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Youth Groups in Action – Cubs

Saturday, 25 September 2021 07:00

By Robert Veitch

Being a 21st century cub is primarily about having fun while learning a few essential life skills for children aged 8 – 10½ writes Robert Veitch

Cub Scouts is the most popular section of Scouting with over 8,100 packs nationwide. It used to be the entry level into Scouting, but these days Beavers, for children aged 6-8 is the first port of call.A Cub Scout leader is known as Akela, a name taken from Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book and in line with the theme helpers follow in line with names like Bagheera, Baloo and Rikki.

Cubs are bonded in sixes with a Sixer as leader and a Seconder to help. They are usually two of the older boys. The Sixer has responsibility and shows leadership, helping those under his command to learn the way. Long before peer-to-peer learning was a phrase the Cubs were on the case.

Sure, learning knots still takes place, but so do camps, cooking, badges, wide games, fires and a whole host of practical skills that former Cubs might find more useful further down the line, than their attempts to learn algebra while staring out of a stuffy classroom window.

21st century Cubs can take activity badges in Backwoods Cooking, Astronomer, Digital Citizen and Environmental Conservation among other skills and challenges.

One issue affecting many Cub packs is a lack of adult involvement. Cubs isn’t just for children, Cubs can create a beneficial learning environment for the adults as well; be it planning, childcare, first aid, leadership, legislation and of course, a few knots.And I can still do a reef knot with my eyes closed, so there!

Website: www.scouts.org.uk/cubs

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