Neil McLauchlan has been a Scout leader for 40 years, starting as a Cub Scout at 8 years old and becoming the Deputy District Commissioner for Explorer & Network Scouts he is today; he kindly agreed to talk to me about the Raynes Park Explorer Scout Unit he helps run in addition to his District leadership role.

 

The Scout Association was established in 1908, I learn, and since then has been serving the local community offering a safe place for young people to grow up. “Over the years it may have been seen as out of date, but in my experience the young people working and getting involved in Raynes Park enjoy their time”, says Neil.  I nod quietly, knowing how much my sister, who joined the Group a couple of years ago, has got out of it, especially the camping.

 

“The Scout Association,” explains Neil, “has been a great institution enabling young people to try new skills, see a different side of life and get back to nature by camping and getting out to the countryside.” What he means by this, I later find out, is the summer expeditions he takes them on around the UK (Scotland, Wales, The Lake District) and even abroad to Kenya, Croatia and the French Alps, among other exciting locations. Elaborating, he says, “I have always taken members into the English and Welsh mountains during my time as a leader; this is probably my favourite activity, seeing young members conquering the summits”.  To me, this is a great example of how the Scouts fosters mental and physical resilience and perseverance, vital life skills.

 

The activity at the local unit the week I interview him is firelighting, and I imagine them applying those skills as they light their campfires on their summer camps. My impression is that however far we’ve come with technology and a faster, more complicated pace of life, there’s still a place for learning basic skills and getting together in a friendly and diverse setting and our community owes people such as Neil a great deal.