Barry: Scouts gave a passion for outdoor exercise

Apr 21 2010 By Barry Gibson

THERE was good news for woggle manufacturers this week.

Figures released on Monday showed the number of scouts in this country has surged towards half a million with 16,500 new members last year – the biggest increase since 1972.

The organisation is so popular that 33,500 would-be recruits are standing on the sidelines, waiting for spaces to open up for them.

It seems that scouting is cool. Apparently young people – starved of excitement by schools that have replaced playing fields with risk assessment forms – are seeking out adventure with Baden Powell’s lot.

Today’s scout can look forward to activities like rock-climbing, canoeing and abseiling – the kind of things that have headteachers trembling at the thought of a menacing letter from m’learned friends.

I don’t remember health and safety being a massive concern when I was a scout 20 years ago.

Back then, it wasn’t a good evening’s session unless you came home nursing a bruise or a cut knee.

I remember one game we played most weeks where the leader would stand in the middle of a circle of 20 scouts swinging an old rope with a heavy weight on the end.

He would start off swinging the rope at ankle height and we’d all jump over it.

Then the leader would increase the speed and height of the rope, sometimes getting up to knee height before some unfortunate scout mis-timed his jump.

I can still remember the sound that rope made as it rapped itself around some poor boy’s leg.

Down he would go onto the wooden floor and that was him out of the game.

It was painful when it came to your turn to hit the deck, but it was great craic nonetheless.

I did many other things – like archery, cross-country running and swimming – during my time in the beavers, cubs and scouts.