Rich grew up through Cubs, Scouts and Venture Scouts and then moved into leadership. He has four children who are in Scouting, three in Explorers and one in Scouts. Rich wanted to give back the experience he had in Scouts to the young people now coming through the movement.
As an Explorer Scout Leader, Rich trains the Explorers to be the next generation of leaders. But also supports them through exams and to prepare for life as an independent adult. Explorers are encouraged to think about their careers, we organise sessions for them linking to the world of work. We aim to provide life skills and support as well as Scouting skills.
Rich has enjoying watching the young people push themselves and realise what they can achieve when they put their mind to completing a task. A great example is witnessing explorers becoming leaders with their own unique style. Rich also feels proud when he sees the young people mirroring some of the leadership qualities he has taught them.
“Treat them as young adults, treat them with respect and encourage them,” says Rich. “It will be unbelievable what they will achieve. Don’t underestimate what they can do because they will surprise you.” He adds, “I recently met an old Scout of mine who is now in the Marines. He explained that during basic training he was the first to get a fire lit in the rain. He explained how he had gathered everything first while the other recruits ran around gathering wood as they were trying to light the fire.” Rich explained how this made him proud of what he had taught him when he was in Scouts and how the skills had stuck with him.
Rich is keen to emphasis the benefits of being a volunteer, “Do It! Scouting is so rewarding both for the smiles on young people’s faces when they achieve something they thought was impossible and the fun you’ll have as a leader with everything you do.”
Our young people in Scouting surprise us all the time with how resilient and amazing they can be, achieving things they didn’t think they could. So why not join our journey and support young people as they grow into the leaders of tomorrow? Find out about volunteering opportunities in Wales.
