Scouting event: “True Colours”. Anyone heard of it?

[Harridan1981]

Dd (11) is a Scout and has been for years. Recently had this through about an event I haven’t, heard of before. I feel the wording is quite disingenuous and I’m getting vibes…eg, which organisations etc?

“The County True Colours event will be held at blah blah

The event will be running from 09:30 - 19:30

The cost for the weekend will be £15 which includes food, materials for activities, corf fees and any expenses incurred from our outside agencies who are running the workshops.

The day will include: an escape room, 3 zones of various activities, a rainbow cafe with board games and refreshments, talks from various organisations”

Direct quotation, location and date removed. I’ve emailed for more info but nothing yet.

Anyone heard of this?

Variety is organisations? I’d want to know who

What is a "rainbow café", and why does the rainbowness need to be mentioned? Is that a scouting Thing that I've just not heard of?

I had a google and can't pick up anything, but my google skills are not great, tbh.

I know you have emailed in, hopefully a reply soon.

Ahh. Yes. I thought it might be. Well, I think that depends on the weighting of the L, the G, the B and the T...

I asked a few days ago now so will see what they say. They're normally far more informative in their invitations so this feels a little deliberately ambiguous to me.

I don't understand why kids that age would need a Rainbow cafe?

Scouts and Guides really lost the plot when they sypped learning to do actual stuff.

Is it to get their True Colours "LGBT award? For 11 year olds plus?

I'd be asking for specific details of the external groups, the specific offer each day, and ensuring age appropriate material checks, DBS and safeguarding.
If you want to discuss issues about sexual identity / relationships with mixed age groups of children then your safeguarding needs to be shit hot.
You could also ask when their heterosexual weekend is for 11 - 18 years olds and which groups have been invited to speak at that?

Ugh, more targeting of children by adults who want to spend their free time talking about sex to children.

No way would my child go to that.

It is undeniably important that gender non-conforming children and children developing awareness that their sexuality is not heteronormative find the same sort of representation and acceptance in Scouting as their peers who fit within the conventions of society do, and as do those who have other differences such as non-Christian religion, disabilities or SEN. Scouting does an excellent job of fostering acceptance and providing equity of opportunity - and of safeguarding.

Unfortunately, youth organisations have generally embraced the trans ideology, which gives mere lip-service to these aims and instead subverts them.

I'm a scout leader and have never heard of it - that doesn't mean it does not exist obviously, but is maybe a local thing?. Rather than email, which can be slowly responded to by volunteers - just text or phone your scout leader and ask what it is, and from that work out whether your DD would like to go, and whether it is a thing that is generally going to be attended by your DD's group and her friends. Some groups send all opportunities out so that people can work out for themselves what suits them and theirs. Other groups only send stuff out if they are going to support stuff with their own leaders and parent helpers. @JellySaurus is right - scouting does an excellent job of fostering acceptance and providing equity of opportunity and safeguarding - and as such people probably get a wider range of activities than they or their DC maybe want to go to. As a parent, rather than a scout leader, I would want to understand a little more about "outside agencies" and "talks from various organisations".

I had a google and came up with this link on Facebook which is unrelated but creepy af.

Also the attached. Red flag anyone?

googling suggests that the US scouts have a True Colors workshop which is a bit like a Myers-brings work out your personality thing. So it could be the same, with an overlay of LGBT+ rainbow cafe sprinkles? So some good, some bad. I’d give it a swerve.

Bloody autocorrect: Myers-Briggs

Interesting, thanks all. I'm glad others are picking up the same vibes as me. I trust our scouting team totally, but it is the "various organisations" and outside agencies ( all curiously unnamed) that I'm uncertain of.

I've whatsapped as well which is the usual method of communication so will see.

Why did you pick scouts for your daughter?

Back when she was the age to start beavers/rainbows there wasn't an active rainbow troop in our area. She was home educated at that point and we felt that some social groups/organised activity would be good for her. And it has been, she just did her first overnight camp etc which is a big thing for her, this is the first uneasy thing I've come across.