Summer Term 2026 · Beavers, Cubs & Scouts
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This summer, every section in 1st Sonning put their making skills to the test. From balloon-molded heads to stuffed and stitched bodies, the whole group came together to create a Scout-themed display for the Sonning Scarecrow Festival.
Rather than a single figure propped against a fence, we planned an entire scene: seven Scout characters, each with their own role, brought to life over several weeks by our Beavers, Cubs and Scouts working in relay. The result is a campsite come to life, showcasing what the world of scouting is all about – the activities we all do and also the collaboration and community we aspire to.
The scene
| Figure | Head | Body / torso |
|---|---|---|
| 🔥 Marshmallow roaster #1 | Beavers | Cubs |
| 🔥 Marshmallow roaster #2 | Beavers | Cubs |
| 🏹 The archer | Beavers | Cubs & Scouts |
| ⛺ Scout camp figure #1 | Beavers | Scouts |
| ⛺ Scout camp figure #2 | Beavers | Scouts |
| ⛺ Scout camp figure #3 | Beavers | Scouts |
| ⛺ Scout camp figure #4 | Beavers | Scouts |
Beavers — the heads
The Beavers had the most technically ambitious job of the whole project. Over two Thursday evening sessions, each young person worked on at least one head, building up layers of ModRoc plaster bandage over an inflated balloon to create a strong, hollow shell.
Once the ModRoc had dried and set, the balloons were popped and removed, leaving a perfectly formed round head ready to decorate. The painting session that followed was a riot of colour — cheeks, eyes, expressions and hair all carefully applied, with leaders helping each Beaver mix shades and bring their character to life.
The seven finished heads — each with its own personality — were then passed on to the Cubs and Scouts, who had the bodies waiting and ready to receive them.
Want to join Beavers? Add your name to the waiting list here.
Cubs — the campfire figures
The Cubs took on the campfire scene — the heart of the whole display. Their task was to build the two figures crouched around the fire, marshmallows on sticks, looking suitably delighted (or dangerously close to burning the whole thing).
Working across their Monday evening sessions, the pack stuffed, shaped and assembled each figure from the neck down, getting the posture just right so the outstretched arms would hold their marshmallow sticks convincingly over the flames. Getting the seated position to hold its shape without the figures flopping over took a fair bit of engineering ingenuity.
The Cubs also tackled the torso of the archer — the most complex individual figure in the scene. The twist of the upper body and the angle of the shoulders, ready to draw a bow, required careful thought before the stuffing went in. The Scouts later took over to complete the archer’s lower half and connect everything together.
Want to join Cubs? Add your name to the waiting list here.
Scouts — the camp scene
The Scouts had the most figures to deal with — five bodies in total across their Wednesday evening sessions — and brought their usual systematic approach to the challenge. Working in small teams, each group took responsibility for one character from the waist down.
The four Scout camp figures were posed in different attitudes — one sitting by a tent, one standing on watch, one bent over a camp task, one tending to equipment — so the display would have movement and variety rather than a line of identical scarecrows. Getting different poses to hold their shape required some clever internal framing.
The Scouts also completed the archer’s lower body, assembled the whole figure and worked out how to mount it so the pose held. The finished archer will have a bow and arrow for the festival, giving the scene one of its focal points.
Want to join Scouts? Add your name to the waiting list here.
A group effort
What made this project special was the way it worked across every section — each group contributing a piece that only made sense as part of the whole. No individual Beaver, Cub or Scout could have made a complete figure on their own; it took all three sections working in relay over several weeks to pull it together.
That kind of collaboration — trusting that the next group will pick up where you left off and do their part — is exactly what Scouting is about. And now they get to walk past their scarecrows at the festival and tell everyone exactly which bit they made.
Interested in joining 1st Sonning? Add your name to the waiting list here.
