Friendship

In Scouts you can make true friends and meet very interesting people. When I first joined Beavers, I was worried that the other Beavers would not have the same interests as me. I felt a mixture of scared and excited about meeting new people.

Now I am a Scout and have made lots of friends. We come from different backgrounds, schools and are different ages but on a Friday night we come together and become a special team. When I started Beavers, Otter was very understanding and kind. She helped me by giving me positive reinforcement until I was confident. She was like a Beaver Mum. Now we have Rachael, Chill and Kane who guide us to be our best.

Teamwork

Each week we learn to work together. We have team activities, like quizzes, tent building, fire safety, electronics and crate tower building.This will help me when I am older to work better with my co-workers.

Lifeskills 

Fire safety is a big part of Scouts. We love to burn stuff (in a controlled way!), like cotton balls, twigs, leaves. If it is flammable, we have burnt it. But we know that we have to be safe and Baloo has made sure that we know how to keep ourselves and our friends safe. Baloo also taught us how to repair a water heater and how to maintain our camping equipment. These skills will help us to confidently camp on our own and know how to fix stuff around the house.

Acceptance

In Scouts people accept you for who you are, not what you might be expected to be. My Scouting friends have accepted me for my quirks and strengths. They’re just as happy when I go on about Lord of the Rings as when I complete any Scouting challenges. If you feel a bit different and don’t always fit in places, give Scouts a go because they accept you and you will find lots of amazing friends there.

Experiences

I have had some awesome experiences including a trip to Magna, Chesterfield Observatory, JOTA - speaking to Scouts in America and Asia, which was amazing! My favourite experience is the Derbyshire Spring Bank Camp every year. I have taken part in water gladiators, rifle shooting, tomahawk throwing, wood whittling, archery, small making and loads of other activities. We also get to camp and practice our skills.These activities have helped me meet lots of new people. It also helps with learning to be sociable. Scouts has made me a more experienced and confident person.

Sam