Scouting: Adventure Fun Friendship

Our Patrol is called the ‘Crean’ Patrol after Tom Crean

Welcome to Scouts! the famous Antarctic explorer and our Patrol emblem is a
picture of his ship ‘The Endurance’:

The point of Scouting Ireland is to help

you to be the best person you can be,
so that you can help people in your
community and make the world a
better place.

You’ll do this by having loads of fun

adventures with your friends.

Jayo, our PL, has a thing about Tom Crean, I think he’s
his hero. I guess that’s good ‘cause from what I’ve heard
he was an amazing explorer—and Irish. Maybe he’ll in-
Phew You Made It, Deadly!
spire us to greatness too!?

Welcome to Explorer Scouts.

Now that we’ve had a bit of time to find our feet in Ex-
I’m Spike! I’ve just joined Explorer Scouts along with Emma.
plorer Scouts we can show you around. You’ll get to
catch up with most of the old gang, Skye is here too.
Emma and I really enjoyed Tracker Scouts so we decided to
Neil’s family moved and Amy went to boarding school so
move into Explorer Scouts too.
they didn’t join Explorers here. But Amy does come on
the odd weekend adventure and last year she came on
We both kind of miss our Tracker Patrol ‘the Celts’ just a little.
our big summer camp. Its great when we all get together
We had some brilliant adventures together, but I can’t wait for
especially now we’re in Explorers cause things are a bit
all the stuff we will do with our new Patrol in Explorer Scouts.
more grown up here.

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Introducing the Crean Patrol...

3
Scouting: Adventure
The Crean Patrol
Jayo Age13
Patrol Leader of the Crean Patrol
Bit of a Scout nerd but good craic. He has 3
brothers and 2 sisters and they were all
Scouts. His Dad was even a Scouter in the
olden days. He loves backwoods bivouacking
and pioneering especially. He’s now in secon-
dary school and will be moving into Discovery
Scouts next year.
He hates washing up and is a really bad singer.
Eadaoin Age 13
Assistant Patrol Leader of the Crean Patrol
She’s a little wild like her hair. She loves to
dance and is cool at art, and its hard to keep up
with her on a hike. She designed our Patrol
badge. She loves to take photos and just got a
new digital camera which is a bit annoying cause
she sometimes catches you when you’d rather
she didn’t, but our patrol log book looks amazing
now.
Paddy age 12
Paddy is our strong man. On hikes and cycles he
and Eadaoin are always the two who are way out
in front. He’s also learning guitar and is brilliant
at it. He and Jazz can really make our celebra-
tions & campfires special. He has a wicked
sense of humour and tells these really corny
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Fun Friendship
Mick age 11
Mick is a gear & gadget freak, not just in
Scouts. I think he changed his phone three
or four times last year.
He is our quartermaster and he is good at it
because he is very practical and can fix
most things if they’re broken, and even
sometimes when they’re not.
Jasmine age 11
Jazz is our tree hugging, duck squeezing
eco warrior. She always sees the good in
everyone ands is so enthusiastic. If we ever
have a row Jazz is the peace-maker. Also
what she is really, really brilliant at is com-
ing up with these amazing ideas for reflec-
tions and celebrations.
Emma age 10
Emma has just joined Explorer Scouts. She
was a Patrol Leader in Tracker Scouts and
is really sensible and a good organiser.
Spike age 10
Spike has also just joined Explorer Scouts
from the Tracker Scout Troop. He is totally
into Scouting and is a bit mad. You always
know when Spike is around. He is always
coming up with ideas and suggestions. He is
surgically attached to a pair of goggles that
he has had since he was 7.
The first thing to do as an Explorer Scout is to get involved in an adven-
ture activity with your own new Patrol.
There’s no time like the present to show everyone what you can do and Deirdre
to make new friends.
Byrne
Climbed
You will be assigned a ‘Buddy’ to help you through the first few weeks.
Cathedral Peak
Karakoram
6247metres 2006
Here are some famous people and some of the adventures 12th Meath Scouts
they have had...
Tom Crean was a pioneer of
Antarctic exploration a hundred years
ago

Ellen MacArthur sailed solo around

the world in 2005 in just
71 days 14 hrs 18 mins 33 seconds
Ewan McGregor rode his motorbike
around the world in 2004

When you’re a Rover Scout you will Frank Nugent, Himalayan Mountain
begin to have adventures just like climber
these, but in Explorer Scouts you Aughrim Street Scouts
need to start with some smaller stuff
like camp-outs and you will need to
learn some skills and get some ex-
perience.
Brian Bliss, crazy surfer & climber
Bray Sea Scouts

Neil Armstrong
First man on the
moon 1969 Here are some Scouts and Zef Klinkenberg, paddled the
some of the adventures they Congo and Amazon rivers
have had... Malahide Sea Scouts
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Scouting: Adventure Fun Friendship
The other side of that is that Finn and Sarah expect us to take more
real responsibilities. Last year with some help from the Discovery
and Rover Scouts we went on the most amazing big summer adven-
ture. You’ll have to see the picture gallery we put together to see
what it was really like….

Our Troop is called the Frontier Explorer Troop by the way. An odd
name I agree but we like it. There are four Patrols in our Troop:

Us – The Crean Patrol

Our Scouters are called Finn and Sara. They’re such good craic,
they don’t treat us like we’re little kids who know nothing. The other
cool thing is that because of all the really useful stuff we learned in The Shackleton Patrol
the Trackers we can go on much more exciting adventures now that
we all know the basics, like how to:
The Fiennes Patrol
Pitch a tent
Make a menu The Amundsen Patrol
Light a fire
Plan an activity These are all famous explorers that you should find out about!
Another Troop in our area has a Bear, Wolf and Elk Patrol—all ani-
mals that used to live in Clare and whose bones have been found in
caves and bogs nearby.

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You will need to start thinking straight away The Scout Promise
about getting invested into the Explorer Scouts. In Scouts we have a special promise that every
You may already know the score from Tracker Scout around the world makes:

Scouts but if not then read on: On my honour I promise that I will do
my best
To do my duty to God
To serve my community
To help other people and
To live by the Scout law

Making a promise is not to be done lightly.

Why do you think that is?

Investiture The Scout Law

To become an Explorer Scout it’s a little like in Tracker Scouts, there
In Scouts we do our best to live by the following
are certain things you have to do and to know.
code:

1. Have a chat with your Scouters. Scouts are:

2. Join a Patrol. Loyal
3. Know and understand the Scout Promise & the Scout Law.
Trustworthy
Helpful
4. Know a little bit about World Scouting, including the Scout Hand Sign
and Hand Shake. Careful
Brave
5. Join your Patrol in the planning and organising of your first adventure
and chat with your Scouter and Patrol Leader afterwards. Respectful—of self, others & Nature
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Scouting: Adventure Fun Friendship

World Scouting

There are about 28 million Scouts around the world in about 155
different countries.

Scouting was started by young people themselves back in 1907 af-

ter reading a series of comics written by a famous soldier named
Robert Baden Powell. All Scouts know him as BP—the first Chief
Scout.

After the First World War BP was really keen to encourage Scouts
to work together to build peace in the world. The first gathering of
Scouts from around the world happened in 1920. It was the very
first World Jamboree.

Find out more about Scouts from other countries.

You will discover that all Scouts around the world love to hike and
camp and enjoy the outdoors together. We also all do our best to
keep the Scout Promise and to live by the Scout Law; though the
exact wording varies a bit of course the spirit is the same.
The motto is the same too: Be Prepared...

There are of course lots of different types of activities, badges,

names for things and colours of Scout shirt. For example German
Scouts are called Pfadfinders and wear a grey shirt. They each
have a piece of black canvas that can be used as a personal shelter
or built into a huge troop tent when all the pieces are assembled to-
gether.

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My investiture celebration was really, really cool. We had been walking the West Clare
Way and were sleeping on the beach at Fanore underneath the stars.

We built a fire on the sand using drift wood, we put it where it would all be washed away
by the high tide. While we were building the fire and watching the sun go down there was
a ‘pod’ of about 8 dolphins surfing in the waves, it was incredible. Around the fire I got to
renew my Scout Promise and was given my Explorer Scout Badge.

But what made it so brilliant was that Jayo had found this deadly
piece of driftwood with a hole in it. He presented it to me to use
as a woggle and said why he was looking forward to having me as
a full member of the Crean Patrol. I felt so special.
Everyone was holding a lighted candle and then we all said the
Scout Promise together.
Scouting: Adventure Fun Friendship

The Crean Patrol’s Grand Big Adventure...

Emma: First of all it started with this mad bet Spike made with Finn at
a campfire on one of our weekend adventures last summer. Spike
has an interesting way of looking at the world if you know what I
mean. Anyway, long story short, Spike decided that it was possible
to camp on an island and that we’d have to get the whole Troop over
there ourselves. Finn was having none of it but I think he might have
been winding Spike up.

To be honest I thought Spike was mental ‘cause the deal was that if
we weren’t able to make the camp happen then we would have to
wash Finn’s car every weekend for a year! But you know sometimes I
should trust Spike more than I do ‘cause he’s not always the spacer I
think he is. What we didn’t know was that he had a plan and this is
the story of how we went about organising our trip…

Dun dun dun!!!

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11
Scouting: Adventure Fun Friendship

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Spike; S’grand Emma, you won’t have to. Spike: Oh yeah, that’s right, see I have a plan.

Emma: You gonna do it on your own then Spike? Emma: Ok, I’m still listening.

Spike; How do I call a Patrol meeting?

Spike: No! Now you’re being a spoon, what I mean is
no one will have to wash anyone’s van, well except
Emma: Well in fairness I think you should ring Jayo and talk to him first, he is the
for Finn that is.
PL after all.

Emma: What are you talking about there’s no way we

Spike; Yeah, good plan, I knew there was a reason I rang you, you always know
can win this bet.
what to do.

Spike: You reckon? Shows what you know. I not only

Emma: Well, its just like Tracker Scouts!
think we can win, I know we can.

One week later in the chipper, the Crean Patrol meet...

Emma: Wow Spike, I haven’t heard you this excited
since you decided we could build a rollercoaster.

Spike: Well, I still think that’s possible and I will do it

some day. I think all I have to do is…

Emma: Spike! focus!

Spike; Oh yeah, anyway what was I saying?

Emma: Something about how I don’t have to wash

vans...

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Scouting: Adventure Fun Friendship
Jayo: Ok folks, listen up! Spike here has a suggestion for what we
can do for our summer adventure.
Mick: It’s not this daft island idea he was talking about with Finn is it?
Jayo: Yeah it has something to do with that.
Jasmine: Ok, I’m prepared to give him a hearing but I have two
things I want to say: First, I’m not washing Finn’s van, Spike can do
that—and second I’m not going to sea in any boat with you guys.
Jayo: Ok, ok, hold on a minute I thought the same too until I spoke
with Spike, so how about you guys give him a chance?
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Spike: I know it sounds a little whacky but I wasn’t being exactly
straight with Finn when we were talking - which I know isn’t really
fair. See, my cousin lives in Roscommon and there’s a small lake
near their Scout hang out. It has these four islands in it, each one
just about big enough for two Patrols to camp on.
Last summer they had their adventure there and they have all
these canoes and a safety boat and the Rover Scouts and Scouters
have all the qualifications an’ all. He sent me a DVD of what they
got up to, it looks amazing.
Emma: So that’s what you meant when you said you had a plan!
Spike you might just have come up with the best plan ever...
Scouting: Adventure Fun Friendship
Spike: Yeah! It gets better. Eadaoin: Count me in cause I’ve been wanting to get my Paddlers
Adventure Skills badge for ages.
Jazz: Really?
Paddy: Ok, ok, I take it back, because I wouldn’t mind doing that
Spike: Well, they said they had such a great time last year that too.
they are planning on going again and the best bit is they have
invited us. Jayo: And would we be trapped on the island the whole time? I
mean we could end up killing each other by the end of the week.
Paddy: Oh man, that sounds like the real deal. What sort of stuff
have they got in mind? Jazz: Nice Jayo! Always Mr. Positive!

Spike: Well first off they’d be on to twin up for the year and do a Jayo: You know what I mean.
couple of training and planning weekends with us before we go
on the adventure… Eadaoin: Well Spike?

Emma: Brilliant, brilliant that sounds like great craic. I reckon
there’s a dose load of Challenges we can tick off in our Explorer
Awards.
Paddy: Emma you’re such a nerd!
Jayo: Hey Pads, that’s not fair, just cause Emma is really enthu-
siastic.
Spike: I’m not sure but I guess not. He did mention something
about two Patrols to an island, one of ours and one of theirs - and
that we could keep our bikes on the mainland so we could go on
mini expeditions - but that’s just the start of an idea. What do you
guys think? Should we get Jayo to bring it up at the PLC? He could
show the DVD.
Jayo: All those in favour? (show of hands)

Eadaoin: Hey Spike, did you say they have canoes and all the
gear an all?

Spike: Yup!

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The Science bit: (Scout boffin Trevor explains) What is a PLC?
Answer: The PLC is the Patrol Leader’s Council—it is like the government of the Troop, it
makes most of the decisions about the running of the troop on a day to day basis.

Who gets to go to the PLC?

Answer: All the Patrol Leaders and if they can’t make it then their Assistants could go.
All the Scouters in the Troop can go as well!

What sort of stuff do they talk about?

Answer: Mainly about Adventures!
- Where (will the Adventure take place)?
- When (yeah, you guessed it)?
- Who (will do the organising jobs)?
- What (kinds of Adventures)?

They also coordinate the Patrol activities, its important that everyone knows what's go-
ing on, especially the Scouters.
They discuss things like equipment, money or help coordinate if the Troop has been
asked to do something like help out at a fundraising event or a community action project
in the area.

It’s a chance for Patrols to share ideas – if one Patrol went on an Adventure and loved it
(or hated it!) then they can tell the others about it.
If there are any ‘issues’ going on in the Troop - say maybe bullying or someone behaved
badly on the last activity or someone did something particularly good - then it’s a chance
to talk about this stuff and figure out what to do.

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Scouting: Adventure Fun Friendship
It also allows time to reflect on the last Adventure/activity and to de- Who organises them?
cide: -
Answer: Good question, usually the ‘chair’ is with the Scouters, but
• What went well?
lets look in a little more detail at what everyone does…
• What wasn’t quite so good?
• What things to change?
(But more of this later)
Important notice:
In a way its just a bigger version of how the Patrol works. The struc-
The PLC follows the Scout Law and the Scout Promise – these guide
ture is almost the same, in that everyone has a ‘special’ job to do.
what we say, how we talk to each other and what we decide.
It’s a very important way in which every Scout in the Troop can make
their voice heard. The PL takes the ideas that have come up at the
last Patrol meeting and shares these with the members of the PLC. Another important notice:
They also make sure that everyone in the Patrol knows what was de-
cided at the PLC. The jobs in the PLC usually swap around every couple of months,
say every school term. This gives everyone a chance to learn new
How often do they take place? skills, it also means that all the Patrol Leaders can help each other
and explain to each other how to do each job.
Answer: Well there’s no rule, mostly every four to six weeks, but you
might need to meet more regularly if you’re coming up to a big Ad-
venture. Yet another important notice:

Where do they happen? Your Scouters have the final say about what they are comfortable
for you to do. They are the grown-ups after all so they get to say
Answer: Anywhere you like, around a campfire, up a tree, on a raft,
what's safe for you.
in the chipper after the movies, in the Scout Den. It really depends
on what’s going on and what you need to talk about. On your sum-
mer adventure you might want to meet very quickly every night just
to make sure the plans for the next day are sorted.

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So who are the people in the Frontier Troop PLC?

Jayo PL of the Crean Patrol – with Finn he runs the meeting. That
means he makes sure all the jobs on the agenda get done. He
also makes sure that everyone gets to speak. If there are ar-
guments or disputes he and Finn have to try and keep things
calm and make sure that everyone sticks to the Promise and
the Law.

Zoe PL of the Shackleton patrol – she is the Troop Quartermaster

which means she works with all the Patrol QMs and Dave
(Scouter) to ensure that all the Troop and Patrol gear is
looked after and any worn out or broken stuff is replaced.

Pavel PL of the Amundsen Patrol – he’s the Troop historian/

photographer/archivist. He works with Alison (Scouter) and
keeps the Troop log book up to date, takes photos and videos
(with the troop camera) on all the Troop adventures, special
occasions and celebrations. Oh and Pavel is Polish, he came
to Ireland 3 years ago. We have a good laugh cause some-
times we don’t always understand each other but that’s why
its cool to have a Scouter to link with.
(*the Troop log book has photos, press clippings, bus tickets,
badges, sick bags, leaves, mementoes or anything the Troop
thinks is important enough)

Dave Our Scouter, works with Amy looking after equipment and
supplies, he’s great with pioneering and camping skills.

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Scouting: Adventure Fun Friendship

Finn He’s the overall Scouter, although you wouldn’t think it to look at
him. We all think he’s too old for that dumb Mohawk, he must be
at least 25! I wish he’d grow up sometimes but he is great craic.
Anyway he works with Jayo to keep the whole thing on track. He
also links with Cody to make sure the agenda is set and the min-
utes are kept up to date.

Cody She’s PL of the Fiennes Patrol, they thought that was a funny
name cause when they started out they were all girls. She’s
what we call the Scribe, she works with Mags and has two main
jobs:

1. She makes the agendas, she has to go around all the members
of the PLC and ask them if they have anything they want to talk
about at the Council.
2. She writes down what was decided, who agreed to do what, and
when.

Alison She’s our newest Scouter, she is great fun and really creative,
she’s in art college, that’s why she has pink’n’purple streaks in
her hair - or at least that’s what she tells us. Oh and she was
never a Scout before. She and Pavel come up with some amaz-
ing ideas, he helps her to know what Scouting is all about and
she helps with the camera and sometimes she has to explain
some English words or something about Irish culture to him.

Mags Our Scouter, boy is she ever organised! She seems to know just
the right way to do everything. Once something has been de-

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 cided and written in the Troop log book, you can be guaranteed to hear from Mags and Cody quite a lot
if you have been given a job to do. They’re not moans or anything it’s just that they keep reminding you
that your deadline is coming up. None of us mind because if it weren’t for them nothing would ever get
done.

Those are the main jobs but every once in a while, depending on what's going on, there may be other jobs to do.
If that happens then either one of the PLs or Scouters takes it on, or sometimes it’s somebody from one of the
Patrols. A couple of times it’s even been a parent, say if it’s a big fundraising event. They even come along to a
PLC meeting. I think they find it odd at first but usually they are really cool about it.

Meanwhile back at the PLC…

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Scouting: Adventure Fun Friendship
Finn: Deadly DVD – it looks like I might have been set up. I’ll have to
have a word with Spike. So what does everyone think?

Amy: Amazing, it looks like such good craic!

Jayo: Well, obviously the Creans are all for it, especially Spike.

Cody: I’ve never camped on an island before, and it will mean we can
maybe work on our Camping and Paddling Adventure Skills badges.

Jayo: Spike says the Roscommon crew are talking about making
rafts and a bridge between two of the smaller islands that are close
together, so we would be able to work on our Pioneering Adventure
Skills badge too.

Pavel: Nice one, there will also be loads of the ‘SPICES’ we can add The Science bit from Scout Every Explorer Scout should
to the programme too as I’m keen to get my Silver Explorer Award. Boffin Trevor... have a go at loads of great Per-
sonal Challenges set out under
six SPICES later in this hand-
Finn: What do the Scouter Team make of it? Are ye up for it?
book.

Dave: Ah man, it looks so amazing but I’m really sorry I’m gonna be If you try your best you will
in the States working for the summer. Gotta make some dosh before earn the Explorer Award and
maybe even go on all the way to
my finals next year. But go for it and I’m happy to give Amy a hand
the Gold Explorer Award.
with the kit and all before I go.

So do please spice up your life!

Alison: I never knew Scouts did such cool stuff. I wish I’d joined
when I was your age. It will be brilliant. I can’t wait, I’m gonna ask for
the time off from work tomorrow.

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Scouting: Adventure Fun Friendship
Finn : So, that’s a yes then?

Alison: Oh that’s a yes alright - and we can make our own DVD too
- and maybe we could design special T-shirts, and a neckerchief,
and a flag - or maybe one flag for each island and each island
could have its own neckerchief and…

Finn: Woah! Hold the horses Al’. Those are all cool suggestions
and maybe you and Pavel could head up a design team, but first
things first….

Mags: How could I not say yes to such a brilliant idea! I suggest
we get Spike in here real soon to give him the thumbs up before
he explodes. I can see him and the rest of the Crean Crew pacing
up and down outside.

Finn: Well Spike, we watched the DVD and I guess its ok but I sup-
pose we were hoping for something a bit more unusual and excit-
ing for this years adventure.

Spike: Really?

Finn: Yeah, sorry mate.

Spike: Oh!

Finn: Oh, and one more thing…

Spike: Yeah?

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Scouting: Adventure Fun Friendship
So Finn contacted the Scouter from the Roscommon Troop and
they decided that the best thing to do was to have a joint PLC be-
tween the two Explorer Scout Troops. They decided to make it a
sleep-over so all the PL’s and Scouters would have a chance to
start getting to know each other.

Our first Joint Adventure Planning Weekend

Programme, or a ‘meeting of the minds’:

10:30 Roscommon lot arrive

10:30 Show everyone around the Scout Den, bring
in our gear
10:45 Icebreaker to get to know a little about each
other.
11:15 Roscommon presentation on the adventure.
Details about the area, things we can do,
what skills training they have, what re
sources are available…
12:00 Q & A.
12:30 Lunch
2:00 Make a plan
4:00 Sort out working teams/groups
4:30 Free time
5:30 Dinner: cook, eat and wash up
7:00 Cinema
11:00 Sleep?

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The joint PLC identified the following things that need to be done and the
people to do them.

Camp Castaway –The Plan

Theme/brand

• Create the camp movie.

• Make up a story about why the camp is called ‘Camp Castaway’.
• What is the story about why they were castaway and how they
ended up where they are.
• Design a logo, t shirts, badge, neckerchief, flag.
• Write up a brief for each Patrol so they can design their own flag.
Identify all the things they have to do. Make Camp Castaway feel
like the real thing.

Communications

• Make presentation for parents.

• Write press release for local newspaper.
• Make a promo DVD about all the preparations.
• Link with the Theme Team about the camp movie.
• Send out all letters to the parents.
• Write the camp chronicle on camp

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Scouting: Adventure Fun Friendship
Programme/skills
• List all the ideas for activities
• Plan out each day
• List all the Adventure Skills that will be covered
• Check what Personal Challenges can be done
• Assign an organiser for the main activities

Finance
• Make out a budget
• Collect the money
• Keep careful records of money in and money spent
• Stay within budget

Logistics
• List all the Troop & Patrol gear that will be needed
• Work out how to transport gear to and from the camp
• Ensure everyone can get transport to camp and back
Our logo for ‘Camp Castaway’…
• Plan for loading and unloading gear before & after camp
• Set out a rota for Troop gear maintenance
We chose this as our logo for a couple of reasons:

• It gets across the idea that we will be camping on

islands – living in nature.
• It shows two Scouts – one from each troop so it
shows that we have teamed up and are working
together.
• And it shows that we will be making new friends.

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The idea we chose for our camp is about ‘Castaways’. The story is
that two groups of people have been stranded on 4 islands. On each
island there are two separate groups of people who have never met
before. Each island has been given part of a puzzle.

In order to get to safety they have to link up with the other 3 islands
and join up the parts of the puzzle. When they have done that the best
way to get off the island will become clear . The first thing all the
groups have to do is work out how to communicate with each other.

A lot of thought was put into this idea so that all the SPICES are cov-
ered and so that everyone can choose Personal Challenges to do...

Spiritual: If you only saw these islands you would know how
beautiful they are and the sunsets are just out of this
world. Also our Scouters told us that we were the only
people who had survived a huge environmental catas-
trophe, so we did some real thinking about what it
would be like, what things would be important to us,
and what things aren’t.

Physical: Living on a small island, camping, building fires col-

lecting wood and water, building shelters, cycling and
paddling are obviously all very physical activities. And
the overnight wide-game will be mad as always.

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Scouting: Adventure Fun Friendship
Intellectual: We have to work as a team to find the best way to live
together, to figure out the ‘rules’ for our community.
We have to plan our bit of the wide-game and also fig-
ure out how to make our camp with very limited mate-
rials and then there’s the puzzle to solve!

Character: Have you ever been stranded on a small island with a

bunch of people you’ve never met before and you
know you’ll be there for about a week and you have to
work together to live and escape? We especially
learned a lot the morning we woke up to discover that
the Scouters had ‘stolen’ all our pots and stuff except
for one knife and a kettle.

Emotional: We made many new friends that we didn’t want to say

goodbye to on the last day. We learned many new
things about ourselves: things we were good at and
things we weren’t so good at - especially on the days
it rained and the disappointment of the days that we
nearly solved the puzzle and the excitement of the
day we did!

Social: Friends, old and new…

30
Once we decided that this was what we were going to do for the February: Pioneering
summer it was really important to put a plan together. It was De-
cember when we decided and the adventure was set for July. So
Week one: Practice technical skills, lashings etc.
starting in January we had six months to prepare everything – we
chose six main areas as themes, one for each month.
Week two: Build small Patrol project – wash stands etc.

Week three: Build tripod sleeping platforms and a raft platform too
January: Marketing and Fundraising
Week four: Sleep on platforms and dismantle next day

Week one:
• Agree targets for each Patrol to reach
• Set up group to coordinate fundraising
• Decide a date for parent night
• Send letter to all parents

Week two + three:

• Prepare for parents evening
• Organise DVD player, food & chairs
• Arrange who will do what on the night
• Make postcards and banners
• Make short DVD explaining camp
March: Cycling
Week one: Slide show from Jo and Jen, two of the Rovers who cy-
cled to Spain for last year’s expedition
Week two: Bike maintenance with Pavel’s Dad – he has a bike shop

• Make application forms and is in a cycling club

Whacky races wide game using four old bikes

Week four:
• Parents evening Week three: Road safety – rules of the road with Garda Sergeant

• Get everyone to sign up Mary O’Reilly followed by a memory game

• Get 3 parents to work with fundraising group

Week four: 40k cycle with Patrol

31
Scouting: Adventure Fun Friendship
April: Backwoods While all this is going on we will have met with our Patrol to de-
cide: what each of us will be doing on camp, to make rotas for
things like cooking, building fire, collecting water etc. We also
Week one: Plan backwoods menu and buy ingredients.
identify which Adventure Skills badges we will be working on and
how we can cooperate to achieve those. Obviously certain
Weekend: Backwoods weekend, build shelter, build gadgets, cook
badges will be more important that others: -
food etc.

Camping
Backwoods
May: Paddling
Paddling

All month – link up with the local paddling instructor (who happens to I also met with Finn cause he’s the mentor for our Patrol an we
be one of the Rover Scouts). Work on Paddling Adventure Skills Award. looked at all the Personal Challenges that I could work towards,
both in preparation for our adventure and when I am on it. I’m so
excited I can hardly wait to go. It’s so cool to know that Finn is

June: Equipment preparation
Go through all Patrol and Troop equipment including pots, lights,
saws, tents etc. Repair, replace & clean everything, pack it all up
ready for the off. It’s also a good time to prepare our own personal
stuff.
July: Departure BBQ
here to help me, cause sometimes I don’t realise all the ways I
can achieve my challenges, but he’s so experienced he helps me
to see things I miss. It’s also great to be able to talk with him if
things don’t work out so well - he helps me to think of other ways I
can try things or just encourages me to give it another go.
It’s not like in school—there’s no pass or fail—and he always talks
with me like he wants to help. He always says to me if I try my
best every time I do something then I’ll know in my heart if I de-
serve to tick the box on the chart and in the handbook.

Hold one last meeting with parents to go over all final details. He is a bit of a Baden Powell freak and has this thing he always on
about, something to do with jumping over a stick…

32
I guess it makes sense but it’s kind of annoying when he ALWAYS says
it.

The good thing is I don’t have to compare myself against anybody else.

Which reminds me about the Personal Challenges – they give me loads

of ideas of things I can do to learn more about myself, but what I really
like most about it is that I can adapt the Personal Challenges to suit me
if necessary.
I can try similar Challenges once I’ve agreed them with Finn.

Finn always encourages me to write any new challenge ideas down so

that the other Scouts can try them if they want. I’ve gotten loads of
ideas from other Scouts, especially Jen and Amos from the Amundsen
Patrol. They have loads of mad, fun ideas. I don’t know where they get
them from.
Every so often Finn gets us to send all our ‘new’ ideas for anything like
Personal Challenges or activity ideas into Scouting Ireland. It’s cool
when you see them on the website with your name beside them, espe-
cially when someone else from another Troop tries them out and gives
them a good rating.

We can also borrow their ideas too. I once met someone at a Jamboree
who tried one of our activities and thought it was brilliant.
Every time we go on an adventure we finish with a reflection so that we
know what went well and what might need to be improved next time.
In our Troop we have decided that it’s important to review different
things in different ways.

33
Scouting: Adventure Fun Friendship
There are three main things we look at after each adventure: 1. What went really well, maybe something we decided to im-
prove from the last adventure?
• How was the overall adventure organised? 2. What areas were good, but with a little tweaking could be
• Did we each learn our Adventure Skill to a safe made really good?
level? 3. What did we learn overall?
• Did we each achieve our Personal Challenges? 4. What things need a lot of work and why – was the idea not a
good one in the first place, or did we not do what we agreed,
For each thing we ask ourselves a number of questions: or did we forget something?
5. How did we each feel about the adventure - as individuals and
as a Patrol?

34
A few more things:

• If it was a Patrol adventure we review it as a Patrol.

• If it was a Troop adventure then we still review it as a Patrol
and then Jayo brings our thoughts to the PLC.
• If it’s about an Adventure Skill then we review it as a Patrol
with our Scouter and we decide if the person learning this skill
is now able to do it safely, or as Finn says ‘cut the mustard’ -
whatever that means. He seems to know and thinks its funny!
• If it’s to do with our Personal Challenges then we each discuss
this on our own with our Scouters.

This was hard at first but I’ve got into it especially since I was a
Tracker Scout. At first we all thought that it would be easy – not that
anyone of us would lie, but sometimes we thought that if we just said
we were happy and just ticked the box then we’d get away with it.

Nice thought! Problem is, in the end you get found out, not cause
the Scouters make a big deal of it or anything but because you just
find that you’re not as much help to the Patrol or as good a Scout as
you would like to be. It’s hard cause you have to be a bit grown-up
about it. This might sound a bit boring but we know its important
because we all want to be able to have big adventures on our own
some day like the Rover Scouts. ..

35
Scouting: Adventure Fun Friendship

Also the more you do it the easier and the

quicker it gets. Most of the time we try to
do it in an interesting way - like at a camp-
fire, on a raft, up a tree—stuff like that!

36
Here are the two sets of Awards we talked about that you can try out…

You can earn the Explorer Award to begin with and maybe even go on to earn the Gold Explorer Award.
In doing so you will be acquiring all sorts of skills and experience (remember the SPICES!)
Also you can earn the Adventure Skill Awards that interest you.

The Adventure Skills Awards

If you find that you are particularly good at a skill, or really enjoy an
activity, or need to achieve a certain skill level in order to fully par-
ticipate in an adventure then you should consider earning one or
two of the nine Adventure Skill Awards in the Adventure Skills
handbook!

Ask your Patrol Leader or Scouter...

When you are a Discovery Scout you will be able to get to the next
level in the skill as well if you like.

37
Scouting: Adventure Fun Friendship

The Explorer Awards This next section will give you tons of ideas so that your
adventures can get better and better. It’s a journey with
lots of challenges along the way. We call it the Explorer
If you want to have adventures you are expected to get Awards.
the basics like how to help pitch a tent, make a menu,
tend a fire or stove and plan good activities.
In Explorer Scouts there are four Awards with six parts in
You don’t want anyone treating you like you’re just a each—the SPICES. To begin with you should try your best
kid, after all. to complete the Explorer Award.
You get to take real responsibility if you’re up for it.
Each stage will challenge you to:
Set yourself a bunch of Personal Challenges with the
help of this handbook and the support of your Patrol and
Scouters. You’ll be amazed by what you can achieve. Look after your Body
Understand your Feelings
Take a look—there’s a selection of Challenges to Build your Spirit
choose from and if you need to you can adjust a Chal- Develop your Mind
lenge—just discuss it with your Patrol Leader and ok it
Make Friends
with your Scouter.
Be a better person

So! What are you waiting for?

38
Scouting: Adventure Fun Friendship

Personal Challenges section

42
Cya in Discovery Scouts!
Make Friends
Show what it is to be a friend
and recognise the value of
friendship, recognise my unique
abilities and the abilities of
those around me
Explore the importance of
communication and listening,
be comfortable in expressing
myself with my friends
Help your Patrol by doing
something that you are
good at.
Meet up with some friends
who are still in the Tracker
Scouts and tell them how
you are getting on in
Explorer Scouts.
Do something special to
help a friend.
Find out how decisions are
made in your Patrol and in
your Troop and take an
active part in this process.
Explain to your Patrol what
you would like to do on
your next activity.
Take part in the Evaluation
of an activity and explain
what you liked and did not
like.
Do a special project with
your three closest friends,
these friends don’t have to
be Scouts.
Help a younger Scout be
comfortable on an activ-
ity they have not been on
before.
Volunteer to do a job that
you are good at but that
others might find difficult.
Take part in decision-
making within your Patrol,
listen to everyone’s point
of view & express yourself
calmly.
Say what you liked about
your last activity and how
you think the next one
could be better.
Take an Active part in the
Troop Council.
Take on a unique role within
your Patrol for at least three Lead an activity with your
Patrol that uses each Patrol
activities. Roles might be
Patrol Scribe, Photographer, members own individual
skills.
Cook etc.
Organise a surprise
Help a younger Scout with
birthday party for a friend.
a job that they are finding
difficult.
During a weekend activity
During the Review of an make sure that each
member of the Patrol helps
activity, identify talents
out to the best of their
which were not used and
how these could be used in abilities.
the future.
Develop a system with your
Represent your Patrol at a
Patrol to represent their
County Forum.
needs & wishes at a PL’s
Lead a discussion to get
Council & report back.
agreement on what your
Talk to your Scouter and
Patrol will do on your next
the Scouter of the
activity.
Discovery Scouts about
what you are looking
Play your part to ensure
forward to when you join.
that every member of your
Patrol gets a say.
Lead the Evaluation of an
activity and make sure
each Scout gets their say.
Make Friends
Be committed to the inclusion of
various cultures in my society,
explore how cultural diversity
affects the world I live in
Be involved in my community
and help those around me when
needed
Cook a camp meal based Get a pen-pal (email buddy)
on a menu from another from another country and
country or people. write to them. Tell them
about your life and find out
Discover some English about theirs.
words that come from come
from other countries. Some Find out about Scouting in
one other country. Share this
examples: tepee, igloo,
with your Patrol or Troop.
voila, amadan.
Look at where the stuff in
Pick three food items in
your room came from
your local shop which are
originally. Find these places
not produced in Ireland,
on the map. Discuss fair
find out how they are made
trade policies.
or grown.
Find out what community
Do a Patrol/Troop/Group
events take place locally
clean up of a community
and attend one with
facility or area.
friends or family.
Raise some money for a
Help a neighbour with
charity.
their garden.
Tidy up the space around
your home. Tidy up the Scout Den
after a meeting.
Learn and perform a Talk to a person from
another country who is
traditional dance from
another country or people. living in your area and ask
them why they live in Ireland
and what they think of it.
Know about one project
where Scouts from one
Visit a Scout in another
country are helping people
country and find out how
from another country.
they do things there.
Show how cultures Consider how each person
interact, use collage,
in your Patrol helps to make
computer graphics,
it work & find a way to make
painting, photos, screen
better use of someone’s
printing, etc.
talents.
With your Patrol, design
Find out about another
and implement a
community organisation
community project.
and volunteer to help them
for a day.
Organise something to
help your local
Go shopping for an old or
community understand
sick person.
what Scouts do.
Help to prepare the Scout
Help with the
Den for a special event.
preparations for a
community event.
 Make Friends
Understand and demonstrate how
I use the Scout Law and the Scout
Promise in my everyday life
Discuss with a new Scout Show your Patrol by
Help your Patrol make Pick an aspect of the Scout
what the Scout Law and the example how to live by the
a list of Patrol rules or Law and put it into action
with your Patrol. Scout Promise mean. Scout Law and the Scout
guidelines based on the Promise.
Scout Law.
Discuss with your Patrol Pick a part of the Scout
Law and the Scout Promise Prepare a presentation,
Say what the Explorer the part of the Scout Law
which you could improve album, website, film, etc.
Scout Promise means to you find the hardest, and
on and do something to showing each aspect of
you in your own words, get some ideas from them
improve on it. the Scout Law & Promise
and some things you can about this.
in action.
do to keep it. Find out about a grown up
Explain each part of the
Scout who did something Work out a charter for your
Take part in the Troop Explorer Scout Law, say,
really special, say how the Patrol Leaders Council
Council. draw, act out, etc.
Scout Law & Promise may based on the Scout Law
have helped them. and Promise.
You’re done! You’re done! You’re done! You’re done!
Look After Myself
Demonstrate that I know the
benefits of good nutrition & a
balanced diet
Take responsibility for personal
hygiene & the impact it has on
others
Plan a menu for a day for
your Patrol on an activity.
Make one positive change
in your diet for a 3 month
period.
Prepare a suitable packed
meal for a Night Hike.
Invent a camp hygiene
gadget.
Have a dental check-up.
Keep yourself clean on
camp.
Act as cook on a camp. Plan the menu for annual
Cook your favourite meal.
camp.
Do a project on “Healthy
Eat all your meals for a
School Lunches”. Is there Prepare a hot, healthy
day as if you were person
something you can do to meal using an open fire
in another country of your
make a difference in your and no utensils.
choice.
school?
Cook a meal on an open Help a younger Scout
Prepare a menu for a
fire. work out a healthy menu.
weekend Scout activity.
Take charge of camp Build a camp shower with Build your own camp
your Patrol.
hygiene. shower.
Take part in “Shampoo Organise a “Laundry” on
Say what causes bad Day” on an annual camp. an annual camp.
breath, passing wind or
hiccups and how to Organise a tent tidy-up on Make up a camp hygiene
camp.
avoid it. kit for your Patrol during
annual camp.
Build a wash basin stand
on camp and use it for
washing yourself for the
whole camp.
Look After Myself
Explore & understand the benefits
of a healthy and active lifestyle
Understand how I am continuously
changing, understand the
implications of these changes on
my life
Help to setup an
Take part in a Cycle-cross
orienteering game and
event.
play it.
Walk or cycle to a Scout
meeting every week.
Do 20 minutes of exercise
Go swimming once a every day.
week.
Give up one unhealthy
thing that you do.
Organise a race for your
Make a list of 10 things Patrol or Troop. Look at
you can do now that you the results and ages.
couldn’t do at 7 years of Invent a system for making
age. it a fair race.
Do something that you Discuss with some Rover
won’t be able to do when Scouts what they would do
you are 16. if they were your age again
and is there any advice they
Show how to check the would give you.
correct fit for walking
shoes / hiking boots or a Develop a picture of what
life preserver. your own energy levels are
throughout a typical day,
Go on a charity run and try
to get others involved too.
Go kayaking, rowing or
sailing at least once a
month.
Go hiking or hillwalking at
least once a month.
Organise your Patrol or
Troop to pair up , when the
pairs lie down head to head
each pair should be the
same length.
Draw a picture of what you
think you will look like when
you are 30.
Organise an orienteering
or kayaking race taking
account of the physical
capabilities of everyone in
the Troop.
Swim as far as you can,
remember that you have
to swim back.
Explain the need for
proper diet and exercise
to a younger Scout.
Build up for it and then
go on a weekend cycling
tour.
Organise a strength
tug-of-war. Give
consideration to ages &
sizes of Scouts
Take part in a Discovery
Scout activity. Discuss going
up to the Discovery Scouts
with your Leader.
Develop a route plan for a
hike or a kayaking trip
which takes account of the
capabilities of each
member of your Patrol.
 Look After Myself
Identify my unique physical
strengths and know my limitations
Appreciate the benefits of
choosing a healthy lifestyle
Take part in a weight
lifting test, know how
much you can safely lift.
Know what your rate of
progress is when walking
on flat ground or when
swimming in a pool.
Take part in a game to
build a human pyramid to
get one member of your
Patrol the highest off the
ground.
Eat a piece of fruit instead
of a less healthy snack
every day for 1 week.
Show that you understand
how to look after your
health when you are in the
outdoors on a sunny day.
Find out about the lifestyle
of a top athlete.
Swim underwater in a
Climb a rock face with Take part in a “Climb the
swimming pool, while help and instruction.
holding your breath.
equivalent of Everest’ hike
challenge.
Know how much distance
Know how quickly you can you travel on average
Know how much distance
cover a distance of 100 each hour while hiking in
you travel on average each
metres running over flat open countryside or
hour while hiking over
ground or swimming in kayaking in calm water. rough terrain or kayaking
calm water.
in light waves.
Demonstrate how to
Demonstrate how 2 people rescue an unconscious
Demonstrate how to assist
can support another who person from a smoke-filled
a swimmer or sailor who is
has twisted an ankle while room.
having difficulties.
hiking.
Drink a bottle of water Run 100 metres and take
and run a race. Rest for a your pulse.
Take part in a relaxation
while, then drink a bottle
exercise.
of fizzy drink and run a Do regular exercise for 1
race. month, run 100 metres and
Know the symptoms of
take your pulse again.
Show that you understand dehydration, what causes Show that you understand
it and how to treat it.
the need for enough sleep, how to look after your
regular exercise and a health while camping.
healthy diet. Do a project on things
people do that damage Develop a health and
their health.
Find out how one famous fitness programme to
explorer prepared for an prepare for a challenging
expedition. physical activity.
Look After Myself
Understand the role I have in
keeping others safe and the
impact of my actions on the safety
of others
Devise a fire drill escape
Make a personal first aid plan for your Scout Den
kit.
and try it out.
Know what gear to
Check out a friends gear
carry/wear to stay safe before leaving for a hiking
while hiking or sailing. or sailing trip.
Always belt up on the Know what to do if you get
school bus. caught in fog on the hills or
on the water.
You’re done! You’re done!
Think about safety when Look after a new Scout on
you are planning an event camp and make sure they
and include some things know what can harm them
in the plan to make sure
and how to do stay safe.
you stay safe.
Prepare and carry out a
Show how to do a “Man Safety Plan for a hiking trip
Overboard” Drill or how to or a day on the water.
carry a friend who twists
an ankle. Demonstrate the ability to
organise an emergency
Know the extra gear to end to a hike over rough
bring when going on a terrain or a kayaking or
night hike. sailing activity.
You’re done! You’re done!
Develop My Mind
Be able to set myself challenges
with realistic goals
Be open to new ideas and ways
of learning
Allow your Patrol Leader to
set a challenge for you.
Decide how many
kilometres you will walk,
cycle, sail or paddle this
year. Track your progress,
discuss in your Patrol.
Decide on a plan to
achieve Level 2 in one
Adventure Skill.
Find three new ways to go
to school
Achieve a Personal
Challenge by doing
something you have not
done before; such as a
song, story, film, play,
discussion, etc.
Go on an activity that you
have not gone on before.
Undertake an activity
you know will be mentally
challenging.
Decide how many nights
you will spend on Scout
activities this year. Track
your progress, discuss in
your Patrol.
Decide on a plan to
achieve Level 2 in three
Adventure Skills.
Change jobs in your
Patrol for one month.
Invent a short activity to
help you to learn a new
skill.
Try a new Adventure Skill
that you have not done
before.
Try to teach the members
of your Patrol some
phases on a new
language.
Decide on a specially
challenge activity in the
out of doors. Plan it, do it,
discuss wIth your Patrol
Leader afterwards.
Achieve Level 2 in at least
2 Adventure Skills.
Build a machine that
measures time.
Invent a short activity for
your Patrol to learn a new
skill, run it.
Find a way to get someone
who is not in your Troop
to help your Patrol or
Troop to learn a skill
Set a challenge for your
Patrol and lead them in
achieving it.
Help a younger Scout set
one of their challenges
and help them to review
how things went
fterwards.
Achieve Level 2 in at least
4 Adventure Skills.
Pitch your tent a short
distance above the
ground.
Find a way to help another
Scout with a skill, that
causes you to do
something which you
have not done before.
Find a way to get someone
who is not in your Group to
help your Patrol or Troop
to learn a skill
 Develop My Mind
Explore my imagination, my ideas
and my creativity
Be able to find information and
examine various options to help
make decisions
Make boats or planes out Choose an object & Choose a word, or simple
of paper or plastic and explore different ways of sentence and translate it Design your own origami
have a race. looking at it. Show these in to as many languages model.
views in photographs or as you can.
Invent something useful drawings. Create a work of art.
to help out on camp. Design an energy-efficient
Design a poster, handout, vehicle such as a space- Help to create a
Take part in a Patrol post card, etc. to ship, aeroplane, sailing programme for a campfire
activity to make-up advertise a Scout or boat, car, etc. and play a part in leading
programme ideas for the community event. it.
new Programme Cycle. Make up a campfire song
Attend a campfire with or yell.
Scouts from other Troops.
Identify different ways of Agree with your Patrol the
Imagine you have a day criteria you would use to Research some locations
where you could do doing something special for an annual camp. Work
on an event or activity. buy something expensive
anything you would like. for your Scout Group. out how to get there and
What would it be? Consider the options and the costs of transport.
decide the best way.
Help to choose the
Choose which Personal programme for your Troops Play your part in agreeing
Challenges you will Help to choose the
big activity in the summer. the programme for the
attempt on your next programme for a Troop year for your Troop.
activity. activity.
Use the weather forecast
to help you decide on the Make decisions on a hike
Find out 4 ways to get a Learn to spot weather based on the prevailing
changes by observing the best route for a hike or the
weather forecast. best course for sailing or weather conditions.
clouds and the wind.
kayaking.
Develop My Mind
Show an understanding of the
benefits of teamwork, identify
my role & contribution as a team
member including willingness
to lead and accept responsibility
Go on a camp with your
Patrol.
Take part in a Patrol
activity for a day. Play you
part in the review
afterwards.
Help your Patrol build
something with poles and
string.
You’re done!
Help to divide up the Help the others in my
responsibilities of your Patrol prepare for an
Act as a leader in your
Patrol. Patrol.
event.
Lead your Patrol on a
Lead a short activity or Lead your Patrol on an
game. activity. Organise a
camp, organise reviews
with your Patrol during it
review afterwards.
Help some younger and afterwards.
Scouts to build something Take part in a team
with poles and string, Lead a team building a
building a large scale
make sure they all take large scale pioneering
pioneering project.
part. project.
You’re done! You’re done! You’re done!
Be a Better Person
Show that I understand the
difference between right and
wrong
Show that I understand the
value of friendship
Identify 2 new things that Do a role play of right The Scout Law explains Take part in “Court Case”
are right each day for a and wrong; for example, what is right. Identify the of Good against Bad.
week and do them. biscuits going missing on parts you find right for you
camp. and say why. Play your part in agree-
Find a news article on ing a set of ground rules
some crime and discuss Visit a prison or police Invent a new and for good conduct in your
how this type of crime station to see how prison- interesting way of saying Patrol or Troop.
could be prevented or ers are treated. “Thank You” to someone
avoided. who did the right thing. Dear fairly and decisively
Deal fairly with, conflict with conflict, disagree-
Deal fairly with, conflict disagreement or bad Play a leading role in a ment or bad behaviour
disagreement or bad behaviour as a member meeting to settle a dispute. during a challenging
behaviour as a member of the PL Council. outdoor activity.
of the Patrol Council.
Be a buddy for a new During camp, organise
Make a new friend. Do the “What kind of your Patrol in a way that
friend are you?” quiz. Explorer Scout.
shows that teamwork and
Explain what a true friend Help a friend with their friendship works.
is by a story, poem, Do something really
special for a friend. chores.
picture, drama, etc. Help a friend at a time of
Organise the chores on a special need.
Play your part with the Help someone in your
Patrol who is struggling. weekend activity in a way
Patrol chores during a that encourages Buddy up with a friend
weekend activity. teamwork and friendship. and do an activity you
both want to do.
Be a Better Person

Know my strengths and use them
to strive to address my areas of
need
Pick a skill you are not
Do a good deed for your good at and learn how to
Patrol to help make the do it better.
Patrol work better.
Agree with your Patrol
Buddy up with another Leader one thing you are
Explorer Scout and
really good at and how this
complete your Green will help your Patrol.
Stage Personal
Challenges together.
Take part in a survival
skills activity, learning
Make your self how to cope with basic
comfortable on camp.
supplies.
Do a task that you have not Help a member of your
Patrol learn a new skill.
done before to help your
Patrol or your community.
Agree with your Leader or
Agree with your Patrol your Patrol one skill area
which is missing from your
Leader one skill area
which you are not so good Patrol and make a plan to
develop it.
at and agree how you can
improve on this.
Take part in a survival
Find your way to a specific skills weekend, in open
countryside.
point at night using a map
& compass.

Practice fair-play
Act as Quartermaster on
a camp, ensuring the food
Design your own game, Act as referee for a game. Assist a Scout to develop a
and equipment is shared
write down the rules and new skill.
out fairly.
run the game with your Share a difficult chore
Patrol. with another Scout. Design a fair rota of jobs
Take part in a survival
for a weekend activity
weekend with another
Take you turn doing Give something that you taking into account each
Scout. Share all decisions
the jobs on a weekend want away to someone persons capabilities.
between you both for the
activity. who needs it more than
entire activity.
you do. Be a judge in a competition
Guide someone through or be a quizmaster.
Settle a dispute or
a Blindfold Trail
disagreement involving a
Scout in your Patrol.
Be a Better Person
Treat others with respect
Understand how injustice,
inequality and conflict may
affect people
Find examples in a
newspaper or magazine
of people respecting
others.
Do a Good Deed for
someone who needs help.
So something to help an
old or sick person.
Design a menu for a 3
course meal on camp for
1 euro per person. Know
the average daily wage in a
Developing Country.
Find out about the work of
one agency which tries to
bring clean water to people
in need, share this with
your Patrol.
Take part in a Peace Day.
Do something to show
respect to the younger
Scouts in your Troop.
Take charge of agreeing
the sleeping
arrangements for a
weekend activity.
Help a younger Scout
achieve a challenge that
they are finding difficult.
Visit a Court House and
find out what goes on there.
Find out about the
international work of the
Red Cross / Red Crescent,
share this with your Patrol
or another group.
Find out about one conflict
which is going on in the
world, share this
knowledge with your
Patrol or Troop.
Play a disability Put together a policy for
awareness game and respecting others like
discuss ways of “Leave No Trace”.
assisting people with
Special Needs. Organise an activity which
includes someone from
Organise a Patrol activity your area who doesn’t
and make sure the views usually participate.
of each Patrol member are
listened to. Organise a simple
ceremony to show respect
Make up a “Code of Good to some person or group.
Conduct” for when you are
hiking.
Explore injustice and
Explore injustice and
inequality in Ireland.
inequality in the world.
Take part in a forum to
Find out about the UN
discuss injustice,
Millennium Development
inequality or conflict and
Goals & take part in a
help to develop some
project to help people in
another country.
concrete proposals for
action.
Find out about the work of
Join in a national or
Amnesty International.
international effort to
promote peace, equality
or justice.
Be a Better Person

Pick two people you Pick one dream that

Explore my dreams and admire. What is it that you you would really like to Make a list of five quotes
Build a new invention.
aspirations admire about them? achieve within a year. that inspire you and build
Pick one thing you admire Work out how to do it and them into a reflection.
Put your hopes and
in each person and try to go do it.
dreams into a time
live it. Open your time capsule,
capsule to be opened in
Plan your “Trip of a see how you have done
your last year in
Send yourself a post card Lifetime”. and consider why.
Explorers.
from the future.
Learn something that will Write a CV for your dream
Take part in a Fancy Dress
Plan your “Perfect Scout help you when you are an job.
Party, dress as your hero.
activity”. adult.

Design a game to help a Hold a debate “There is

Over the period of one
new Scout to understand no such thing as the
Design an advertisement month, fill in something on
the Scout Law and the Scouting Spirit”.
poster for the Scout Law. a pre-made picture each
Scout Promise.
Understand the importance time you live the Scout
Lead a team or your
Do something to show Promise.
of Scouting Spirit your Patrol that you know Buddy up with a pal for an Patrol during an outdoor
adventurous activity that activity, making sure all
the meaning of the Scout Do something to help your
neither of you have done members are involved,
Promise. community to realise what
before. safe and prepared.
Scouting is about.
Help your Patrol with a
Write an article or letter Take part in a Scouting
special project. Represent your Patrol,
on why it is good to be a event with Scouts from
Troop or Group on a
Scout, try to get it other countries.
special occasion.
published.

You’re done! You’re done! You’re done! You’re done!

My Feelings
Recognise the emotions I am
experiencing and some of the
steps I can take to get along
with them
Know that I can share my
feelings and accept help
Keep a feelings diary
using “smiley” graphics.
Invent a way to stop
feeling scared or angry.
Play “Guess the Feeling”
using facial expressions.
Take part in a “Blind Trail”
with assistance from an
older Scout.
Tell your Leader how
you are getting on now
that you have joined the
Explorer Scouts.
Explain to your Leader
what you hope the
Explorer Scout Troop will
be like.
Talk to your parents about
things that make you happy
and things that make you
feel sad.
Undertake a challenge that
you have been avoiding.
On camp invent and use
a “Happymeter” to show
your Patrols feelings every
day.
Get help with a Personal
Challenge you are finding
difficult.
Ask someone who knows
for help with a skill.
Cross a gap using parallel
ropes and tell your Patrol
how it felt.
Give a 5 minute speech Lead your Patrol in a
discussion on feelings and
to a small group. Discuss
how you felt with your emotions.
Patrol.
Take part in a short play,
Help another Scout who is mime, film, or other
recording which explores
scared, angry or unhappy.
your ideas about a
Decide on a number of particular feeling.
things to use to make the
Make changes to the
Troop happy or relaxed
programme for an activity
during Camp.
to take account of the
feelings of the Patrol.
Recognise when someone
Tell your Patrol about a time
in your Patrol is upset and
when you felt strongly, such
try to do something
as when you were scared,
about it.
upset, really happy, etc.
Talk to a new Explorer
Tell a story about
accepting help when you
Scout about how you felt
when you joined the Troop.
need it, if not a story then
Reassure them.
find another way to tell it.
Discuss your feelings about
Climb a rock or abseil and
a challenging activity with
tell someone who was not
the group you will do it with.
there how it felt.
My Feelings

Understand that people express
their emotions differently
Do something to make Hold a debate on an issue Choose a strong feeling
someone happy. that you feel strongly that troubles you and
Build a collage of feelings about. develop a plan to deal
Show what makes across the world. with it.
different people angry, Find out how the others in
afraid or nervous. Use a Organise a Jokes your Patrol act when they Recognise when one of
picture, graphic, story, Competition to see what are angry, frightened, your Patrol is not happy
song, poem, collage, makes others laugh. sad, happy or excited. and find a way to help
speech, etc. them get over it.
Do a set of emotionics Make up a display of
Show 4 different ways about your Patrol. faces showing different Find a special way of
that people in other emotions, use photos, PC saying “Well Done” you to
countries greet a friend images, drawings, etc. someone who has done
or relative. really well.

Understand that the way I
express my emotions affects
others
Create something to help
Smile experiment: smile
with the Patrol Spirit, such
all day and take note of
as a Patrol Yell, a Patrol
the reaction of others.
Song, a Patrol Sign, etc.
Ask another new Explorer
Find out something which
Scout how they are getting
annoys or bores you and
on in the Troop and tell
think of a way of coping
them how you are doing.
with this.
Tell your Patrol how you
Go on a night hike and be
felt about your first night
quite passing near any
camping.
houses or animals.
Motivate your Patrol when Spend time with your
Patrol making them laugh
an activity becomes
without laughing
challenging, such as bad
yourself - try it on others.
weather, missed transport,
etc.
Discuss with another
Scout how their behaviour
Ask your Patrol Leader
affects others in the Troop
about how s/he feels you
or Patrol.
affect the others in your
Patrol.
Help a new Scout prepare
for their first time doing a
Explain to a younger Scout
new Scout activity.
why they need to be calm
sometimes.
My Feelings
Be prepared to challenge myself
Establish a set of personal
beliefs and values
Buddy up with an
experienced Scout and get
help with a challenge.
Start a new Adventure Skill
which you have not done
before or complete one
from Tracker Scouts which
you didn’t finish.
Set your self a target for
hiking, sailing or kayaking
for the year.
Choose your favourite part
of the Scout Law and show
why it is your favourite.
Help your Patrol make up
a Patrol Charter and play
your part in keeping to it.
Find out the rules or beliefs
of 5 major religions.
Lead a Patrol activity,
discuss how you feel.
Go on an overnight
expedition in the hills, or
undertake a day-long
sailing expedition.
Set yourself a target fro
overnight camping for the
year.
Explore and build a collage
or display of the values and
beliefs of other countries.
Find out about the Scout
Law and the Scout Promise
in 3 other countries, at least
1 of which does not usually
speak English.
Working in a small group
invent the laws which you
would use for a week on
camp.
Mentor and coach a
Work with a new Explorer
younger member of your
Scout, and help them with
Patrol to lead an activity.
a challenge.
Lead an overnight activity
Complete at least 4
in the hills or a day-long
Adventure Skills at
sailing expedition.
Explorer level.
Demonstrate an
Start an Adventure Skill
Adventure Skill to
that you have not done
younger Scouts.
before.
Prepare a Patrol Charter Prepare a Personal
to include the beliefs and Charter to show your own
values of all Patrol mem- beliefs and values.
bers.
Review the Discovery
Describe the kind of Scout Promise with your
person you will be when Leader and discuss how it
you are 20, put it differs from the Explorer
somewhere you will find it Scout Promise.
when you get to that age.
Prepare an act of worship
Help to agree and maintain or reflection which takes
the Troop Rules. account of the beliefs and
values of the participants.
My Feelings
Understand that I am unique and
that my uniqueness is part of my
development
Work with your Patrol to
Discover something new Look after your Patrol
make a Totem Pole Help your Patrol get better
or unique about members personal journey chart for representing something at some skill that your
of your Patrol. a while. about each member of especially good at.
your Patrol.
Find out what Adventure Find a talent you have that
Skills each member of Help to plan a process to
no one else in your Patrol Share one of your hobbies select a new Patrol leader.
the Patrol has completed, has and use it to help your or interests with your
see who can help you Patrol. Patrol or Troop. Help to decide a role
with yours.
for each person in your
Get your Patrol to help you Take the lead when you Patrol.
Share your hobby with improve some skill that you are the best person for
some Scouts who are are having trouble with. the job,
interested in it.
You’re done! You’re done! You’re done! You’re done!
My Spirit
Develop my relationship with
God through my interaction
and connection with others
Demonstrate an appreciation
and care for the environment
around me
Make a collage of your life Find out about the other
With your Patrol or Troop, so far, showing the most organisations in your
When you are playing do
identify a project in your important milestones. community. Find a way to
you always have to win?
What are some examples
community that you can help one of them.
do together. Make up a short
of fair play?
meditation ceremony for Take a group to visit an
Give up something you a Scout activity. important holy place.
Share something you
want so that someone Record the trip and your
have with someone who
else can use it. Visit a burial place at impressions of it.
needs it.
night, light a candle and
Help to create a show to spend a few minutes in Organise a celebration to
Sing a song with a group
celebrate your Troops or silent prayer or welcome the New Year,
to welcome a New Day.
your Groups birthday. meditation. include a small ceremony.
Explore and reduce your
How much can be carbon footprint by
Make a habit of doing one Find out all you can about
recycled in your home? knowing what is good and
thing different yourself, what happens to an item
Devise a way to improve what is bad for the
to help use less energy in you have put in your
what you do already. environment.
your home. recycling bin at home.
Follow it to the end.
Find out how to clear Organise a project or job
Take part in an garden pests without
“Anti-Litter” drive or Find out how to kill weeds to improve the
without using chemicals.
using chemicals. environment in your area.
clean-up.
Help tidy up a scenic area Identify one source of litter
Know the Country Code. Clean up or improve the
that you visit. or pollution in your area
area round your Scout
Den. and do something about it.
My Spirit
Reflect on the wonder of God all
around me
Recognise that everyone will
have their own appreciation of
Spirituality and God, take the
opportunity to reflect on
Spirituality in nature.
Discover how different
plants and animals interact
and support one another.
Make a collage or show in
some other way
Study the creatures that
use a water pond and
share your findings with
someone
Visit an underground cave
system and think about
what it was like ages ago.
Prepare a thought or
prayer to share with your
Patrol or Troop.
Visit a farm, zoo, wildlife
park or nature reserve .
Find out about religious
beliefs in another country.
You’re done!
Make a bird feeder. Study
a number of birds flying,
and try to discover how
they do it.
Grow some vegetables,
look after them and help
to eat them.
Look at some natural
materials under a strong
microscope, describe
what you see there.
Describe the things you
like best from nature from
each season of the year in
a poem or collage.
Make a decoration or
display from natural
materials to be used during
a reflection ceremony.
Find out about the religious
beliefs in your own country
long ago.
You’re done!
Explore different forces
in the world and how they
work, for example. magnets,
water, gravity, tides, etc.
Look for wild animals and
plants which live in a town.
Prepare a report, film or
other way to share your
findings with your Patrol.
Find some star formations
and look at them using a
strong telescope.
Watch dawn break and
listen to the “dawn chorus”.
Record this and share it
with someone who was not
there.
Sit quietly in a peaceful
place in the countryside for
15 minutes and think about
the things that are going on
around you.
Find out about the religious
beliefs of someone in your
area.
You’re done!
Make a podcast about
good people in the world
and about the good work
they do.
Be on a mountain top or
on open water at sunrise
or sunset.
Spend a day hiking in an
isolated area of natural
beauty with a buddy.
Find some “cool’ things
about some other
religions.
Take part in an overnight
vigil in the out of doors.
Organise a Scout’s Own
to include Scouts with
different religions.
You’re done!