Scouting through the pandemic
Returning to what we know best - the great outdoors!
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Here are more activities and events from 2021.
We survived a cold night!
Scouts and Explorers
One-Night Activity Camp
December 2021
Our second one-night activity camp. This time with a festive flavour - christmas cake, pulling crackers and even a visit from Santa! To cap it all, it snowed as we packed up camp on Saturday!
Activities included sessions of archery and crate-climbing along with a firelighting session on the Friday evening.
Turn your teddy into an astronaut!
Beavers and Cubs Weekend Camp
Astronaut Adventures
November 2021
Our regular annual Beaver and Cub Indoor Weekend returned in November as more than 30 youngsters took part in their first weekend away for two years.
The theme for the weekend was Astronaut Adventures - taking the youngsters out of this world with all sorts of space-themed activities. Great to be back - who needs Virgin Galactic anyway!
Ready for the Tower!
Scouts and Explorers
One-Night Activity Camp
November 2021
Scouts and Explorers returned to Fordell on the same weekend as the Beavers and Cubs for the first of their one-night activity camps. 11 young people set up tents on Friday night, enjoyed a very active games session in the Activities Hall, then on Saturday morning tried climbing and the 3G swing - perhaps you heard the screams?
We built this swing!
Explorer Weekend Camp at Fordell Firs
September 2021
The Explorer Unit organised our first camp back in September - nine young people enjoying a weekend under canvas at Fordell Firs.
Some great weather made the daytime, outdoor activities very enjoyable, although heavy rain through Saturday night into Sunday morning was a bit of shock!
Activities during the weekend included wide games, firelighting and backwoods cooking plus some big-scale pioneering - including a giant swing and a giant table! Healthy eating didn't feature in our camp donuts session and we had the return of our traditional big prize bingo and non-stop cricket games!
Wheeeeee!
Summer Adventure Week
August 2021
We couldn't get a Summer Camp ready for the Scouts and Explorers, but we were able to organise Adventure Week:
- Challenge Course and Abseiling
- Caving and Climbing
- Zip Line and Archery
- Crate Climb and Firelighting
- Explorer Day Hike
- Two day trips to Blair Drummond Safari Park
It was very popular, with dozens of youngsters taking part over the seven days. Our first sessions on the Fordell Zip Line were very exciting, a group of Explorers were able to reach the summit of Dumyat Hill, near Stirling and two separate minibus trips to Blair Drummond Safari Park became "mini days out" and great fun.
I didn't know moss could hold so much water!
Scout Activity Hike
Blair Adam Forest
July 2021
Group of Scouts took part in a day hike through Blair Adam forest, near Kelty. Along the way they completed a variety of challenges and activities. These included map and compass work, using lightweight stoves to make hot drinks, setting up a hammock and tarp shelter and reaching the top of Cowden Hill to enjoy the amazing views over Loch Leven and the surrounding area. They also found out about some of the history and nature of the area.
Scouting through two lockdowns
March 2020 to April 2021
scouting@home
During the two lockdowns, we've kept all our sections meeting on Zoom and through Facebook. Lots of new activity ideas were needed - around the home and in the garden!
A busy programme gradually took shape and by the time of the second lockdown, we were able to provide a lot more opportunities to take part in Scouting@home, from scouting skills, photography and making armpit fudge to "Taskmaster" sessions, origami, finding out about hedgehog hospital and Beavers 101: a Summer of Fun.
Achieving as usual
It was business as usual as many youngsters made good progress with awards and badges throughout the lockdown periods. We were able to present hundreds of badges and a many awards and certificates - especially when we were meeting face-to-face.
camp@home
We even held a Group Camp. Everyone took part in this 24-hour camp@home over a weekend in July 2020. Youngsters packing their rucksacks and sleeping in back garden tents or in makeshift shelters and dens in their house.
Each section had different activity challenges, so 24 sessions took place, along with opening, closing and morning flagbreak ceremonies on Zoom, a camp fire, bingo sessions treasure hunt, movies and a late-night round the campfire chat for Explorers.
We had a great response to these activities with hundreds of photos on facebook to prove it. Leaders and youngsters were very grateful to parents as they were the stand-in Leaders for most of the time and we hope that they enjoyed being able to take part with their children.
Return to to meeting outdoors
From early September through to the end of December 2020, we returned to outdoor activities, such as:
Exciting activities at Scout Adventures Fordell Firs:
- Climbing
- Challenge Couse
- Tomahawk-throwing
- Archery
- BBQ and firelighting
Hikes and walks:
- Dunfermline to Dalgety Bay
- Blair Adam Forest
- Lomond Hills
- Fife Coastal Path
- Townhill Path
Games and activities around the Scout Centre in Abbeyview Park
Indoor meetings for a while!
A few indoor activities in the Scout Centre were possible towards the end of 2020 and we were able to organise some Christmas handcrafts, parties and even a movie night! Lockdown returned in January 2021, but for a while it was great to feel that things were a bit more normal.
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