and the other participants. The report is to include a detailed account of the events that happened during the journey. You could present the report in any form you wish. Show the route taken and if possible include photos.

Present your report in such a way that anybody listening to it or reading it feels that he himself participated in the expedition!

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