It’s that classic scene around a campfire where scouters faces aglow with the light of the fire, share their crazy escapades and adventures of their scouting life. Stories which inspire and captivate their young listener’s minds; igniting that spirit of adventure which every young soul has hidden deep within.

The elders in many cultures throughout the world use stories as a medium of instruction sharing their experiences with the next generation; this in turn ensures the survival of valuable knowledge gained through past experiences. We can then say that these stories are vitally important to the survival of a culture. Scouting is no different; we have a wealth of knowledge stored in the minds of our elders just waiting to be shared. This knowledge is often accompanied by a fantastical story which is the best way to pass on knowledge. Unfortunately the majority of today’s scouts have never been exposed to a scouting story which is a true shame.

As a young tenderfoot I was privileged enough to spend my car trips to scouting events in the front passenger seat of a prehistoric booming khaki coloured Land Rover, which was piloted by my Troop Scouter who in his own right is a scouts own encyclopaedia. That’s where the sharing of stories began, and as my mind took in these magnificent exciting scouting stories of old; a flame of adventure ignited in my soul. The stories took the form of many scouting aspects; from unbelievably impressive pioneering structures to ridiculous river canoe trips, the stories seemed to never end. These stories took me on adventures of the imagination during those long car trips down to Camp Comp and Cederberg. In the long run I in turn had my fair share of adventure with my scouting brothers which gave me experience which has proved invaluable in my life not to mention leaving behind that story of high adventure.

Scouting is not only working hard for those badges but is an adventure which I fear many scouts are not experiencing, as the emphasis is put on advancement. I believe the path to adventure begins with the sharing of stories so young scouts can be inspired to go out and write their own stories of high adventure in their book of life, not to mention gain a great deal of knowledge in the form of experience. We all have our share of stories to share so bring back a dying tradition to your troop so to all you scouts, scouters; even parents tell your stories of years gone by and share the happiness of adventure.