Beavers

Can you message via the Facebook post?

Yes, can be.
All Leaders are volunteers - it's quite possible for someone not to have checked the e-mail for a few days - particularly at this time of year - they can be out and about at their child's Nativity / Christmas shopping / Work's 'do' / or just normal Scout meetings / work shifts / other things they belong to / having a night off / etc. Or the person who hanswers them could be on holiday or ill or whatever.

My twins, both girls,recently joined bevears and love it. Their group is about 1/3 girls they seem to do lots of fairly traditional scouting type things like first aid, craft and nature study things. They also play lots of very load games. My girls aren't hugely boisterous and I wasn't sure they would like it but it is the highlight of their week.

Rainbows isn't for "girly girls". It's for girls.

It's volunteers so they can't take time to reply. Who did you contact?

@IJustWantToWearDungarees the motto of Beavers is Fun and Friends. If he's having fun, that's the important thing.

I'm sure our hard working leaders will be pleased to know they are doing it all wrong! 😀

OP, the nice thing about Beavers from our perspective is that I have always encountered friendliness and acceptance at our Beaver group - and no-one has ever told us we are "doing it wrong" or made my DS feel like he's not following the rules. So please don't think that some of the responses on this thread represent what is a really fun, friendly and inclusive movement!

I'm bowing out now, as sadly this thread has made me feel quite sad about what is an otherwise positive experience for my family. I wish everyone well, no matter where they choose to sew their Beaver badges!

As a leader... I prd prefer badges on a camp blanket than lost or in a drawer somewhere, although uniform is ideal. They are the DCs achievements, they should be proud of them and wear with pride.

I’m with @BackForGood.

I’ve never heard of a group not putting badges on uniform as they all have specific places they need to go, which is included in Scout Rules.

I’ve just sewn some on my son’s jumper and putting the coaster down the sleeve made it much easier.

members.scouts.org.uk/supportresources/search/?cat=11,18,241

Not different "from my group" IJustWantToWearDungarees, different from 'Scouts' - Nationally, Internationally.

However, I am glad that your ds enjoys Beavers even if the Leaders have got the uniform rules wrong.

@BackforGood Our Beaver group are brilliant and my DS adheres to the uniform code - he recently marched in the Remembrance Day parade with his Beaver group and was immaculately turned out. He now has more than 30 badges and he just doesn't put those on his uniform. His excellent Beaver leaders, who do amazing work and follow the rules carefully, told him that was fine. I'm not trying to get into an argument with you - I'm perfectly happy to accept its different in your group. But that's how my DS's group does it! Isn't the wonder and variety of the world a lovely thing?!😀

OP, sorry if my casual tip has derailed the thread a bit! I'd thoroughly recommend Beavers - the volunteers in our group organise some incredible activities and its great for developing independence.

This tey DD has done fire lighting, road safety, river safety, biscuit decorating, junk modelling, put on a little play, played loads of games, and other stuff. Next week they are off to the cinema. She's learnt climbing, caving, archery and axe throwing. She also comes along to Cub and Scout stuff due to her parents being leaders.

The badges aren't horrific... Honestly. Once you have the knack they take minutes.

If you're a bit careless you cM be sucked into being an adult uniformed leader. I was captured just over 2 years ago into Cubs. It's great, but can be time consuming.

Never heard of badges going straight into camp blanket, and I’m a Beaver Leader.

What they will do totally depends on the group but every young person is meant to be offered at least one camp a year. Fire lighting and dodgeball seem to happen frequently in most groups. The badges are very varied and mean they get to do loads of things which they may not otherwise do.

My favourite memory was making bug hotels. They had to use a hacksaw (1-1 supervision and if the blade slipped it was me getting hurt not them. They absolutely loved it. Oh, and then making catapults from marshmallows and wooden skewers while the leaders made one from bamboo canes and duck tape. They took it in turns to fire marshmallows over the car park with that. 😂

Beaver Uniform

No - it is what it is. Part of belonging to a uniformed organisation is that there is a uniform. It shouldn't be different for different Groups, it is the same nationally.

@BackforGood maybe it is different for different Beaver groups, but they certainly can in ours. The group badges etc have to be on the uniform, but there are relatively few of them. The rest of the badges (skills, sleepovers etc) can be sewn straight onto the blanket. OP, it's probably best to check with your own group!

If you do go for joining I recommend getting a Beaver blanket. Badges can be sewn onto this instead of uniform.

Well, no, they can't. I mean, they can afterwards when no longer needed, but the girls and boys like to have the badges they have earned on their sleeves.
Then, the membership badge and the District and County Badges and the Group name tape all go on the jumper to show you are invested and now a part of the movement.

The camp blanket is for older staged badges, and for badges you can buy at various campsites and for badges that have been for 'events' that are then more than a ear old.

I thought there were some badges they are meant to have on their uniform.

DS still has his Beaver blanket, even though he is now in Explorers.

If you do go for joining I recommend getting a Beaver blanket. Badges can be sewn onto this instead of uniform. This has three advantages: firstly, it doesn't matter if you sew them on wonky; secondly, it buys you more time to get them sewn on as the blanket only comes out a few times a year; and thirdly, you don't have to move the badges when they get new uniform. Best tip I got when DS joined!

They do a lot of lighting fires!

And a lot of dodge ball.

Scouts has been the best thing my 3 DC have done. I highly recommend it.

As everyone has said, it will depend on each Colony as to both the ratios and also the activities.
However, the motto is 'Fun and Friends'. My dc all loved it, and went on through Cubs, Scouts and Explorers and have just benefited so much from all they have done and experienced.