Beaver Scouts : Programme Ideas

F I R E !!!

Fire is an ever-present danger, and one that is easy to forget about. Each year hundreds of people die in fires almost half of them at home. This article will provide the bones of a programme these that will show your Beavers the dangers and allow them to make their homes and meeting place safer.
Fire requires air, fuel and heat. If you take away any of these elements the fire will go out fire1 . This is a vital lesson for every Beaver to understand, without this basic knowledge our programme of fire safety can be useless. Demonstrate this principle to your Colony using two matches, a bottle and water. Strike a match (creating heat by friction). Let the match burn for a moment (using oxygen in the air to burn the fuel-wood).
Then drop the match into an empty bottle and place your hand over the top. This cuts off the oxygen and
the match goes out (no oxygen). Put water into the bottle, strike second match and drop it in. The water cuts off the available oxygen and cools the fuel, extinguishing the fire even fast.

Set the scene
Decorate your meeting place with fire safety posters and leaflets. These can be obtained from fire stations, and
insurance companies If possible, perhaps a firefighter or a member of the local Civil Defence fire fighting crew could come along and give a small talk to your Colony. If you intend visiting a fire station as part of the programme see if the same firefighter can act as a guide on your visit.

Costumes
Change the name of your Lodges for the duration of the programme to ?Fire Fighting Squads l ... 2 ... 3?. Have each Lodge make firemen?s hats and if possible wear Wellington boots and overalls to each meeting.

What to do in an emergency
Could your Beavers phone for help? Set up a practice session using a phone whereby the Beavers can have an fire2 opportunity to report an incident. This may seem an easy exercise for the Beavers at first. This will be due to the fact that they are calm. If an incident did occur the chances are that they would be in a panic, therefore stress the point that they must remain as calm as possible when phoning for help and that as much information can be given to the emergencies services.

Fire Hazard Hunt
Prepare for this game by creating some fire hazards in and around your meeting place - matches left carelessly within reach of children; outside door blocked by a chair; oily rags in a pile in the garage grease spilled near stove burner; newspapers piled near heater: fireplace screen away from fireplace;
frayed electrical cord, etc. Ask Beavers to find and list on paper or
report as many hazards as they can find- At the end of the game, check findings and explain the hazards. Urge
Beavers to check their own homes, and point these hazards out to their parents.

Fire Drill
How good are your Beavers at getting out of your Scout Hall? At the next meeting set off the fire alarm - if you have one (make sure you contact the local fire station to let them know of your intentions).
See how long it takes the Beavers to:
1. Notice that the alarm is ringing.
2. Clear the building.
3. Assemble outside.
4. Follow your instructions.
You now have a time scale to work to. During the rest of the meeting try to better the time you set at the
beginning.

Games
Fire
Seat Beavers in a circle with one in the centre. The Beaver in the centre calls out one of the following and points to one of the seated players: ?Earth?, ?Air?, ?Water? or ?Fire?. (if there are more than four players, the names may be repeated.) As he points, he begins counting slowly to 10. The player at whom he points must answer as follows: ?Earth,? must name four animals; ?Air?, four birds or flying insects; ?Water?, four fish or sea creatures. If ?Fire? is called, everyone must run to the corner of the room. Last to reach the corner takes over. If the player succeeds before the Count of 10, another seated player gets a turn, or the Beaver in the centre remains there. If the player fails, he becomes the new Leader and the old Leader takes his place in the circle.

Douse That Fire
Each team has a bucket with a candle stub in a holder on the bottom. Fill the bucket to two inches below the candle wick and light the candle. Divide the den into teams and give each team a cup and a jar of water. On signal, the first player on each team, fills his cup, runs to the bucket, and empties the water into it. He then runs back with his cup and the next player repeats the action. Continue until one team has doused its fire by filling the bucket to candlewick level. A team is disqualified if a player pours water on the candle flame.

Fireman, Save My Child
Divide Colony into two teams. One member of each team (the ?child?) sits on an old throw rug or heavy cloth
about 2?x 3?about 15 feet from his team. Each of the other players has a four-foot length of rope. On signal, the
Beavers tie their ropes together with reef knots to form a rescue rope.
When all ropes are tied, a player throws the rescue rope to the child and the team pulls him to safety. The
team that ties all knots correctly and first pulls its child to safety is the winner.
This can be achieved in a number of ways.
- Get Lodges to work out the quickest way out of the hall and suggest different ways if their first route is
blocked.
- Organise a buddy system within the Colony so as to reduce the time that is spent looking for stray members of the Colony.
- Practice climbing down fire escapes and ladders, climbing through windows. Unlocking doors.
- Select assembly points well away from the hall and organise the best method of checking everyone is present.
Get Beavers to investigate and suggest the quickest way of raising the alarm.
How can their family escape in the case of a fire?
What are the quickest routes out of the house?
As a project each Beaver could draw a plan of their house and mark in their escape routes. Perhaps a prize such as a smoke alarm could be awarded to the Beaver who has the best project. By now, you and your Colony
should be quite proficient at getting out of buildings in a hurry. Now, ask the Colony to check their own homes.

Demonstrate
As part of your weekly meeting demonstrate some of the following:
- First Aid for minor burns.
- How to put out a chip pan fire.
-How to smother flames on person?s clothing.
- How to prepare and light a fire at home and on a hike.
- How to use a fire extinguisher.

Beaver Scouts : Programme Ideas

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F I R E !!!