Cubs

November and December 2024
Remembrance was the theme of the first meeting after half term. One of the Friday leaders talked about her Nan who had been evacuated to the country during WW2. The Cubs listened attentively to the very moving account. There was a good turnout for the Remembrance Day Service in Randwick Church. Before the service, Randwick Scout Group paid its respects to Edward Smith, a soldier who died in WW1 and who is buried in Randwick Churchyard. A poppy cross was placed on his grave. The following week, the Cubs began their road trip to Scotland. They played ”The Great Game of Scotland”, tossed a caber, made shortbread and found out about lots of things about Scotland. Photos were provided by one of the Cubs who had been to Scotland on holiday during the summer. The road trip to Scotland was rounded up with a hike up “Ben Nevis” aka Selsley Hill. Freezing temperatures on Wednesday evening and windy conditions on Friday evening meant that the hot chocolate and shortbread at the end of the hike was much appreciated. At the final meeting of the month, the Cubs finished off the Book Reader badge. The evening was spent using dictionaries and thesauruses, talking about favourite books, playing “Call My Bluff” and thinking about how to take care of books. During December, the Cubs completed a number of Christmas craft activities. A joint end-of-term meeting was held at Go Bananas. The Cubs had a great evening, although the adults found it very noisy!

January 2025
New games were introduced at the first meeting of the year. A number of art activities were also completed which helped to finish off the Artist badge. For the following two weeks, the Cubs completed their Emergency Aid Stage 2 badge, which included putting their skills into practice by dealing with some first aid incidents. Thirty-three Cubs attended the Cub pack holiday at Woodhouse Park Activity Centre. Scotland was the theme and activities included “Hunt the Haggis”, Scottish dancing, Scottish crafts and taking part in the Highland Games. Burns Night was celebrated with a special feast. Chinese New Year was celebrated at the last meeting of January. One of the Cubs’ grandad talked about the history, traditions and food associated with Chinese New Year. The Cubs had a go at using chopsticks. They were also given genuine Chinese money bags containing chocolate money.

Louise & Rachel

Cub Volunteer Team Leads

Who are Cubs?

Cubs are young people aged 8 to 10½ who:

Master new skills and try new things
Have fun and go on adventures
Make friends
Are curious about the world around them
Help others and make a difference, in their own communities and beyond

Every week, they gather in groups called Cub Packs to take part in lots of interesting and challenging activities – achieving anything they set their minds to, and having lots of fun along the way.

We run two Cub Packs at Randwick Scout Group – one on a Wednesday evening and one on a Friday evening. Each pack is run by a Leader who is supported by parent helpers. Our Leaders plan and organise a varied and exciting programme of termly activities.

Cubs are encouraged to participate in a range of outdoor pursuits, community activities and exciting experiences. Challenge awards and badges are gained to recognise their achievements, plus they have the opportunity to attend camps and residential trips.

What do Cubs get up to?

Being a Cub is all about growing and learning in small but mighty ways. Here are some of the things you’ll get up to with your new friends.

Going on adventures

Race down a river. Tell stories by torchlight. Fall asleep beneath the stars. Alongside your Pack, you’ll spend plenty of time in the great outdoors. Together, you might build a den in your local park, or create an edible raft out of sweets, or go on a moonlit hike through your hometown. And even though you might not be ready to climb Mount Everest just yet, you’re guaranteed to have plenty of adventures on your own doorstop, because being a Cub is all about making the most of what you have, wherever and whoever you are.

Learning new skills

Cubs learn by doing, and so will you. Some of the skills you develop will be practical, like knowing how to cook a delicious meal or give someone first aid. Others will allow you to become a master at your chosen hobby, or help you to succeed in whichever job you decide to do when you grow up. But the most important skills you’ll learn at Cubs are the ones that will make you feel confident and happy in your own skin. We call these character skills, and they include things like integrity – which means being honest and doing what you think is right – and initiative – which means knowing how to take the lead on something without being asked. Whatever skills you’d like to learn, it’s all about having the courage to try new things and learn from them.

Helping others

Cubs work as a team to help other people. Together, you’ll learn about global issues and what we can all do to help solve them. You’ll also make an impact in your own community, through activities such as campaigning to save your local library, collecting donations for a foodbank, or planting trees in a neighbouring park.

Promises and Ceremonies

As well as enjoying plenty of adventures, being a Cub is about going on a journey to understand who you are and what you stand for. When you join the Pack, you’ll explore these ideas by making a promise. A promise is a set of words that mean something to you, which you try to follow everyday.

Making the promise is a big celebration within the Pack. Every time a new Cub decides to join permanently, they chat through their promise with their Cub leader before saying it out loud in front of their fellow Cubs. Family and friends might come along to see this, too. The process is known as being ‘invested’ into Cubs, and it usually takes place a few weeks into your Cub experience, once you’ve had time to settle in.

Everyone is unique but there are some things all Cubs agree on – such as the importance of treating everyone in the Pack with kindness, and doing their best to care for the community and wider world in which they live. Cubs make a promise to do their best to make a positive contribution to society. Depending on their own beliefs, they might also promise to live by their faith.

Cubs choose the promise that best suits them.

Atheist or of no faith background

Buddhist

Christian

Hindu

Humanist

Jewish

Muslim

Sikh