A Scout is a Scout (In Canada and Port Elizabeth at least) - Part 1

Back at home in Canada we were a scouting family.  Dh was a cub scout leader and I was a beaver scout leader.  All three of the kids were involved.  I always said that beaver scout meetings were the best hour of my week.  It wasn't just talk, I really meant it.  I cried at my last meeting, I was going to miss them all so much.  The photo that they gave me is on display in the living room here in PE.  The bear that I made at our Build a Bear meeting is dressed in her scouting uniform and sits by the photo, safely guarding the heart that each young beaver gave a squeeze to before she was stitched up.  I drink from the Tim's mug that two of my beavers got me every morning. I am a scouter to the core.

When I found out that we were moving, one of the first things that I did was google Scouts South Africa.    After a few emails back and forth, my Canadian email address became non-functional and the Akela for the PE group was moving back to England so we never did touch base in person and arrange our first visit. 

I enrolled dd in Teddies,  with the South African Girl Guide Association  (South African Scouting does not have a beaver scout age program) and she has been twice now, but it's not really my thing, too quiet, not enough action at that age.  I missed Scouting. 

Now, in Canada, if some random Scouters from another country had shown up at a meeting we would have shaken thier left hand and welcomed them in.  So, I decided to see if a scout is a scout no matter where you are.  I found out the location of the pack meeting place on the internet and ds #1 and #2 and I all donned our neckers and woggles, I threw the crests that I had purchased at our local scout shop in my pocket and off we went to find a cub pack. 

Within minutes of arriving the boys were playing octopus on the grass out front of the Scout Hall and I was ushered into the hall being regaled with stories from an "old" scouter who had been to the 15th World Jamboree in Calgary, Alberta in 1983.  Being there was like putting on a cozy sweater. I mentioned to the "old" scouter that I brought a surprise for the cubs and if he would mind if I could distribute them some time during the meeting.  Of course that was just fine.

After opening we were asked to introduce ourselves and I was thrilled to be able to keep my Scouting name from Canada.  So I remain Scouter Rainbow. Yeh!

The uniforms here in South Africa are brown short sleeved shirts, similar to the current Scouts Canada uniform, and the shorts are the same khaki brown.   The badges that are earned are sewn on the left sleeve and the right sleeve has a coloured triangle sewn on it to depict the six that the youth belong to.  The program is managed in 4 age based (7-10) years.  Each year has a different animal associated with it.  I don't recall the exact animals at the moment, but I will do subsequent posts on the programming when we get to experience it. 

South African Scouting is co-ed, just like in Canada.  The pack was roughly 1/3 girls and the 2 kim's that were helping at the meeting were girls as well.  They were terrific in thier roles.

A cub is a cub holds true as well.  They were inquisitive, thoughtful and obviously enjoyed being there, and it took 10+ min. to get them settled for opening, and the "old" Scouter sighed in frustration once they finally settled just like we do it Canada.  "Old" scouter was leading the meeting and he promised that if they had a good meeting there may be a surprise at the end. 

After a meeting full of games and badge work, there were final thoughts and "old" scouter said someone had lost a woggle and that there was a prize for whoever found it.  Those of you who know me know I'm a bit of a goof.  Well, I found the woggle.  I started jumping up and down in calling "Oh, Oh, Oh, I found it do I get a  prize.", knowing full well that there was no prize coming.  Needless to say, I got some pretty strange looks from the leadership team and the cubs.  In hind sight, I should have tempered my enthusiasm a bit until they got to know me, but even if you can teach this old Scouter a new trick or two, the personality is here to stay.

Then I brought out my surprise.  Well not really a surprise to a Scouter, it was crests from Canada for their campfire blankets.    I put them in a bag and DS #1 very proudly held them up and let each cub choose one at random.  They were a hit.  I took some Scouting in Canada ones with the maple leaf, Fleur De Lis, and the 5 sections in Canadian Scouting,  some Burlington area and Ontario ones,  but the favorite ones by far were the winter cubbing ones.  They all had a wolf and snow in some configuration or other.  I had questions about snow and what all the symbols on the Scouting in Canada one meant.  I'm sure there will be more questions in the weeks to come.  We are quite the novelty everywhere we go at the moment. 

We are excited to go back and learn what South African Scouting is all about.  At a first glance it's mostly like home,  which means BP got it right and it is the biggest (and the best) international youth organization around.

Next Post - Sightseeing in PE - Mommy Style