Look, we all signed up for this knowing there’d be knots to teach, badges to award, and risk assessments to fill in. But nobody warned us about the absolute comedy gold that comes with working with young people, did they?

If you’ve been doing this for more than five minutes, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. Those moments where a Squirrel, Beaver, Cub, Scout or Explorer comes out with something so brilliantly random that you have to bite your lip to keep a straight face.

When You’re Definitely Not “Down with the Kids”

Right now, our lot keep saying “Six Seven” to each other. I’ve nodded along like I know what’s happening. I’ve tried to work it out from context. I’ve got absolutely nothing. Zero clue. But I smile and pretend I’m still cool while internally accepting I peaked somewhere around 2010.

We’ve all been there though, haven’t we? That awkward dance of trying to understand youth slang while maintaining some semblance of authority. Spoiler alert: we’re fooling nobody.

The Spice Girls… Plus Cinnamon?

A while back, I got chatting to a lady at work who’s also a Brown Owl, and she told me about a Brownie talent show she’d helped run a few years ago. One of her Brownies put her hand up, absolutely beaming, and announced: “Brown Owl, I want to be Cinnamon!”

Cue the confused leader faces we all know so well. After some careful probing, it turned out she wanted to do a Spice Girls routine. Fair enough. But she was convinced there was a member called Cinnamon alongside Baby, Scary, Sporty, Ginger and Posh.

The poor kid went as red as her necker when she realized. Of course, we all kept our composure in the moment… and then absolutely lost it in the kitchen later. That’s the leader code, isn’t it?

Morse Code Dancing: A Campfire Classic

That story always reminds me of one of our Scouts who signed up to perform “Morse code dancing” at camp. I assumed he meant Morris dancing and made a mental note to find some bells and sticks.

Fast forward to campfire night. This particular Scout stands up, does a series of bizarre arm movements—dots and dashes, apparently—takes a bow, and proudly declares: “Thank you. That was ‘Hello’ by Lionel Richie… in Morse code.”

Silence. Then absolute carnage. Every single person around that fire—leaders, Scouts, parents visiting for the evening—completely lost it. The kind of laugh that hurts your ribs and leaves you wiping tears away.

To this day, I still don’t know if Morse code dancing is a real thing or if he just made it up on the spot. Either way, it’s burned into my memory forever.

Why We Really Do This

Here’s the thing: yes, there are nights when Scouting feels like endless admin. Another census reminder. Another policy update. Another email chain about who’s ordering the new gazebo.

But then you get these moments. The Cinnamons. The Morse code dancers. The completely left-field comments that catch you totally off guard and remind you why you started volunteering in the first place.

It’s the laughter. The creativity. The sheer unpredictability of working with young people who see the world just a little bit differently than we do. And honestly? That’s the magic of it all.

These are the stories we’ll be telling at AGMs and leader training events for years to come. These are the moments that make the 11pm “have we got enough teabags for the weekend?” texts worthwhile.

Over to You

So come on then—what’s your story? What’s the funniest, most random, or utterly baffling thing a young person in your section has ever said or done?

Drop it in the comments. Let’s celebrate the chaos, share the laughs, and remind ourselves that Scouting isn’t just about the badges and the POR forms—it’s about these brilliant, bonkers moments that make it all worthwhile.

Because at the end of the day, we’re not just Scout Leaders. We’re ringmasters in a circus we didn’t know we’d joined. And honestly? I wouldn’t have it any other way.