As a parent I have not had much to do with the Scouts Association. I am sad that my daughter has never been keen to join the Brownies, Guides or Scouts despite encouraging her to do so. But I do have friends who talk very highly of the association and I know their kids are very keen members of various sections of the Scout movement.
One area of the Scouts that is so useful to young people is exploring the great outdoors. Knowing how to navigate and survive in the countryside is a huge asset, whether they take this into their adulthood and become keen hikers or even if they can simply refer to a map properly to get them from A to B on a bike or in the car.
In the 21st century so many of us rely on GPS and sat navs to take us to places (I am guilty of this as well) but it is still very beneficial to know the basics of map reading and navigation.
With this in mind, outdoor products brand Brunton has partnered with The Scout Association in 2015 and donated the movement 250 TruArc 3 compasses.
Brunton has also created two useful posters for Scouts:
Ralph White, managing director of Rosker Ltd, distributor of Brunton in the UK and driving force behind the partnership, said: “The Scout Association has great heritage and is hugely respected.
“As a society, we are constantly being offered gadgets that do the thinking for us, which of course is great sometimes, but not always.
“We believe learned skills such as navigation still have a valuable place.
“The 250 compasses will be distributed around the UK and we hope they will inspire young people wherever they live to learn valuable skills and to appreciate the world around us.”
Brunton TruArc compasses start from £12 for the TruArc3 and can be found in Scout Shops or various retial outlets. See Brunton or contact sales@rosker.co.uk