A really uplifting afternoon on Sunday when I visited “Sussex100” - the Centenary Camp of the Sussex Cub Scouts which was held in Ardingly.
Some 2,500 cubs spent three nights under canvass and engaged in days of hectic activities. The Cubs were formed in 1914 and the Sussex influence was there from the start with Rudyard Kipling allowing them to borrow extensively from the “Jungle Book”. This influence has survived with “Kaa’s craft zone” and “Bandarlog’s activities zone” much in evidence. However unsurprisingly it is a very different organisation from 1914 and even from what I remember a few decades ago. Abseilling, go-carting, “caving” and the hugely popular “cubs have got talent”. How many 7-11 year olds get to appear on stage before thousands?
What hasn’t changed is the emphasis on working together and enjoying the outdoors. There is a hugely important point underlying the popularity of the cubs. Very sadly, despite all the personal development and health benefits, time spent by children outside is now less than half what it was in their parents’ day. Three-Quarters of children now spend less time routinely outside than prisoners. This is despite a recent survey by the National Trust showing that 96 per cent of parents wanted their children to engage in outside activities. There are of course understandable fears which make parents less comfortable with the “be back for tea” parenting that many of us will recall. However the cubs and similar organisations offer a safe environment for young people to build self-confidence and self-reliance. They also have at their core “citizenship”. A generation brought up with national service and communal activities has long given way to social engagement via the internet – which manages to be both broadening and limiting at the same time.
These voluntary organisations only exist (and they thrive in Horsham) because of the volunteers who make them possible. There were hundreds of adults devoting their weekend to ensuring the jamboree was safe and successful. They seemed to enjoy it nearly as much as the youngsters. The biggest constraint on expansion is adult volunteers – I am sure they would be only too happy to hear from anyone keen to give it a go and help support the next generation.