Around 20 Pathfinders and Adventurers from Glasgow attended their first craft day on Sunday, 17th September, at the church premises. From 1 PM to 4 PM, the children eagerly engaged in hands-on activities, fostering their creativity and productivity. This project will continue over the coming weeks. Organised by Master Guides Simone and Lawrence Pollard, the initiative aims to help the kids develop essential life skills while designing items to raise funds for the club.
The boys focused on learning basic woodcraft skills. They worked on improving their ability to read, understand, and execute drawings to completion. Additionally, they developed their skills in operating manual tools, completing projects neatly and accurately, and cultivating patience when faced with challenges.
Currently, they are engaged in a small storage crate project, which is expected to take about three sessions to complete. This project will lay the groundwork for more projects in the future. Lawrence emphasised that the boys will not only cultivate creativity and industriousness but also develop valuable new skills. “Considering their efforts on this building project, the team has performed exceptionally well,” he remarked.
Both the boys and girls demonstrated remarkable team spirit as they supported one another in overcoming the challenges they faced during the activities. Speaking of challenges, threading needles proved to be difficult and frustrating for the girls; however, the experience was also filled with laughter, making it enjoyable and memorable part of their crafting day.
While busy embroidering, the girls relished the opportunity to learn back, stem, and running stitches. Each participant is expected to bring a piece of clothing designed using the three stitches taught on the first day. After the session, Simone commented, "Many of our girls do not know basic hand stitches. Gone are the days when torn clothes could be easily repaired with simple hand stitching. Instead, parents today face unnecessary expenses to replace items. Due to the loss of hand-stitching skills, children need to learn how to use their hands and be creative. We never know where life will lead us tomorrow."
The craft project has three primary objectives:
1. Leadership Development: Equip Pathfinders and Adventurers with skills that will empower them to become leaders within their communities, schools, and churches. These skills include household arts, crafts, nature, outreach, and various vocational and recreational activities.
2. Valuing Hands-On Skills: Develop Pathfinders’ appreciation for hands-on skills that are increasingly undervalued in today’s society, as many parents tend to regard these skills as less important.
3. Creating Lasting Memories: Help the children create enduring positive memories of their time in the Pathfinder and Adventurer Clubs.
Simone explained that the project aligns with the core philosophy of the Pathfinder Club, which serves as a unit of the church dedicated to the holistic development of children, encompassing their mental, physical, social, and spiritual well-being. “This marks the beginning of a journey,” she said, “where the children will engage in various activities such as embroidery stitching, cushion-making, rope weaving, basic woodcraft, and upcycling everyday household materials to create beautiful decorations for the home.”
The craft day will be held twice a month, with the next session scheduled for the 29th September.
