Volunteer to help the Scouts for adventures of a lifetime

Lance McCaffrey is the man in charge of the troop and is needing more adults to spare some free time so he can continue to take his group on amazing trips around the world.

Lance, who was born in Louisiana but has spent almost two decades in Scotland and considers here his home, has had a lifetime of experiences that make him the perfect man to lead youngsters in Falkirk on expeditions to see the hidden gems Scotland and the world has to offer.

He said: “Scotland is a beautiful playground for adventure.

“My love of exploring brought me here from the swamps in Louisiana and the beauty and wonder of the country has kept me here all this time.”

Lance decided to make the move from across the pond after realising everyone has limited time on earth. He said: “We are all going to die at some point so I decided to make the most of living and by me having these experiences I can now pass that onto the children by showing them some of the things I have seen.

“That is what it is all about making sure the children are given these opportunities that will help them discover who they are and will teach them more about themselves than sitting in a classroom ever will.”

However for Lance’s plan to be reality he needs more adult helpers in his scout group. He said: “I need more volunteers to come along on journeys and look after the children. The current leadership team can not continue to work at such a rate so we need more help.”

Lance stressed there is no cost involved in being a helper. He said: “Money is not a problem. We can cover the costs. All we need is an hour a month, or a week, to give local children amazing experiences and that is exactly what the Scouts should be about.”

Lance was approached to be Scout leader six years ago because of his lifestyle. He has travelled around the world on solo expeditions, going off the beaten track and discovering hidden gems all over the place.

He has been inside volcanos in Iceland, got up close and personal with reindeer, gone solo in treks across the Arctic but always says Scotland is the best place to explore.

He said: “There is just so much beauty and history in this country and the sad thing is most people are unaware of it.

“For example, a lot of Scottish people are oblivious that this country has wallabies and some refuse to believe me when I tell them.

“So what better way to prove I am telling the truth then taking Scouts on a trip to Loch Lomond to go and see them for real.

“We also take the children to go see the Red Stags. Hearing their roar is something you can not describe, it is something you must experience.”

Lance has had many life changing experiences and seen some amazing places. He said: “My favourite place or experience is always the next one. The next thing I am going to do is what excites me most.”

And for the 89th Stenhousemuir Scouts, Lance has adventures planned for the next three years.

He said: “Up next we are planning a trip to Ireland.

“I want to show the children the Celtic connections between Scotland and Ireland, let them visit the Giants Causeway, explore Dublin and see one of the oldest forests in the world.”

However without the help and support of more volunteers the trip will not be as special as Lance knows it could be so he hopes more adults will sign up.

He said: “I can not understand why people would miss this.

“The only skill set needed for an adult helper is the ability to smile, have fun and be willing to push yourself and discover all the beautiful things this great country has to offer.

“My motto is it is far better to be an explorer than a tourist.”

He also has plans to take his group to go and visit one of the Standing Stones sites in the country. Lance said: “Amazing sites like the Standing Stones are what makes the country so great. They are not in a museum they are out in the wild and you can get up close, touch the stones and properly experience them.”

Lance firmly believes the Scouts is the perfect place for people to learn about themselves. He said: “It teaches you all about friendship, resilience and so much more.“

Any adults interested in joining Lance’s Stenhousemuir team can do so by emailing him at [email protected] and anyone across the rest of the district interested can sign up at falkirkdistrictscouts.co.uk.

Founder Robert Baden-Powell said a Scout smiles and whistles under all circumstances and all Lance asks is his adult volunteers do the same.