Category:Yarns

Here is a collection of Yarns for Scouts and Cubs.

Story telling or Yarn-spinning is an artform that takes much practice, and as you do it more often and you build on your skills the more fun it becomes for everyone.

Yarns play an important part in training, it makes use of metaphor and allusions to get a message across. Good yarns can inspire and keep the cub or scout intrigued as it engages their imagination. Everyone listening will imagine the story slightly differently, and interpret the same story in a way that is relevant to them.

Some Yarn-spinning tips

To help you work out what goes down well with the cubs and scouts here are a few tips that have been gathered from a wide collection of sources along the way.

• Use stories that will express the values and brotherhood of scouting,

• ..avoid stories that are too emotional or involve romantic love (this is just not the right time!)

• Cut away any poetic extravagances the author may have added - be ruthless, and cut to the story.
• Only tell stories that appeal to you... you can't fake enthusiasm, and cubs can smell lack of true enthusiasm.
• Some stories are meant to be parables and are clearly made-up stories (Those where animals can speak)

• And other stories are real life stories that do have a lesson ... keep them real or you lose the authenticity.

• Take note of those yarns that work and those that should not be repeated.

Please feel free to add more. Create a page for the yarn and add the category [[Category:Yarns]] to the page.