All the scouts and many parents and syblings gathered in the market square. Some had candles or lanterns with them, others were given flaming torches. Then they marched together through town, in the perfectly still, winter light. It was exciting to walk off the road, onto the path through the wood surrounding the Hut, were there are no street lights and the only light except for the candles and the torches, were the almost full moon and some stars looking down on the procession.
The last part of the mile long walk was lit by torches stuck into the ground and storm lantern. By the outdoor theatre there was a fire lit and Scout Master Marcus was waiting for the scouts. In his speach he told us that this place had been used in "the olden days" (before 1963, when Guides and Scouts merged in Sweden) to initiate Brownies and welcome them into the group. So what better place to welcome all new scouts? 19 new Tracker Scouts were called up, four Discoverer Scouts and one new Adventurer were introduced and gave their Scout promise in front of the group (see upper right corner for explanations of the new names).
Then Marcus talked about the importance of doing to them around you, what you want them to do to you, and how bad behaviour and bad words bounce back onto yourself. He also gave out rewards to leaders who had been active for 5 and 10 years, and introduced our two new Tracker Scout leaders to the group.
When we dispursed, wishing everyone a merry christmas and everyone walked back along the candle lit path to the parking lot, the frost had begun to settle on the ground and the moon and the stars felt close enough to touch over the bare branches. The fire was dying. We made sure that everything was as we found it, only a little bit better and went home. For the Tracker Scouts spring term starts on the 22nd of January. But I will be back before then with some news on the program and other things.The Swedish Guide and Scout Association, of which Falkenberg Scout Group is a part, is one of five directions within The Swedish Scout Federation. The other four are all part of some mother organisation, like The Mission Covenant Church, YMCA/YWCA or the Temperance movement. Although all groups accepts everyone, it's only natural that the Temperance scouts should promise not to drink and that the Christian scout movement should mission. But the SSF, Swedish Guide and Scout Association, should always be indipendent of any political view or belief. This doesn't meen that we don't discuss faith or get involved in the society around us, although the focus is on ethical issues, democracy and human rights.
The whole town is getting ready for the Christmas market on Sunday. One of the local football clubs have hung all the lights up across the streets and the town gardeners have just revealed this year's centre piece: As beautiful and well composed as ever. Even the vandals and the late night ramblers usually leave it be.
It got very sticky, but the kids took it very seriously, and were rewarded, after having washed their hands thoroughly, with a hot dog and marschmallows cooked by the fires outside. A scout LOVES comming home, smelling of log fire smoke!
Susanne got taught Viking jewellery by Sterner, our District Commissioner, who is very skilled with pairs of pliers and rings. Sterner in turn made good use of the old district badges and experimented, making stylish woggles.
On Saturday and Sunday a Basic Scout Leader Training course was held, going through the basic elements of the organisation and giving the participants tools to meet and inspire the scouts by going through basic educational theory, methods for evaluation and reflection, outdoor safety and skills and code of conduct for scout leaders.
Although the weather and the dark prevented us from being outside, we came away fulfilled and relaxed and at least a couple of kilos heavier than when we came from all the lovely food and smelling homely from the log fire.
Everyone managed to make a tea light holder out of a drinking glass and tissue paper, using 
Most also made some spare woggles for themselves. 
Suddenly, there was a call from someone by the window! There was someone outside! He had red clothes, a long white beard and a lamp. He also seemed to be carrying something else. The children rushed over to have a look. The mysterious person skulking in the dark outside got startled by the knocking on the windows, but when the smiling children in the window waved to him, he waved back, left his sack, lifted his light and waved again and was gone in the dark wood by the hut. The cubs were delighted to find that the bag was filled with goodies: 
This meeting was about symbols and cermonies, an important part of scouting. The sixes are now finally fixed for this year, and all sixes were to make a new flag with the six's totem or symbol on.
The sixes worked very well together, and the flags turned out beautifully. We use awning cloth, donated by a local company, 
As the pool is very busy, it is difficult to get a lane to do the swimming tests in, but we pretended that there had been a ship wreck and the toys and floats and the other people playing were wreckage and had to be avoided. 
