KidsOutdoors

It’s Thursday evening (Cub night). On the way home the phone rings. ‘Is that Edward?’ ‘Yes,’ I answer. ‘It’s Mrs Hill here. Now it says in the programme you are making shelters in the woods tonight, so I take it it’s off’. Slightly bemused I asked ‘Sorry, why would I be cancelling?’ ‘Well it’s pouring with rain, they might get cold or ill’. ‘Mrs Hill, does James have a water proof, boots and a hat?’ ‘Yes but . . . ’ ‘Well water proof him and I will see you at the woods at 6.30pm.’

Mrs Hills call was then followed by a flurry of calls from parents telling me that it was raining! I arrived at the woods to be greeted by a fleet of 4x4s each with one well wrapped up child in who looked like they were going on an expedition to the Artic. We hiked into the woods using night vision (that meant turning off the 30 touches that made us look like an alien space ship landing) to a well coved area. There we got out plastic sheets and bits of rope. We told the Cubs we had been in a plane crash and asked them to build a shelter to protect us from a monsoon! They set to work building shelters, collecting wood and keeping dry. The rain made it much more realistic (and they worked quicker to build the shelters).

Once complete we talked about all the skills we had put into practice: leadership, teamwork, knots, building, camping, survival and looking after one another. These are all skills that James would have missed out on if his mum had not let him out or I had cancelled.

We then threw buckets of water (from a local stream) over the shelters to test their durability! We packed away, played a wide game (a game of catch the flag) which is interesting in the dark. We ran though a local small stream, got muddy and then dispatched the Cubs back to their parents. Some very sensibly had black bags to put on the seats! All in all, a great evening, only enhanced by a bit of rain. We have to remember that to most young people going out in the rain is a new experience. Many of them are wrapped up and kept inside at the first sign of a drop!

Edward Vickerman