When we think of scouts, the idea of neatly uniformed children clambering up treetops and braving the great outdoors comes to mind, but as the spread of COVID-19 ground all outdoor activities to a halt, Malta’s scout groups have likewise adapted.

While an overnight decision effectively shut down scout groups across the islands and led to cancellation of age-old events and traditions, leaders have risen to the occasion and kept 3,500 scouts active and engaged from behind the closed doors.

“It was quite challenging to keep 100% of the scouts active and occupied,” communications coordinator for the Scout Association of Malta Timmy Cutugno told Times of Malta.

“At Scouts we don’t only practise outdoor and adventure skills like camping, hiking, fire and cooking, climbing and abseiling, we also learn soft skills such as staying positive, keeping active, being cheerful in adversity, thinking outside of the box and so on.

“We also learn life skills such as entrepreneurship, ethnic diversity, personal fitness, design and building. Scouts practise how to be of service in the community, how to react to diverse situations, how to accept people for who they are and time management.”

Scout leaders worked hard to adapt their programme, which spans each of these areas of development, and reproduced into online challenges and activities organised for the group members.

The Scout at Home programmes took to online media to keep in touch with their members and group meets turned into weekly appointments via video calls.

While some scouts lamented the loss of outdoor activities, others took the opportunity to form deeper appreciation for their homes and what can be achieved while stuck indoors.

The Sliema Scout Group, for example, in lieu of an annual Easter camp, started a camp-at-home programme, where scouts were given day-to-day tasks that simulated life at camp.

Despite adapting to the new reality, scout leaders are aware that shifting to the digital sphere could still be an added strain on scouts: especially after a day of virtual schooling, logging in for more screen time for recreation could create further mental stress.

“Not having any physical interaction was a huge challenge. Scouting is a social thing that, while it can be simulated through online methods, will never get the same level of interaction and engagement,” Cutugno says.

Scouting is a social thing that, while it can be simulated through online methods, will never get the same level of interaction

“Despite this, our adult leaders came up with a few active activities and challenges for our members and gradually saw an increased level of participation across the board.

“The first part of each online meeting is always a discussion on how everyone is doing and the challenges they faced. Sometimes leaders give their advice on how to improve and face the challenges.”

True to their nature, scouts have risen to the challenge of being of service where their communities have needed them the most.

Older scouts have assisted the vulnerable and donated provisions to the Food Bank, while younger scouts have tried to keep positivity going, making motivational posters for their communities.

Scout groups have also made their premises available to shelter medical professions, while the Victoria Scout Pack ‘adopted’ an elderly person, by keeping in touch and checking in on them daily.

Meanwhile, scouts from Xagħra teamed up to make 3D print face shields for medical frontliners in Gozo.

Realising that the suspension of scouting might go on for the foreseeable future, scout groups have doubled down on home programmes and meetings and have also worked on ways to improve morale and remind young scouts that hope springs eternal.

While scout group HQ’s are raising flags all over Malta and Gozo as a gesture of hope and goodwill, modernity has  played a part in raising morale as well.

Traditions have not been eschewed in light of limitations, with scouts still being able to participate in global events such as Earth Hour and jamboree on the internet, which were also held virtually.

The Chief Ambassador of Scouting Bear Grylls dropped in for a chat with scout groups all over the world.

Over a thousand scouts, from age five to 65, got together virtually to renew their Scout Promise and despite not getting to march or play their instruments the event still left young scouts feeling inspired and invigorated to go on.

Scouting through the coronavirus pandemic has left leaders with opportunities to solve problems in a new dimension and definitely furthered their appreciation for technology and online meetings.

“We are trained to be quick thinking, just in case something out of the ordinary happens. Our leaders truly showed their dedication to scouting and pulled out all their plan Bs, Cs and Ds to engage our youth during this difficult time,” Cutugno says.

“We cannot underestimate the power of physical contact; it is how humans best interact. We learned to appreciate our outdoor activities and nature even more.

“From sitting in a garden, on a roof or a balcony during the past two months, we truly appreciated the sounds and smells we wouldn’t normally experience in our everyday life.”

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