Scout Association

I never quite made it to the Scouts in my younger days. I managed Beavers and Cubs, but then I clocked what it was really all about before hitting Scout age. I have good memories of the Cubs though, mainly because all our leaders were gentle middle-​aged women and so the institutionalised sexual abuse and violent discipline favoured by their male counterparts was somewhat lower down the list of priorities. I was lucky though as I’ve got pals who went to different scout groups who still think rounders is a game that must be played only in your underpants.
According to the Metro, it seems that The Scouts are trying to clean up their act a bit however, by taking solvent-​abusing teens off the street and to a (very secluded) campsite where they can catch fish, tie knots and be leered at whilst standing naked in a freezing cold shower.
Good to see a return to form for one of the 20^th century’s most enduring institutions.

As of this morning, I know this place is definitely worth reviewing seen as today’s Metro had a whole article (one of the wee ones) about the ever rising numbers of Scouts in Scotland.
Apparently, over the past five years Scout numbers have been growing. So much so that has been a record number of sign-up’s with more than 1,740 new members since January 2009. This is especially so in Scotland were recruits were up 7.8% compared to an average of 5.4% in the whole of the UK.
Mainly of these new recruits have also been in the ‘hard to recruit’ teenage members. Consequently, the older members of the Scouts now is up to 5, 285. This is almost 27% higher than in 2001. This is expected to increase as there are also 2, 200 more youngsters currently on waiting lists in Scotland due to a lack of adult leaders. Meanwhile, total numbers in Scotland stand at 38, 525 with the UL total at more than 499, 000.
Now, as for this particular Scouts branch, I’ve heard many good things both from current members (through parent’s friend’s kids) and previous members in the form of older male friends with positive past memories. All reports have raved about the amazing and extremely knowledgeable leaders; well organised and engaging activities and the spacious, clean facilities in which all of this took place.