Cubs from Furze Platt Scout Group in Maidenhead have achieved their World Faiths badge with support from Kaizen Explorers, who helped them to learn about beliefs, customs, and festivals from different world religions.
The badge requires Cubs to visit a place of worship, meet someone who belongs to a world religion with a set of beliefs different to their own, to find out about a place of religious significance, and to explore religious festivals and customs.
The Explorers created and ran an evening with a carousel of activities exploring religious festivals Scout-style: cooking pancakes on trangias to learn about Lent, re-enacting the story of Rama and Sita with glow sticks for Diwali, bursting colourful ballons for the Hindu festival of Holi and playing with dreidels and completing a fun quiz for Hanukah, the Jewish festival.
Together, the Cubs and Explorers enjoyed a guided tour of Guru Maneyo Granth Gurdwara, in Slough, the UK’s largest Gurdwara, observing Sukhasan, sharing food and drink together in the Langar or communal kitchen, before learning more about Sikhi in one of their dedicated classrooms.
Cub Scout Rowan said: “I learned that Christians eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, the last day before the 40 days of Lent. Traditionally, Christians used up eggs, fat, milk and sugar by Lent. We were lucky because the Cubs’ pancake mix included chocolate chips! When we learned about Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colours, we had fun getting across the Cubs’ HQ room with balloons on our noses. The Hindus celebrate spring arriving and good triumphing over evil.”
Cub Scout Quin added: “I enjoyed winning the balloon game that was based on Holi and at the Gurdwara I learnt that you always take your shoes off and cover your head.”
Edith, another Cub, said “I loved the sticky toffee pudding at the Gurdwara”.
Explorer and Young Leader, Jack, said: “Learning about the religious festival to teach to the Cubs has also taught me about other cultures and faiths, which helps me be more aware of the diversity of the world we live in.”