Round up

Friday dawned quietly.

This was unusual.

Mrs Brand woke naturally at 6:03 a.m., opened one eye, and waited.

Nothing.

No crashing.

No shouting.

No mysterious cries of, “I’ve accidentally invented something!”

Just birds singing outside.

She smiled.

“Maybe,” she whispered, “we’ve finally reached the end of a sensible week.” Then she immediately regretted thinking this. 

Downstairs, Mr Brand looked over the top of his cereal.

“You’ve learned absolutely nothing.”

“I know.”

Right on cue came Barry’s voice from upstairs.

“MUUUUM!”

Mrs Brand sighed.

“There it is.”

Barry came charging downstairs wearing his Scout neckerchief.

And absolutely nothing else except his pants and one sock.

“I couldn’t find my trousers.”

“They’re on your bed.”

“I know.”

“So why aren’t you wearing them?”

“I got distracted.”

“By what?”

Barry held up a pine cone.

“I’ve named him Trevor.”

Mr Brand quietly lowered his spoon.

“It’s going to be one of those days.”

Three doors away, Marjory Jackson was also preparing for the grand finale.

Marmaduke was polishing his little walking boots with surprising determination.

“They’re going to look smart.”

“They already look smart.”

“They can be smarter.”

Bubble,the cat, watched from the windowsill with the faintly disapproving expression cats reserve for humans doing unnecessary things.

Marmaduke held up one boot.

“What do you think?”

Bubble blinked.

“I think that’s yes.”

Marjory smiled.

“I think Bubble is simply wondering why you’re polishing something you’ll immediately walk through mud.”

The school field looked magical.

The Scout leaders had clearly been busy before sunrise.

A circle of logs surrounded a carefully prepared campfire.

Bunting fluttered between trees.

The activity stations had disappeared.

In their place stood tables covered with certificates, badges and little wooden prizes carved by older Scouts.

Parents began arriving early.

Even the weather seemed determined to behave itself.

Leader Sarah stood in the middle of the field.

“Welcome to the final day!”

The children cheered.

Barry cheered so enthusiastically he almost fell over.

Leader Ben caught him by the hood.

“We haven’t even started yet.”

“I’m celebrating in advance.”

Today’s whiteboard simply read:

FRIDAY

✔ Campfire

✔ Team Challenges

✔ Celebration

✔ Prize Giving

✔ Songs

Barry looked disappointed.

“Where’s the bit where we accidentally set something on fire?”

Leader Sarah smiled.

“We’re aiming to avoid that.”

The morning began with one final teamwork challenge.

Each group had to build the tallest freestanding tower using only sticks, string and pegs.

Alfie’s team immediately started discussing engineering.

Barry’s team immediately started discussing snacks.

Leader Ben wandered over.

“Any ideas?”

Barry nodded confidently.

“We could build a very small tower.”

“Why?”

“It’ll definitely stay up.”

Marmaduke picked up two sticks.

“They look lonely.”

“We’ll tie them together.”

Barry remembered Monday.

“I know knots!”

Alfie happened to be walking past.

“You know one knot.”

“I know… a knot.”

Alfie smiled.

“Come here.”

For the next few minutes he patiently showed Barry and Marmaduke how to tie the same simple reef knot he’d mastered on Monday.

Barry stuck out his tongue in concentration.

The first knot looked rather like spaghetti having an argument.

The second looked better.

The third…

Actually wasn’t bad at all.

Leader Martin walked past.

“Nicely done.”

Barry’s face lit up.

“I made that!”

“You certainly did.”

Alfie quietly smiled to himself.

Teaching somebody else felt almost as good as earning a badge.

Their tower wasn’t the tallest.

Nor the prettiest.

It leaned slightly to the left.

One peg appeared to be contributing mostly emotional support.

But…

It stayed standing.

Barry looked proudly at it.

“It believes in itself.”

Leader Ben nodded.

“I think that’s what’s holding it together.”

Next came a woodland treasure trail around the school grounds.

The children searched for little wooden animal pictures hidden among bushes and trees.

Find a fox.

Find an owl.

Find a hedgehog.

Find a badger.

Find a squirrel.

Barry was astonishingly good at spotting things.

Mostly because he looked absolutely everywhere.

Including places nobody else considered.

Under benches.

Inside hollow logs.

Behind flowerpots.

At one point he accidentally found Leader Sarah’s missing whistle from Tuesday.

“I knew nature had it.”

Marmaduke found the little wooden hedgehog tucked beneath some ferns.

“I’ve got him!”

Barry whispered,

“Don’t shout.”

“Why?”

“You’ll scare the pretend hedgehog.”

Marmaduke nodded solemnly.

“Good point.”

Meanwhile Alfie’s older Scout group had one final challenge.

Each Scout had to teach a younger child one useful skill from the week.

Alfie was paired with a nervous little boy called Ethan.

Together they practised tying knots, packing a backpack neatly and identifying north with a compass.

Ethan smiled.

“I can do it now.”

“You can.”

“Thanks.”

Scout Leader Martin watched from a distance.

Sometimes badges measured skills.

Sometimes they measured character.

Alfie was collecting both.

As lunchtime finished, everyone gathered around the campfire circle.

It wasn’t a huge fire.

Just enough crackling flames to warm marshmallows and toast crumpets over long sticks.

Leader Sarah explained the rules carefully.

“No running.”

“No waving sticks.”

“No poking people.”

Barry looked mildly disappointed.

“I wasn’t planning to.”

Leader Ben raised one eyebrow.

“You were thinking about it.”

“…Maybe a little.”

Every child toasted a marshmallow.

Barry watched his carefully.

“I’m being patient.”

The marshmallow slowly turned golden.

Leader Ben smiled.

“Perfect.”

Barry grinned proudly.

“I didn’t set it on fire!”

“No.”

“I’ve grown.”

“You genuinely have.”

Marmaduke toasted his until it was perfectly soft.

He took one bite.

His eyes widened.

“This is amazing.”

Nearby Bubble had somehow wandered onto the edge of the school field.

Nobody quite knew how.

Cats rarely bothered explaining themselves.

He sat watching the campfire from a safe distance.

Barry waved.

“Bubble came!”

Bubble blinked once.

Leader Sarah smiled.

“I think he’s attending as an observer.”

Then came the songs.

Some were silly.

Some were traditional.

One involved pretending to be different woodland animals.

Barry threw himself into being a squirrel with Oscar-worthy commitment.

He scampered.

He chattered.

He hid imaginary acorns inside Leader Ben’s spare boot.

Leader Ben discovered them several minutes later.

“…Barry.”

“They’re pretend.”

“I suspected as much.”

Even Alfie joined in.

Not enthusiastically.

But enough to make Barry grin.

“You’re smiling!”

“I am not.”

“You definitely are.”

“I may be… slightly.”

As the afternoon sunshine softened, Leader Sarah stood beside the table of certificates.

“Before we give these out…”

The field fell quiet.

“…I’d like to say something.”

She looked across the children.

“On Monday some of you had never put up a tent.”

Barry coughed.

“One of you accidentally broke one.”

Barry looked at the grass.

“It attacked me.”

A ripple of laughter spread around the parents.

Leader Sarah smiled.

“By Friday you’ve all learned something important.”

She pointed gently around the group.

“You’ve learned to share.”

Barry and Marmaduke smiled at each other.

“You’ve learned to cook safely.”

Marmaduke whispered,

“Mostly.”

“You’ve learned about nature.”

Barry nodded.

“The worms need houses.”

“You’ve learned to help other people.”

Alfie smiled quietly.

“And perhaps most importantly…”

She paused.

“…you’ve learned that Scouts isn’t about being the fastest, strongest or cleverest.”

The children listened carefully.

“It’s about looking after each other.”

Even Barry stayed silent.

Which, for Barry, was equivalent to delivering a formal speech.

The prize giving began.

Every child received a certificate.

Every child had achieved something.

Leader Ben called out names.

Children stepped forward proudly.

Then…

“Barry Brand.”

Barry bounded forwards.

Leader Sarah handed him a certificate.

‘Most Enthusiastic Explorer.’

The parents laughed warmly.

“It says…” Barry read slowly, “…enth…enth…”

“It means you threw yourself into every activity with enormous energy.”

“I did!”

“You certainly did.”

“And occasionally in the correct direction.”

The Scout leaders laughed.

“Marmaduke Jackson.”

He walked up shyly.

His certificate read: ‘Kindest Camper.’

Leader Sarah smiled.

“You were always gentle—with wildlife, with your friends and with anyone who needed help.”

Marjory felt a little lump in her throat.

She quietly wiped away a tiny tear before Marmaduke spotted.

His dad would have been so proud.

Finally…

“Alfie Brand.”

He stepped forward.

Leader Martin presented him with his completed Knots certificate and another special certificate.

‘Young Leader Award.’

“For patience, kindness and quietly helping others all week.”

The applause lasted a little longer.

Alfie blushed bright red.

Barry shouted,

“That’s my brother!”

Mrs Brand smiled.

She rather agreed with the sentiment.

As families packed up to leave, Leader Sarah stopped Barry.

“I’ve got one last question.”

“Okay.”

“What was your favourite part of the week?”

Barry thought for a very long time.

“The tent.”

“The one you broke?”

“It helped me meet everybody.”

Leader Sarah smiled.

“What else?”

“Cooking.”

“Even though you spilled water everywhere?”

“I learned.”

“And?”

“The bugs.”

“The birds.”

“The helping.”

He looked across at Marmaduke and Alfie.

“…Doing it together.”

Leader Sarah nodded.

“I think you’ve understood what Scouts is all about.”

Walking home through the park, the three boys chatted excitedly.

“I’m going to join Beavers next!” said Barry.

“I want another cooking badge,” said Marmaduke.

“I’d like to help next year’s new Scouts,” said Alfie.

Mr Brand smiled.

“I think that’s exactly what this week was supposed to achieve.”

Mrs Brand looked at Barry.

“Do you remember what you were like on Monday?”

“I had my own tent.”

“You did.”

“And now I share one.”

“What else?”

“I don’t burn lunch.”

“Usually.”

“I don’t shout at birds.”

“Mostly.”

“I ask if people are alright.”

“You do.”

Barry grinned.

“I’ve become nearly sensible.”

Everyone stopped walking.

Mr Brand looked at Marjory.

Marjory looked at Mrs Brand.

Mrs Brand looked at Alfie.

Alfie slowly shook his head.

“Let’s not get carried away.”

That evening the two families gathered in the Brands’ garden for one final celebration.

Mr Brand cooked burgers.

Marjory made her famous chocolate brownies.

Bubble patrolled beneath the table in the optimistic belief that gravity might eventually become generous.

Barry proudly pinned every certificate to the kitchen noticeboard.

There was barely any room left.

He stepped back to admire them.

“They’re good.”

“They are,” said Mrs Brand.

“But do you know what I’m proudest of?”

“My explorer certificate?”

“No.”

“The tent?”

“Definitely not.”

Barry frowned.

“The marshmallow?”

Mrs Brand knelt beside him.

“I’m proud that every day this week you came home just a little kinder than when you left.”

Barry was quiet.

“Is that better than a badge?”

She smiled.

“I think it’s the best badge there is.”

Barry considered this very carefully.

Then he nodded.

“I’ll keep earning that one.”

Mrs Brand hugged him.

“I hope you do.”

Across the garden, Alfie was showing Marmaduke another knot using a piece of spare string.

Bubble was pretending not to watch while quietly supervising everybody.

The evening sun slipped behind the rooftops of London, and the last laughter of Scout Week drifted into the warm summer air.

On Monday, Barry had broken a tent.

On Tuesday, he’d learned to share one.

On Wednesday, he’d discovered that even worms deserved good homes.

On Thursday, he’d learned that helping people mattered more than showing off.

And on Friday, sitting around a campfire with his best friend, his big brother, his family, and the Scout leaders who had patiently guided him all week, he learned perhaps the biggest lesson of all.

The greatest adventures were never really about tents, marshmallows, badges or campfires.

They were about the people sitting beside you while you enjoyed them.

Even if one of those people occasionally arrived wearing only one sock because he’d stopped to name a pine cone Trevor.

Some lessons take years to learn.

Barry, rather remarkably, had managed quite a few in just five wonderfully chaotic days.

And although Mrs Brand would never, ever admit it out loud for fear of tempting fate…

Scout Week had turned out to be the most organised adventure their gloriously disorganised little family had ever had.