Welcome to Woodcraft Folk - Session Plan Outline

This is a session plan that can be used to deliver a Welcome to Woodcraft Folk session for new volunteers. This could be delivered 1-1 or to a larger group all together.

Time needed: 1- 2 hours (Depending on group size)Resources needed: Post-its or slips of paper, laptop or computer on which to play the Welcome to Woodcraft video, coloured pens, either A4 (individuals) or flipchart paper (groups).

Time Needed

Activity Resources Needed

10 - 20 Minutes

Welcome + IcebreakerIntroduce yourself and the session, welcome the new volunteers and thank them for becoming part of Woodcraft Folk. Explain that this session will help them to understand more about Woodcraft Folk and help you to understand a bit about them as a volunteer.

Ask them to work in pairs to introduce themselves to a partner and state that they’ll then introduce their partner to the rest of the group (if working 1-1 just have a conversation). Ask them to share:

Their name What role and group they might volunteer

with One question they have about Woodcraft Folk A fun fact about themselves

After a couple of minutes ask the pairs to introduce each other to the whole group. You could collect the questions on post-its or slips of paper or write up on a piece of paper as they are shared in order to answer later in the session.

Post-its or slips of paper

5 - 10 Minutes

Welcome to Woodcraft – Induction VideoPlay the Welcome to Woodcraft induction video to the group.

Video file and something to play it

on15 - 30 Minutes

Matching GameDivide the volunteers into small groups and give them a set of the pieces from the matching game. Ask them to match the pictures, terminology and explanations. Share the right answers.Were there any facts which surprised them?

Copies of the matching game included with this session plan.

20 - 40 Minutes

What Makes A Volunteer?Ask the volunteers to draw the outline of a gingerbread person on their sheet of paper (either individually or as a group). They should then fill in the person as follows:

In the chest (heart) write down their motivations for volunteering

In the arms and legs write down the skills and activities they will bring as a volunteer

In the head write down what they want to learn or gain from their volunteering with Woodcraft Folk

After 10 minutes, ask them to add ideas on the rest of the paper.

Outside the person write down where they can get support to help them in their role

Circulate during the activity and provide suggestions of trainings, people, places and resources where they might get support (particularly those which would support them to develop in the ways they’ve written in the head). Stress co-operative ways of running groups so they should be supported by and able to learn from other volunteers with different skills.

Allow time for the small groups to feed back to each other if they want to. Highlight that: there are a wide range of motivations for volunteering, everyone can bring different skills and activities to add to Woodcraft Folk, through volunteering they’ll be able to develop skills and experience and there’s

Coloured pens, either A4 (individuals) or flipchart (groups) paper.

lots of ways they can get support to enable them to achieve this.

10 - 20 Minutes

Questions and AnswersOpen the floor for any remaining questions and answers. Refer to the questions collected in the ice-breaker activity and make sure you’ve answered all of them or signposted the volunteers to a person or resource which could answer them.

Questions from the ice-breaker activity.

Appendix 1: Matching Game

Terminology Explanation

Group Night

A regular weekly meeting, usually only in term-time, where members of a group get together to take part in activities. This usually lasts for 1-2 hours depending on the age of the

group.

Annual Gathering

The democratic heart of the Woodcraft Folk. It’s where Woodcraft Folk

members discuss big issues, vote on a range of different motions and elect

trustees onto General Council. It takes place annually in late June.

DistrictA collection of groups in one area,

overseen by a committee of volunteers, to share resources and

take part in activities together.

General Council

Our trustees. All members of this group are volunteers and members of Woodcraft Folk. They're drawn from various regions and age groups of

Woodcraft Folk, and include representatives of Scottish Woodcraft Folk, Gwerin y Coed (Woodcraft Folk in

Wales) and District Fellows.

Woodchips

Where Woodcraft Folk starts, with our youngest members who are under six. We play games, tell stories, sing songs

and make things, and in warmer weather we go camping.

Pioneers

Our third group is children aged 10-12 who are becoming more aware of the world around them. We think this is a really exciting age - we can begin to

explore how they can influence society and find ways to cope with increasing

peer pressure.

Venturers

Aimed at children aged 13-15. More driven by what's happening around

them and in the wider world, enthusiastic debates and discussions

form a large part of the calendar.

DFs (District Fellows)

At 16, we meet regularly at someone's house, a pub or even a community hall if the group is large enough, and take

part in usual woodcraft activities including games, events, workshops, discussions and general socialising.

Elfins

Once children have started school they move up. They tend to start at age 6,

depending on the local group. We continue with games, singing, craft

activities and outdoor stuff and try to keep Woodcraft Folk principles in mind

throughout.

Biblins, Cudham, Darsham,

Height Gate, Lockerbrook

and Park Farm

We have four outdoor centres and two campsites located across England,

from Yorkshire to Sussex. All of them can be booked by Woodcraft Folk groups or others for weekends or

longer.

KP (Keeper of the

Provinder)

A volunteer role at camp or on a residential event who oversees food

and cooking.

ClanOn camp, everyone is divided into

small groups to undertake activities to help with the running of the camp.

Co-operative Movement

A movement originating in the industrial areas of northern England

and Scotland in the late 18th century, based on the belief that industries and commercial concerns should be owned and controlled by the people working

in them, for joint benefit.

Aims & Principles

Woodcraft Folk has seven of these. These are shared by all members of

the movement and inform all our varied activities.

Education for Social Change, A Co-operative and Sharing Attitude to Life

International Understanding, The Rights of the Child

Religion, One World, A World at Peace

The Envoi

This is said or sung by many Woodcraft Folk groups at the

beginning or end of their weekly meeting, and sometimes at camps and

events. Members stand in a circle.