I would like to tell you why I become a Cub Scout leader of 61st Scouts Bradford North in Bradford, West Yorkshire since I quitted Scouting at 17.
I joined last Oct when I found out there are Deaf people involved which tempted me to join. Actually during doing my voluntary work in Guyana, South America, my Mum met a Deaf Beaver leader who is working with Beaver troops aged between 5 and 8 years olds. He is my old friend though. He was looking for a new Deaf leader of cub scouts. Both him and his hearing wife set up a new group a year ago.
I am working with 15 cub scouts includes 4 Deafies and a hard of hearing, they are 8 ½ and 10 years olds. They all are BSL signers. They were fascinating to getting know about my life, my voluntary work, Deaf identity etc. Hearing beavers and cub scouts sign BSL which is fantastic, they love BSL! Most of them approached at me for learning more BSL. Eventually leaders set up a BSL class for everyone. They provided one communicator and one interpreter. They are lovely!
Reasons I joined because I was a Beaver, Cub Scout, Scout of 39th Bradford South and Venture of different group for 11 years. Unfortunately I was only a Deaf person among with rest of hearing troops and leaders. It was very frustrating and lonely. I used gestures to communicate with all of them most of the time rather than BSL except my Mum picked me up at end of the night. None of them signed or even learned any BSL, so it was difficult for me to sign in front of them.
I only remember that Beavers DID sign BSL for a play when I was about 6 years. That’s how my Mum taught them to sign song ‘Rainbow’. But after that, they didn’t learn any more BSL because my Mum wasn’t a leader. Only Deaf-impaired leaders. They didn’t know any of BSL. No Deaf awareness.
Whatever I was so bored, I often played different of famous characters, make faces or showing my ‘clean’ white teeth to make people laugh, it was my only way to communicate with non-BSL signers. I also enjoyed to playing any sports as there was unnecessary of communication.
While I was a Scout, about 12 years old, I have been bullied by white troops for being black. They gestured ‘black bastard’ often, (two fists circled on cheeks, then gestured glasses on eyes). I said nothing but only smiled scarily because there were 10 scouts plus a Venture who was supposed to look after us all. I even was a vice troop of Kestrel. Obviously I was very easy target for being black and Deaf. Apparently, it sometime made me feel like I hate white AND hearing people. It wasn’t their fault. It is just society, peer pressure and lack of education.
It was certainly impossible for me to sign in front of them, let alone racist bullying.
They also were making fun with their hand and faces. It creep me out!
I often didn’t know where we would do next. The leader explained to other Scouts what we would do, then he told me to follow him or them to do something. It was really awful. Missed so much information. I felt like a KFC without a head.
One time, my Mum explained something brief as she expected the leader explained to me full information. I thought we would walk up the mountain and eat some food in the night then return home later. She bought me a massive orange plastic (I even didn’t know what it is for) and gave me some food. I met 39th Scouts and leaders to drive us to somewhere in the North I didn’t know where exactly. I had a rucksack on my back walking up along with Scouts for 5 hours in the night. Nice moon but no Michael J. Fox. As we walked for ages, we couldn’t walk back to the car parking at time of the night, so I expected we are staying at the old guesthouse. Suddenly we stopped in middle of moorland, it was so dark. I didn’t see any house with lights. I wonder why. I saw all Scouts put out the orange plastic, same one I had. So I had to put mine out… I just realised we had to sleep in a sleeping bag with the orange plastic outside all night! It was so windy and very cold. I enjoyed it very much, loving it! Apparently most of other wimps Scouts refused to go, I would refuse IF I got right full information.
Best part was I had to bring a friend. It was Paul Marlow. He is Deaf and fluently BSL signer. So I would get a badge. It was because of our communication - beautiful BSL IN FRONT OF hearing troops. Most of them dropped their jaw. They expected me being deaf and dumb. So they were hearing and dumb then because they can’t sign. But it was only one night. Short life. Fucking hell. Why did I say in bad language (or call it French???)? Because it got worse afterward. I was more frustrated, leading me to get into trouble more instead of being funny boy.
I had a crush on a Guide girl called Jenny. She was so popular and very pretty. My skinny cheek was painful, I smiled at her so many time. Of course she is Deaf-impaired. Why did I like her? She was good at gesturing as if she wanted to learn BSL. I couldn’t teach her BSL in case she might tell other troops. I feel pooing myself when she smiled at me. I sometime feel like a deaf and dumb as left out from chit-chat.
Amazingly, I met her again after 5 years. She knew finger-spelling and some basic BSL signs. We dated for a few weeks!
That’s how I realised I wanted to go to Deaf Youth club where I rarely visited, I feel myself when I was with Deaf youngsters but my Mum wanted me to cope with hearing world in reality. She only wanted the best for me. Imagine other (yours) parent thought too. I was still not happy with hearing world for 10 years except mainstream primary school.
Although, I did enjoy camping, knotting, making own fire, trekking, drama, games, many badges and more. Overall, 39th Scouts was fantastic.
When I left 39th Bradford South at 15. Becoming a venture of different group, I don’t remember what group. I didn’t give a poo. Because it was much worse than 39th. They treated me like an African slave. We didn’t talk very much. I even didn’t know their name. I happily quit just after a year as I was focusing on my playing for under-16 hearing football club. That group even didn’t notice that I left!
I feel so free and so happy. I am so me when I am with the Deaf community. I found my Deaf identity. I looked back, realising I was so naïve. 39th Scouts once asked me to be leader. I refused because I didn’t want to put up with them again, even they would offer me to teach BSL. I just lost faith in them. Although I still use my experience to do something. Good thing.
But when my Mum found out that there are Deaf/hearing troops at 61st Bradford North. I realised that I want to join as a leader because there is BSL. I also want them to have a great experience at Scouting unlike my experience. I missed so much information and no BSL or Deaf awareness. BSL is so important to every Deaf child. I can see all 61st Cub Scouts enjoy themselves very much.
I had a great chat with a Scout director of Bradford North, as a black Parksion, I asked her many, many, many, many questions that I never asked before!
It could be different if my old 39th Cub Scouts or Scouts learn BSL at their school. I would be more happy and less frustrated, integrating with hearing who learn BSL.
As a football referee (sorry, Ian Wright, you are still my hero) at Cub Scout Bradford North’s 5-a-side football last January, a hearing boy about 9 years old with a different group. He approached at me and signed BSL, I was so surprised! We had a good chat!
I would like more Deaf youngsters to join different groups as there are only one group with Deaf troop in Bradford. I suppose there are many Deafies in the UK. Nowadays, I really hope there are no Deaf have experience like me. At 39th, I would encourage more Deafies to join.
I love being a Cub Scout leader!
