0.00 - The Interviewer welcomed the Respondents to the interview and began by asking where they were born and grew up.
They explained that they were born at the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh and raised in Drylaw, which is located near Davidson’s Mains, and that they have lived in the same house throughout their lives.
They were then asked how they first became involved with the 30th Craigalmond Scout Group.
Respondent 2: “It was my Mum who saw it at the Davidsons Mains Gala day, there was a Scouts, 30th Craigalmond stall and you could sign your name up, so our Mum put us down on the list and then a lady came round to the house, I think it was a while after that, and she said that me and Rona could start Beavers.”
1.31 - The Interviewer asked whether they had previously been interested in joining Beavers.
Respondent 2 explained that she couldn’t recall if she had specifically wanted to join, but she did remember the Gala Day, which was such a significant event, and seeing the Scout Group marching in the parade and carrying flags.
Respondent 1 However, recalled being added to the waiting list and visiting the Scout stand. She remembered being visited at home by a woman from the Group and feeling excited about the prospect of joining. Although she didn’t know much about Scouts at the time, it seemed new and exciting. She went on to explain that from a young age, she had regularly taken part in Gala Day with the Scout Group. The year after joining Beavers, they were selected to carry the flag in the parade, which made them feel very proud. They were given the honour again after moving up to Cubs, and later once more in Scouts. They were then asked about their Scouting career, to which they said they had moved on from Beavers into Cubs and then progressed into the Scout Group, where they remained until they were of age to join the District Explorer Group.
As Explorers, they were able to return to the 30th Craigalmond as Young Leaders, which they both did.
The Interviewer then returns the conversation to Beavers and asks if they recall much about going to the first Beavers session.
Respondent 2: “Yeah, I do. I remember, obviously, in Primary School you have, like, you know, the people in your Primary School, but this is people who weren’t in our Primary School, and I remember the boys being really, really cheeky at me and Rona. And yeah, that’s probably my favourite memory is just the boys being cheeky and me and Rona being like ‘What is going on, like‘ [laughs]
But obviously it was really good, and yeah, we were little, so it was exciting, and it was very noisy and me and Rona… we weren’t crazy, but I think we were on the crazy side of… we weren’t shy little girls – we were wanting to like join in with the games and everything. So, I think it was good for us to do Scouting because we were like the same sort of level as the boys.
Respondent 1: Yeah, I agree with all of that. I think joining in, meeting new people, just having like a club outside of school that we could go along to and talk to different people. Yeah, I definitely agree, like it was just a laugh, but we got along well with the boys, and we were like sassy back and just gave something different to the group.
5.56 - The Interviewer then asked if they had been the only girls in Beavers at the time.
Respondent 1 explained that there had been one other girl, but she left after being bullied at school for joining Beavers instead of Brownies. She went on to say that the same thing happened in Cubs, where several girls dropped out due to similar experiences.
Respondent 2 added that she never really understood what the problem was with girls being in the Group. She suggested that perhaps, because they attended a different school, they didn’t encounter the same bullying behaviour.
Respondent 1 reflected that, despite this, she had found it really good fun being part of the Group, enjoying the outdoors, playing games, going camping, and earning badges. She expressed how glad she was that nowadays there are far more girls involved, and that it is no longer seen as an issue.
The conversation then returned to their time in Beavers, and they were asked if they remembered any ceremonies or traditions that took place.
Respondent 2: “So at the end of the term we all got our badges, and that was a good like achievement of coming every night. There was also...we did a lot of
Respondent 1: Inspections
Respondent 2: Inspections, yeah. I remember first learning that, actually, and you know, obviously, we’re all not all the same age in Beavers, so there was a boy who was older, and so he’d tell me what to do. I think I do actually remember that [laughs], and I thought that was quite odd, but you then get into the swing of it and it's kind of normal when you get to Scouts.”
7.51 - The conversation then moves onto the songs, and the Respondents then recite the Beavers' opening song; however struggled somewhat to recall the closing song.
They went on to talk about the Beavers uniform and what they recalled about it.
Respondent 1: “The Blue jumper and the neckie with the woggle all the way up
Respondent 2: And it’s the small neckerchief too, so as we got older and got reinvested in Cubs, you get a bigger one, I think Beavers was the smallest one.”
8.56 - The conversation then moved on to discuss camps, and the Respondents were asked whether camps took place for Beavers at that time and, if so, what they remembered about them.
Respondent 1: “It was the Beavers sleepover and [laughs] we were so small, and we went to the park and did loads of games at D’Mains Park, and then we came back to the Scout Hall and what I remember is all the boys like in the rest of the Scout Hall and me and Tara in this tiny corner with this sheet kind of like separating us and the boys just farting [laughs] and whispering and just making so much noise. But yeah, it’s definitely a core memory.
Respondent 2: First night in a sleeping bag was really good.
Interviewer: Was that your first night sleeping away from home?
Both Respondents: Yeah.
Respondent 1: Me and Rona were obviously together, but it was just us in this tiny corner of the hall [laughs]. If you imagine the hall, it was like, not even a quarter, it was like a sixth of the hall, and the rest was just noisy boys. I think we did get some sleep.
Respondent 2: Yeah [laughs] maybe.
Interviewer: It would have seemed exciting, though I would imagine.
Respondent 1: Oh, definitely, now we’ve had so many experiences of sleeping away and that independence – we love camping and going up hills and stuff.”
10.36 - The Respondents were then asked if they remembered any of their Beaver leaders. They replied that while they could recall their faces, they could no longer remember their names.
The conversation then returned to the Gala, and they were asked what they remembered about their first experience of taking part in the parade as Beavers, to which Respondent 1 explained that, because they were the oldest Beavers in age, they would get to hold the flag. Respondent 2 went on to say that she believed that they got the opportunity to hold the flag not because they were the oldest, but because they were girls. The details on this were somewhat vague, but Respondent 1 did say it felt really nice to parade down the street with the flag and dressed in their Beavers’ uniforms.
The Interviewer then asked if they recalled any other trips or community events to which Respondent 1 said going to the Flight Museum when she was in Beavers, but could not recall any details or any other outings.
The conversation moved on to what they could remember moving up to Cubs.
Respondent 2: “I remember, obviously, you have your end thing... it’s not a thing but maybe a tradition... in Scouting is where the oldest at the end of the year or at that point... season.
Respondent 1: Term.
Respondent 2: Yes, term, that’s what you call it, obviously we’d have our birthday, but after our birthday, you’d make a tunnel and the end of your night, and you’d run through the tunnel.
Interviewer: This is all the Beavers.
Respondent 2: Yeah, so we were in the hall and the Beavers...
Respondent 1: ...all the Beavers made an arch.
Respondent 2: Yes, so all the younger Beavers will make an arch and then you go along single file, and you run past everyone, through everyone to the end of the tunnel, and then you go out the door and never come back in [laughs] or the next time you come in, you’re a Cub.”
13.11 - The Interviewer asked the Respondents how they remembered feeling at that time. Respondent 1 said that it felt good, as they knew they were moving up to Cubs, receiving their Bronze Scout Award, and that there would be more girls in the Cub Pack.
Respondent 2 added that by the time you complete Beavers, you feel ready to move on to Cubs, joining an older section, working towards new badges, and taking on fresh challenges.
Both agreed that they were excited about the opportunities ahead, including taking part in more Scouting activities.
They were then asked whether they had felt proud to receive their Bronze Scout Award.
Respondent 1: “Yeah, and I think looking back, I feel really proud even more because I got that in Beavers and then I got that in Cubs [Silver Scout Award] but I didn’t get it [Gold Scout Award] in Scouts because of Covid, but now in Explorers I’ve got that award. So, it’s just like we’ve been through them all and its definitely like...
Interviewer: The start of a journey for you?
Respondent 1: A hundred percent, yeah.
Respondent 2: It was a good achievement for us to know that we’d gone through everything we were meant to do in Beavers, and we didn’t finish it feeling like we hadn’t had the ‘Beaver experience’. We’d finished our Beaver experience and were ready to move on and the leaders knew we were, and it was really nice to have Cub leaders with open arms.
Respondent 1: I think another thing to add was, like at school you get merits and stuff, but I think in Beavers and in Cubs and whatever, having an award outside of school – not to do with academic stuff – was really great cause I remember the merits and the Gold Award and stuff but getting that in something else, Cubs, Beavers. I mean there was no-one else from our Primary School at Beavers, so it was just really good to be doing something else.”
16.04 - The Interviewer asked if there had been a ceremony for receiving their awards, and they confirmed that there had.
Respondent 2 recalled that parents were invited to watch, and she remembered family and friends clapping as they were presented with their Bronze Scout Award. She said it had made her feel really happy.
The conversation then moved on to their time in Cubs, where they confirmed that two packs were running at the time and that both Respondents were part of the same Thursday night Pack.
They remembered wearing the green Scout jumper with a larger neckerchief and being placed into patrols, although they could not recall the names. Each patrol had a Patrol Leader and an Assistant Patrol Leader, who supported them as they were among the youngest in the Pack.
The Interviewer then asked whether they had felt intimidated moving up to Cubs, or if they had been ready for the step.
Respondent 2: “Yeah, they were a bit intimidating cause they’re all obviously older boys and yeah, I think I was quite intimidated because obviously there were girls, but they were new girls and we had to make friends with them and stuff, which was quite scary. But they were all really nice and we did make new friends, which was really nice, and all the girls were welcoming, and we got along well with them.”
18.02 - The Interviewer asked what they felt were the biggest differences between Cub nights and Beaver nights.
Respondent 1 said she remembered Cubs being ‘crazy,’ with everyone full of energy and always eager to play lots of games.
Respondent 2 recalled the leaders often saying, “If you don’t get your badges signed off, then you won’t get to play games at the end of the night.” [laughs] She also remembered the inspections being much stricter.
They were then asked to describe how a typical Cub night was run.
Respondent 1: “We’d come in and we’d get into our patrols - so there was, I think, four patrols and then we’d have our Inspection, we’d get our neckers sorted out, clean the hands, they’d come round and check, and then do the Flag
Respondent 2: I think we did the Flag first.
Interviewer: Any songs – do you remember?
Respondent 2: Yeah, we had a Cub song
Respondent 1: Did we?
Respondent 2: Yeah, we did.
Respondent 1: What is it?
Respondent 2: I’m not sure, but we did have a Cub’s song, I can’t remember it like Beavers – isn’t that weird? I can remember the Beavers one. The Cub’s one definitely had one at the start and at the end after Flag.
Respondent 1: And then yeah, I think it was definitely more crazy so the nights were less like organised I’d say. They were still organised, we still had an agenda, but it was much more, like, energetic, but I think that’s why I loved it so much like Cubs was definitely my favourite time. But yeah, just working towards like the new badges and I can remember some really fun nights from doing that and stuff that’s helped us – like doing First Aid at Cubs and then just like really good life skills.”
20.11 - The Respondents were asked whether Cubs had much input into the badges they worked towards. They replied that they didn’t think they did, as the focus was mainly on completing the Silver Scout Award.
However, they recalled working on lots of fun badges that the leaders seemed to know they would enjoy.
Respondent 1 mentioned the Sports badges and the Flight badge. The Interviewer then asked if they had sewn on their own badges. They explained that a family friend usually did this for them. Respondent 2 added that they never sewed on any of their own badges until Rona organised a fundraiser involving badge sewing, something the Interviewer said they would come back to later.
The conversation then turned to Cub camps, and they were asked about their first experience attending one.
Respondent 2: “Obviously, we had our first camp, and it was the first time in a tent, and it was this massive camp to celebrate Cubs 100, and we were so like, buzzing for this. I mean, imagine more than five troops of little Cubs, like it was insane. Me and Rona we won a bag of Wine Gums from our young leader because he wanted us to put his tent up , and I think we had a time limit, or we had to do it in time... what was it?
Respondent 1: It was like 5 minutes.
Respondent 2: OK, so we had to put his tent up in 5 minutes, and we did it in 5 minutes, and we won these Wine Gums. That's one of me and Rona’s probably favourite memories of Scouting, I think, because we were so like, ‘Oh yeah, we put up your tent, like Oh yeah’ we rubbed it in the boys' faces and yeah.
Respondent 1: It was so new to us like camping, but it was just the start
Respondent 2: Yeah, and I remember that night, first time in a tent, we had...
Respondent 1: [laughs] Sorry, are you going to say what I think your gonna say?
Respondent 2: So our first night in the tent was at Bonally and we were, it was just me and Rona in the tent, it was quite small, and we hear this funny noise, and we have no idea what it is, and me and Rona are like, why is there a funny noise outside our tent? And then I’m like, alright, I'm gonna check what this is, and we find a fat toad in the bottom corner.
Respondent 1: Of our inner in our tent.
Respondent 2: It was it was in the inner at Rona's feet. And I remember going [screams] and just being an absolute drama queen and being like, ‘I cannot sleep in a tent again.!’ But we made it through the night, and we didn't move the toad. We didn't move the toad, did we?
Respondent 1: Well, we got Fraser, and I think he did it.
Respondent 2: But that was in the morning.
Respondent 1: [laughs] I didn't sleep.
Respondent 2: You told me to leave it. I remember. You did.
Respondent 1: [laughs] Oh, whatever, but yeah, the Cubs 100 was, like amazing crazy. Yeah.”
23.37 - The Interviewer asked if they remembered any traditions that took place at camp.
Respondent 1 recalled the big Flag Break held for all the different Troops, which stood out as a very memorable moment. She remarked that seeing so many Cubs gathered gave her the first real sense of how large the Scouting Movement was, as it was her first time being around Troops from outside her own Group.
Respondent 2 went on to speak more about this experience.
Respondent 2: “Obviously, a tradition at a camp is to have a big bonfire and sing lots of songs. So, me and Rona, we were absolutely amazed with the campfire. It's huge. Someone built it themselves, and I remember singing lots of songs and getting so tired that I could just fall asleep in the tent the next night, and it was just really nice. And I think the campfires are really, really special. Respondent 1: Like a bonding. Respondent 2: ...for a camp because everyone's around something and we're all like joining in.”
24.59 - The Interviewer asked if they could recall any songs, to which they mentioned “Peel Banana.” They explained that it was usually the same songs sung each time, with Fraser Dunmore leading the singing.
The conversation then turned to the food enjoyed at campfires. Respondent 1: recalled having s’mores, which she said she loved, along with hot chocolate. She added that when you’re a Cub, you don’t feel embarrassed about singing around the campfire, whereas as you get older, you do. By the time you’re in Scouts, though, singing at campfires feels fun again.
They were then asked if any other Cub camps stood out in their Memories. They spoke about a Group Scout Camp at Canty Bay, which brought together Beavers, Cubs, and Scouts. Respondent 2 went on to describe this experience in more detail.
Respondent 2: “Obviously, Canty Bay is a little bit far from home, so it's in North Berwick or near North Berwick and me and Rona were in these... they have dorms, we weren't in a tent this time, and yeah, I remember like sleeping in the…
Respondent 1: …Bunks beds.
Respondent 2: Bunk beds that aren't really in a dorm, so we had to share it with the boys.
Respondent 1: I think I remember the photo of us at that camp and I remember us playing, me and Tara, playing football, as we did at that time in Cubs, and I remember playing football with the older Scouts and getting piggybacks and we went on these older Scout’s shoulders as we all played football and yeah, that's all I remember from that camp.
Interviewer: And did it feel quite liberating? Did you feel quite free being there?
Both: Yeah.
Respondent 1: A hundred percent. Next to the sea like away from home, like, just me and Tara.
Respondent 2: Yeah, it was definitely like, we felt like... that's when I first felt like Scouting was kind of a family sort of thing, like. We got to like interact with people that had been through Cubs, like the older people and so they were really nice and like they knew that we could probably have some trouble sleeping away from home, and they were really nice to me and Rona. I remember Rona got quite upset and, but yeah, it was really nice. And it was like we got to the end of the camp, and we were really pleased with ourselves that we got through the first Group Scout Camp.”
27.52 - They explained that this had been a weekend camp where they stayed for two nights, with the Beavers joining for one day. Respondent 1 reiterated the feeling of family within the Group and how everyone looked out for one another. She recalled being supported by a Scout named Niamh when she was feeling homesick, which had really helped.
Now, as a Young Leader herself, she recognises the challenges that can arise at camps and within the Group and sees Scouting as being about supporting each other through those experiences. Respondent 2 added that Group Camps are particularly valuable because they give older members the chance to take responsibility for the younger ones, which helps build leadership skills. At the same time, the younger members learn to collaborate with the older Scouts and pick up new skills from them.
They both agreed that this aspect of Scouting is very inspiring. They were then asked if any other Cub outings or experiences stood out.
Respondent 1 went on to recount her favourite night at Cubs.
Respondent 1: “So, my favourite night was Nerf gun war night, and that's kind of popping into my mind just now because as a young leader with Cubs, I loved it so much like running around like shooting people with Nerf guns and I was helping tidy up the store cupboard and I saw all the guns and all the Nerf bullets and the glasses and I was like, right, I'm doing this with my Cubs, I know how much fun it is and I think like that that's giving back to the community and like it doesn't even like it doesn't even feel like that long ago that I was a Cub like doing Nerf gun fights. I just... yeah, that was the best night.”
30.09 - Respondent 2 goes on to say that although she does not recall a particular favourite night, she always enjoyed when the Cubs went to the park to play wide games, as those types of games could not take at school. She loved how they were such fun, particularly playing alongside boys. She recalls one of the most popular games was ‘Kick the Can’, she explained you had to go and hide while the ‘tiggers’ tried to find you and if you were caught then you were put in ‘jail’; however if someone ‘kicked the can’, then everybody was freed from jail. She felt that although it wasn’t competitive, they wanted to prove that girls could play this game as hard as boys did.
The Interviewer then asked if now that they were older and in Cubs, were they still treated the same as their male counterparts, as was the case in Beavers, to which Respondent 1 explained.
Respondent 1: “It was good because a lot of us moved up at the same time, like a lot of the boys and us like Beavers, Cubs and Scouts and now Explorers, but you know, we got along well with the girls, I think we were more crazy than the girls there, so we got along well with the boys as well.
Respondent 2: Like me and Rona are like we're, we were quite tomboyish already cause we were playing football and stuff…
Interviewer: So Rough and tumble didn't bother you?
Respondent 2: No. And I think that the leaders caught on to that and caught on to like ‘oh the girls will be fine like’, and I think the thing with Rona saying that we were with the same boys, we've stuck with the same boys like throughout Beavers, Cubs and Scouts, and I think they just accepted us being crazy girls, to be honest at one point.
Interviewer: And do you think you would have had the same male friendships? Had you not gone to Cubs, do you think that helped?
Respondent 1: Like definitely now and you know, me and Tara get along well with those same Cubs that we were with, and you know, we went to the international camps with them and it's, it's that same, like same kids you were running around with. Yeah, we'll say hi to them if we see them. Yeah, definitely.”
33.01 - The conversation then moved on to their memories of joining Scouts. Respondent 1 recalled receiving her Silver Scout Award and several badges at the end of Cubs. She explained that moving up to Scouts felt scarier than moving from Beavers to Cubs. She also remembered disliking the new Scout shirts, which she found very uncomfortable. Respondent 2 agreed, adding that the Cub jumpers had been much better in comparison. Respondent 1 also described the moving-up ceremony, recalling how she went through the “tunnel” and received her award. Respondent 2, however, said she felt less apprehensive about the transition. She had been ready to move up, to be with her older peers, and to leave behind the ‘crazy’ behaviour that often took place at Cubs.
They were then asked what they felt were the main differences between a typical Cub night and a typical Scout night.
Respondent 1: “I think it was a lot...it was a lot more chill - I think the leaders were really a lot about let's get this badge done, and then let’s get this badge done, and then let’s get this badge done [laughs] And yeah, the badges, I think parts of the Scouts was like, Oh my gosh, we're doing paracords – tying knots - and then it was like ‘oh I don’t want to go tonight’ and then you go on a Scout night to do tying knots and you were like ‘oh that wasn’t actually that bad’.
Interviewer: So do you feel they were doing, I don’t want to use the term ‘Scouty’, but much more practical stuff?
Respondent 2: Yeah, practical, like life skills maybe. I'd say like obviously First Aid, tying knots, like...
Respondent 1: Bike maintenance.
Respondent 2: Bike maintenance. We had a few trips in Scouts, I think - we went to Blackford Hill where there's a thing about space and we got a talk about the eclipse, I think, because that was the year of the eclipse or something. I think we got our Astronomer Badge from that. I think that was a really good night I liked in Scouts, and I just thought that that was very much... something you would really take your Cubs to go and do, but I really enjoyed it.”
35.56 - The conversation then moves onto Scout camps, and they were asked if any particular camps were memorable, to which Respondent 1 explained that it was during this time that COVID hit during their first year of Scouts, and because of her existing health condition, she was absent a lot during that time, so she doesn’t have many memories of that time.
However, the conversation then returns briefly to Cubs as they wanted to talk about another memorable camp that was the Star Wars Cub Camp.
Respondent 2: “Star Wars camp was run by Fraser, I think it was, and I'm not sure if it was because a Star Wars movie came out or just because we had a lot of people in our Cub group that liked scouts [Star Wars] , but oh my goodness, it was a great camp.
And I remember exactly where it was. I think it was at Fordell Firs and that was my first time at Fordell Firs, and we were in dormitories - bunk beds -but we're still in sleeping bags. But yeah, it was really fun, I remember getting dressed up and then and I remember sitting and watching the Star Wars movie.
Respondent 1: Everyone had like onesies of like oh, what's the big...
Respondent 2: R2D2.
Respondent 1: R2D2...what’s the big, brown like...
Interviewer: Chewbacca?
Respondent 2: Yeah, so some of our friends and Cubs had Chewbacca things on while we were watching.
Respondent 1: And going to like a bigger campsite, like before we’d only been to Bonally and in local areas, but Fordell Firs had like climbing frames and all this like other stuff we hadn’t tried before, and I remember it being really fun.”
38.12 - Respondent 1 continued the conversation about camp, explaining that there had been a small shop on-site which sold badges representing how many times you had stayed there - bronze, silver, or gold. She recalled buying the bronze badge, awarded for a first visit, and remembering how determined she was to eventually collect them all.
The conversation then returned to their time in Scouts. Respondent 2 explained that quite a few girls chose not to move up from Cubs to Scouts, though there was one other girl who did, and they quickly became friends. Around this time, however, Covid struck, and meetings shifted from being in person to online. She described how Scouting activities were still offered, such as camping in your back garden, though these were carried out individually rather than as a group. She went on to talk about the online Zoom meetings and recalled one evening when she and Respondent 1, along with another Scout, built a fire in their back garden and toasted marshmallows. They found this particularly fun as they could see their peers online doing the same activity at the same time.
Respondent 1 added that some online activities worked better than others. Respondent 2 reflected that she found this period especially challenging. Returning to in-person meetings was difficult, as they were now 14, entering high school, and dealing with the challenges of puberty. It was also tough because there were so few girls in Scouts, and at times, some of the boys in the Group were not particularly kind to them. They both felt fortunate to have supportive leaders they could talk to about this, but ultimately agreed that much of the boys’ behaviour probably stemmed from the social challenges of becoming a teenager. They admitted that Scouts had not always been the most positive experience for them, largely due to the Covid disruptions, and were asked whether this ever made them question moving on to Explorers. They explained that their older brother had been an Explorer, and seeing the fun and exciting experiences he had made them eager to continue.
Respondent 2 then went on to describe her first night in the Explorer Unit.
Respondent 2: “I remember our first night at Explorers. It was really nice, obviously meeting new girls, that's the best part.
Respondent 1: There was much more girls.
Interviewer: So it's bigger, isn’t it?
Respondent 2: Yes. It's like different. Like, obviously, this is the 30th Craigalmond, there's like other Scout groups around about, and that’s just like them.
Respondent 1: ...all like funnelled in.”
43.53 - The conversation then moves on to some of the activities that took place at the Explorer Unit which they go onto talk about.
Respondent 1: “So yeah, we joined and like straight away we were, we had like camp on like every other month and it was so amazing. We slept in a hammock; I remember that was such a good camp, and it was just honestly so amazing.
Interviewer: So outdoors in a hammock?
Respondent 1: Yeah, it was insane and just like being with new people and meeting new people, especially, obviously, like I've said, not at school, but like outside of school, it's just really good. And me and Tara and the group went to Finland for a Jamborette and that was amazing.
Interviewer: Jamborette being a...
Respondent 1: A smaller Jamboree, yeah and at the time I was still like struggling with my health, but the support given to me and like two other people who kind of struggled with health stuff was like amazing. It was the moment - it was like unreal, and it was one of the best experiences ever.
Respondent 2: Yeah, it was really good.”
45.33 - The Respondents explained that they spent a couple of days in Helsinki before heading to the camp, using the time to explore the area. Once at the camp, they met Scouts from all over the world, including Finland, Australia, and Israel.
When asked if they felt a connection with the other Scouts, Respondent 2 said it was very easy to talk to them because they all shared the common bond of Scouting. She described the same family feeling and sense of belonging she had experienced before, this time extended across different countries through camping outdoors, taking part in activities and being part of the global Scout Movement.
They were asked whether they took part in any challenges while at camp. They explained that they did, describing how participants were given roles and responsibilities. For example, Respondent 2 worked in the camp kitchen alongside Scouts from different groups. She recalled being struck by how well everyone spoke English, which made it easy to connect. She added that she is still in touch with people she met there, particularly some Finnish Scouts, whom she remembers as especially welcoming and hospitable.
Respondent 1 reflected that this was a particularly positive experience for her. She had recently been unwell and was just beginning to recover, and being away from home while receiving the support she needed gave her a real boost in confidence. She went on to talk about this.
Respondent 1: “I remember coming home and writing my Nat. 5 English folio piece on Finland and the Jamboree. And I think at that point, people we've moved up the sections with, like, from Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, we really connected with - we were all like much older and I really felt like the boys who'd been with, like yeah, when we were Cubs and Beavers - we actually like really got along and became actual friends and it was amazing. And yeah, we're, I'm still in contact with a lot of them.”
49.51 - The conversation then moved on to the Respondents’ visit to the International Camp at Kandersteg in Switzerland in 2024. This time, they were among the oldest Scouts at 16, unlike their earlier trip to Finland, where they had been among the youngest at 14. Respondent 2 described taking on the role of Patrol Leader for a patrol of around eight Scouts, as well as managing the social media for the Pink Panthers, the name of their Explorer Unit. Her responsibilities included taking photos and creating vlogs to capture highlights of the trip, which were then shared across the Group’s social media platforms. She explained that she enjoyed this responsibility, seeing it as an opportunity to inspire younger members, and that the role gave her a real boost in confidence.
She went on to describe one of the highlights of the camp: a glacier hike at the end of the trip. As one of the older Scouts, she had the chance to take part in this challenge. Not everyone chose to go, and she found herself the only female Scout in the group. While she admitted it was difficult, she also described it as an incredible experience, made even more meaningful because she was doing it alongside Scouts who, like her, had progressed through the Movement together from Beavers to Cubs, then Scouts, and now Explorers.
Respondent 1 then talks about the impact camps have had on her life.
Respondent 1: “I've just had interviews for jobs and unis, and you know, having that resilience to get through a camp where it's raining and pouring and you're camping, and it's freezing - it’s like a really good lesson and the things that we've learned through Scouting, it's just it's been really amazing.”
53.38 - The conversation continues, and Respondent 2 talks about the life skills learned in Scouting as being something you don’t realise at the time as being important but certainly prepares you for later life in terms of being organised, problem solving, First Aid and managing difficult situations. They explained that although now through the Explorer Unit, they are undertaking their Duke of Edinburgh Award and are Young Leaders with the 30th, which they feel is a great opportunity.
Respondent 1 explains that she is gaining great experience and really enjoying it, and she’s glad to see how many females are now involved in the Group. They were then asked if they think that they are an inspiration to younger girls in the 30th to which they thought that they were, and they were well known in the Group amongst both the young people and the leaders. The Interviewer then asks if there were any other key points in their Scouting career that they wanted to talk about, and Respondent 1 then talks about having the opportunity to travel to a World Scout Jamboree in South Korea.
Respondent 1: “Well, I joined Explorers and did that for maybe a year, and I was feeling much better within my health, I'm really coming out of that. Then Patrick, our older brother, had tried to get to the World Scout Jamboree in America, and my mum was like, OK, you two go and try and get into the World Scout Jamboree for Korea. And I was really going in like OK, this would be super amazing, but you know, we'll see what happens. And but yeah, I got in, and it was wonderful. I knew no one there, I met like the unit of like 30 people, and I just loved it so much, made friends for life, one of the Scout mottos [laughs] And we went to Korea in 2023, and just that opportunity is insane, like who else has been to South Korea? I went to the DMZ. I was talking about that with my teacher today. Just cause like, that's just insane. Like going to see North Korea and the experiences you get, like opportunities through Scouting, is unreal, and like got a lot of like financial help with like going to that. And it's just such a supportive like community and just being able to have these opportunities. The actual camp itself was not great. It wasn’t very organised, so we had to leave early because of the heat and the tornado and all that.”
59.11 - Respondent 1 explains that in 2023, there was a typhoon and a heatwave in South Korea that affected those attending the Jamboree, she goes on to talk about this further.
Respondent 1: “We arrived and spent a couple of days in Seoul, and went to the DMZ. It was so amazing. Kind of learned about the history and then went down to the camp, which was reclaimed land, so it was super controversial, and it was basically a desert and, and we were just plonked on this bit of land, and it was like 40° each night. It was like unbearable. At the time I loved it, but now I look back, I realise how kind of poorly organised it was, but I was really well and enthusiastic and went out and met people that I’d met in Finland at that camp, and there was so many people, but yeah, the heat and the typhoon. A lot of people in the unit got ill - friends. So, there was a lot of like stepping up and being strong in the moment. And that's what we’d learned from Cub Camp.”
59.28 - The Interviewer asks Respondent 2 if she recalled hearing about this taking place on the news, to which she said she did. She explained how she had been involved in supporting her sister to go, as it was such a big thing and was so proud of all the fundraising that she did to go. Respondent 1 talked about one part of her fundraising being a badge sewing service within the 30th. On her return from the jamboree, she held an information night to talk about her experience to members of the Scouting community. In her role as a Young Leader, she often tells younger members to stick with their Scouting journey as it offers so much in terms of experiences and opportunities. They are then asked if they would recommend Scouting to others.
Respondent 2: “I think we're always recommending Scouting, like always, I mean, my history teacher at school, he's not, I don't take history, but his little boy, like, he doesn't really have a lot of friends and stuff, I was just like getting in like to 30th Craigalmond cause he lives near here and everything, so, like I mentioned it to people that have little kids, or like, you don't even have to start young.
Respondent 1: Yeah.
Respondent 2: Just come to Explorers like if you're a teenager, like there's a lot of teenagers that join up to Explorers and they're like crazy, and then they're like, ‘oh, I actually like this’. And then, yeah. So, it's very much a recommendable thing. Like, there's nothing else to say about it.
Respondent 2: Yeah, it's giving us so many opportunities and experiences that you could never like got from anywhere else. And it'll stay with us forever. And yeah, it's something we're always recommending. And I think people are amazed at what we've done through it and coming all the way through. And then yeah, it's been great.”
1.02.42 - The Interviewer finally asks the Respondents if they had one memory from their time in Scouting, what would it be to which Respondent 2 says that she always enjoyed the Sausage Sizzles that took place and explains that these are events with a campfire that take place at the local park and are attended by Beavers and Cubs. At this event, they cook sausages and sing around the fire. One highlight for her was when she attended recently as a Young Leader, and they ran games, sang songs and sat with the Cubs and reminisced about how they had done that during their time as Cubs 10 years previously.
Respondent 1 agreed that it was a great experience, and it was poignant. She felt another ‘full circle’ moment was her running a Nerf gun fight night with Cubs as a Young Leader and thinks this was among her favourite memories. The Respondents were then thanked for sharing their stories and for taking part in the Project.