A few months ago I joined the local boy scouts in my neighbourhood. The scouts meet once a week, usually in the evening, and we take part in lots of different activities.
Sometimes we volunteer to do charity work in the neighbourhood, for example, last week we volunteered to clean up the beach. There was a lot of rubbish there which picnickers had left behind: things like polystyrene, food packs, plastic bags and bottles. We started collecting the garbage early in the morning and finished at lunch time. When we finished we had delicious barbeque on the beach. The food was sponsored by a local butcher.
Sometimes we go camping together in the forest, usually for two or three nights. We take tents and sleeping bags with us as well as cooking pans and stoves to prepare our own food. We have a duty roaster to collect the water, cook the food, do the washing up and keep the camp clean and tidy. The sort of things we rarely have to do at home.
Camping trips also helps us to develop our survival skills in the jungle. The scoutmaster teaches us how to stay alive in the jungle if we have no food and water. He shows us which plants are edible, which ones are poisonous, and where to find water for drinking.
Being a scout is great fun but it’s educational too. I would recommend everyone to join their local scout troupe. You won’t be disappointed.
Vocabulary
Polystyrene—kind of material
Garbage—rubbish
Edible—fit to be eaten
