AUSTRALIAN CUB SCOUT
GOLD BOOMERANG REQUIREMENTS

Part 5 – Our Cub Scout Traditions

(Scouting aims and principles)

The Jungle Books
Explain how the laws and teachings in The Jungle Books are a part of your life and your Pack’s attitudes. As a guide, this background information may be of use (or at least of interest). In the Jungle Books, Kipling instills the idea of “The Law of the Jungle” being Nature’s laws, which those who live in the Jungle break at their peril. Kipling deliberatly left most of the Law undefined. The longest section of the laws he presented are contained in the following poem (The Law of the Jungle), which is that part of the Law relating to wolves as the wolf-cubs and Mowgli were taught by Baloo the bear.
 
The Law of the Jungle
Now this is the Law of the Jungle–as old and as true as the sky;
And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die.
As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk, the Law runneth forward and back–
For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.
 
Wash daily from nose-tip to tail-tip; drink deeply, but never too deep;
And remember the night is for hunting, and forget not the day is for sleep.
The Jackal may follow the Tiger, but, Cub, when thy whiskers are grown,
Remember the Wolf is a Hunter–go forth and get food of thine own.
 
Keep peace with the Lords of the Jungle–the Tiger, the Panther, and Bear.
And trouble not Hathi the Silent, and mock not the Boar in his lair.
When Pack meets with Pack in the Jungle, and neither will go from the trail,
Lie down till the leaders have spoken–it may be fair words shall prevail.
 
When ye fight with a Wolf of the Pack, ye must fight him alone and afar,
Lest others take part in the quarrel, and the Pack be diminished by war.
The Lair of the Wolf is his refuge, and where he has made him is home
Not even the Head Wolf may enter, not even the Council may come.
 
The Lair of the Wolf is his refuge, but where he has digged it too plain,
The Council shall send him a message, and so he shall change it again.
If ye kill before midnight be silent, and wake not the woods with your bay,
Lest ye frighten the deer from the crop, and your brothers go empty away.
 
Ye may kill for yourselves and your mates, and your cubs as they need and ye can;
But kill not for pleasure of killing, and seven times never kill Man!
If ye plunder his kill from a weaker, devour not all in thy pride;
Pack-Right is the right of the meanest; so leave him the head and the hide.
 
The Kill of the Pack is the meat of the Pack. Ye must eat where it lies;
And no one may carry away of that meat to his lair, or he dies.
The Kill of the Wolf is the meat of the Wolf. He may do what he will;
But, till he has given permission, the Pack may not eat of that Kill.
 
Cub-Right is the right of the Yearling. From all of the Pack he may claim
Full-gorge when the killer has eaten; and none may refuse him the same.
Lair-Right is the right of the Mother. From all of her year she may claim
One haunch of each kill for her litter, and none may deny her the same.
 
Cave-Right is the right of the Father–to hunt by himself for his own:
He is freed of all calls to the Pack; he is judged by the Council alone.
Because of his age and his cunning, because of his gripe and his paw,
In all that the Law leaveth open, the word of your Head Wolf is Law.
 
Now these are the Laws of the Jungle, and many and mighty are they;
But the head and hoof of the Law and the haunch and the hump is–Obey!
 
— Rudyard Kipling

 

Note: A copy of The Jungle Book is legally available as a download at The Guttenburg Project

 
Scouting History
Explain how Scouting began and talk to your leader about it. Lord Baden-Powell ran a training camp in 1907 for boys that was so popular that that the movement became widespread – into other ages and countries – etc

 

It spread to Australia in 1908.
In 1958 (25th Sept) 1st Picnic Point started (my group, so therefore listed here).

 
Draw the World Scout Badge and describe the meaning of this. The various parts of the badge all have meaning -
  • The REEF KNOT - which can’t be undone no matter how hard it is pulled, is symbolic of the strength of world scouting’s unity and family
  • The WHITE (OR SILVER) background represents purity
  • The ROYAL PURPLE used to draw it denotes Leadership and Service.
  • THE ENCIRCLING ROPE symbolises the unity and family of the World Scout Movement - a circle without end
  • THE TWO FIVE POINT STARS stand for truth and knowledge.
  • The TEN POINTS of the stars represent the ten points of the original Scout Law
  • THE ARROWHEAD: The three Points are signify
    • Duty to God
    • Duty to Others
    • Duty to Self

 
Find out when and where the next Australian Jamboree will be held. The Australian Scout Jamboree is held every three years.
The following chart shows the dates and locations of all held so far.
1934 (1st Australian Pan-Pacific Jamboree) Frankston, Victoria
(B.P. attended this Jamboree)
1938 (2nd Australian/Pan Pacific Jamboree) Bradfield, NSW.
1948 (3rd Australian/Pan-Pacific Jamboree) Wonga Park, Victoria.
1952 (4th Australian/Pan-Pacific Jamboree) Greystanes, NSW.
1955/56 (5th Australian/Pan-Pacific Jamboree) Clifford Garden, Victoria.
1960/61 (6th Australian Jamboree) Landsdowne, NSW.
1964/65 (7th Australian Jamboree) Dandenong, Victoria.
1967/68 (8th Australian Jamboree) Jindalee, Queensland.
1970/1971 (9th Australian Jamboree) Leppington, NSW
1973/74 (10th Australian Jamboree) Woodhouse, South Australia
1977 (11th Australian Jamboree) Dandenong, Victoria
1980 (12th Australian Jamboree) Perth WA
1983 (13th Australian Jamboree) Collingwood Park, Qld
1986 (14th Australian Jamboree) Cataract Scout Park, NSW
1987/88 (16th World Jamboree) Cataract Scout Park, NSW,
1989 (15th Australian Jamboree) Woodhouse, South Australia
1992 (16th Australian Jamboree) Ballarat, Vic
1995 (17th Australian Jamboree) Perth, WA
1998 (18th Australian Jamboree) Springfield Qld
2001 (19th Australian Jamboree) Cataract Scout Park, NSW
2004 (20th Australian Jamboree) Woodhouse Scout Camp, Adelaide, South. Australia
2007 (21st Australian Jamboree) Elmore, Victoria
2010 (22nd Australian Jamboree) Cataract Scout Park, NSW
2013 (23rd Australian Jamboree) Maryborough, Queensland
2016 (24th Australian Jamboree) ?

  AND While you are at it, work out whether you can go.
Generally, Silver & Gold cubs will probably be at the right age and have moved up to scouts by the next one, depending on how soon it is.
To qualify for Jamboree attendance, a Scout has to be a member of the troop for 12 months, have achieved his/her Pioneer badge (which takes a minimun 9 months to achieve), and have spent 10 nights under canvas as a scout.
While that may sound easy, the qualification also is required to be generally completed 6 months prior to Jamboree, so rather than a cub rushing to go up in December 12 months before Jamboree, he/she will probably be better off waiting for the jamboree when they are 14 rather than still aged 11.

 

 

© 2008 Ian Moggs - rights are given for copying and printing for personal use or use in cub-scout or similar groups.