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Volunteering at Scouts is changing to help us reach more young people

Volunteering is changing to help us reach more young people

Volunteering is changing at Scouts. Read more

Discover what this means

Busy as a Beaver

Find out more about what it means to be a Beaver with this fun action game.
Plan a session with this activity

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Chat about ceremonies

  1. The person leading the activity should ask if anyone knows what a ceremony is. A ceremony is a special set of things that people do together; they’re often celebrations or based on a tradition.
  2. Everyone should try and think of some ceremonies they’ve seen or taken part in at Scouts. Scouts have ceremonies to remind everyone that they’re part of one big family – wherever they are in the UK or around the world.
  3. The person leading the activity should help everyone remember some examples of ceremonies their Group does. Perhaps everyone’s used to gathering in a ‘gather logs’ circle, or perhaps they use a Log Chew to talk about what they’d like to do in the future. If people are in small groups of Beavers called Lodges, that’s part of a ceremony too.

Choose examples that are relevant to your section. Some sections will have more examples than others, and that’s OK. It could just be a welcome song you sing, something you do when people make their Promise, or a game you like to play to welcome people.

Introduce the ceremonies

  1. The person leading the game should name a ceremony and explain what it involves, what it means, and why people do it.

We’ve included some ‘example ceremonies’ below; you can choose the ones that work for you.

  1. The person leading the game should show everyone an action that goes with the ceremony name.
  2. Everyone should practise the action.
  3. The person leading the game should introduce a few more ceremonies.

You might not want to introduce all of the actions before the game begins – why not start playing with three or four, then pause the game to add more in?

Play the game

  1. Everyone should move around the space.
  2. The person leading the game should call out one of the ceremony names.
  3. Everyone should pause and do the action.
  4. Everyone should keep repeating steps two and three.
  5. At any point, the person leading the game can pause the game to add in another ceremony and action.
  6. The person leading the game should introduce a sign for standing still and being quiet. When they make this sign, everyone should freeze and be silent. This is as important as all of the other ceremonies, and is a huge part of many of them.

It’s up to you what you use in this game (and your section). You could try putting a hand in the air or counting down to zero.

  1. Everyone should keep playing until they’re familiar with the different ceremonies, traditions, and activities in their colony.

Ceremony name

Action

Explanation

Build a dam

Everyone holds hands and makes a large circle.

A leader may call this out during a ‘gather logs’ ceremony. Beavers hold hands and form the biggest circle they can around their leader. This represents beavers travelling out as far as they can to gather logs and sticks to build the lodge.

Log Chew

Everyone sits down in a big circle and pretends to chew on a log. 

A Log Chew is a chance for Beavers to talk about all sorts of things. They’re often used to talk about important topics such as which activities people have enjoyed most, or what they’d like to do in the future. They could also be about friends, school, or anything else. The important thing is that everyone is able to have a say. 

Tail slap

Everyone claps their hands behind their back. 

A tail slap can be a way to applaud an achievement such as earning a badge. It can also announce the start of end of a meeting. 

Lodges

Everyone should group together in their Lodges (if you don’t have Lodges, people could just get into small groups instead).

Lodges are small groups. They help people make friends, and give people the chance to work together as a team 

River banks

Everyone should get into two parallel lines that face each other.

This is another way for Beavers to gather – they usually get in a circle (build a dam) or these lines (river banks).

Scout sign

Everyone should hold their right hand at shoulder height and use their thumb to bend down their little finger.

This is used whenever someone makes or renews their Scout Promise. The three fingers represent the three main parts of the Promise, and the circle between the thumb and little finger represents the worldwide family of Scouts.

Motto

Everyone should call out ‘Be prepared’.

Baden-Powell chose this Scout motto.

Handshake 

Everyone should shake hands with someone using their left hand.

Scouts all over the world greet each other with a left-handed handshake. It’s a sign of trust and friendship.

Reflection

This game reminded people that when people join Beavers, they’re not just joining their section – they’re becoming part of a national and international family of Scouts. This game was a chance for people to learn about or remind themselves of ceremonies and traditions. Did anyone learn about any new ceremonies or traditions in this game? Would anyone like to share their favourite tradition or ceremony with everyone?

Beavers share these traditions, so it’s important that they understand them. Lots of the traditions represent the values and beliefs of Scouts worldwide. Can anyone tell the others what being a Beaver means to them? The older Beavers may have some great answers to give – they may be able to talk about making friends, having fun, trying new things, or doing their best.

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

Active games

The game area should be free of hazards. Explain the rules of the game clearly and have a clear way to communicate that the game must stop when needed. Take a look at our guidance on running active games safely.

People could pair up if they want to, especially if there are newer members.

Make sure everyone can do the actions – you could adapt them so they work with everyone sitting down, or so no one has to touch anyone else, for example.

All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.

Beavers Membership Award
Beavers Teamwork Challenge Award

Young people could suggest ceremonies or traditions – do they have a favourite?