Blaise Tapp: I’ve found myself something meaningful to do – and it’s great

Whenever I really want to understand what makes a stranger or a vague acquaintance tick, I interrogate them about what they do in their spare time because, in my experience, that's a much better gauge of what sort of person they really are than their profession or what football team they support.

Over the years, I've met the unlikeliest of stamp collectors, morris dancers and antique fanatics, although none of them have surprised me as much as learning that Sir Rod Stewart is a heavyweight model railway enthusiast.

In my book, having at least one pastime to occupy their freetime gives a person extra depth.

By my own flawed measurement, I have long teetered on the brink of being described as dull due to the fact that I haven’t had a proper hobby since the days of fax machines and Tony Blair. These days I’m too slow to take up five-a-side again, too self conscious to return to the gym and far too cack-handed for golf.

However, I’ve decided I’ve had enough of perpetual channel hopping of an evening and have found myself something meaningful to do at least one evening every week - I’ve rejoined the scouting movement.

More than 35 years since I last put my woggle away, I have rejoined a movement that boasts a worldwide membership of some 57 million people but this time as a leader.

Every Thursday evening, around 20 Cubs aged between eight and 10-and-a-half now refer to me as Baloo – that’s right, the bear from Jungle Book – as all Cub leaders take their official names from the Rudyard Kipling classic.

After an apprenticeship as a parent helper for the past year or so, I was formally inducted last month, meaning I had to remember the Scouting salute reacquaint myself with the left-handed shake.

My first official outing as the newest leader in my local Scout District came at a belated St George’s Day parade, when our town’s streets were packed with onlookers who cheered on hundreds of Beavers, Rainbows, Cubs, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers.

It was at that moment that it really struck me that I was joining a giant family, comprising like-minded folk who give up large chunks of their spare time to inspire youngsters to engage in all manner of wholesome activities.

While I’m not the most practical of blokes and need to brush up on my knots, I do bring plenty of enthusiasm, which I think will serve me well. I suspect this is a hobby that is likely to keep me busy for years to come.