WHAT IS HERE

There is information and links to documents about:

• Our on-line, weekly meetings
• A guide to our Zoom meetings.
• Weekly Challenges
• Any "camp ins": camping at home during the current situation
• Get some badges

PANCAKE COMPETITION

Homewood Road United Reformed Church are the sponsors of our Group. This year they are holding a pancake-at-home competition, aimed at all the youth members of the church, scout group and guides who are associated with them.

Very simple: there are varioius categories of prizes and entries must be photo or video.

Closing date: 18 Feb. Please also copy the scout leader into emailed entries. As ever, it would count towards some badges.

Details are on this pdf. Email entries to the address in this pdf.

WEEKLY ON-LINE MEETINGS

These use Zoom and are at 7:30 to 8:30 (ish) each Friday. See the separate panel on this page about our use of Zoom.

The Zoom will open at about 7:15, so that scouts can chat to each other (if they wish) until 7:30, when our programme starts.

Please will scouts

• wear their scout uniform - at least the top half.
• have paper and pen - just in case!
• have anything else needed for the paerticular meeting - as informed via email
• try to come to as many as possible AND contribute.

Programmes are developing and we welcome (and really want) suggestions from Scouts and others on what to include.

Programmes currently build around:

• A game (at least one!)
• An activity.
• Some badges, including Great Indoors badge: see separate panel on this page
• An opportunity for scouts doing this to ask questions or describe what they have done.

Where possible, we will break out into small groups. Some games might work better like that. That will also allow us to deal with separate topics.

 

NEXT FRIDAY'S MEETING

This information is on a separate page

ZOOM

General

.We want to start on time (as in the previous panel. Just like in the hut, arriving late can distract the rest of us. However, much better late than never!

Safety and security.

We use a new ID number and password each meeting. These will be emailed to parents on the Wednesday or Thursday before.

We use the "Waiting Room" before members can join in. So it is important that the name displayed is that of the scout: this can be entered when joining the meeting.This also helps us identify who is who: sometime the video picture is not clear (or fails).

Scouts should log in with their own name, so we can identify who is in the waiting room.

We ensure that 2 adults are always present.

Etiquette.

1. Sound: We want to minimise use of blanket "all mute". So please mute your own audio, except when wanting to speak.
2. Please leave video ON, unless requested.
3. We try to leave the Chat button operating, but if this becomes a distraction, we switch it off.
4. Please do not use the variety of tools that may interfere with others. (eg annotation) unless specifically asked.

WEEKLY CHALLENGES

We have some challenges that can be done during the week. These are likely to be something practical and can count to a section of the Great Indoors Badge (and possibly one of the "regular" challenge badges or Activity badges).

Scouts can show their results during a meeting - or send photos or video.

Obviously, like everything else, these are voluntary.

THE CURRENT CHALLENGES

These are shown here and there is a pdf here with a description and links for each challenge.

However, they can be done any time to count towards the Great Outdoors Badge

• Survival kit: Make one
• Photo-synthesis. Scouts take photos: in the garden, on a walk, wildlife, scouting. By phone or camera.
• Stars and Planets: Make something related to the stars or planets.
• Re-cycle: (Get it!?) Make something related to transport out of recycling items.
• Physical Challenge: Do something physical: Run, walk, ball tricks etc. More information soon

These following were done during recent Troop meetings, but if you missed them, it is not too late to try! All these needed as part of Activity badges

• Pizza night: Simple recipe to make a pizza.
• Edible pioneering: Like it says
• Scones: Simple recipe to make scones
• Spring log: Decorate a sponge log on theme of Spring
• Mug cakes: choice of cakes (and pizza) to cook in a mug

WINTER CAMP AT HOME

Friday evening to Sunday morning 19 to 21 February - "at home"

Some might want the challenge to sleepoutdoors, you might also make a shelter (bivouac) out off what is available - or even use a tent.

Otherwise, make some sort of den indoors, where you can lay your sleeping bag.There are a few tips here (pdf)

There are loads of activities to choose from: each scout can do their own thing.

https://www.wintercamp.org.uk/

(Ignore the dates shown on the website)

But some activities require particular items which you may need to gather, so best for scouts to make decisions of what they want to do: EARLY and give time to gather what is needed.

PROGRAMME

This is a pdf here

We will have a few short Zoom sessions:

• Game
• Exchange ideas of what to do
• Report back

Hopefully scouts will cook at least there own breakfast on Saturday. Ideas here (pdf)

However, we are likely to reserve campfire / hotdogs etc to the one in March.

GET SOME BADGES

Information on badges is on a separate page here:

• The Great Indoors Badges
• Other badges - Challenge and Activity badges