Be Prepared: Promising start to new year

There is no better time than the start of the year to make enquiries about joining or helping at your local group – if you’re not sure have a look at our website http://falkirk.frscouts.org.uk/ and get in touch.

However, before we leave 2016 for good, a couple of items to round off the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Cub Scouts.

9th Dunipace Cub leader Jillian Patton was telling her young charges the story of Lord Baden Powell’s decision to create a section of the Scouts for younger boys.

She said: “When I told my Cubs about this earlier on in the year, they were surprised at just how old the Cubs were, I was even asked, what it was like back then and had to remind them I wasn’t that old yet.”

But joking apart Jillian told them that on December 16 at exactly 7.16pm the Cub Scouts became an officially registered section within the Scout Association.

Jillian said: “I asked them all just to pause for a second and think of all the boys and more recently the girls who had joined the fantastic adventure that we call Cubs.

“It started a great debate about just how many young people had enjoyed Cubs over the period of 100 years, with some cubs estimating it would be hundreds to some thousands but one, who was bursting to be asked and had jumped up and down with his hand up eventually came up with the correct answer of at least 10 million.

“It produced a gasp from my Cubs who were amazed that just so many boys and girls had enjoyed our muddy, thrilling, fantastic adventure, but all of them agreed being a Cub was one of the most brilliant adventures they had ever had.”

After coming up with a number of ideas of where they could renew their vows, the youngsters leapt at the idea of visiting Sky High the indoor trampoline park in Falkirk.

Jillian added: “We finished our 100 years celebration with our Beavers spending the Sunday afternoon at Cumbernauld Theatre watching the pantomime Snow White.

“It brought to an end a fantastic year filled with many new experiences for the 9th Dunipace Cub pack.”

As well as joining their Dunipace counterparts on the trampoline, members of the 1st Falkirk held a Christmas service at Falkirk Trinity Church. The service, led by the cubs, was well attended by family and friends and during the service James Bennet & Rory Marshall were presented with their Chief Scout’s Gold Award certificates.