EXPLORER Scouts - Their Programme setup

Events & Information ~ Silly Olympics ~ Programme Zones ~ Brainstorming ~ Fun Pages

MUST WATCH - COUPLE OF FUN EXPLORER VIDEOS ON YOU TUBE

How to make D of E Hot Chocolate
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Explorers venturing by public transport
to Hinton on the Green for a 2-day camp - May 2010
Alice, Brim, Charlie, Megan, Matt, Ollie

Penguins

Did you ever wonder why there are no dead penguins on the ice in Antarctica - where do they go?

Wonder no more!!!
The penguin is a very ritualistic bird which lives an extremely ordered and complex life.

The penguin is very committed to its family and will mate for life, as well as maintaining a form of compassionate
contact with its offspring throughout its life.

If a penguin is found dead on the ice surface, other members of the family and social circle have been known to dig holes in the ice, using their vestigial wings and beaks, until the hole is deep enough for the dead bird to be rolled into and buried.

The male penguins then gather in a circle around the fresh grave and sing:

"Freeze a jolly good fellow."

You really didn't believe I knew anything about penguins, did you?

YL'S RECEIVING THEIR D.E.S.C. AWARD 2009

EXPLORER TERM PROGRAMME

New Age Range Changes - Letter from Scout Association - Feb09

EXPLORER SCOUT UNIFORM

All members of the units must have the official uniform, which is either the short sleeved polo shirt, or the long sleeved shirt, as shown below.

The official uniform is to be worn to formal events, such as your investiture, St Georges Day Parade, and Remembrance Day parade.

There is also the option of wearing the Stuffed Penguins uniform for other meetings and on camps, which also comes as T-shirt or short sleeved polo shirt.

The official Explorer Scout Uniform - A Must!

Left: Short sleeved Polo Shirt ~ Right: Long sleeved Shirt

The official Explorer Scout uniform is described on the Scoutbase web site.
Link here (http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/library/hqdocs/por/2006/10_10.htm).

These can be purchased from the Scout shop at District Headquarters, St Marks, or alternatively The Uniform Polo shirt.
See link (http://www.shurdington.org/Scouts/scoutshop.htm) for Scout shop.

Stuffed Penguin' T-Shirt

There are some pictures of the group members wearing their T-Shirts on this website (and very fetching they are too).

You can get the Stuffed Penguin T-Shirts from Squat Orange in the Regent Arcade, or by e-mailing the company. See their web site www.squatorange.com. Someone will need to authorise the purchase, so let us know and we will write to Squat Orange. Tell the shop you are from Shurdington's Stuffed Penguins, and confirm it is their black tea or polo shirt with the penguin. If you do not know your number then ask your Explorer Leader.

Programme Brainstorm

Newsletter writing
Make, and learn to fly, a boomerang.
Learn about Rope Making - make a length of rope.
Silly Olympic Games.
Unit T-shirt making
Design, make and fly Paper Planes
Blindfold tent pitching, with one 'vision' leader. Small hike tent.
Blindfold rope design, with one 'vision' leader - Star of David with two ropes about 30feet.
Straw bridge between two chairs, longest possible - 20 straws / cello tape / to support small toy car.
Plan an Incident Hike for Troop.
Short hike with bases/incidents to tackle.
Orienteering
Bowling Club, Cheltenham. Try the game.
Put a "Ship in a Bottle"
Cinema
Church Bell ringing
Astronomy – Cotswold Astronomical Society meet at our HQ Saturdays
Table Tennis
Polystyrene Contour Map - make one.
Indoor Crazy Golf Design and Play at HQ
Quiz Night - Organise for Group - raise money for Unit. Not just questions…
Organise Pictionary for Troop.
Help someone in the community with gardening.
Take on an Environmental Project.
Cook a Unit meal.
Design and fly Paper Airplanes.
Soap carving.
Design and make a Unit badge (badge machine).
Estimation evening – great variety possible.
Designing and making paper clothes.
Shooting competition - target shooting, that is!
Visiting speaker – so much choice.
Play Monopoly.
Easter Egg Hunt round the village.
Learn Net Making.
Try Macramé.
Think of Unit AGM.
Bring your worst Christmas present (January!)
GPS - Plan Route on a Laptop. Learn all about it.
GPS - Follow Route with GPS handheld.
Blind Drop and short hike.
Have a BBQ at someone’s house. Invite yourselves.
Mystery Can cook – buy 3 cans for each, take labels off, mix, share and must cook.
Serious Pioneering.
Archery.
Beetle drive – Unit fund raiser.
Craft night – glass engraving / pyrography.
Desert Island discs – each bring 3 songs / tunes / music of choice and talk through them.
Serious Ballista building. Fling something heavy long distance. NOT an Explorer!
Car park marshalling Nov – Bonfire night at the Crippets – fund raiser.
Bottle Rocket building and firing – distance or height challenge. Kit available.
Go Karting – Gloucester.
Website construction. Your own page on the village website.
Make a Video.
Try Digital Photography.
Weird Science evening – website available with weird ideas. You ARE insured!
Attend Gloucester Gang Show as a Unit.
Halloween Ten Pin Bowling – in fancy dress.
Unit Christmas meal – buy it, cook it, eat it.
International Night – choose a country – food, language etc.
Try an evenings’ knitting (Yes! Knitting).
Attend Parish Council Meeting.
Community work – Church or old folk.
Visit Drop In Centre in Shurdington.
Fire Station visit. – Ambulance Station visit.
Try Paper Quilling. (I know a lady who is an expert!)
Climbing & Caving.
Try horse riding.
Treasure Hunt – involve parents for car treasure hunt round Cotswolds – End at Pub.
Make a Frisbee course for scouts – Frisbee through hoop, over height etc.
Dragon Boat racing
Visit Pantomime at Everyman Theatre
Take a table at Fresher’s Fair to help District recruit.
Visit animal shelter.
Set up Pulley Game – 4 Pulleys to move water bucket corner to corner.
Bungee Run – wet plastic – Chocolate as prize.
Pitch a tent upside down. (With the help of Pioneering.)
Visit Gloucestershire ECHO presses.

MORE IDEAS? Let us know

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PROGRAMME ZONES

There are eight Programme Zones, each with its own aims for the Explorer Scouts taking part in activities in that Zone. The Programme Zones for Explorer Scouts are:

1. O = Outdoors
2. S = Skills
3. P = Physical Recreation
4. C = Community Service
5. E = Environment
6. I = International
7. V = Values
8. R = Relationships

Outdoors
The aim of the Outdoors Zone is to allow Explorer Scouts to experience adventurous activities and unique opportunities they will not easily find elsewhere. The Outdoor Zone includes activities at all levels, ranging from a walk in the park to climbing high mountains.

Skills
This Zone is about learning and developing practical and social skills and personal interests, taking responsibility, developing self-confidence and having fun.

Physical Recreation
It is important that Unit members have the opportunity to develop interests in specific physical pursuits either as individuals or as part of a team. You need to be able to protect your own health and accept your physical capabilities and attributes.

Community Service
The Community Service Zone is all about Explorer Scouts contributing something of themselves, their skills and their time, to help other people.

Environment
The Environment Zone introduces Explorer Scouts to different environmental issues. It aims to help you develop a better understanding of the environment and make the link between local activity and global issues.

International
International activities help Explorer Scouts to develop a better understanding of other countries, their people, customs, cultures and Scouting. The activities should also help you understand your own local and national identities and develop your understanding of global issues. These activities should support you in being an active citizen within the international community.

Values
The Values Zone will help you examine the way in which you live your life. These may be personal values or values that you share with others. Values can be stated in formal religious terms, other spiritual terms or moral terms.

Relationships
The Relationships Zone is about learning to live and work in harmony with other people. This Zone is not just about developing relationships in the Unit, but about learning the skills and attitudes needed to work with many different people in the future.

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