What we cleaned up: Used needles from the alcove.
Maddest thing: Tommy doesn’t know how old he is.
Best excuse: I needed a wee…
Best moment: Tommy can now tie his shoelace and he knows how old he is!
I should have mentioned that before my career as a fire alarm installer I was a budding journalist, with a degree in journalism and a good A-level in English, some Maths, and History. After a car accident I went downhill, lost my home (I mean it wasn’t strictly mine…), almost lost everything. Then I saw an advert in the window of the local Methodist church to volunteer with Scouts. A year later and here we are.
Scouting really helped me, I had new friends, community, and purpose.
But if you ever need proof that real miracles still happen on a Tuesday night in new build hall, look no further than Tommy, proudly tying his shoelace for the very first time and then loudly announcing that, yes, he’s finally figured out how old he is.
We cheered like he’d just won The Apprentice.
Honestly, it was the highlight of the evening… and this was a night full of highlights and near disasters.
Second week in and they came through the doors like a small army who’d pre-agreed to cause mild destruction. Coats half on, laces undone (obviously), voices already at max volume.
One parent waved and said, “Good luck!” in that tone that means: They’ve been like this ALL DAY. They’re your problem now. Tommy isn’t diagnosed yet.
We accept our fate.
Games: A Flexible Concept
We’d planned a simple warm-up game.
The Cubs, naturally, reinvented it into something involving:
- Three kids rolling across the floor like they’d been shot.
- Someone using a traffic cone as a megaphone.
- One Cub running laps for reasons unknown to science.
And yet… somehow… teamwork happened.
Accidentally.
And it was so much fun!.
Tommy’s Big Moment
Right in the middle of the mayhem, Tommy sat himself down and decided tonight was the night he’d crack shoelaces.
Loop. Twist. Pull.
Nope.
Try again.
Nope.
Third time… SORTED.
He jumped up like he’d just achieved enlightenment. Then told us how old he is with the confidence of a man filing his taxes for the first time. I’ve just filed my taxes, for the first time. It’s a horrid task and I don’t want to talk about it.
If we’d had confetti cannons, we’d have used them. For Tommy, not me.
Tommy is an 8 year old boy from a messy home. He lives just across the square from me and if often seen kicking a ball around with his mates right under the “NO BALL GAMES” sign. Mags often points the sign out to Tommy, only Tommy isn’t a good reader, so he ignores it.
Honourable Mentions From Tonight’s Madness
- Mia tried to organise her team by shouting, “LISTEN TO ME, I’M THE BOSS!” Absolute top mega queen energy.
- Dylan somehow got stuck inside a hula hoop and acted like it was a life-threatening medical event.
- Luca and Sam ended up in a heated debate about who would survive longest on a desert island. Neither have ever been further than Tesco.
- Layla reorganised all the chairs without being asked and declared herself “Chairlady.” We respect her authority. Layla’s mum is going to be our new group Chairlady. She also runs the resident’s association, the food bank, the church playgroup, and the litter picking club…
The Beautiful Bit Beneath the Bedlam
bedlam, noun
- 1.a scene of uproar and confusion.”there was bedlam in the
courtroomCub Pack”
Here’s the thing:
They’re loud.
They’re messy.
Some of them arrive looking like they’ve already done a full day at Glastonbury.
But when one Cub struggles, three others try to help.
When someone feels overwhelmed, another offers a hand.
When someone finally gets something right, whether it’s a shoelace or remembering their age, the whole Pack celebrates.
Under all the noise and nonsense is a proper little community growing. And this is only week two.
Parents’ Pickup: A Comedy in Three Acts
By the end, the hall looked like a tornado had nipped in for a quick look.
Parents came in, stepped over a cone, dodged a stray ball, and said things like:
- “Did he behave?” (No.)
- “Did she eat anything?” (Possibly a crayon.)
- “Why is he wet?” (We genuinely don’t know. No we know, I’m not saying…)
But the kids left grinning.
And that’s what counts.
Week Two Verdict
Chaotic? Absolutely.
Exhausting? Without a doubt.
Would we change a single second?
Not a chance. Maybe the wet one.
This is Council Estate Cub Pack:
perfectly imperfect, brilliantly bonkers, and full of kids who are going to surprise us every single week.
Council Estate Cub Pack 