ianwilkins

You lot are blowing my mind again! Is that not a thing in the US? Hmmm, thinking about it, I guess it stems from our pub culture where pubs started having quizzes, then schools and scouts started doing them as fundraisers...right, here goes... The Quiz Night. You gather yourself into teams, it's usually just adults, though I've been to a few family quizzes too. You sit round a table. In a big room. A scout hut. A church hall. A school hall. Maybe 10 to 20 teams, depending on the room size. Each round their own table. There are pens, paper, maybe a few snacks, sometimes there's a bar.

If you can get a venue for free, a quiz night has almost zero cost. Okay, if you have food with it, might cost a bit, but then, if tickets are bought in advance, you know how many you're catering for. Takes a bit of time to organise but...

Another side sleeper here. In my hammock, I hang it fairly tight, so there's not much droop in the middle. Actually, it's a while since I've been out in it come to think of it. I sort of curl up half sideways, with my knees wedged against one side, and my backside wedged against the other. Doesn't sound comfy, but it is for me. Always feels like I don't get much sleep in it, but always wake pretty refreshed so can't be that bad. Mine isn't the flat type, not the hung from a palm tree net type you lay in while sipping a pina colada, chance would be a fine thing. More like, well, we got a load

I once went on a training course at the London Underground, about how to work on the underground safely. Yep, had a few funny and horrible stories in there too, like the driver that decided he needed a whizz, like he often did, so opened the door in the middle of the end of the carriage, and didn't wave it about as much as he normally did, didn't break the stream. Apparently 400v DC through the .... is not good.

I think I could probably trim the fat from anecdotes about last year's summer camp down to about a 20 minute stand-up set. I'd probably quite enjoy coming to said US scout camp about now and doing the same as you, I could pull out all of the co-ed stories just to frighten the pants off you. Won't put any of it in writing, we have a rule about "not bringing the scout association into disrepute"

I went on a three day first aid course for work a year or two back. You know when you go on courses and there's that one person that always has a story or anecdote or two. I got about halfway through the course before I suddenly realised...I was the anecdote guy! Nothing too serious, but I'm not sure anyone else on the course will be signing up to be a leader any time soon, as one of them said "Scouts sounds dangerous!" Ooops!

CULTURAL DIFFERENCE ALERT! You mean you don't roll your neckers? Mind. Blown.

Well, yes, okay then, all that cambridge skip says is true. There's also in some troops a drop out towards the end of scouts, this can be for many reasons, peer/life pressure from outside scouting, having nothing to look forward to (as they don't want to join Explorers or it's not close or whatever), or don't enjoy being a PL. There was the same drop-off, in my experience, in the old UK age ranges when scouts went up to 15.5 not 14. Of course, in the UK, you split into scouts and explorers, and that means it's 13 year olds leading 10 year olds, not 17 year olds leading 11 year olds. In ex

Tea?

So glad we're known for something of such high worth and value to society. Forget the contributions to history, art, science, etc etc. It's Pickled Onion Monster Munch that's the thing. Marvelous! I think I've said on here before, Worcestershire Sauce flavour crisps really confuse Portuguese Scouts. The pronunciation, the flavour, everything. Opinions ranged from "hmm, okay, I guess" to "why would you even do that?". Cultural exchange at its finest.

Cor blimey squire, strike a light! I can't adam and eve you said that! We ain't so bad is we?

Thank you then for your time over the years and the difference you have made in boy's lives. And the UK is growing, and has also been co-ed for a fair while too. We can all pick and choose stats to lean on.

Not sure, might get a tad confusing with UK and Commonwealth Queen's/King's Scouts. "Uncle" Ian

Actually, I don't, up to a point. I know, all those guns would happily sit in a drawer or cupboard and not do any harm to anyone. And yes, it's way more complicated that that, sadly.

UK used to have a Mining badge, probably not going to make a comeback...different times... "A Scout must have a general knowledge of one particular branch of the mining industry, such as coal, iron or other mineral, with the special dangers involved, and safeguards against them, and must have worked below the surface for not less than six months."

I'm not sure the classification matters. There was a list of 17 kids who were the same age as my Explorer Scouts when they were shot and killed. Same age as my own children. They are gone and the lives of those around them are in tatters..

Yes, it's not true, I usually go to snopes, when I don't know who to believe, and it tells me.... https://www.snopes.com/2018/02/16/how-many-school-shootings-in-2018/ Firearm attacks during school hours: 7 (incidents resulting in injuries or deaths: 5) 22 January: Italy High School, Italy, Texas – A 16-year-old student opened fire with a semi-automatic handgun in the school cafeteria, wounding another student. 22 January: NET Charter High School, Gentilly, Louisiana – An unknown person fired shots at students from a vehicle in the school parking lot. One person was injured

I'm slightly hesitant to wade into this sad and dispiriting mire, and I won't presume to know what's right for your country, I really hope for all our sakes that change is made for the better.

I think I know where that co-ordinator is coming from. Every time he sits your boys down for a "where shall we go camping then?" and they all shout "DisneyLand!" and they get all excited and talk about DisneyLand and nothing else and when he says okay boys so that's $300 for the long weekend and they get all deflated and switch off. The co-ordinator has heard it all before and they want to nip it in the bud. They probably don't mean specifically the mouse, but generally excessively expensive campouts that aren't necessarily very "scouty". Setting the scene to manage expectations possibly.

And people attending weddings at Gilwell Park (additional revenue streams eh?), and scouters that just fancy a bit of comparative luxury. Can't remember the last time I had Irn-Bru. I think I would drink beer in preference. Crisp flavours are entertaining, Worcestershire Sauce flavour *really* confused some Portuguese Scouts that were camping with us, on so many levels, from "they're ok I suppose" to "why did they do that?", then there's the pronunciation of it...

I've never been, but I am fairly sure people can, yes, and it's at a campsite, but inside, in a big meeting hall, I think, or a giant marquee, there is a hotel at Gilwell Park.

Apparently they changed the recipe recently, so it didn't have 15 spoons of sugar in every glass (my guess). Some Scots have been stockpiling the "old" bru. Anyway, the UK also has a Gilwell Reunion every year, y'all are welcome, I think they have the UK AGM there at which anyone can attend. I assume votes and questions can be asked. I was quite impressed, I went to an event at Gilwell Park for Explorer Scouts, just the 4000 or so, and the Chief Commissioner was there (basically the right hand man of Bear that does all the grunt work while Bear gladhands and signs autographs) and he

I thought it was a UK thing too. But hey, world scouting is just an extension of Empire so we're all good selling i.scout to the great unwashed of WOSM Actually, I do know that the world scout shop is run on behalf of WOSM in the UK. Maybe there's a crossover. That iscout game, I suspect once the world scout shop get wind of it they'll get a cease and desist warning for infringing trademarks or copyright or something. I thought it was just branding, a set of casual clothing that makes clear that the wearer is a scout. A play on iPad iPod iEtc. Almost as soon as it was creat

I'll let you have that one. At least that's sweet and not savoury. And my American History is sketchy at best so thanks for the history lesson. You old romantic. I bet there will be some awkward moments tomorrow as chocolates are given only to receive the reply "I've given them up for lent".

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