Cubbing in South Africa

As I prepare for our first cub camp this weekend. I thought it was about time that I posted on the Cub Scout experience here in South Africa.

While the principles (Jungle Book) and organization (sixes) of Cubbing are the same as in Canada, the design of the program is quite different.

In South Africa, Cub Scouts is a co-ed group for children ages 7 - 11.  Only cubs 8 years and older can go to camps.

Since we arrived here, Scouting South Africa has republished their Cub Trail into a series of 8 books or manuals.  I will describe each in detail a bit further down.

Cub Scouts in South Africa uses sixes just like in Canada, however, the youth are also divided by year groups which are called advancement stages.  They are Caracal (7),  Cheetah (8), Leopard (9) and Lion (10).   After a cub turns 10 they begin to prepare for their transition to Scouts at age 11 and can work towards their Leaping Wolf Badge and their Link Badge.  The series of books outline the requirements for advancement and interest badges, along with information about the program and Scouting in general.

The Cub Trail books are as follows:

Welcome and Membership badge
Interest badges
Follow the Caracal Trail
Follow the Cheetah Trail
Follow the Leopard Trail
Follow the Lion Trail
Leaping Wolf Badge
Link Badge

The welcome and membership book outlines the basics of the program and the requirements of becoming a Cub Scout.  In Canada we would call these Cub Scouts Tenderpads, but I have not heard a specific term used here.  The book introduces new youth to "pack calls".  Such as, "PACK" means silence.  "PACK-PACK-PACK" means gather in a parade circle.  In the parade circle the pack stands either at "ALERT"(feet together hands at sides) or "AT EASE" (feet apart hands behind the back).

Cubs are not permitted to be in full uniform or participate in the Grand Howl until they have completed their membership badge.  The must know the cub law, promise and motto.  Demonstrate the left handshake and Cub Scout salute.  They must understand the Grand Howl and know when it is used.  Lastly, they must know the stories of BP and Mowgli's brothers.  Once a cub has completed the 7 requirements he is ready for his investiture.  Scouting occurs year round in our group.  Youth join, usually one at a time, throughout the year. This is  unlike what I experienced in Canada where the Scouting year started in September and large groups of new participants would join.  So, investiture here happens when a new Cub is ready rather than at a larger beginning of the year ceremony as we generally did in Canada. 

The Interest Badges book covers a range of badges and their requirements that are outside of the Cub Trail advancement badges.  The badges are: Aircraft, Aquanaut, Artist, Athlete, Birds, Boating, Chess, Citizen, Civil Emergency, Collector, Computer, Conservation, Cooking, Craftsman, Cycling, Drawing, Engineer, Entertaining, Family Camping, First Aid and Health, Fishing, Food for Life, Flying Models, Gardening, Geologist, Handcraft, Home craft, Landscaping, Linguist, Machines, Masks, Model Boats, Naturalist, Nature Craft, Outdoors man, Pets, Photography, Projects, Recycling, Religion and Life, Repairs, Scholar, Secret Codes, Showman, Signalling, Singing, Skies, Sportsman, Swimmer, Traveller, Working Toys, World Friendship, and the World Conservation badge. 

Each badge has a set of requirements, just like in Canada.  Some are complete all, some are complete a set number of a suggested list.  Badges can be completed at home or at meetings, just like in Canada.

Here is where the program becomes different. 

Follow the Caracal, Cheetah, Leopard, Lion Trail books.  Each Cub takes roughly the same trail each year, but each year the trail changes, just a little bit, and becomes more challenging.  At all times the activities are age appropriate and encourage a Cub to Do Their Best.  At the Caracal stage there is lots of explanation, references to the Jungle Book and easier tasks.  For example, one trail requirement is called Living with Nature.  Each book describes the natural world and has different requirements. 

A Caracal must know the Outdoor Code. They must go for a nature ramble and listen to and identify sounds and natural objects.  Then they make an item using natural materials.

A Cheetah needs to choose a living creature and research it or, describe the uses of trees and take care of a tree for one month.  They also need to make a poster telling others about the Outdoor Code.

A Leopard must build a bird-feeder and observe the birds that visit for 2 weeks or, care for an animal or living creature for one month.  They also must find out about a plant or creature which lives in either fresh or salt water.

A Lion, who by this time knows a great deal about Living with Nature, is required to find out about 2 endangered species in South Africa and tell the pack about them.

Stops along the trail include fires, knots, first aid, safety, creativity, recycling and sensations, among others.  Each follows the same principals, but increases the challenge based on the Cub Scouts age.

The Leaping Wolf Badge book is an extra challenge for the cubs.  It can only be awarded in the final year and can be done in conjunction with the Lion badge.  The book incorporates some of the trail activities with some of the interest badges.  I would equate it to that of the six star award in Canada.

The Link Badge book is sort of like a welcome and membership to Scouts.  It talks about the Scout Promise, Law and Motto.  It reviews the Scout sign as well as some outdoor skills (axeman ship and knotting) and requires a visit to the troop.  A cub is awarded the link badge at the going up ceremony.

So, that's how the program goes.  I'm still trying to work my way around this different way of doing things and every once and a while I inject some good old Canadian fun, like last week, when I had the kids doing a relay race.  They had to race down a course to a recycled water bottle,  unscrew the lid and dump the 6 marbles inside into a metal cake pan. Then they were instructed to pick them up one at a time, put them back in the bottle and screw the lid back on.  Not such a hard relay until you add the  Canadian twist and make them wear winter gloves.  They loved it so much they made me promise we'd do it again some time.