Take 17 pounds of leeks, 5 pounds of onions, 10 pounds of potatoes, a pound or two of butter, several litres of milk, cook them all up, put them through a liquidiser and you have the basic ingredients for a lunch for 180 people. Add bread, cheese, pate, salad and lots of homemade cake and you can raise £300! We at 4th Hale (St Peter's) Scout Group did just that on 8th March to make a donation to Scouting in Uganda. 46 Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers were active with selling tickets, setting tables, waiting on tables and helping to clear up at our Fairtrade Lunch. Several Leaders helped to run the bar and plate up the food. Everyone who came thought it was a most successful event.
This all started when I, a Cub Leader, became intrigued with the idea of getting all of our sections to support the international aspect of the new programme and work towards earning the International Group Award. We chose to focus on Uganda because several members of St Peter's Church, to which our Group is affiliated, had been to Uganda. Over several years our congregation has been helped to support the digging of wells, the installation of a grist mill and most recently a maternal health initiative.
The first stage was to sell the idea to the Section Leaders. I reasoned that if we aimed for a particular event in which all the young people and Leaders could be involved, we could plan activities leading up to it. If the event involved food and included people beyond the families of the Group, we might be able to earn some money! We tried to take an event that would not take up too much of anyone's day. There needed to be some incentive for the Scouts and Explorers to take part. So we chose a day when the District was holding a five-aside football tournament in the evening. The Scouts who took part could also get in some football practise! The solution seemed to be a meal at lunchtime. At this stage we had not decided which specific charity we would support beyond the vague idea of Scouting in Uganda.
We planned to spend about 6 or 8 weeks on activities about Uganda in the sections. Local people gave their time and expertise. We were also fortunate to discover a book called 'Unite'; a Scouting publication which can now be found on the Uganda Network website (http://www.ugandanetwork.org.uk) We also contacted the Network which supported us with contacts and excellent ideas.
We started with a slide show for each section delivered by a knowledgeable couple who had travelled to Uganda several times. They naturally changed the format depending on the section but each show centred on the theme of Ugandan Children. The Beavers coloured in flags and learned about the stork in the centre. They played games that Uganda children would have played. They made African style houses out of clay and straw. They found Africa and Uganda on the map, ate tropical fruit, and listened to a story told in Uganda about a Firefly and the Apes. They also made red, black and yellow streamers to sell at the Ploughman's Lunch.
The Cubs enjoyed many of the same activities as the Beavers including map work, Ugandan games, crafts etc. They cooked and ate tropical fruit and learned about World Trade with the example of the Banana game. We had also planned to do some water based activities, but it was the wrong time of year and the weather was not kind enough to enable us to go outside! The Cubs also learned about the Ugandan Scouts work with UNICEF (through the Unite book) and the important role they play in Ugandan Society by encouraging parents to bring their children for immunisation. They took part in a fun role play evening.
The Scouts also played the Trading Game (See Unite or GAPP) and were interested in exploring this issue further. They certainly added a more international dimension to their understanding of this issue. The Explorer Scouts also focused on the AIDS epidemic in Africa, its causes and its impact on society.
In retrospect, the Leaders all agreed that we had had some of the most interesting meetings for a long time when we centred on a Country and culture so different from our own. The young people seemed to respond well to focusing on a particular country. Several of the young people brought in relevant newspaper and magazine articles. We were able to award 60 International Group Awards to members of the Group at their section meetings shortly after the Fairtrade Lunch.
The Group derived many benefits from working towards the Award. The Leaders shared resources and discussed programme ideas. Almost every Leader in the Group helped in some way during the Lunch so we were all seen pitching together for something different from a camp. We improved our links with the Church as several members of the congregation got involved with different aspects of the project. We managed to include many Scouting families and their friends in an event beyond the regular jumble sale. Several members of the District Exec and the DC enjoyed themselves. Although £300 is but a drop in the ocean of Uganda's needs, still we managed something and helped make the young people and us more aware of a different culture.
Our only problem is what sort of projects we might undertake to sustain the interest in Scouting in Uganda. I doubt whether we can raise the same amount of enthusiasm a second time unfortunately. However we can share our programme ideas with other groups in the District and beyond, so that Scouting in Uganda can receive continued support.
I would recommend that Groups should take the time and consideration to work towards the International Group Award. With thorough planning, it can lead to a high point in the Group's year!
Lucy Natrass
4th Hale (St Peter's) Scout Group
Greater Manchester East
August 2003
