When the Roots and Shoots team swooped in for the Stalmine Beavers’ meeting, on a grey, drizzly Tuesday evening, clutching armfuls of recyclables, rolls of paper, bundles of crafting materials and huge smiles…you just felt the youngsters were in for a treat! As the evening unfolded, that feeling became a reality.
‘Celebrating Community’ has been the tag line for the Ancient Roots Festival week. Right at the heart of the village community are the young people. With this philosophy leading the way, the team were committed to sharing time with the Beavers and Cubs, in addition to supporting them financially by passing on the generous donations made at the previous two festival events.
One of the young leaders from St. James’, opened the evening with ‘circle time’, offering every child, time and space to share something they had done since the previous meeting. Action games followed, which were clearly enjoyed by all.
Rev. Naomi spent some time with the youngsters, chatting about local history and stories about smugglers who worked the area many years ago, when Wardley’s port, a couple of miles down the road in the neighbouring village of Hambleton, was larger than Liverpool’s!
Much to the delight of the youngsters, Rev. Naomi disguised herself as a smuggler, complete with mask, hat and a torch, helping to bring the local smuggling narrative to life.
Intertwined with such historical stories, family stories and personal stories are some faith stories, and Rev. Naomi shared her happiness at being rooted in Christianity, and explained how those deep roots both ground her and enable her to flourish and grow new shoots as a person, connecting her with God and humans alike.
The Beavers were challenged to ‘map out’ a secret pathway for the smugglers using the abundant resources provided, thereby connecting themselves with stories from long ago.
The Beavers set about building bridges, crafting caves and plotting pathways in the groups. By the end of the evening, 3D maps were showcased.
Once the Beavers exited the meeting room, the Cubs promptly filled the empty space.
The evening followed a similar format, though different games were on offer. ‘Steal My Treasure’ was skilfully played out by the youngsters as they exercised their ability to be stealthy and sneaky, approaching the captain of the ship without making a sound in a bid to capture the treasure!
All in all, it proved to be a most enjoyable evening.
