First meeting for 2009

Both Cub packs met today for the first time this year. We were very happy to have three new children joining us, and also one of our Cubs had brought a guest who might come join in too. So the Wolf cubs are now 22, where of 5 girls, and the Brownies are 17, all boys.

(You might be confused by the names: When we were able to form the second pack one year ago, we decided to use the old names Vargungar and Blåvingar, to somehow preserve the name tradition that was abandoned 1963 when scouting became "unisex" in Sweden. Also, our scout hut has a room called Brownie Hall.)

We also welcomed a new assistant leader, Victor, who is going to help us out during the spring.

After due introductions and catching up, we got down to business. Today, we were practising lighting our parafin lanterns and talking about the safety issues to think about when you light flames. For some, just lighting the match was very scary, while others are very comfortable around fire.

After a quick game to warm up (it was not only dark, but it was almost at freezing point too) the children walked with the lanterns to the field behind the hut and where a small campfire was lit. We sang some common camp fire songs, mostly in Swedish, but we also sang the "Pizza Hut-song" and BP Spirit in English.

Next week three of us leaders are off to the Swedish Gilwell House for our second long weekend, so unfortunately the Cubs will have to wait until the 5th of February, when we will go to the Great Outdoors Restaurant.

Outdoor cooking

This week we had a visit from our fire expert Markus AKA Linx. After some quick games he talked about fire safety and showed us three different fires, and how to light them most efficiently.

The Blowtorch is great for cooking. You should have the cut in the direction of the wind to get maximum effect.

The Pagoda and the Pyramid are great for a campfire, and especially the Pyramid for making charcoal for a good BBQ.

Then the Cubs gathered around the tables to bake out the 'Stomp' bread, and filling bananas with bits of chocolate. This we cooked on the 'Murrikas'. Yum!

We were done just in time to sing the Scout song, before all the parents came. There is a rumour that there are pirates about next week!

Recipe for Swedish 'Stompa Bread', 35 pieces

500 ml natural yoghurt

100 ml treacle

2 tsp aniseed, roughly ground (optional)

2 tsp fennel seeds, roughly ground (optional)

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tblsp salt

1500 ml sifted rye flour

100 ml water

Mix the ingrediences and kneed to a smooth dough. Keep in a plastic bag until use.

Divide into little balls and roll or press, 'stomp', out into roundish cakes, 1/2 cm thick. Bake on a flat surface, like a frying pan. Eat freshly made, warm and with some butter.

Baked Bananas with Chocolate

Cut a banana lengthways, but not through the "bottom" skin. Put bits of chocolate in it's flesh and wrap in aluminium foil. Put on the side of the fire to cook slowly. When it is soft when you press it, it is done.

Fire and bread

Could you ask for anything else in life but a hot fire and some freshly baked bread? Well, possibly that the wind wasn't so cutting and that the pale sun would shine just a little bit longer.

We are now 28 Cubs on Wednesdays and about the same on Thursdays! And they keep comming. I so wish we could accept them all, but now we've reached our limmit.

Tonight we had a visitor from the Venture Scouts, who showed the kids how to start a propper camp fire efficiantly and safely. While the fire took the Cubs got to mix some dough in a freezer bag. The dough then got wrapped around sticks and baked over the ambers while we tried to keep warm by singing some songs.

Just before the meeting one of the Cubs' mother came up to me and told me that their guinnea pig had died. Her son and his friend, who is also in Cubs, held a funeral in the garden.
-And would you believe, that when they had buried the beloved guinnea pig, they both stepped back and did the scout salut, she said with a smile.

Bread-on-a-stick
Enough for 12 breads
Mix 1000g of plain flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp of baking soda
(for a sweet bread add a little bit of sugar or honey) in a thick plastic bag and take to your picnic. When you are ready to bake your bread, pour in
300 ml water
into the bag and mix by kneeding the bag until you have a dough.
Take the dough out of the bag and wrapp or squeeze the dough onto a stick and grill it over the fire. When the bread starts to loosen from the stick it is done. Slide it off and fill it with jam or butter.
The dough can also be wrapped around a hot dog or sausage and then baked.

Of course I forgot to take any pictures, but if Links' turn out ok I'm going to post them later.