Cub/scout/brownie volunteers, what do you actually do?

[iamalittlebitBaffled]

I've got a meeting with a section leader next week about volunteering at a new cubs unit that's opened close to where I live.

I have no kids and never did this as a kid - please can someone tell me what to expect as a basic intro level volunteer?

Is it actually fun? Or is it boring? I thought it would be arts and crafts and outdoor activities and generally having fun time - but some of it looks a bit more dull eg. A theme on road safety?!

I guess I'd like to understand a bit more around the theme/structure of the evening and what we all do and take part in.

Also - cubs/scouts - are they generally a mix or genders or is it boy heavy?

I was a beaver leader.

Activities:
Outside: big outdoor games, walks, scavenger hunts, big hunts, litter picks, putting up tents, making and flying kites, compass work.
Inside: crafts, cooking, indoor games, skills like knots, semaphore, science experiments….
out and about: police station/ fire station/ theatre (backstage)/ museums after hours/ things with other units (ie sea-scouts took us boating, day visits to camp), sleepovers.

We covered all sorts of life skills: road safety is vital! We used to play games with signs, get the PCSO in to help, meet a lolly-pop person etc.

I learned a lot. Although I’m no longer involved as life moved on, I am really proud of the things I did in this time. Many of my beaver are now adults still in scouting!

I really enjoy it. It can take a while to get to know the children and the other leaders so don't expect too much too soon. I have had some great experiences doing this sort of volunteering. I hope you enjoy it!

I'm an owl at brownies. I started off helping out then was made 'official' for the sleepover. Just get involved with their crafts, games, activities towards their awards. Get them a drink if they want or supervise when they go to the loo (not go with them just watch by the door as there's an external door nearby). Help tidy up at the end.

It's very rewarding and I love the kids. It's good seeing them develop and grow. My dd is in the pack but I make sure I give them all equal attention

Be super for a section to have a non parent volunteer. When was involved (abroad) it all of the leaders were parents of current cubs/scouts and many teachers... so a bit of a bus drivers holiday.

Cubs were mixed but by scouts very boy heavy. We did really regular camps ( at least once a term), trips to farms, desert treks beach cleaning, sailing and even scuba diving.
Recently my own son said the best thing he did in cubs was help build a animal shelter, walk the dogs and fund raise for the strays.
Scouting does things that schools don't and parents don't have time for.

It's only an hour a week op 😉😉
Have they not told you that yet 😂

Ahhhh, that old chestnut 😂

I'm a Cub leader.

Generally what a pack does depends on what the leaders want to do and have the facilities to do. One of our leaders is a qualified Archery leader, so we can do archery as a normal activity. We have a massive outdoor area including woodland that belongs to us, so we can camp and do bushcraft/backwoods activities on site. Previously I've led a group in a school hall and we were more limited on section nights... but the school also let us use the DT rooms for woodwork and cookery.

A big part of the role is planning, health and safety, safeguarding etc as well. Its not just the "two hours a week". My current "job" is supporting Cubs with additional needs access the programme.

I've done it for 5.5years now. Absolutely love it. DH has done it for 11 years.

Unfortunately there is downsides... there can be politics with the leaders and parents.

Good luck.

(I'm actually the leader in our Scout group with kids in the group currently. I can't wait for my youngest to move to Scouts in a few months! Its much better without your own children around)

As a Rainbow leader I laughed out loud at this comment. 🤣

OP you'll have a great time. If you have any questions just ask the other volunteers, also don't be afraid to get stuck in with the children and join in with the daft games.

As for boys vs girls... our Beavers and Cubs are 50:50. Scouts is more girls (about 60:40 now but was 80:20 at one point.) We seem to lose boys to football but outdoors girls prefer Scouts to other things.

I was a Cub leader for 5 years until a year ago. I structured our meetings around activity badges and challenge badges (there is a really good planning tool/database called OnLine Scout Manager that can help with this). We'd have a session every term or so where I'd do activities for the Cubs to help decide what they wanted to do going forward too.

Scouting has several facets, outdoor pursuits/adventure is one, there are some "serous" badge like road safety, home safety, disability awareness too, alongside hikes away, nights away and various sports/hobbies etc

Some examples:

International evenings - Chinese new year/Independence Day/Bastille Day /other days of importance in other countries - we'd find out that country, customs, language, scout promise/uniform, how to say simple phrases (Google translate is your friend), write your name on Chinese characters, food etc. we celebrated Diwali once.

Hikes/tracking/map reading - sometimes to a chip shop/ice cream shop. Maybe in dark. Maybe a treasure hunt.

Litter picks - there's environmental and community service badge about this.

Did a few sessions with conservation volunteers

Water sports weekend

Camps - including one where the cubs had to build their own shelters out of cardboard boxes.

We had a big field, so we did the Athletics badge and Athletics + badge at least every other year.

Cubs v parents rounders match every summer

We'd usually have trip out swimming/bowling /trampolining once a term or so. Went to a "have a go" session at an archery club a few times.

Made a patchwork blanket - don't overestimate the knitting/sewing ability of 8 year olds!

Practiced and entered county cooking condition.

We recorded a song in the scout hut!

A word of warning - every hour of scouting needs about 3 hours to plan!

Thanks so much for the responses - it's definitely helped give me some more context so thank you. I'm also well aware that a bit more goes into it than the time they'll tell you - I have done my research on that aspect!

I am good with planning, it's more or less my day job - I guess I'll go along and see how things go, it's not like I need to do it for the rest of my life. Thanks everyone!