Young people do need the skills to deal with a connected world, being safe online, dealing with AI etc. But with so much screen time, connecting to the real world is important too. So, shouldn't these skills be left to others, with the likes of #Scouts being a refuge from screens and mega-tech?

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/25/explorer-scouts-launch-badges-ai-digital-age

This weekend's pre-jam winter camp with our scouts group was really nice. Yes, a bit too much of a chill and some rain, but the youth have thoroughly enjoyed it. We did it with another group together whom we're joining up with for this year's #Jamboree

The biggest satisfier was the open fire cooking. Youth dug shallow fire pits in their patrols by spade from the grass. Then they made a fire with flint and steel in them, producing a good amount of coal/embers. They made a chili recipe in Dutch ovens that were then cooked in the hot coals/embers, giving them time to make garlic bread rolls in tin foil to go onto the fire next. After finished eating (in the dark by fire light), they got to build more of a fire in their pits for roasting marshmallows/smores for desert.

The next day they returned the fire pits with the cut out grass pieces again to satisfy the 'leave no traces' motto.

I think we're getting them into good shape for the 10 days after x-mas this year.

#scouts #ScoutingNZ

#WinterCamping hack: Fill an insulated steel drink bottle with boiling water. Slip it into your sleeping bag as a makeshift hot water bottle.

At #scouts pre-jam camp.

#ScoutingNZ

Surely one of the most beautiful dens for #scouts in the world.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/3CjtAkfcyeVQRMmZA

Looking forward to this weekend's #scouts pre-jamboree camp to get to know the participants from another group joining us at Jamboree this summer.

It'll be a bit chill (FRI-SAT night's supposed to be only between 1-5 deg C, brrrrrr). But hey, it's #WinterCamping ...

Too bad only the prep and communication with the other group have not been to my liking. Can't win everywhere, and good to identify now while there's still more than half a year to jamboree.

#scoutingNZ

Where do people get their rope for pioneering/raft building mostly? I've got an idea that we will need to get a bunch more for the #ely #aquafest for the #scouts raft build/race this year... Ive not needed to actually source this stuff before..

#scouts #scoutsuk #pioneering #raft #ely #aquafest