gscouts News and Views for Scouting in Gloucestershire December 2016
1st Jamestown (St. Helena) Group Band
Badge Courses: Paddy Langham
paddydj.langham@btopenworld.com
County Administrator: Louise Little
admin@gloucestershire-scouts.org.uk Monday to Friday 0930 am - 1.30 pm 01452 814256
County Public Relations Adviser: Cindy Fowler
media@gloucestershire-scouts.org.uk 01531 890668 or 07766 736827
Cranham Scout Centre: Mary Large
info@scoutcentre.org.uk 1.00 pm-4.00 pm
H.Q. Information Centre
01452 812309
info.centre@scouts.org.uk Monday to Friday 8.00 am—7.00 pm Saturday 9.00 am –12 noon 0345 300 1818
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gscouts December 2016 Contents Editorial …………………………………………………………………………………………………4 Remembrance Sunday ……………………………………………………………………………….4 Mrs Iris Twissell, RIP ………………………………………………………………………………….7 Beast of the Cotswolds ……………………………………………………………………………….9 Tewkesbury District …………………………………………………………………………………..11 Forest of Dean District Reports …………………………………………………...…………..…....12 If ………………………………………………………………………………………….……………..14 St. Helena …………………………………………………………………….…………………..……16 Things are happening in Shooting …………………………………………………………….…….18 The Clock of the Long Now ……………………………………………………………………...…..20 The Story of the Dinuzulu Necklace …………………………….………………………...………...22 What Cloud Are You? ………………………………………………………………………………...23
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Misinterpretation I ‘phoned an old school friend of mine the other day. I asked him what he was doing. He replied that he is working on an aqua-thermal treatment of ceramics, with aluminium and steel, all in a constrained environment. I was most impressed...... On further enquiry, I learned that he was actually doing the washing-up, closely supervised by his wife!
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Editorial I am grateful to the DC and Newsletter Editor of Forest of Dean District for letting me have news of their District, some of which I am pleased to include in this edition, so that others can benefit. Carole O’Donnell, DC for Cotswold Vale and Stroud & Tetbury, congratulates Emma Greenwood and Sarah Prowse of 1st Dursley and Anna and Lazio Berdan of Slimbridge Group on achieving their Wood Badges; also my son, Mark Morton, her DDC, on receipt of his third Wood Badge! He is wondering how to distinguish them without disfiguring them, so that he wears the right one on appropriate occasions! In the October gscouts I was able to tell you about the 1st Ascension Island Group in one of the most remote places in the world. This time I have an article about its twin Atlantic island, St. Helena, and in the March edition I shall feature Scouting on an even more remote island, Tristan da Cunha. I should, of course, be delighted to receive any interesting news, historical or otherwise, about Scouting anywhere on the planet. I believe our brothers and sisters are active in 215 countries, so there is plenty of scope! Copy date for the spring edition will be 10th March. I wish all of you a Happy Christmas and an exciting Scouting New Year. *************************
Remembrance Day
The Beavers, Cubs and Scouts paraded in Nailsworth to St George's Church.
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Remembrance Day Randwick Scout Group pays its respects to a WW1 soldier laid to rest in Randwick Churchyard On 6th October 2016, Radio Gloucestershire’s Anna King met a number of Randwick Beavers and Cubs in Randwick Churchyard . They talked to Anna about the Scout Group’s adoption of a soldier’s grave. Private Edward Smith was born in Randwick in 1878 but emigrated to Canada in the early 1900s. When the First World War broke out, Edward returned to Britain to fight in the War. Having completed his training, he was sent to France but he fell ill and was sent back to Britain. He died of heart failure on 6 th October 1916, 100 years to the day that Anna King met the Beavers and Cubs. Prayers and a minute’s silence were held around Edward’s grave. The interview and photos of the occasion can be viewed at: https://www.facebook.com/ bbcgloucestershire/ videos/1107500529299560/ Each year, before the main Remembrance Day Service at Randwick Church, the Scout Group holds a special ceremony around Edward Smith’s grave during which a poppy cross is laid and prayers are said. The poppy crosses are provided by the Cheltenham and Gloucester War Graves Association. We have been placing a poppy cross on Edward Smith’s grave in Randwick Churchyard for several years now. In 2014, the CGWGA were keen that further graves were adopted and that is when Scout Groups like Nailsworth got involved. There may be others – I believe that Petra at Eastcombe took on the laying of a cross in Bussage Churchyard. Thirty five Cubs from Nailsworth Scout Group visited the Shortwood graveyard and read out the biography of three soldiers who were buried there. A minute’s silence was held for each soldier. On Friday night (11th November), 21 Scouts laid the three poppy crosses and held a minute’s silence and discussed each of the three soldiers. Cubs from Whiteshill placed poppy crosses on the graves of two servicemen who died during World War 1. Leading Seaman William Charles Smith was one of the 1,185 crew of HMS Tiger, a Battle Cruiser (fast battleship). He was badly wounded in the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916, when the mighty fleets of Britain and Germany met in the North Sea. He later died of his wounds on 4 July 1916. Gunner Alfred Perry from the Royal Field Artillery was born and enlisted in Stroud. He died on 18 February 1917. 5
1st Dursley Group after Remembrance Sunday parade
Farriers Explorers with The Stanleys Group round the Stanley memorial
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Mrs Iris Twissell
A tribute to Mrs Iris Twissell, a stalwart of Randwick Scout Group for over 50 Years, by Andrew Leach (Haggis), Scout, Senior/Venture Scout, Cub Scout Leader and ex-GSL, Randwick Scout Group: Mrs T first became associated with the Randwick Scout Group in the early 1960s when her son Les joined the Group as a Scout. This was when we met in an old undertaker’s workshop in Etheldene Road, Cashes Green. In 1967, when the Group moved into the HQ on its present site, a small group of ladies including Mrs T ran the regular monthly Rummage Sales for the Group. Mrs T continued to help with the rummage sales until age and frailty caught up with her, the last of the original group of rummage sale ladies. The Rummage Sales still continue today as fundraising events for the Group with a new group of ladies. Mrs T was first a member of the Group Supporters’ Association and then became a member of the Group Executive Committee, a role she undertook for many years. In 1997 Mrs T was awarded the Medal of Merit by the Scout Association for her services to Scouting. Also in 1997 Mrs T was invited to become Vice President of Stroud and Tetbury District. This is an Honorary Appointment given to those people who have made a valued contribution to Scouting in the District. During her time on the Group Executive Mrs T saw the building of the original HQ (opened in 1967), a “Marley” type precast-concrete building, which was then upgraded to our present HQ (opened in 1992) of timber-framed construction and centrally heated (see photos on page 8). As a result of her time on the Group Executive Mrs T helped the Group to raise many thousands of pounds, not only through the rummage sales but many other events over the years. One only had to ask and Mrs T was always one of those in the background helping out. The last big event attended by Mrs T was the Group’s 60 th Birthday celebrations in 2012; by this time she was starting to find it a problem in getting about. I will ever remember Mrs T as always being about in the background, giving support where it was needed during my years as GSL. Many of the younger members of the Group will not understand what part members of the old Group Supporters Association and members of the Group Executive have played in the history of the Group. However, if it was not for those like Mrs T, and what those of that era did in raising the money to buy the land and erect the first HQ, we would not have Randwick Scout Group as it is today nor the building in which we meet. RIP Mrs T the Last of the Few! 7
Randwick Scout HQ under construction in 1966
Randwick Scout HQ as it is today in 2016
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The “BEAST of the Cotswolds” took place between the 14th and 16th October, open to all of the Explorers in the County. After a hectic camp set up, the Explorers started to arrive and pitch their tents before dinner and live music from “Too Old for Toys”. The group set the tone for the weekend by rocking the site for three hours, performing well known new and old covers.
After an early wake-up call, breakfast was served before the activities were opened. Saturday saw the Explorers taking part in a wide variety of activities including climbing, abseiling, inflatables, archery, backwoods cooking, lawn games and a YouShape forum.
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By completing these activities, the Explorers were given the opportunity to collect counters for a prize on Sunday. After a well-deserved dinner and chill time, the Explorers made their way down to the woods for campfire songs. After the campfire, the switch was flicked and lights and music were turned on, revealing the secret party location hidden away in the woods, surprising both Explorers and Leaders alike. Despite the lingering fog, the Explorers partied into the night.
Following a slightly later wake-up call the Explorers were mixed up into groups and set out to complete a Flatpack Challenge across the site. Each group had to complete challenges, where they were rewarded with a riddle which would lead them to a piece from the flatpack set. This challenge ended with a race to the finish to build the flat pack without instructions! This task definitely brought out a competitive edge in some of the Explorers, culminating with a BBQ and awards ceremony with prizes for the best fancy dress and the Flatpack Challenge.
The “BEAST of the Cotswolds” camp started to pack down. The BEAST Team would like to thank all of those that attended the event for making it a success. Keep your eyes peeled for details of next years BEAST… Chris Meadows ACC 14-25 Gloucestershire
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Tewkesbury District
Tewkesbury District lies to the north of the county and includes the towns of Bishops Cleeve and Winchcombe, as well as Tewkesbury itself and the rural areas between. The District badge was designed by the late Keith Robinson, (a former District Commissioner) in 1974 and depicts a purple bishop’s mitre & gold crook, a gold sword and a dark red rose, the design being on a dark green background with matching binding. The mitre and crook represent Tewkesbury Abbey (founded 1092), Winchcombe Abbey (founded 798) and Hailes Abbey, near Winchcombe (founded 1246). At the time of the Dissolution (1539), Tewkesbury Abbey was saved from demolition by the people of the town. They purchased it for £453 to use as a parish church. It is one of the finest examples of Norman architecture in England. Winchcombe Abbey and Hailes Abbey (an important medieval pilgrimage site) fared less well during the Dissolution, Winchcombe Abbey was completely dismantled, the stone being used in nearby buildings, whilst Hailes Abbey was stripped of its lead and other valuables and left as a ruin. What remains is preserved by the National Trust. The rose and sword represent the battle of Tewkesbury (4 th May 1471), which was a turning point in the Wars of the Roses.
In recent years the battle has been re-enacted each
Summer and has become the largest medieval festival in Europe. The badge design was approved by HQ on 20th June 1974. Currently the District has six Scout Groups, these being: 3 rd Tewkesbury, 1st Gotherington, 1st Northway, 2nd Twyning, 1st Winchcombe and 1st Woodmancote, with four Explorer Units, being Extreme, Haberpakka (YL), Pioneer and Red Wolves. Tewkesbury’s name means ‘Teodec’s fort’ (‘burg’, which became ‘bury’, meaning a fortified place). It was recorded as Teodechesberie in Domesday Book (1086).
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FOREST OF DEAN DISTRICT REPORTS AYLBURTON AND LYDNEY – SCOUT VISIT THE SOMME 2016
Scout families from 1st Aylburton and Lydney Scouts met at Taurus Crafts on 28 July for a 6.30 am departure. Two cars loaded with camping gear, Scouts and adults, left to beat the rush hour and we arrived at Dover with plenty of time to wait before boarding our ferry. A smooth, uneventful sea crossing followed by an hour or so drive saw us arrive at our campsite on the Somme in late afternoon. We pitched camp, explored the site, a modest affair with adequate facilities including House Martens nesting in the men's bathroom. Heavy overnight showers met us with a grey morning on Friday. We drove 100 or so miles south to Euro Disney, arriving in sunshine. Various areas of the Disneyland Park were explored accompanied by mixes of sun, cloud and moderate drizzle for much of the morning. Roller coasters seemed popular with occasional disappointment from shorter Scouts who weren’t tall enough. We were photo bombed at one point by the Mad Hatter (doing a Scout salute. It turns out that quite a few of the Disney helpers are Scouts in various countries). Various attractions, the evening parade, a final couple of rides, pizza, then more rides before leaving Disney and driving back to the campsite, arriving just before 23:00, weary but satisfied. It was a very slow start on Saturday, no one was up before 8 am on a dry, bright day, despite the dawn chorus of wood pigeons, cockerel and occasional peacock. We made our way to Albert, the local town, to find a café for breakfast croissants and coffee or chocolate. Refreshed, we made our way to the Musée Somme set in tunnels beneath the town, starting under the local church. A short film, in English, explained the various Somme memorials and explained some of the facts and figures. After lunch we visited various cemeteries and memorials. The Canadian memorial and trenches set the scene, then the Ulster Tower, with poppies growing in the surrounding fields. A UK cemetery with gravestones, the Lochnager crater, then a German cemetery with crosses (including the former resting place of the Red Baron). We returned to the campsite with a much deeper appreciation of what the Somme had entailed. On Sunday morning, with best uniform, we set off for Thiepval memorial. Arriving early for the British Legion service, we explored the names of the Gloucestershire regiment to spot those from the parishes of Aylburton and Lydney. We were invited to stand in the monument during the service and we placed crosses for each of the fallen of our parish. The small crowd of spectators complimented the Scouts on their appearance, it was great to meet a family from Chepstow and the butcher from Littledean among their number. The sky was foreboding with low rumbles of thunder, so we hurried to the campsite, arriving just as the heavens opened. The afternoon was very mixed with hot sun and intermittent cloudbursts until eventually it dried up and the baking heat demanded water activities. A tarp wetted with shower gel and fairy liquid served as a makeshift slip'n'slide which kept the Scouts and adults amused. A quick dinner and packing all but essentials meant an early night, for an equally early departure shortly after 8. Quickly through Calais, without event, got us to the ferry and back to Lydney for 16:00. The Somme is easily achieved in a long weekend, and recommended to get a true sense of the magnitude of the conflict and the sheer numbers of casualties. Many thanks to Nick Miller for the idea and the organisation. Mark Westwood 12
JOTI-JOTA 2016
Over the weekend of 14-16 October we embarked on Jamboree on the Internet/Air for our 4 th year in the District. 30 Scouts camped overnight on the Friday night before a full day on Saturday and Sunday morning with Scouts undertaking various activity badge work, either Electronics, Chef or Global/International. Cubs completed their Science activity badge and, this year, Beavers were able to join in too, doing their International activity badge. In among the activity badges was an opportunity to contact Scouts around the world in heavilymoderated chat rooms. Everyone had a go and, over the course of the weekend, we managed to contact 42 different countries (Aruba, Australia, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Jordan, Libya, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela and Zimbabwe). Everyone also had an opportunity to communicate by radio, thanks to licensed radio operators who help us every year. If you’ve not taken part in JOTI-JOTA then come along, even adults get a buzz from chatting online with Scouts abroad. Where else are you going to chat to an 8 year old living in the shadow of Mount Etna as it erupts? Give it a go next year. Put the date in your diaries 20-22 Oct 17. Many thanks to all the Leaders who stayed and made the weekend work, thanks to the assistants, parents and helpers who gave up a half day or more to chaperone Beavers, Cubs and Scouts. If you fancy helping next year, please let me know. Mark Westwood 2ND MITCHELDEAN CUBS AUTUMN CAMP IN PORT EYNON It has been a busy year for 2nd Mitcheldean Cubs: On a dark night in February we enjoyed the medieval delights of St Briavels Castle. In May and June we were blessed with wonderful sunshine (with a couple of downpours) at Biblins and then the Pwyll Du outdoor pursuits centre in the Brecon Beacons for two nights. This autumn we all headed off to Port Eynon for two nights to stay in the old Life Boat Station which is now a YHA. A long journey (thanks go to Dene Magna School for lending us the mini-bus) was rewarded with a cone of chips and then off to sleep. Well perhaps not sleep straight away, as we know, Cubs will do anything to avoid sleep! After an early rise and a hearty breakfast, we were off to Oxwich Beach for a day of seafaring adventure. First up was coast steering. We raced off in RIB’s at 25 knots across Oxwich bay, leapt in to the sea, swam ashore and scrambled up the cliffs. Then back in with each jump getting bigger and bigger. Even the Leaders and parent helpers were up for the challenge. And what a challenge it was, but every Cub was smiling on the way back to a barbeque on the beach. The afternoon was spent paddleboarding, sea-kayaking and then some serious beach combing (mainly huge crabs (10p size!) and fire wood). The day was topped off with a fire on the beach and kite-making ready for a morning on Rhossili beach the next day. There was complete silence at 10pm. 13
We awoke to an amazing view and another hearty breakfast. The Cubs beach-combed while the leaders cleaned and made lunch. All crabs were returned to the sea and we said good bye to Port Eynon. Over at Rhossili, Katherine, the National Trust Ranger was waiting to give us a tour and delve in to the history of the bay and Worms Head. Then down to the beach to fly our kites.
A wonderful nights away, some amazing and challenging experiences and lot of fond memories; where are we going to go next? *************************
IF (with apologies to Rudyard Kipling) If you can light a fire with soggy matches While standing in a steady stream of rain, And see it fizzle out before it catches, And hold your tongue, and light the thing again, If you can fix a brew for all your friends When they are in their blankets, warm and dry, And rather you get wet than all the others, And laugh when you are tired enough to cry,
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If you can tie a knot that never fails you, And trust it, if the worst comes to the worst, To save your life when nothing else awaits you, But put the other fellow's safety first, If you can give first aid to those who need it, And treat for shock when you are shaken too, And though you suffer badly, never heed it, Until you’ve done the best that you can do, If you can go on working when you're weary, And go on singing till your throat is dry, If you can meet with sadness, and be cheery, And when you fail, just have another try, If you can trust your friends and those about you, And yet forgive them if they should forget, And though the whole world sometimes seems to doubt you, Be loyal to the task which you are set, If you don’t put yourself before the others, And never your Patrol before your Troop, If you salute all races as your Friends, In one united, universal group, If you can see the aim, and help to win it, And never falter till the job is done, Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And - which is more - you’ll be a Scout, my son! (Author unknown)
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Saint Helena St Helena was discovered by the Portuguese in 1502, probably on 3 rd May, which is the Catholic feast-day for the finding of the True Cross by Saint Helena in Jerusalem. Located in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, more than 1,200 miles from the nearest major landmass, Saint Helena is one of the most remote places in the world. The nearest port on the continent is Namibe in southern Angola, and the nearest international airport is the Quatro de Fevereiro Airport of Angola's capital, Luanda; connections to Cape Town in South Africa are used for most shipping needs. The mail boat, RMS St Helena, that provides regular connection with Cape Town and Ascension Island, 810 miles northwest, was due to be withdrawn in June this year, following the certification of the new airport in May. However unexpected serious problems became apparent when the first airliners came in. The single runway is aligned northeast-southwest and approaches from the north over the rugged terrain are subject to violent windshear. This can result in a sudden loss of airspeed, due to the momentum of the aircraft, a highly dangerous situation on the approach when close to the ground. The runway is not long enough to land towards the north with a significant tailwind. At the moment commercial air services have been postponed and the Saint Helena Government have persuaded the owners of RMS St Helena to continue its service. The loss of the regular arrival of tourists by air is a serious blow to the island’s economy. One lady is reputed to have invested £1,000,000 in a new hotel, which is now standing empty. Passengers taking the 1700 mile flight from Cape Town (more than three hours) would not be amused if the aircraft had to divert to Luanda, 2½ hours’ flying time away! The island has the same longitude as Cornwall in the United Kingdom. Despite its remote location, it is classified as being in West Africa by the United Nations! Saint Helena has a total area of 47 square miles, and is composed largely of rugged terrain of volcanic origin (the last volcanic eruptions occurred about 7 million years ago). The highest point of the island is Diana's Peak at 2,684 ft. In 1996 it became the island's first national park. The national bird of Saint Helena is the Saint Helena plover, known locally as the wirebird, on account of its wire-like legs. It appears on the coat of arms of Saint Helena and on their flag. 16
In 1890 King Dinuzulu, whose famous bead necklace was used by B-P to provide the first Wood Badge, was captured by the British and exiled to the island of St. Helena for seven years, for leading a Zulu army against the British.
Scouting was established on Saint Helena in 1912. Lord and Lady Baden-Powell visited the Scouts on Saint Helena on the return from their 1937 tour of Africa. The visit is described in Lord Baden-Powell's book entitled African Adventure. The single Group is the 1st Jamestown and there is also Jamestown Explorer Scout Unit. Although the program activities are taken from the British system, Saint Helena Scouting is geared to the local way of life. Training for the Wood Badge and Leader training are conducted with the help of British and nearby affiliated Scout Associations. Saint Helena Scouts participate in numerous camps and events. Scouting and Guiding in Saint Helena, is administered by the United Kingdom Scout Association and Girlguiding UK, due to the island’s affiliations as a British Overseas Territory. John Morton *************************
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Things are happening in Shooting NSRA visit report On the 15 October Ron Shell, your ACC Activities, and I went up to the Scout National Shooting Competitions at Bisley in Hampshire, primarily to see what was going on and to do some networking. You know the story, press the flesh, make the contacts, and hand out the business cards. We spent several hours discussing with national coaches Gloucestershire's way forward, as far as the type of equipment that is most suitable for the various sizes and abilities of Scout and the training that is needed for our teaching standards to improve. We have made contacts to enable us to buy rifles and pistols at possibly favourable prices. As we drove away, Ron said 'I have never seen so many Scouts in one place with rifles in their hands.' I think everyone will agree that Shooting as an activity in the County has been something that fills in an evening for most groups. Well as you can see from our visit to Bisley, things are going to change. In five years I want to see the County winning trophies at a national level. In the past there has been an annual competition in the spring, attended mostly by teams from the west of the County. To put the shooting sports higher on the agenda, I would like to see the County have a regular shooting competition on a league format; to start with this will take a postal format but with the increase of ranges, a shoulder-to-shoulder format is my preferred choice, to promote more inter-unit activities, smoothing the transfer to Explorers for example. With increases in the amount of shooting, skills will improve and there will be a need for competition-quality rifles. My thoughts at the moment are that we should set up two Centres of Excellence in the County, so that the County team, drawn from the County League, can progress to national and international competitions, with competition-quality kit. Instructors take note below! ‘An increase in ranges,’ I hear you say! You will be surprised how easy it is to put a range in your Scout 'Hut'. Permanent and concealed, temporary, indoors, outdoors and if your landlord is against it, there can be transportable versions. The Forest of Dean District has just built a range, I know - I am still getting the sawdust out of the little hair I have left! No instructors! Wrong! There are over 70 NSRA qualified instructors in the County, so there is one near you, and if all else fails I will run your first session until I can strong-arm a regular instructor for you.
Notices. Instructor Training Courses. There will be another training course for new instructors in the spring. This will be a three-position shooting instructors’ course, as I hope all our courses will be in the future. I need another six to ten to sign up for it. Cost £60, but I will be seeking 50% funding from Gilwell's development fund. If you are an instructor with a basic YPS certificate and you convert to 3p (a 1-day course), you automatically have your renewal date extended by 18
five years. I am also looking for pistol instructors to join me on a NSRA training course, now that Scouting allows pistol shooting. With such a large pool of instructors, it is time that some of us progress beyond the basic level of coaching. This will be at NSRA HQ at Bisley, and given by members of the national training team, and once again I will seek funding from Gilwell. Home Office regulations for instructors under 21. If instructors are 18 and under 21, they have to have someone 21 or over with them when running any shooting, and I suggest that person has a little knowledge on safety on shooting but does not have to be qualified. Secure storage. Home Office recommendations, and we all know these recommendations become regulations as soon as the CPS become involved, say that Air Weapons should be stored locked securely in occupied buildings not 'garden sheds and out buildings'. Where are your rifles stored? Most Scout halls are not occupied buildings and this matter is the responsibility of the holder of the rifles or the GSL and comes under the terms of the Firearms Acts.
Competitions. There is an inter county shoulder to shoulder competition with Wiltshire Scouts being arranged for the spring, plans are in the earliest stage, so watch this space but start practising. Remember I am here to help if you have a question or comment contact me. Happy Christmas, Neil Hatton
AIR PISTOL AND RIFLE INSTRUCTOR TRAINING COURSES These courses are planned for this spring. Please register your interest now as between 6 & 12 are needed to be economic. Air Pistol training will be by NSRA National coaches probably at Bisley. 50% funding support may be available from Gilwell. Details will be published as they become available. Contact Neil Hatton Gloucestershire Scout Council Shooting Advisor. backpacker308@gmail.com 19
Competitions There is an inter County shoulder-to-shoulder competition with Wiltshire Scouts being arranged for the spring; plans are in the earliest stage, so watch this space but start practising. Remember I am here to help — if you have a question or comment contact me. Happy Christmas, Neil Hatton ,Your County Shooting Advisor.
The Clock of the Long Now From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Clock of the Long Now, also called the 10,000-year clock, is a proposed mechanical clock designed to keep time for 10,000 years. The project to build it is part of the Long Now Foundation. The project was conceived by Danny Hillis in 1986. The first prototype of the clock began working on December 31, 1999, just in time to display the transition to the year 2000. At midnight on New Year's Eve, the date indicator changed from 01999 to 02000, and the chime struck twice. The twometre prototype is on display at the Science Museum in London.
The first prototype at the Science Museum in London.
As of December 2007, two more recent prototypes are on display at The Long Now Museum & Store at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco. The manufacture and site construction of the first full-scale prototype clock is being funded by Jeff Bezos, who has donated $42 million, and is located on land he owns in Texas. The clock is one of several projects through which the foundation intends to promote long-term thinking. In the words of Stewart Brand, a founding board member of the foundation, "Such a clock, if sufficiently impressive and well-engineered, would embody deep time for people. It should be charismatic to visit, interesting to think about, and famous enough to become iconic in the public discourse. Ideally, it would do for thinking about time what the photographs of Earth from space have done for thinking about the environment. Such icons reframe the way people think." “I want to build a clock that ticks once a year. The century hand advances once every one hundred years, and the cuckoo comes out on the millennium. I want the cuckoo to come out every millennium for the next 10,000 years. If I hurry I should finish the clock in time to see the cuckoo come out for the first time.” 20
The basic design principles and requirements for the clock are: Longevity: The clock should be accurate even after 10,000 years, and must not contain valuable parts (such as jewels, expensive metals, or special alloys) that might be looted. Maintainability: Future generations should be able to keep the clock working, if necessary, with nothing more advanced than Bronze Age tools and materials. Transparency: The clock should be understandable without stopping or disassembling it; no functionality should be opaque. Evolvability: It should be possible to improve the clock over time. Scalability: To ensure that the final large clock will work properly, smaller prototypes must be built and tested. No clock can have a guaranteed lifetime of 10,000 years, but some clocks are designed with guaranteed limits. (For example, a clock that shows a four-digit year date will not display the correct year after the year 9999.) With continued care and maintenance the Clock of the Long Now could reasonably be expected to display the correct time for 10,000 years. Whether a clock would actually receive continued care and maintenance for such a long time is debatable. Hillis chose the 10,000-year goal to be just within the limits of plausibility. There are technological artifacts, such as fragments of pots and baskets, from 10,000 years in the past, so there is some precedent for human artifacts surviving this long, although very few human artifacts have been continuously tended for more than a few centuries. Many options were considered for the power source of the clock, but most were rejected due to their inability to meet the requirements. For example, nuclear power and solar power systems would violate the principles of transparency and longevity. In the end, Hillis decided to require regular human winding of a falling weight design for updating the clock face, because the clock design already assumes regular human maintenance. However, the Clock is designed to keep time even when not being wound: If there is no attention for long periods of time the Clock uses the energy captured by changes in the temperature between day and night on the mountain top above to power its time-keeping apparatus.
If Homo sapiens sapiens is not extinct in 10,000 years’ time, will our descendants think of this clock the way we view flint axe heads? Ed.
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The Story of Dinuzulu's Necklace In 1888, when a British expedition was sent to Zululand, South Africa, it had to contend with Dinuzulu, King of the Zulus - a clever, heavily-built man, 6 ft. 7 ins. in height. On state occasions, Dinuzulu wore a necklace about 12 feet in length. It consisted of 1,000 or more wood beads, made from a South African yellow wood and strung on a rawhide lace. The necklace was a distinction conferred on royalty and outstanding warriors. During the hostilities that swept Natal and Zululand in those faraway days, the man who was to become the Founder of the Scout Movement - then Captain Robert Baden-Powell - gained possession of Dinuzulu's Necklace. Many years later, in 1919, when Baden-Powell instituted Wood Badge training for Scoutmasters he remembered Dinuzulu's Necklace and, taking two of the wooden beads and knotting them on a leather thong, he created the Wood Badge - to be worn around the neck and to be the only proficiency badge worn by Scoutmasters. The Wood Badge, with its replicas of the original Dinuzulu beads, is now worn by thousands of men and women around the world. There are a number of sequels to the story of Dinuzulu's Necklace. In 1963 a grandson of Dinuzulu, Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi, visited Canada to attend the Anglican World Congress in Toronto and on a side trip to Ottawa was hosted by a member of the Ottawa District staff, DSM Oliver Belsey. The following Christmas he sent Mr. Belsey a Christmas card depicting his late father doing a Zulu dance, a picture of himself in the full regalia of a Zulu Chieftain and two wooden beads (Wood Badge) taken from the military award of one of Dinuzulu's warriors who passed away in 1962. In 1965 at Kwakhethomthandayo, the Royal Kraal, near Nongoma in Zululand, Scouting history was made with the Investiture of Paramount Chief, Bhekuzulu Nyangayizwe, before 5,000 of his people. The Paramount Chief was invested as a Scout by a South African Headquarter's Field Commissioner. To mark the 12th World Jamboree and the 60th Anniversary of Scouting, the Boy Scouts of South Africa decided to make four authentic replicas of Dinuzulu's Necklace. After much research and months of hard work by European Rover Scouts in Natal, and Zulu Scouts from Natal troops, the four reproductions of the original were completed. Three of them were taken to the 12th World Jamboree in Idaho, U.S.A., in August, 1967. For museum purposes, one necklace was presented to the Chief Scout Executive of the host country, Boy Scouts of America; one to the Acting Director of the Boy Scouts World Bureau and one to the Camp Chief, International Training Centre, Gilwell Park, London. The fourth necklace remains in South Africa as an historic memento of the land of the origin of the Wood Badge. 22
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