December 2017
n i g n i Scout
d a e h n e k r i B
Save the Date! 26th - 28th July 2019 Arrowe Park Jamboree 90th Anniversary Camp
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Hello and thank you for 2 90th Anniversary Jamboree
reading the
Contact.
December edition of
Save the Date!
A busy end to the year for lots of Scout Post has begun too and I’m us involved in Scouting in Birken- looking forward to our Explorers de4 The DC livering cards on their own patch for head. News from our District the first time in a few years. There is Commissioner I’ve been involved in the selection for also a chance in this issue to design 6 2nd is Spruced up! our Jamboree contingent and lots of the stamps for next year’s Scout Post. Helped by the Prince’s fundraising for the Nepal trip next Trust volunteers Cubs and Beavers from across the year. District enjoyed a Science Day at Liv7 Remembrance We held a Bingo night at St Anselm’s erpool University and took part in College which was attended by more loads of fun experiments. 8 County Science Day than 100 people and was a great suc Beavers and Cubs experiment at University cess. I also took part in a street collection in Liverpool on a Friday night at 9 Beavers Christmas the beginning of the month. We’ve Celebrations raised more than £15,000 now to Santa and Reindeers wards the trip. start off the festivities 10 Scout Post Competition Design the new stamps! 11
Halloween Night Explorers party night!
Our Explorer Units have held a couple of joint events, the biggest being their Halloween Party night which as usual got quite messy! In this issue we have news and pictures from around the groups. Christmas celebrations have definitely started early this year!
Contact is published by
Birkenhead District Scout Council 15 Balls Road, Oxton, Wirral CH43 5RF Compiled by : Paul Ellis Tel: 07720 555885 paul.ellis @birkenheadscouts.org.uk Please email content to : SMO-MediaTeam@ birkenheadscouts.org.uk
Our Scouts took part in their annual golf competition at New Brighton.
Meet our 24th World Scout Jamboree Participants
... s g n i l b m a R ’s C The D
Hello, thanks for reading the last Contact of 2017! I can’t believe how fast this year has gone, it doesn’t feel like it should be December already! But what a fantastic year Birkenhead has had! We’ve opened two new groups; Foxfield and Ansar as well as other groups continuing to grow and hold strong numbers. The only reason this is possible is down to the hard work of all our volunteers across the District providing a well-balanced programme of Everyday Adventure! So on behalf of over 500 Young People... Thank You for everything you have done this year!
To provide a quick round up of everything we have done since the last Contact… Here goes… Thanks to all groups who sent invites this year! We had the annual Scout Golf competition which had over 70 Scouts attending which was again a brilliant success! Thanks to Mark and his team for organising and thanks to all the leaders who attended as well as the Explorer leaders who ran a tuck shop and hot dog stall to raise funds for Nepal.
PJ and I held the first ever District Youth Commissioner interviews which were all really good and it was a hard debate after the last interview! Thanks to all the applicants and Congratulations to Rory who was the successful candidate! I’m sure we will all be hearing from Rory a lot more in the New Year about his plans for the new role.
I attended a DC Day at BP House in London, hearing more about national plans moving forward and looking at how we can develop in areas like; communications, safeguarding, safety, programme and support! Scout section have held their annual 10 pin Bowling competition again Thanks to Matt and his team for another fab event! Congratulations to all the winners! The Nepal team have continued their relentless fundraisWe held our Summit 17 to gain feedback on the pro- ing campaign with Berts Bingo night. posed National Strategic Development Plan which was well attended and gave us some fab ideas as Thanks to everyone who is helping with this! to what we can do in Birkenhead! I also attended a few more AGMs!
I ran a First Response course for 16 Leaders on it! We have another planned in early December with another 16 leaders already booked on! We will continue to run these throughout 2018!
Birkenhead Ansar have held their investitures so welcome to our five new volunteers, eight new Beaver and eight new Cubs! There have been numerous Long Service awards continued to be presented – Congratulations and Thank You to everyone who has had one! Wirral Charity Christmas Post is well underway with (hopefully) thousands of cards already being posted in our boxes! Hopefully I will see many of you at the District Carol Concert on the 6th December. So, once again – Thank You! I honestly can’t say this enough! Thanks to all 200 + adult volunteers in Birkenhead for giving up your time to prepare our Young People for a better and brighter future! Thank You for being there when they need you and for providing each and every one of them with a brilliant Everyday Adventure!
Matt Proctor and I were invited to the 25th for the Scouts Expedition challenge presentation! It was a brilliant presentation and they all I for one cannot wait to see what 2018 brings! looked like they enjoyed the challenge! Con- I hope that everyone has a wonderful Christgratulations on the achievement everyone! mas break and I will see you all in the New Year! Beavers have been busy with their Reindeer farm trip and have their Christmas party planned – Cubs will be busy with their Christmas party too!
Matt Jones District Commissioner
Members of the Princes Trust and the 2nd Birkenhead Scout Group show off their hard work at the James Johnston Hall in North Road. The Princes Trust team were presented with thank-you certificates for re-painting the inside of the hall. Group Scout Leader Mike Lennox said: “It was a pleasure to present these certificates as it is a very good job done.
They were pleased to have done the painting work as I spoke to each one in turn. Special thanks to Dan who organised it all.� The Princes Trust team have left their details with Mike Lennox and asked if anyone in Birkenhead Scouting needs help as they are always looking for projects to be done.
ds Awar rvicck,eDen LongabeSe ise Kivlehan, th Bridgelo for Eliz Sally Gaskell and Denise Durband
Scouting remembers Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Network members and leaders from across the District were welcomed by the 4th and 265th Birkenhead Groups at the annual Service of Remembrance at the Prenton War memorial.
The two local groups had taken part in church services and were joined at the memorial by other groups and members of the District for two minutes of silence with members of the public and members of other organisations.
It is with great sadness that we must announce the passing also a familiar face backstage during the Birkenhead Gang of three Scouters from our District. Show at the Glenda Jackson Theatre. In 2007 he moved to the 2nd Greasby as Scout Leader, a position which he held until his death. Jack Braden, Peter Wallace He died on 16th November after a long illness. He will be and Brian Hazelhurst missed by many in both Districts. Jack was a valued and respected member of 2nd Thingwall Scout Group and will be sadly missed. Jack has been with the Group for 45 years and was influential in the development of the HQ when it was new including collecting newspapers to raise funds. He was also involved with many of the Birkenhead District events and activities over the years including Gang Show and jamborees. In recent years, Jack was an honorary member of the Group and helped with Cubs and Beavers who will all miss him greatly.
Brian was a great supporter of Birkenhead Scouts and held various committee roles within the District and at 20th Birkenhead Scout Group. But it is in his role as Birkenhead Gang Show Chairman that most will have known Brian. Gang Show Producer, Graham Lysaght wrote: “Brian was the biggest ambassador for the show ever and it was through his strength, love, generosity and trust that were all able to achieve what we did over the past 25 years, including The Empire Theatre, The West End and only this year our 50th anniversary show over on The Isle of Man. Peter joined the 2nd Thingwall as a Cub and continued He believed and trusted that together, all of us would be able to present fantastic performances. Keep riding along through Scouts and Venture Scouts. He became a pack helper with 2nd Thingwall and eventually on that crest of a wave Brian!� an Assistant Cub Scout leader between 1990 to 1999 when he transferred to the 40th as Cub Scout Leader. Pete was Our thoughts are with all of their families at this sad time
Merseyside Science Day
Groups from all over the county went to Liverpool University’s science labs where they took part in loads of different badges. Science, Digital Maker, Astronomer, Navigation and many more. They dropped an egg off a balcony without it breaking on landing. They built robots, made Christmas cards that lit up. They performed a variety of experiments and learnt new skills for compass work with magnets, cork screws and paper clips. They day was well organised and had over 250 children there it was an amazing opportunity and the cubs and beavers from 265th Birkenhead would highly recommended it next year!
Beavers visit Santa and his reindeer
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What a lot of fun we all had from arriving at the lodge They all helped the elves by building toys for Santa, as the beavers were given tokens to use on various fair the machine had jammed after one of the elves fell in rides including Donkey rides. They were also given and ended up packaged as a small toy. food to feed the Reindeer. After the amazing show the Beavers got the chance After they all had finished on the rides we entered the to meet Santa personally and receive an early present. Marquee for the Elf Show. Then to finish they were allowed to go through Santa’s Barnard the head Elf was very entertaining and even workshop to meet their parents! involved two Beavers and Kelvin went on stage (which he is quite used to with Gang show!). Denise ADC (Beavers)
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Halloween Party Night!