Scouts

10 March, 2016

Hello again, All!
I have not posted in quite awhile.  It seems the longer we live here, the deeper our roots and more settled we become, and the more fully ingrained into life we are.  (Read-we are just busy with life, and have lots to do.  Things that take priority over blogging, unfortunately.) 

I can't really recall with much clarity what we've particularly been up to thus far in the New Year that I can share, but I do have some photos that help me remember some of the higher moments. 

Back when we lived in the US, the kids were all involved in Boy Scouts, as well as 4H.  When we hopped over the pond, we were at first just busy with finding our way, and didn't really seek out too many activities.  We did look into 4H, and found there were no local chapters. (I STILL miss 4H-it is  a great organization, with many opportunities for growth and learning and discovering, as well as youth leadership.  Near the top of the list of things that I feel bad that we took away from the kids in our journey/excursion into alternate culture.)  I don't know that I necessarily sought out Boy Scouts or any other extra-curricular organizations for the kids over here, or if we all were just overwhelmed with getting settled, and trying to figure out how to do things, and the day-to-day of things.  At any rate, our first year here, we really weren't involved in too much outside of school things-little or no community offerings.  Then, one day, I heard some acquaintances of mine speaking of a local scout hut for Beavers, and the gears started turning.  I enquired a bit, and we joined Scouts near the end of our first year here, I'll say approx. April of 2013.

Scouts are organized a bit differently here.  First off, they are usually not with a school or Church, and they are all run in a hut (just like it sounds-a run-down, musty smelling building), that all the local groups use.  So perhaps dues/fees and fund-raising is more vigorous hence?  Not sure on that.  At any rate.....there are Rainbows, but I believe they are just for younger (age 4-5-ish) girls.  Beavers is next, which is co-ed, ages 6-8-ish.   They wear a turquoise-colored shirt.  But, oddly enough, there is also Brownies for the little girls in that age range.    The ages are rather flexible for all the groups.  Next is Cubs, also co-ed, for ages 8-11, wearing a dark green polo, or jumper.  Scouts follow, again co-ed, for ages 11-14, where they wear the same shade of green-this time in a long-sleeved button down shirt.  Ages 14-18 is called Explorers, and there is also a division called Young Leaders.  It's just boggling to me that its all co-ed, except for the brownies.  And..... there's no Girl Scout cookies over here!!!!!!! Can you even believe it??? That in itself just does not seem right!  I think they do have something called Girl Guides, which I know absolutely nothing about.  Recently, W/N were talking about the founder of Scouts, Baden Powell, and they were talking about the girls branch.  I asked if the founder was Juliette Lowe, and they weren't sure. (I interpret that to mean no, probably was a different founder over here, and is a totally separate organization.  Wasn't Juliette Lowe from Savannah, Georgia?)  That's your backdrop.

When we joined Scouts in ~April of 2013, only W and N joined.  They were in Beavers, as N would've been pushing 7, and W'd had his bday and was already the big 8.  They both attended the same Beavers meeting, but W was soon ushered into Cubs, as he was older. For a year, they attended separate meetings.  The following year, 2014, in late Spring, N joined W in Cubs, and if I remember correctly, they attended camp together.  Now, W has turned 11, and he's advanced to Scouts.  (Again, in contrast to the US, where there'd be a ceremony, and kids would bridge over/graduate to the next level.  Here, you go pretty much individually, as you turn 11.)

Every year, they hold a Scouts District Night, where various people are given awards.  This year, W received the Cubs Silver Award.  (Beavers-highest award you can receive is the Bronze Award, Cubs the highest you can achieve is the Silver Award, and the highest Scout award you can receive is the Gold Award.)  Very exciting!

Another highlight for the evening, was that Cubs turn 100 years this year.  They brought a cake on stage, and chose two lads to cut the cake.  Luckily, W was near the cake, and so he was one of the lucky lads chosen.  Exciting stuff, if you're 10 (almost 11)!  (Cubs also had a cake to commemorate turning 30 years.)

W receiving the Chief Scout's Silver Award for his Cub work

W assisting with cutting the Cubs 100 year cake.

This represents one evening.  I'll attempt to post more, as time allows.  All I have to say is, "Thank goodness for cameras on phones, or I'd never recall anything we did."  I use it a lot, when I haven't remembered to bring the camera along, or didn't think I'd take a picture, but then everyone else is, so then I decide, why not, I'll look like an idiot too and take some photos. The kids grab my phone a lot and take some interesting photos, too.  It is always a revelation to look at my photos, and I have to wonder who took some of the photos, and sometimes I look at the picture, and try to figure it out.  What is it, who is it, where are we, just why on earth was this taken?  I guess we look at our surroundings and life with a different lens (ha-ha--I couldn't resist!), depending on our age.  I hope what you're seeing from your lens is something you are enjoying.  Miss you all!!!