Figure 1.--

Some of the activities most associated with English Scouting, like Scouting around the world, are of course outdoor pursuits such as hiking, camping, cooking, and campgire singing and story telling. Scouting of course involves much more. The uniforms thus have to be designed for a wide range of activities. Scouts as uniformed groups have participated in a variety of activities from bands to summer camp as well as moder pusuits like computing. All during the year, activities are planned at patrol and troop meetings. Such activities are varied and can included sports programs, evenings around a fire, canoeing, hiking! Technical workshops can be held on carpentry and wood working, topography, first-aid, radio transmission (less omportant now because of the internet, woodlore, skits and other theatricals, and much more. There are also charitable fund raising programs. One popular fund raiser was "Bob a Job Day". Uniforms were designed for rough outdoor wear, but many boys also wore them to school and church. We are not sure there is any activity exclusevely associated with English Scouting. We are also not familar with any important English Scout program involving military training. Hunting was an activity in American Scouting, but we have not noted it as an activity in English Scouting. Many uniformed groups participated in similar activities such as bands and outdoor games, other groups has more destinctive programs such as weapons training pursued by the Hitler Youth. Some Scout activities are entertainment for the boys, other involve learing skills for which proficency badges can be awarded.

Angling

Angling is one of the perpetual Scout favorites. A profienct badge can be awarded for completing an angling program which can be in fresh or salt water. Scots have to keep a record of, or discuss with an examiner, fishing trips showing numbers, species and size of fish caught, method, tackle and bait used, weather and water conditions. Modern Scouts have to be able to explain the signs of fish stress and know the Environment Agency Emergency Hotline number. The program also involves a water safty component.

Archery

Bands

Scout band competitions are perhaps more popular in England than in any other country. Britain is one of the few places in Europe where the Scouts still insist on full uniforms. The Scouts, Cubs, and Guides participating in the band competitions give great attention to dress as their appearance is one element in the competition. The boys make sure their trousers and shorts have a sharp crease and their shoes well shined. The mothers and Scout leaders go over each participant carefully to make sure every last detail of the uniform is just right. The participants wear the regular dress uniform with a few added touches. Some Bands all wear white gloves. The shoes are always black and snmartly polished. Often the Cubs wear white gloves and kneesocks, although some Cubs compete in the normal grey kneesocks.

Camping

Some of the activities most associated with English and other Scouts around the world, are of course camping and a variety of other activities associated with camping such as hiking, campaing, cooking, and fireside singing and story telling. Camping was at the heart iof early Scouting. Baden Powell in fact tested the entire Scouting program at his famous Brown sea Island camp. The importance iof camping was the idea of getting city children out into the countryside for fresh air and exercize. The British Scouts were quite strict about the correct unifoem in camping. This appears to be the case through the 1960s until the uniform changed to long pants. After this the dress at camps becomes much more informal. Even though there were no Scout shorts, Scouts at camp often wore shorts for many activities, but they wore many kinds of shorts. This seemed to have brought about a tendency ti wear different shirts as well. We also seen Scouts beginning to wear camp "T" shirts at this time.

Campfire Programs

Computing

Computing of course is an activity that has intrigued boys, for some reason boys more than girls, from the offset of the computer era. English Scouts offer a professiency badge in what they call "Information Technology" (IT) as it involves more than just computer operations, but also for which the computer can be put to work. Scouts can choose among different activities to earn their IT badges. Some of the abilities involved include a familarity with computer systems, and functions such as input, output, memory and storage devices. Scours are incouraged to use a computer to produce troop newsletters, keep troop records, produce ubscriptions and expenses tables, award progress charts, maps showing local facilities and places of interest, and training presentations. Another activity is to with images taken by yourself using a digital camera, use a computer package to produce a document, poster or newsletter about Scouting or another of your interests. Scouts arecexpected to know how microprocessors have added to the facilities of everyday devices used in the home or for leisure. They also need to learn good and bad practices in the use of computer equipment. Scouts can also focus on the internet and need to learn the history and various features of the Internet and develp saerch skills and e-mail skills. Many other IT options exist.

Cooking

English Scouting ininitally focused on campfire cooking as did most other early Scout programs. Boys have found, however, that after leaving school, some basic cooking skills are very useful. Thus there are now profisency badges for both camp cooking and cooling in general.

Fund Raising

There are also fund raising programs. One popular fund raiser was "Bob a Job Day". Bob a Job Week was destinctive to British scouting. The idea was to do a job for some one or a business and earn a "bob". For years this was a popular program throughout Britain. Of course the 'bob' (one shilling) is now obsolete. The funds earned I believe were used for the Scout program.

Games

A wide variety of games are played by English Scouts. These are especially popular with the younger Scouts. There are games for both small and large groups. Some can be played indoors and other outdoors. There are quiet individual games and boisterous team games. There are patrol games and many different relay and ball games.

Hiking

One of the activities most associated with Scouting is hiking in the country side. A major reason for the creation of the Scouts was to get city children out in the country side for fresh air and exercise. Hiking along with camping was an especially important element in the activities program of early Scouting. Many early photographs of Scouts show the boys with long hiking sticks. We also note boys hiking in military formation. We are not sure how common this was. Some imges are difficult to destinguish between parade formations and hiking. Available images suggest that some hikes at least begun with well polished shoes. While some photographs are available, we do not yet have any written descriptions about hiking in the English Scouting program.

Hunting

Parades

Summer Camp

Summer camps are a major program administed by the Scout association and popular with the boys from the very outset of English Scouting. Baden Powell of course first tested his ideas on Scouting for boys at the Brown Sea Island camp.

Weaving

We note some English Scouts weaving. We are not sure what this about. It may be rlated to the African theme associated with English Scouting. But it looks a bit like Native Amerivan crafts. This seems to be an activity conducted at summer camps. Perhaps our Enhlish readers will know more about it.