Squirrels spring up in Halton
Squirrels are springing up at 1st Halton (RAF) Scout Group. Last week 12 Squirrels (boys and girls aged 4 and 5) were invested into the Group. They are the first Squirrels to be invested in the County. The Drey opened several weeks ago and the children have been getting to know their promise, finding out about Scouts, playing games, listening to stories and doing lots of activities. The afternoon investiture, however, was not carried out in very Spring-like weather. A treasure hunt in the woods around Weston Turville Reservoir saw sun, snow and hail all within minutes of each other. At the end of the walk the children were invested as the hail continued to fall. The children all made their Squirrel promise and were given their Group scarf, their badges and their investiture certificate.
Oscar (5) said, “What I like about Squirrels is making things. I’ve made a flower, a mother’s day card and a picture. I liked finding things on our treasure hunt.” Mum Gemma said, “Squirrels has helped Oscar build his confidence, listening and his overall development. He loves coming and he always has a smile on his face at the end of the session.”
Lead volunteer for the Group Sharon Elmidoro said, “It’s been great fun opening a new section. We’ve invested twelve today and we’ve got some more to invest in a few weeks time. Seeing the joy on their faces, whether they are 4 year old Squirrels or 17 year old Explorer Scouts is one of the main reasons I volunteer. It’s so satisfying to be able to provide opportunities for the children that they might not be able to do elsewhere. Being a volunteer gives you so many opportunities to learn new skills and also to share some of your interests and hobbies with others.”
Young Leader Chloe Timms (15) said, “Working with young people has helped my leadership and communication skills. I’m going to the World Scout Jamboree in Korea next year and I’m sure that being a Young Leader helped me get through the selection process.”
For more information about joining Scouts either for a young person or as an adult volunteer, please visit www.scouts.org.uk/join