On Monday 16th March following guidance from the Government regarding Covid-19 an announcement was made by Tim Kidd, the UK Chief Commissioner, resulting in face to face scouting in the UK stopping overnight.
This was a historic moment for Scouting. Within its long history this has never happened before and for the first time since 1910 the Hatfield Peverel Scout group has been unable to meet in person. There was only one thing to do…
Keep on Scouting!
Determined to deliver a programme from a distance 1st Hatfield Peverel Group leaders have had to do something we strive to instil in our young people; adapt, improvise and overcome.
As we now approach our summer half term, we would normally be thinking of heading off to camp, building fires, toasting marsh-mallows and singing round the fire with friends. Instead we have found ourselves having many new firsts from using technologies such as social media & online video meetings to camping in gardens or in dens within the home.
Over the past 8-9 weeks the group has been able to run a range of activities for young people including;
- Challenges
- Online games
- Minecraft Sessions
- Lego competitions
- Cooking competitions with instructions via video
- Camping at home
- ‘Hiking to the Moon’ to raise money for charity
It’s all change
Life for our Scouts, parents and leaders has changed in unimaginable ways in such a short space of time. Whilst we always promote #Skills for life, our members have truly risen to the challenges presented to them with a can-do attitude, a force of determination and a sense of humour.
However, this was not something that the Scout group team have been able to complete alone. A big thank you must go out to the parents who have helped to facilitate meetings, who have joined in for the first time, who have ensured their beavers, cubs, scouts, explorers continue to partake in scouting when so much has changed.
What next?
Whilst we don’t know yet know what the future holds and when we will be able to return to face to face scouting, we look forward as a team to continuing to provide for the young people in the area.
Stay safe everyone.
