gscouts News and Views for Scouting in Gloucestershire July 2019
Carole O’Donnell, DC Cotswold Vale, with Bear at St. George’s Day Parade, Windsor “So had a blast at Windsor. Not only got an autograph, a handshake but a photo with the man himself....Thank you Bear.”
Badge Courses: Paddy Langham
badges@gloucestershire-scouts.org.uk
County Administrator: Louise Little
admin@gloucestershire-scouts.org.uk Monday to Friday 0930 am - 1.30 pm 01452 814256
Cranham Scout Centre:
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 0345 300 1818 Saturday 9.00 am –12 noon 020 8433 7100
Gloucestershire Scouting on the Water Website http://activities.gscouts.org.uk
If you want to print this magazine,
it can be presented in A4 or as an A5 booklet.
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Editorial Congratulations to Bear Grylls, our Chief for the last ten years, on being honoured with the prestigious O.B.E. When the award was announced, the media described him as a TV personality, but I have no doubt that the award was in respect of his service to Scouting.
In the last edition I wrongly named our ACC Top Awards as Liz Hodge. I should have said Liz Orchard. My apologies. There are several photographs of Explorers and others in this edition and I would have liked to include their names in the caption. Unfortunately, as they are under 18, I am unable to do so. I am grateful to Shelley Wright, Angela Healy and the other Leaders who have sent me a wide range of photographs of activities and events. In particular, I find charming the image on page 24 of the young Cirencester Beaver making her Promise. My copy date for the Autumn edition of gscouts is Monday 7th October.
Attention all Explorers! Gloucestershire Scouts will be putting in a team for the Ten Tor’s in May 2020. The application needs to be submitted in August. As such we will be holding an Information evening on 24th July at Cranham between 1900 and 2100 for all Explorers, Parents and Leaders who want to learn more and register their interest. Please email Paul to let him know you will be attending - pnr1952@outlook.com https://www.tentors.org.uk/ Summary of the event as follows - There may be many challenging outdoor events in Britain today, but Ten Tors stands alone in its scale, its ambition and the fact that it is aimed solely at young people. The Event takes place every year on Dartmoor during the weekend following the May public holiday and is now firmly established in the collective consciousness of the South West. All those who attempt Ten Tors will undoubtedly remember it for the rest of their lives and for many it will be a life-changing experience. The Ten Tors Challenge is attempted by 2,400 teenagers in 400 teams of six. The teams navigate routes of 35, 45 or 55 miles (depending on age) over the Northern half of Dartmoor, visiting ten nominated tors / check points in under two days. Teams must be self-sufficient, carrying all that they need to complete their route and stay out overnight safely.
Adam (ACC Activities) ************************* A Scout fixed my car horn — beep repaired.
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From the CC The end of another School Year With Summer approaching, final preparations for summer camps and expeditions and for some a very well deserved rest. Thank you for everything you all do, whether it be working with young people week after week, or enabling buildings to be safe and adults to be supported in their roles. Thank you for all your support and hard work.
What has the CC been up to? The summer term is always busy for many of us, and I’ve really enjoyed the opportunities that the last few weeks have given me including taking part in two AGMs and seeing the great work being done in Districts and celebrating the successes they are having. I also got the chance to visit Strategy and Evolution, in its 5th year, where I had the brilliant opportunity to present some awards including the Award for Merit to one of the event Directors; Colin Steward. I also was able to talk to many of the young people and their Leaders taking part, all of whom were having an absolute blast! Well done to the winners of the main events. Will it be your Troop or Unit next year?? A huge thanks to everyone who does anything to run these amazing events. Truly something we can be proud of in Gloucestershire. Whilst at S&E, I took the time to catch up with a number of young people who are heading to the USA on the 21st July. To say that they are excited is an understatement. They are about to have the best time of their lives and I hope that you will join with me in sending them with all of our pride and best wishes. I look forward to saying goodbye to them at Heathrow. I also look forward to when they come back and they get to come and share their experiences with all of you across all Districts. Do make sure you read their story later in this edition.... I’m also feeling very honoured to be selected as a part of the team taking 48 young people to Haarlem at the end of the month. We recently got together for our Pre-camp, where it was amazing to work with the rest of the team and help the young people prepare for this amazing experience. We have also got a Unit going from the Forest Of Dean and we look forward to meeting up and sharing our experiences.
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Haarlem pre-camp
It’s a busy month for international experiences. With over 200 young people heading off to the USA, Madagascar, The Netherlands and many other places we really are part of this wonderful World-Wide family. Thank you all for all that you do. Have a fantastic summer.
Mark Spiller County Commissioner Gloucestershire Scouts Email: cc@gloucestershire-scouts.org.uk 5
G scouts Jamboree update. Fifteen days to go until we finally begin our journey to North America. We have worked incredibly hard to get this far and now the work has paid off. Months of bag-packing, lotteries and helping at events have culminated in this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. We created our Unit identity and designed our own kit. Not only have the Explorers worked hard to raise the money, the Unit Leaders have had their work cut out for them too. Three training weekends for Leaders to gain the skills and knowledge needed to look after ourselves at the Jamboree. We have learnt how to make the most out of our time and have shared masses of information with the unit. We’ve learnt to hand-wash, cook, clean and survive on one bag of clothes. We have decided our essentials and sent three bags ahead of us to the jamboree! We still haven’t managed to take a single photo of the whole Unit, however that should change soon! (See below! Ed.) We are thoroughly excited and somewhat nervous about our adventure. With so many people to meet and activities to try, we are all waiting in anticipation. There is a massive world out there and we are about to explore it. We want to share our journey to the Jamboree, find us on Facebook @GlosWSJUnit. Twitter @GlosWSJ_2019 or Instagram gloswsj2019.
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Photo by Carole O’Donnell 7
UK Scout Association info... Nights Away Myth Buster Article from HQ Advisor... You do not need to be wearing Scout uniform to be insured on a Scouting activity. You don't need written permission to take photographs and in a lot of cases, you could get yourself into a world of agro if you asked for it and were refused! Check your wordings carefully if you are making policy on photography. It may be that today on your St George’s Day Parade that some of you have breached your contract by allowing the kids in your care to have been photographed! If you are holding a Nights Away experience for your section, you must have a Nights Away Permit holder on site overnight. (Unless it is Scouts or Explorers and you are having zero adults on site and the NAP holder has issued an 'Event Passport'). This includes PGL. Event Passports are for Young People ONLY (Under 18's) They CANNOT be issued to adults. It is not a way to have adults on site but no permit holder! The NAP holder is responsible for the camp. It is their camp, they make the decisions and as long as they are safe, within the rules laid down in POR and the NAP scheme, nobody else should be interfering. They have been assessed as competent, they should be allowed to get on with it. If you see something that you are unsure about - talk to them. A minimum of 7 days for a NAN means that 7 days is OK. If your DC has asked for it sooner, try and be helpful and oblige. Don’t be a dick for the sake of it. If you have it planned three months ahead, submit the NAN - you can always amend it nearer the time! If a DC or CC wants to have local rules for Nights Away - Don't! Whether you like it or not, the Scout Association actually does know better than you. It likes the scheme the way it is because it does work! Leaders do NOT need to have woodbeads before being allowed a Nights Away Permit. Holding a NAP validates modules required to gain their woodbeads. There is no requirement to have run a set number of camps before being allowed a permit. There is an assessment to work to: AC120990. If the Leader can show they are capable authorise the permit! Please learn the difference between MUST, SHOULD & CAN.
Ratios are important, but please understand safeguarding allows 1 adult to be in charge of multiple kids as long as they have other adults on the events. We do not have 2 deep adult supervision requirements (yet!) - all this means is you are allowed to split into smaller groups and have a single leader with each group. The requirement is anything other than 1:1 8
Normal outdoors and Nights Away stuff is: Beavers - 6:1 +1 (leader in charge). Cubs - 8:1 +1 (leader in charge) Scouts 12:1 (but minimum of 2 adults overnight). Explorers anything other than 1:1 (but min of 2 or zero overnight) Boys and girls can share accommodation on Nights Away events, some parents would like it if you separated them somehow, some won't care. Tell them what you intend to do anyway! Listen to them if they object. Sections can be mixed on a Nights Away event, but it must be risk assessed. Is it reasonable to do so? Is it a good idea? Beavers and Cubs? No issue! Beavers and Explorers? (NOT YOUNG LEADERS). Why would you? Although if there is a valid reason then you can and it is your choice in conjunction with those attending and their parents. Don't mix Young Leaders with their section - that's not allowed. They may be Explorers, but they have a different status and set of rules. Risk Assessments are everything, the risks are different on a Beaver camp than they are on an Explorer camp. Let Leaders know it is their responsibility to think about this!. Don't try and take away their responsibility, that's not the way it works. NAP holders have been assessed as competent to plan and run a camp, they do not need to be micromanaged. If you think they do, should they have their permit? Beavers Nights Away can be for as long as they want! Their choice! Bulldog is a game Scouts are allowed to play. Leaders are in short supply. We should be doing what we can to look after them, not upsetting them so they leave. Beavers, Cubs and Scouts are allowed to throw axes. Explorers can if you trust them. If Leaders have used the phrase "What will they have to look forward to in the next section" then you need to look at whether they are suitable! All activities are suitable for all sections. They just need to be tailored to fit. Have we all worked out that Risk Assessments are everything. You don't need to write risk assessments down, but you do need to be able to justify your actions. Local rules are unnecessary. They are also inadvisable. If a rule doesn't apply to the whole membership, there is no reason for it to apply to any. I don’t care if you agree or not; I am just a picture of a (very cute) dog on the internet. (I used to be a meerkat but my puppy is cuter!)
Andy Sissons - National Nights Away Advisor 9
St. George’s Day Christina Da Silva with 1st Northleach Beavers
“We may have only been a few Beavers today but I had a fantastic time celebrating St George’s Day. The service was wonderful and I’m so proud of all the Girls.”
Not a lot of people knew that! St George's Day did not fall on the usual date of April 23 this year but April 29. Church rules state that in order to prevent an overlap with a major festival like Easter, if a saint’s day falls during Easter week, it is “translated” to the following week. Matthew Salisbury, the Church of England’s national liturgy and worship adviser, explained: “St George’s Day is translated to April 29, as nothing other than a principal feast would take place during Easter week.”
A spokesman for the Church of England added: "To protect major festivals from overlapping, the saints’ days of St George and St Mark must be postponed. "When St George’s Day or St Mark’s Day falls between Palm Sunday and the Second Sunday of Easter inclusive, it is transferred to the Monday after the Second Sunday of Easter, in this case the week beginning April 29.'' 10
Forest of Dean Scouts, St. George’s Day Parade
Well done to all the Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Young Leaders and Leaders who came to the Scout St George’s Day Parade in Coleford this morning. Thankyou to the parents for bringing them. We had young people from all sections from all over the Forest. What a great sight watching us parade from Coleford town centre!
Congratulations must also go to Scout Leader, Pete Thomas, who has completed five years as a Scout Leader and also to Cub Leader Ang Healy, who was awarded a special County Scout necker for becoming an Inspiring Program Champion for her consistency in providing innovative Cub programs.
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Stroud & Tetbury Explorers hiking to St George's celebration after camping at Penn Wood feeling motivated with Lottie Newall-Smith.
St George's Day at St Rose’s in Stroud 12
My Trip to St. James’ Palace I felt very privileged to be invited by Ruby Gardner to be her special guest at St. James’ Palace in December when she received her Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award certificate. Before going to Oxford University to read Law, Ruby was an Explorer at Unity and Devil’s Chimney ESUs. She was also a Young Leader at 41st Cheltenham and gained her Young Leader’s Belt Buckle with Wyell YLU. Having arrived at the palace, everyone entered through tight security. The palace is not usually open to the public, so it was a special privilege to be allowed in. We walked through several anterooms until we reached the throne room. This room was used for the Scouts’ presentations. It is a beautifully decorated room with the premier throne of the kingdom at the far end. The Scouts, about sixty of them, sat on one side of the room with parents and other guests facing them. We were then briefed on protocol by Jess Kelly from Gilwell – stand up briefly when the Prince arrives.
A few minutes later Prince Edward joined us and chatted and joked with the Scouts for about ten minutes. He then spoke to the guests as well, before moving on to the next room. Next came a talk by Poldy Van Lynden and Rob McArthur who had travelled from Marble Arch to the Arctic Circle in Norway by their own power. This included
walking,
swimming
the
Channel
and
paddling the last leg. Their talk was very inspiring. Tom Anderson was another Scout from Cheltenham receiving his certificate. He was an Explorer in Bob’s Dinosaurs ESU an is now at university in Cardiff and is a Leader at a local Scout Group. The photo is taken just outside the palace (no photos allowed inside). If you look very closely you can see the Welsh dragons on Tom’s shoulders. Well done to both Ruby and Tom – only 1% of Scouts gain their DofE Gold or Queen’s
Scout awards.
Paddy Langham District President
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Bob’s Dinosaurs held their Awards evening at All Saints’ Church, Cheltenham, for the 2nd year
Guidance from TSA now encourages Platinum/Bronze and Diamond/Silver to be awarded locally. No eagles flying around the Church this year, but WSJ Jamboree team members and Poland Jamboree members came along to share what they had been doing, a game and a quiz. Thank you. Slight hiccup with planned program being cancelled last minute, but a number of the Explorers played piano, and a few had ukuleles. One of our County Youth Commissioners, Callum Johnson, and our County DofE Advisor, Andy Holter, presented the Platinum/Bronze and Diamond/Silver Awards and our DC, Godfrey Tarling, presented an additional commendation Certificate to one of the Idalia. It was good having our DESA, Frank Perks, wife Tufty, Father Robert of All Saints’ Church and all the parents attending. Nicole Sullivan prepared and served lovely refreshments and yummy cakes made by Bev Piper, AESL, along with a fabulous Polish cake made by Idalia’s family. All the Diamond/Silver Awardees are about to complete their QSA/Gold Expedition this June on the Upper River Severn, alongside members from Adder’s Tongue and Chipping Camden. All the Platinum/Bronze Awardees will complete their Diamond/Silver Expedition in two teams alongside Adder’s Tongue, Black Sheep and CIA this coming Spring May Bank holiday on the Monmouth & Brecon Canal.
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Callum Johnston and Andy Holter, County DofE Advisor, with Platinum/Bronze Awardee
Callum Johnston, County Youth Commissioner, with Platinum/Bronze Awardee 15
April 6th, start Stourport-on-Severn QSA/Gold Practice Crew on the left overdid it already!
Monmouth & Brecon Diamond/Silver Expedition Team at finish point. 6/5/2019 Explorers from CIA, Adder’s Tongue, and Bob’s Dinosaurs 16
41st Cheltenham Scouts, April 2019
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Cheltenham District Water Activities Event—08/09 June 2019 Over this weekend a team of those knowledgeable in water activities from various parts of the County led by Shelley Wright (Bob's Dinosaurs ESU) provided a series of fun events, including kayaking, canoeing and bell-boating based at the headquarters of 1st Fairford Scout Group and on Lake Horcott. Each attendee was given instruction in each type of craft - no instruction was given in how to fall or jump into the lake and/or getting wet in various ways but many proved adept at doing this as attested by the dripping participants on "the beach" (from where the craft were launched) and in the headquarters building.
There were various other activities on offer including mega-catapult (they were allowed to attempt to hit the canoe that had their Leader in), giant Jenga, space-hopper jousting and "find the sparkly things in the woods round the lake" ("finds" were to be reported and numbered from 16 to 36 (but only Shelley knows the correct answer). We failed however to count the number of biscuits consumed, so will not be putting in for a Guinness World record (but I believe we would have given any current record a run for its money !!) Over the two days there was a mixture of just over 70 Beaver Scout and 100 Cub Scout attendees variously from 1st Cheltenham, 1st Hatherley, 1st Swindon Village, 1st Prestbury, 1st Warden Hill, 7th Cheltenham, 10th Cheltenham, 15th Cheltenham, 24th Cheltenham, 25th Cheltenham, 41st Cheltenham and 45th Cheltenham. One of the highlights of the event was undoubtedly the action warm up to the waterborne sessions provided by a piratical leader to the tune of "YMCA" - I am told that excerpts from this routine are available on Facebook but you'll have to find them for yourself !! In addition some assessment was carried out for permits for a selection of the various water activities. A similar event was carried out over the weekend of 01/02 June 2019 for Cotswold District and there were some 90 Beaver Scout, Cub Scout and Scout attendees variously from Fairford, Lechlade, Northleach, South Cerney, Stow, Deer Park and Cirencester.
Alan Hayward County Youth Commissioner Callum Johnston was ball-collector for mega catapult on the lake Saturday morning. Godfrey Tarling DC visited Sunday lunchtime. Great turnout of grassroots membership to help at this large water event run by a small grass-roots team.
Four leaders gaining raft permits for Cotswold, now working on canoe and kayak permits. These four also going for more permits this autumn at Croft Water Day.
Shelley Wright
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Cheltenham District Water Activities Event
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Forest of Dean District Cub Cycle Ride
Carol Rushton Leader in charge of the event, with 1st Clearwell and Sling Cubs Cubs from all over the Forest of Dean took part in a five-mile cycle ride through the Forest as part of their Cycle badge on Saturday. 60 Cubs and approximately 25 adults from 1st Clearwell & Sling, 1st Royal Forest (Tuesday), 1st Ruardean, 1st Newent and 1st Aylburton & Lydney arrived at Heart of the Forest School to start their ride. Groups set off at ten-minute intervals and headed off following a map towards Mallards Pike on the cycle paths. One of the organisers, District Cub Leader Ang Healy, said ‘It was a great day, the weather held off and all the Cubs and adults really enjoyed themselves. All the Cubs and their bikes were checked and their cycling ability was assessed before they started off. Part of the Cyclist badge was to draw a Bike Safety poster. We had lots of entries but the winners were Rosie Wilman and Erin Dunton - both Cubs from 1st Ruardean Cubs. Well done girls — your posters were very eye-catching. ‘Many thanks to Heart of the Forest School for letting us use their facilities. Also to Ian Scott, from HOTF School, who helped assess the Cubs and their bikes, as well as all the extra adults, Leaders and Severn Steel Explorers who were marshals and helped out at the event. We couldn’t have done it without you. Everyone had a great day out in the fresh air.’ 20
Ian Scott checking tyres before the ride
Adults on the ride get a safety briefing 21
Spent the evening with Severn Steel Explorers and their families at the first ever Kids v Parents
challenge, as part of the District's 2020 Vision. Amazing event and great atmosphere.
Looking forward to Kids V Parents events at the other Explorer Units and Scout Groups.
Gary Law, DC Forest of Dean May the Forest be with you!
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Vince Hall plants the Meyer ESU flag at the summit of Cam Peak — move over Jake Meyer !
Welcome to Meyer ESU — two Explorers invested on top of Cam Peak in May.
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1st Cirencester Beavers 24
1st Dursley Fox Beavers earning their Animal Friend badge, 18 July.
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National Map Reading Week,
declared by the Ordnance Survey, was 27th May to
2nd June. The following link, including a free download featuring Map Reading Made Easy and a quiz could well be useful. https://getoutside.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/guides/map-reading-week/? utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=&utm_content=&utm_campaign=16 8857e4-3ce6-4845-a68e-3935260357b8 *************************
Poster found in a church in France (translated) “When you enter this church it may be possible that you hear ‘the call of God’. However, it is unlikely that He will call you on your mobile. Thank you for turning off your phones. If you want to talk to God, enter, choose a quiet place and talk to Him. If you want to see Him, send Him a text while driving”. 25
Forthcoming Events: NEW Operation Bald Eagle 11th/13th October Rhydd Covert Scout Camp, Kidderminster. £25 + food and transport. An exciting weekend for Scouts and Leaders. Scouts take part as a team in three Challenges: Friday Night, Day Bases on Saturday, then an overnight incident hike in the Wyre Forest. Full details of this weekend are HERE. Booking open on 1st June but this event fills very fast and you need to get bookings from your Scouts sorted before then to avoid disappointment - it's been fully booked before the summer break for the last few years. (No charge for Leaders, but you will be expected to assist in running the event)
NEW Jamboree on the Air & Internet: 18th/20th October
JOTA/JOTI is the largest Scouting event in the world with 1.8 million Scouts participating across 150+ countries. Scouts and Guides communicate with each other over the weekend using radio and internet technology. During the course, you’ll communicate over Amateur radio with Scouts and Guides across Europe, and as far afield as our antennas can manage, as well as learning about the different modes of radio communication available today. As well as radio we’ll use Scoutlink, Skype, and the JOTI digital campfire to talk to Scouts much further afield. At the end of the weekend you’ll have completed your Communicator badge as well as gaining the JOTA/JOTA participant badge. Booking details are available here
PADI Discover Scuba Diving
November 16 @ 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm £27 Come along and give it a try. Our one-hour session in the safety of a swimming pool is an ideal way to decide if scuba diving is something you would like to do – and our professional instructors make sure it’s a fun event too. Cost is £27 including kit hire. Oh – and you earn the Water Sports Activities Badge too. You can find the application form here : 2019 Scuba DSD Application form
PADI Open Water Scuba Diver Qualification (Weekend 1 of 2) October 18 @ 7:00 pm - October 20 @ 7:00 pm There’s been a lot of enthusiasm out there for scuba diving recently. Is it the blue sea, crystal clear water, or beautiful multi-coloured fish swimming happily just inches away from you in the River Severn? No? Well it must be the fun and sheer delight of making the leader team struggle to crow-bar you into the wet-suits. For whatever reason, this year’s Open Water course in April / May was fully booked, so here is an additional one! Our close relationship with the JCScuba Dive School means that the Octopus Scuba Explorer Unit will again be running the PADI Open Water Scuba Diver course for those Scouts and Explorer Scouts wanting to gain this lifelong qualification and embark on thrilling holiday adventures well into the future. Our course set-up consists of two Scout weekends. Prior to the course you will be sent the training manuals. During the first weekend the friendly instructor team from JCScuba will then take you through a review of the manuals and also give you training time in the pool, before heading off to some Open Water dives at a local site. Weekend 2 is similar but has the added bonus (?) of two theory exams, leading to the full qualification on completion of the second weekend. (Don’t worry, nobody has failed the exams on our courses……yet). 26
The course also has the potential to deliver various Scout activity badges and these will be agreed with Scouts and their Leaders. For Explorers, gaining the qualification is listed as one possible route for completion of the DoE Physical Activity section. The course is residential, based at a Scout HQ in Gloucestershire over both weekends, with training manuals, PADI registration, equipment hire, accommodation, food, transport and entrance fees to the training and dive locations all included. The discounted cost for 2019 is held at £450 for the whole course but it can be paid in instalments by arrangement with the Course Director (see booking form for contact details). The two new weekend dates are: 18 – 20 October AND 1 – 3 November, 2019. Booking Form available here: 2019 Scuba OW2 Application form
PADI Open Water Scuba Diver Qualification (Weekend 2 of 2) November 1 @ 7:00 pm - November 3 @ 7:00 pm For details see Weekend 1 (October 18-20) For further information (and customised price for the course combination), without obligation, please contact Derek to discuss which courses you are thinking about (01452 614633). The application form for AOW is here 2019 Scuba AOW Application form and for Specialisms here 2019 Scuba Generic Application form
PADI Advanced Open Water & Specialisms Weekend September 20 @ 6:00 pm - September 22 @ 5:00 pm Vobster Quay Somerset OK, so you’ve got your PADI Open Water Scuba Diver – where to next? Well, there are plenty of specialisms available in Gloucestershire Scouting from the Octopus Scuba Explorer Unit in conjunction with our usual dive school, JCScuba. This weekend we will be running the PADI Advanced Open Water course and we will also be running specialisms – as long as you already have your Open Water, then you can sign up for any of the courses on offer. You tell us which specialism you want and we’ll see what we can do! Examples: Enriched Air (Nitrox) (1 day) Dry Suit Diver (1 day) Diver Propulsion Vehicle (1 day) Digital Photographer (1 day) Wreck Diver (2 day) Search & Recovery (2 days) day) …..more? Price will vary depending on the courses chosen – some are one-day so you can mix and match to get two qualifications, and some require the full weekend to obtain. For some courses there are also prerequisites before you can be accepted on the course. As usual with our scuba weekends, the price includes all travel, accommodation, food, equipment hire, instruction and PADI registration. The maximum price for the whole weekend will be £350. If you only want to do a one-day specialism, that’s fine. On the other day you can do two of our Experience Dives – don’t forget every dive logged counts towards the minimum number required for your Master Scuba Diver qualification. For further information (and customised price for the course combination), without obligation, please contact Derek to discuss which courses you are thinking about (01452 614633). The application form for AOW is here 2019 Scuba AOW Application form and for Specialisms here 2019 Scuba Generic Application form 27
NEW *Canal Weekend Friday/Sunday 27th/29th September. A weekend on narrowboats on the Grand Union Canal. You learn to steer the boat and work the locks. Badges awarded: Scouts: Power Coxswain; Explorers: Water Activities. Transport included. £80 There are 16 places on this course. (A course for Leaders is run in February & March.) Read what we did last time HERE
NEW *Mountain Activity Weekend: Fri/Sun 4th/6th October. Brecon Beacons. Travel by minibus to South Wales for a weekend in the Brecon Beacons. Transport, indoor accommodation & food provided.
This weekend will offer the opportunity to learn about planning and preparation for mountain walking, with a full day hill walking with walks suitable for all ages and abilities. This weekend could also count towards the Explorer Scout Mountain Activities Badge or the Scout Adventure Challenge. £55
NEW *Climbing Course Wed 30th & Thurs 31st October
Mid-week course at the Warehouse Climbing Centre in Gloucester: Climbing and bouldering using the extensive facilities and fully qualified instructors. Scouts gain the Climber Badge. Explorers gain the Explorer Climber Badge. All climbing equipment provided. Non-residential. £50
NEW Explorer Caving Badge Weekend: 29th Nov – 1st Dec. The Christian Adventure Centre, Viney Hill in the Forest of Dean. £100 A full weekend with indoor accommodation, fully catered and with all equipment provided. This builds on the Caver Badge weekend earlier this year and results in the completion of the Explorer Caving Activity Badge. Caving will be done in the Mendips and will include vertical pitches. To be accepted you MUST be an Explorer Scout at the time of the event and have done the mandatory prerequisite four underground trips as per the badge specification. (Those who attended our January Caver Badge weekend meet this requirement). There are strict number quotas for this course which will be split into two groups. If we don’t reach the required number to run the second group, this may be converted to a Scout Section Caver Badge opportunity staying in the Wye Valley area. Applications: For the Explorer Caving Badge, where you meet the prerequisites, apply in the normal way with entry fee and evidence of meeting the prerequisites. For those not meeting the prerequisites, if you want to be held on a waiting list in case we run the Scout Section Caver Badge (which also works as the prerequisite introduction to the Explorer Caving Badge), please send an expression of interest (no fee at this point) and we will contact you if we proceed with the second event. Read about our last weekend HERE Caving Leaders: We are inviting one or two young(ish) Leaders to join us on this weekend 28
Young Leaders Module A - Prepare for Take-off! Thursday 3rd October: Cranham. This is the mandatory course all Young Leaders need to do. The module has been revised and includes all essential information needed before starting as a Young Leader Course is free but please book as numbers are limited. Application form is HERE Young Leaders are welcome to attend any YLU. If you would like details of programmes then just let me know.
Paddy Langham
NEW Circus Activity Badge - in your area - Autumn Term 2019 Shooting Stars Circus Skills are working in your area on the following dates in Autumn term 2019. September 9th -13th, 16th -20th October 7th - 25th November 4th - 8th, 18th - 22nd December 2nd - 13th We would like to introduce you to Shooting Stars Circus Skills who offer Beavers, Cubs & Scouts units the chance to enjoy the fun and excitement of a circus skills evening at a special discounted rate. Whether they want to work on their Circus Activity Badge or just have a fun and creative evening, we can offer a brilliant workshop with a highly experienced instructor at the rate of: £150.00 for a 1 - 2 hour session with one group £240.00 for a 2 - 3 hour session with two groups (£120.00 per group) £300.00 for a 3 - 5 hour session with three groups £100.00 per group) £300.00 for an all day workshop (usually Saturday or Sunday 10.00 - 16.00) The workshop consists of a circus instructor and circus equipment (which is tailored according to age groups, space available and length of session time). Examples include juggling balls, rings and scarves, spinning plates, diabolos, flower sticks, and larger equipment such as stilts, fun wheels, pedal racers, unicycles & mini-bikes. Equipment used will be at the discretion of your instructor. With the volume and variety of equipment available, we can take a group of up to 30 children/ young people per workshop, keeping them involved and engaged at all times. If we are running workshops specifically for the Circus Performer Badge, then equipment available will be tailored for this event. "The Greatest Showman' themed Unit Meetings * Camps * Residential * Sleepovers * Celebrations * Pack Holidays. All our instructors have DBS's, Public Liability with Equity of £10 million and Risk Assessments are available. Contact Us
Steve Grainger Shooting Stars Circus Skills Office: 01386 550260 Mobile: 07970 107845 Web: www.shootingstarscircus.co.uk
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Gloucestershire Water Weekend at Croft Farm – September 2019 Dates are released for this year’s Gloucestershire Water Weekend at Croft Farm, Tewkesbury. This will be our 7th year of Gloucestershire Scouting on the Water.
21st to 22nd September Places limited. 50% booked.
Kayaking, Canoeing, Stand Up Paddleboarding. What’s on offer, •
paddling experience,
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British Canoeing Awards,
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Scouting Paddle Awards,
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Leader permit assessments,
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or just enjoying a paddle on the River Avon.
Cost of the weekend is £44. To include camping and launch fee, Saturday lunch and evening meal, Sunday breakfast and lunch. These two days are open to Scouts 13+, Explorers, Network and Leaders. If you wish to attend this weekend then book via this link:-
water weekend booking form.
Any questions then email :- scouting-on-the-water@outlook.com Are you a Leader willing to help us over the weekend? We need assistance with camp setup, cooking, camp clear up, water-permitted Leaders, etc. Every year we have to limit the numbers on the camp due to the number of Leaders who attend the weekend. If you can help then could you fill out this form please? Croft Leaders / Helpers Form Want to know even more about this weekend? Then go here – participants information page
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Reports: Discover Scuba Diving Session 1 2019 seems to be the year of the wandering Octopus. Following January’s session in Lydney, March 9th saw the Discover Scuba Diving session move to Tewkesbury for the first time. Sixteen Scouts and Explorers took to the water for their first experience of breathing underwater. This was obviously enjoyed by them, as some have already signed up for the qualification course in April and May. Next stop Swindon! We hope to be back at our more normal site in Gloucester at the end of the year.
Derek Newman
Discover Scuba Diving Session 2
The wandering Octopus parked its eight legs at Wroughton for the latest Discover Scuba Diving event on a chilly Wednesday evening in April – but the heated indoor environment soon cheered the participants up. Two existing qualified divers chose to come along for the advisory (best practice) 6-monthly refresh, whilst six other Scouts dared to put on the equipment and sample the delights of breathing under water for the first time. As usual the evening started quietly (nervousness about what they had let themselves in for) but by the end it was anything but quiet with discussion and excitement reigning supreme.
Derek Newman
Climber Badge
A record number of Scouts (18) enjoyed their time at the Warehouse Climbing Centre in Gloucester. They had two full days of climbing under the guidance of expert instructors.
Expedition Weekend One The first weekend saw four patrols of Scouts camping at Eastcombe Scout HQ. On Saturday they went off on accompanied hikes, learning all the skills they needed. On return to Eastcombe, they learnt how to cook their dinner on trangias. On Sunday they set off on a hike on their own with Leaders check-pointing them at various points on their journeys. Now they are all set for the main expedition this month.
Paddy Langham
Expedition Weekend Two
The second weekend saw the Scouts at Eastcombe Scout HQ. again on Friday night. On Saturday they were dropped off at start points for their hikes. They all arrived at Cranham safely, where they pitched their tents, cooked their evening meal and spent the night. ...On Sunday they hiked to Cowley Guide Camp and were presented with their badges by our County Commissioner, Mark Spiller, and our ACC Scouts, Pal Emmett.
Badge Weekend March saw a record number of Scouts staying indoors at Cranham to complete one of three badges: Electronics, Geocaching or the Naturalist badge. Many thanks to Caro McIntosh, Beulah Beasant and Dave Hall and their teams for running the weekend and to Wendy Binks and Richard Piper for looking after the catering.
Paddy Langham
************************* Primus stoves — are they paraffinalia? 31
Report on our 2018 JOTA and JOTI weekend: Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) and Jamboree on the Internet (JOTI) is an official event of the World Organisation of the Scout Movement. Every year Scouts, Guides and Girl Scouts are invited to enable and encourage young people to communicate with one another by the means of amateur radio and the internet, providing a fun and educational Scouting experience and promoting their sense of belonging to a worldwide Scout and Guide Movement. We had seven young people join us for the weekend’s course in which, as well as taking part in JOTA-JOTI, they would also earn their Communicator badge. We ran a number of activities on Internet safety, how radios work, effective communication and various games and challenges. We made contacts around the world during the weekend, including as far as Australia via the internet, and Paris using the radio. The map shows all the contacts made over the weekend. As well as the very popular games of werewolf on Scoutlink, our giant box of Lego proved very popular on the breaks away from the screens. At the end of the weekend all the young people were presented with their Communicator badges as well as their 2018 JOTA-JOTI badge.
David J. Lodwig (M0VDL) Group Scout Leader, Eastcombe Scout & Guide Group
Steerers’ Course
The first weekend saw the ten members of the course based at the HNA base at Harefield on the Grand Union Canal. Friday night was spent in the lecture room hearing about the syllabus for the course from Paul Huntley, the course leader. Saturday morning, the two boats, Pisces and Merlin, travelled up to Batchworth to visit the supermarket and stock up with supplies. The rest of the weekend was spent around the base practising lock work, winding (turning the boats around) and mooring. On the second weekend the course had narrowboats, Pisces and Spirit, and travelled up to Hemel Hempstead gaining valuable experience of the canal. All those with relevant experience will be awarded the Certificate in Community Boat Management (CCBM) by the National Community Boats Association (NCBA). This is a nationally-recognised qualification. They will also gain a Scout permit.
Cub Pioneer Badge On Saturday 16th March and Saturday 30th March Cub Scout Pioneer courses were held at Prestbury Scout HQ - a total of 30 Cub Scouts from 15th Gloucester, 31st Gloucester, 41st Cheltenham, 1st Warden Hill, 2nd Twyning and 49th Cheltenham over the two courses gained the Pioneer badge. They spent most of the day in outdoor active project work building shelters, making catapults, and bursting balloons, by putting into practice the knots and lashings they had been taught on the course.
Alan Hayward
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Open Water Scuba Dive The wandering Octopus finally returned to its regular home to deliver the first Open Water Scuba Diver course of its second decade – yes it is more than 10 years since the Unit was first formed to answer a wish for scuba diving to take place for Scouts and Explorers in the County. The first weekend was, as usual, not too warm - to put it mildly - though not on the scale of the 2018 Big Freeze first weekend. Like last year not everybody completed all their targets that weekend, which meant that they would not be able to complete the whole award in the two weekends (one additional day will see it all done and dusted). Two weeks later and the second weekend couldn’t be more different (again just like last year). We were the only people on site with bright sunshine and temperatures up in the high teens and good visibility in the water (unusual for Cromhall).This course also took the total of qualified Scouts and Explorers through the 120 mark since Octopus started. One survivor of the Big Freeze last year came back to get his Dry-Suit qualification (he’s not going to get that cold again!).
Derek Newman
Outdoor Climbing Day Twelve young people and four Leaders had a busy day at Symonds Yat, climbing on New Orleans Buttress. Everyone tried at least four different climbs, completed an abseil, and learned some additional climbing skills. All the Scouts and Explorers earned their activity or activity plus badges - well done. Thanks to the Leaders for helping me run the day.
Andy Ross
Mechanics Badge
The first day went well and ten Scouts were able to completed all the requirements of the badge including changing wheels. Many thanks to Nigel Green and Gary Law for running the day. We look forward to the second day in July.
Module A Another group of enthusiastic Young Leaders met up at Cranham for this course. They were all encouraged to attend YL Units and work towards their YL Belt Buckle. 33
Survival Skills Weekend
This year's weekend was blessed with good weather with almost no rain. The Scouts for the Novice and Action+ courses arrived at the Winstone entrance to Miserden Park on the Saturday morning. (The Scouts from London had arrived on Friday evening). Novice course They were given their patrols (Deer, Fox, Squirrel or Badger) and their kit was checked . This was divided into three bags: Day Sack carrying all their needs during the course; Sleeping bag well wrapped in a waterproof bag; Spares bag including a spare sleeping bag and change of clothing. During the day they moved around several bases learning the skills they would need: shelter building, knife safety, first aid, camp hygiene, cooking and fire-lighting.. Once they were trained they were issued with their knife (bright orange to avoid loss). That evening they were treated a good hot meal, cooked over an open fire. They then spent the night in the woods sleeping under tarps. On Sunday they were given final training before departing into the woods to build their bivvies and cook their meals - all over wood fires without the use of any cooking pots They worked very hard building their shelters to make them weather-proof. On Sunday afternoon they were shown how to skin a rabbit and then skinned their own rabbits ready to cook them. As it got dark they all went to their bivvies for the night. Activity+ Course These Scouts disappeared deep into the woods and gained more experience building on what they had already learnt the previous year. Much time was spent reviewing basic Scout skills but now with a purpose, as knives, knots and fires would keep you warm and dry for real on this weekend. The aim of showing that living in the open could be relaxing, comfortable and fun was achieved. The Scouts left the weekend prepared to continue to the next course and are able to pass on their skills to their home Troops. Asked to support the Leaders, clear the site and return it to nature, we worked as a team to finish in good time, learning on the way simple skills and something of what goes into organising an event. Neil Hatton Gloucestershire Scout Council Shooting Advisor, NSRA Club Instructor. County Skills Instructor. Cheltenham Executive Committee Member. The Advanced Course took place on a different site in Miserden Park. The course had a slightly new format this year, working towards three goals: real world survival skills, meeting the requirements for the Explorer Survival Skills badge, and preparation for the Nabo course. To this end the Explorers spent two nights sleeping without sleeping bags, purifying their own drinking water, and surviving using only things that might be found in a rucksack on a day hike. They all performed brilliantly! Then magically only appeared for the presentations and chocolate bars on Monday. Everyone had a good night's sleep - it was even difficult to wake some of them!. They then cooked their breakfast, before taking down the bivvies and returning the woods to a clear state. Finally it was time for presentation of their badges and then home for a good wash! Andy Sargeant 1st Cheltenham (Highbury ) 34
Paragliding Report For those that don’t know, paragliding is an airborne sport where either one or two people usually fly off a mountain or a high place and glide back down slowly. Flight times usually range from 5-10 minutes. What we did was wear the same gear and parachute but were towed up with a very long rope attached to the parachute and also to the truck moving us forwards. As part of Scouts we had a paragliding activity day where we learnt the basics to paragliding and participated in it ourselves. We started off by learning how to land as safely as possible, which included flopping your legs over your body as you landed and took a bit of getting used to. Then after we were all confident with that, we got the parachutes out and started laying them out. We were given a demonstration of what to do and how to do it but at this time it still seemed pretty scary. Then we were organised into different groups; there would be one person paragliding at a time, along with three or four people lifting up the parachute at the beginning. Another three people to take control of the parachute, when the paraglider landed to make sure they didn’t start flying again! After folding up the parachute, you’d also get a fun ride back in the jeep. We had several goes each, including the adults, and over the course of the day began to enjoy it more and more. I very much enjoyed the day and would recommend it to others as a great thing to do!
GLSW and Surrey Scout Paragliding Club catering for Scouts to start with and progression onto Parascending Wings. For more info contact Richard Featherstone on richard.featherstone@sky.com. We are a Scout club with Scout insurance, flying under POR and BHPA (controlling body for parascending) rules. 2019 parascending dates:-
13th July 13th October
14th July 26th October
21st September 27th October
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22nd September
12th October
The World is shrinking /// becomes the useful mapping # Having been involved in Scouting for more years than I care to recall, it takes something big for me to put pen to paper (well type to PC). I have recently been made aware of an application for both apple and android phones, as well as PCs, that has blown my mind and, like all great ideas, it’s simple. With the arrival of smartphones, which most young people and some of us older ones have,
the App “What3words” is a must have. A free app is available from Google play for Android and iTunes for the Apple version The world has been mapped by many, but the app I refer to has gone one step further; it has divided the world up into trillions of 3-metre by 3-metre squares and defines them by using three words that have no relationship to what is in that square, for instance for Cranham Scout Centre, the post code of GL4 8HP will put you in the general vicinity, ///passion.sweat.sleepers puts you inside the reception building! Postcodes refer to an area with buildings and the postcode covers many properties, but what
about the rest of the world, where no buildings are present? We as Scouts can either use map references or latitude and longitude. Here’s a simple scenario: you’re out on Dartmoor and one of the group breaks a leg – what do you do? Well of course, as Scouts, we treat the patient, but then how do we direct the services to us to assist in the removal of the poor patient? Latitude and longitude is 50°37'50.7"N 3°56'26.6"W, that’s a fair few numbers to remember and is open to miscommunications with the emergency services but with “What3Words” mapping the position becomes ///saying.stems.courtyard, which is easy to communicate and puts the patient in a 3 x 3-metre area. The system is now being used by the emergency services, as you may have a mobile signal on Dartmoor but I doubt you have a data signal. The app only needs to be installed on your smartphone, then it uses no data, only GPS, so with 10% battery left you’re still able to confirm your and the patient’s exact location. Of course, the system may also be useful for fun activities. The company behind “What3words” has even proved the system in Mongolian, to help with tourism in that vast country! Don’t take my word for it - try it out; its free To give this system some creditability, Mercedes Benz are now putting in satellite navigation systems in their cars using “What3words”, as are Ford and TomTom.
Mark Morton DDC Cotswold Vale 36
20th July 1969. Two Scouts took their first steps on the surface of the Moon, making history
11 of the 12 people who walked on the Moon were Scouts. Their shining example is testament to the skills, courage and determination shown by Scouts everywhere . More than two-thirds of all current and former astronauts have been involved in Scouting. Being a Scout fosters a spirit of adventure and a passion for discovering new things, while
also teaching initiative, leadership and teamwork – perfect attributes for an astronaut. • 320 pilots and scientists have been selected by NASA since the start of the US space program in 1959 – and an amazing 181 of them were in Scouting. • Of the 24 men to travel to the moon on the Apollo 8 and Apollo 10 to 17 missions, 20 were Scouts, including 11 of the 12 moonwalkers, and all three members of the crew of Apollo 13. Three Scout astronauts have travelled to the moon twice. • Neil Armstrong was a Scout. He was the first man to walk on the moon and was crew commander of the successful Apollo 11 mission. He even carried a World Scout Membership Badge with him on the mission. Pushing the boundaries has tragically come at a cost for world Scouting. All three of the astronauts who died in the Apollo 1 fire, four of the seven who died in the space shuttle Challenger launch explosion, and five of the seven who died in the space shuttle Columbia re-entry explosion were Scouts. 37
Scouting in Canada Scouting started in Canada in 1908, when two Troops in Ontario and one in Nova Scotia were established. The organisation was a branch of the Boy Scouts Association until 1976, when the name was changed to Boy Scouts of Canada and later to Scouts Canada. It is fully coeducational. Scouts Canada currently has over 100,000 members reflecting every faith and culture. The organization is supported by
the efforts of 25,000 volunteers with programming offered in more than 19 languages. Under the World Organization of the Scout Movement's constitution, only one organization is recognized in each country. Canada is the only country in which this recognition is held jointly. Many other countries also have more than one Scouting organization and some of these have formed national federations which are the WOSM members. Scouts Canada and L'Association des Scouts du Canada (French-speaking Scouts) send a joint delegation to meetings of the World Organization of the Scout Movement;.
There is also the non-recognized breakaway association, the B-P Scouts., mainly concentrated in QuĂŠbec Province. Scouts Canada provides for First Nation youngsters in the far north. The Patron Scout of Canada is Julie Payette, the current Governor General of Canada. From 1910 to 1946, the position of Chief Scout for Canada and, from 1946 to 2013, the position of Chief Scout of Canada was held by successive Governors General. On 19 April 2013, the Scouts Canada Board of Governors appointed Terry Grant as Chief Scout of Canada and the honorary title held by the Governor General was renamed Patron Scout.
The age grouping is similar to our own, except that Beavers start at 5 and the 18 to 25-year-
olds are called Rovers. Rover Scouts is the eldest youth program in Canadian Scouting and is for teens and young adults between 18 and 26 years old. Activities include "high adventure activities" ranging from multi-week expeditions with increasingly-difficult challenges, taking on
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leadership roles working with younger sections, and assisting with or running service projects at a local, national and international level. There are vocational programs for Venturers and Rovers. •
Medical Venturers/Medical Rovers (Medvents/Medrovers) is a new program that consists of Venturers and Rovers that learn and provide first-aid. Medical Venturers have been credited with saving lives in Toronto by using a defibrillator to assist a patient in cardiac arrest.
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Fire Venturers learn basic fire-fighting skills while working with fire departments.
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Police Venturers learn firearm safety, crowd control and similar skills while working with
police departments. •
Service Corps Venturers/Rovers offered community service within the Scouting
Community as well as outside organizations including Heritage Canada, The Ottawa Hospital Foundation, The Ottawa Food Bank and The Royal Canadian Legion's Dominion Command. From 1952 to 1994 Canadian Scouts in Europe provided for the sons and daughters of service personnel. ScoutsAbroad is a program which was created to support the Canadian Brotherhood Fund. Scouts in wealthier countries like Canada help Scouts in developing countries help themselves on the road to self-sufficiency. The Canadian Brotherhood Fund provides, through grants, “seed money” for many international development projects. The ScoutsAbroad program also promotes youth involvement in learning about their world through penpal programs, international events, and international exchanges.
John Morton
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About Bear Grylls, OBE Bear Grylls has become known worldwide as one of the most recognised faces of survival and outdoor adventure. His journey started as a young boy on the Isle of Wight, where his late father taught him to climb and sail. Trained from a young age in martial arts, Grylls went on to spend three years as a soldier in the British Special Forces, as part of 21 SAS Regiment. It was here that he perfected many of the survival skills that his fans all over the world enjoy, as he pits himself against the worst of Mother Nature. Despite a free-fall parachuting accident in Africa, where he broke his back in three places
and endured many months in and out of military rehabilitation, Grylls recovered and went on to become one of the youngest climbers ever to reach the summit of Mount Everest. He then went on to star in seven seasons of the Discovery Channel’s Emmy Award-nominated “Man vs. Wild” TV series, which became one of the most-watched shows on the planet, reaching an estimated 1.2 billion viewers. Since then he has gone on to host more extreme adventure TV shows across more global networks than anyone else in the world, including five seasons of the BAFTA award-winning
The Island with Bear Grylls and the US hit TV show Running Wild. Running Wild has featured Bear taking some of the world’s best known stars on incredible adventures. These include President Obama, Julia Roberts, Roger Federer, Will Ferrell, Zac Efron, Channing Tatum, Kate Winslet, to name but a few. His autobiography Mud Sweat and Tears spent 15 weeks at Number 1 in the Sunday Times Bestseller list and he has authored over 85 books, selling in excess of 15 million copies worldwide. He is an Honorary Colonel to the Royal Marines Commandos, the youngest ever UK Chief Scout, and the first ever Chief Ambassador to the World Scout Movement, representing a
global family of some 50 million Scouts. He is married to Shara and together they have three young boys who also love adventure. They live between a houseboat on the Thames and a private island off the Welsh coast. Bear’s life motto is simple: courage and kindness... and never give up! 40
The Boy Scout
Ex L.M.S Royal Scot Class locomotive named The Boy Scout , taken in the late 1950s Photo courtesy of Barry Knapper This locomotive was built in 1930 and withdrawn from service in 1963. It was one of 71 of its class bought by the London Midland and Scottish Railway to haul its fast, heavy trains on the West Coast route. It was designed by Henry Fowler, who had been a District Commissioner. B-P, whose godfather was Robert Stephenson, the famous locomotive designer and civil engineer, named it at Euston Station. Most of the class had their names changed when the LMS decided to call them after Regiments of the British Army, but 46169
The Boy Scout was an exception. The Boy Scout and a sister locomotive, The Girl Guide, were unveiled at Euston Station by Lord and Lady Baden-Powell on 9th December 1930. They were used to haul The Mancunian, which ran
from
Euston
to
Manchester
London Road until 1966. Photo Scout Association Heritage
John Morton 41
Fund Raiser from another County So if you doing a fete / fundraiser you NEED to do the “Lego Walk Of Pain”!!!!!! I am not joking. We did it yesterday on a fundraiser, kids were lining up to do it and parents were either gobsmacked that they were paying £1 for their kids to do it or they were just up for revenge on their children of what we have to put up with in their bedrooms!!!! It was unbelievable how many people did it!!!
Shelley Wright
£1 a go with a lollipop for walking barefoot across painful Lego.
Scout Group Raises Funds (Local Newspaper Article) Crisp packets are being diverted from landfill by an enterprising local Scout Group. 1st Dursley Scout Group have set up drop-off stations for empty crisp packets. These are then collected and sent for recycling, the Scout Group receiving payment in return. Fundraising organiser, Kelly Gabb, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for 1st Dursley to raise extra funds, and we love that the community have really got behind us, regularly filling our drop-off points in Cam, Dursley, Stroud and Wotton! “Not only are we raising money, we are doing our bit to reduce landfill by selling these packets on for upcycling.” The Group has more than a hundred young members and is supported by over twenty adult volunteers. For more information and locations of collection points, please see our Facebook 1st Dursley Scout Group Fundraising Page. 42
Gloucester Ski Centre Opportunities inc Laser Tag We would love to get the scouts up to Gloucester ski centre to complete their badges and hopefully find a new hobby! The badges we was looking at was the snowsport badge, master at arms badge (we have a laser tag business, outside in the woods, here and I am unsure whether it would work with this badge but I thought it could be a nice possibility as its lasers which would mean less risk) and possibly the instructors badge for once they have completed their activities badge. There were a few others we could possibly do like the emergency aid badge (we have a qualified first aid trainer on site) and others. We was thinking of working with local scout groups, getting them up here for a day/evening or which ever the group can do and make it a fun day of activities and badge collecting! It would be great to meet with a local scout leader or a few of them so I can understand what is expected from us and from the scouts to be able to achieve their badges and see what other badges would be a possibility. It would be great if the leaders from any groups interested could get in touch with me as we can cater to their specific needs and timings (like I said whether it was a day event or just a few hours or even doing it over a few weeks) and pricing would all depend on what that group wanted. Like I said other the phone, we want to do this as cheap as we possibly can to get the kids active and then after their session, send them home with a leaflet and a discount price if they did want to come back up by themselves or with their family on another day, they would be able to! Pricing wise we normally charge (our cheapest rates); £8 for a one hour ski lesson (school rates) £15 for a one battle-hill session
£9 for a 30 minute tubing session And what we was looking at doing is an activity (or multiple activities) + a workshop so the children can learn about their activities and achieve their badge. The centre number is 01452 501438 and my email is bar.manager@gloucesterski.com If any groups want to get in touch with me they are more than welcome and I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you.
James Barton, Bar Manager, Gloucester Ski and Snowboard Centre
Adam - ACC Activities
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gscouts is edited by John Morton editor@gloucestershire-scouts.org.uk 01453 452159
Please send contributions, news
and pictures to: magazine@gscouts.org.uk
For information visit gscouts.org.uk or phone the County Office 01452 812309
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