[shillelagh]

I joined the brownies when i was 7 and left when i was 8. But ended up as an assistant Scout Leader and Akela at Church Kirk even though living in Rossendale. My mate was scout leader and i was her assistant and I was Akela and she was my assistant! Our scout hut then was next door to the Stag! We took the scouts over to Bowley for training camping weekend and it chucked it down all weekend. They took pity on us and gave us a hut to sleep in! I found out and the kids found out i sing in my sleep! Mind you they all snored! Took them on a walking holiday in the Lake District. We showed them how to pack a rucksack and told them not to bring tins because they would have to carry them and they were heavy etc. When we were halfway up a hill in the lake district on our way to the campsite one of the kids said he couldnt go no further and his rucksack fell apart! What rolled out - tins of soup, baked beans, peas etc. When we asked him why he'd brought them when we said not to bring cans and why didnt he put them at the top of his rucksack, he said his mum had packed the rucksack and she didnt want the tins to crush his bags of crisps! The fun of being a scout leader!!

Then when I finished there was Tawny Owl for a few years a lot closer to home but had to give it up when i got retired.