Scouts’ Own: be-leafs

Remembrance honours people who serve to defend our democratic freedom and way of life. We unite across faiths, cultures and backgrounds to remember the service and sacrifice of the Armed Forces community from the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. We will remember them.

• We remember the sacrifice of the Armed Forces community from the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.
• We pay tribute to the special contribution of families and of the emergency services.
• We acknowledge innocent civilians who’ve lost their lives in conflict and acts of terrorism.

Remembrance doesn’t glorify war and its symbol, the red poppy, is a sign of both Remembrance and hope for a peaceful future. Wearing a poppy isn’t compulsory but it’s greatly appreciated by those who it’s intended to support. When and how you choose to wear a poppy reflects your individual experiences and personal memories.

Remembrance unites people of all faiths, cultures and backgrounds, but it’s also deeply personal. It could mean wearing a poppy in November, joining with others in your community on a commemorative anniversary, or taking a moment on your own to pause and reflect. Everyone’s free to remember in their own way or to choose not to remember at all.  

• Armistice Day is the 11 November. It marks the armistice agreement that bought an end to the fighting of the first world war.
• People pause at 11am on the 11 November to remember service and sacrifice past and present.
• The national service of Remembrance happens on the closest Sunday to 11 November, which is known as Remembrance Sunday. Each year people gather at the Cenotaph in London and other memorial sites.
• We call the whole period around these dates Remembrance. There are many ways to take part in Remembrance

In 2022, the Royal British Legion remembers the Service of those who work to protect us and our ways of life. Whether in the Armed Forces, Emergency or Civilian Services, past or present, we remember who has served, how they served and why it’s important that we continue to remember them.

All plants have a humble aim: to survive and grow;
but every plant is different, that’s something we all know.

Some plants welcome insects, with flowers blooming bright;
others have thorns to give a mighty floral fight.

Some plants have deep roots, to take water from the ground,
others have big leaves to gather rain that tumbles down.

Some plants stand alone, on the hills and mountains high,
other plants cling on tight before they wind and climb.

Some plants bear tasty fruits for animals to eat,
Others can be poisonous – they’re the ones to leave.

Roots

• Roots keep the plant in the soil and hold it up. They also take in water (and nutrients) from the soil.
• Your roots could be long or short, wriggly or straight. You could have a few roots, or absolutely loads.
• Whatever they look like, your roots could represent different things. For example, how firmly you believe in something or how you do your best to stick at it, or how you find the best in every situation.

Stalk

• The stalk holds up the plant and carries water and nutrients to the leaves.
• It’s up to you how thin, tall, and flexible your stem is.
• Whatever it looks like, your stem could represent different things. For example, you could label it with what keeps you strong. It could also show whether you prefer to stand on your own like a tree, in small teams like flowers, or as part of a big group like grass.

Leaves

• The leaves take in sunshine and use it (as well as carbon dioxide and water) to make food, which helps the plant grow. Some leaves also take up rainwater.
• You could draw loads of small leaves, or fewer big ones. Are they glossy and smooth, or rough? What colour are they?
• Whatever they look like, your leaves could represent different things. For example, how well do you take advice and lessons from others, or how you use praise and criticism to grow.

Fruits, seeds, flowers, and thorns

• Seeds travel differently – they might glide or float through the air, burst, cling on to animals (so they travel with them and fall off somewhere else), or be part of fruit that animals eat and transport somewhere else when they go to the toilet.
• As well as providing seeds, flowers can make a plant welcoming, or warn off insects and animals.
• You could have loads of fruit and flowers, or few and far between. They could be all sorts of bright colours, or gentler pastels.
• Whatever they look like, your fruit, seeds, flowers, and thorns could represent different things. For example, how welcoming you are, whether you need to get to know someone really well before you get close, or how you interact with others.
• Some flowers and fruits could represent specific skills and talents, like giving gifts or sharing, and how your seeds travel could represent how you like to communicate.