The Meerkat programme runs for two years, but some badges are fun to repeat every year, especially those with options. This year, 1st Claremont selected new items from the World Around Us Badge and teamed it up with the Pollution Pirate Interest badge.
The biggest fun was when each Burrow had a country, made flags, brought pizza, pasteis de nata and croissants and talked about their experiences of Italy, Portugal and France. Then we played 20-questions with six animals each (the Meerkats were as sharp as anything) and made Origami twirly birds. The culmination was our great Olympics with cycling, running, and hopping, singing the Anthem, ceremoniously biting their medals and eating naartjies (of course).
In between all that, after games and activities about pollution, a Great Litter Clean Up was held along the Liesbeek River with FOL. Because August was upon us, frogs were on everyone’s minds, and we made puzzles of three local frogs, and played a game of fascinating facts about them.
Any Den Scouter will detect elements of other badges in there – Puzzles, Keep Fit, and even the National Challenge. That is what makes programming and planning our 46-minute Meerkat meetings so interesting for us. One thing leads to another, and all we have to do is keep track 😊.
