gscouts News and Views for Scouting in Gloucestershire October 2016
A History of the Trig Pillar
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
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 0845 300 1818 0345 300 1818 Saturday 9.00 am –12 noon 020 8433 7100
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gscouts October 2016 Contents Editorial ………………………………………………………………………………………………….4 North Cotswold District …………………………………………………………………………...…...4 30 Years of Beaver Scouting in Tewkesbury ………………………………………………….…….5 Gloucestershire Scouts’ Programme Team Main Events 2015-2016 …………………………….6 Forest of Dean District …………………………………………………………………….…………..6 From Forest of Dean District’s Newsletter Oakleaf …………………………………………………7 Points to ponder ………………………………………………………………………………….……..8 Cotswold Vale District ………………………………………………………………………………….9 Dedication of Memorial Bench for Anthony Howarth ……………………………………………...10 D of E Gold on the Dordogne — Extreme ESU …………………………………………………....11 Croft Farm Water Weekend — September 2016 ……………………………………...…………..12 Discover Scuba Diving 19th November ……………………………………………………...……..13 Wye So Serious Gold Team six miles from the finish ……………………………………… …...13 How incredible is this piece of trivia? …………………..…………………………………...……....13 Trigonometrical Pillars ………………………………..…………………………………...………….14 A Wolf Pack ……………………………………………………..………………………………..……16 Hong Kong Elementary School Admission Test ………………………………………………..….16 Changes at Cranham Scout Centre …………..…………………………………………...…..……17 Cranham’ s 70th Anniversary Badge Competition …………………………………………..…….18 1st Ascension Island Group ……………………………..………………………………..….……...19 Explorer Scouts Motor Sports Badge Advanced Level ………………………………………..….21 Are you the next ACC cubs? ……………….……………………………………...………………..22 Everybody, Anybody, Somebody, Nobody and Someone Else ………………………………....23 A big brass gong ………………………..……………………………………………..……………...23 Cover: A diagram found in the Ordnance Survey archives of the mountains from which readings were taken when surveying Ben Nevis 3
Editorial I am pleased to say that more of this edition comes from you, rather than solely from myself, as previously. I hope the magazine serves not only to entertain but to act as a vehicle for passing on ideas and experiences.. Please keep the articles coming. Its level of interest depends on you. The magazine is readily available to everyone via the County website. My copy date for the Christmas edition will be December 8th.
North Cotswold District
North Cotswold District covers an area in North Gloucestershire that stretches from Northleach to Chipping Campden. Although this is quite a large region geographically, it is very rural and in terms of Scout population the District is the smallest in the County. There are Scout Groups at Bourton-on-the-Water, Andoversford (Sevenhampton), Chipping Campden, Moreton-in-Marsh and Northleach. There are Explorer units at Chipping Campden (Random Explorer Unit), Bourton-on-the-Water (Windrush Explorer Unit), Moreton-in-Marsh (Evenlode Explorer Unit) and Northleach. Bourton’s old wooden Scout hut was replaced by a modern building in 1988. The hall is a managed jointly with Guides and Scouts The District is one of the recipients of a grant from the Freemasons’ Grand Charity to develop Scouting in the County. As a result, the hours of work for the County’s Administrator, Louise Little, have been extended to cover admin support for the District. They are hoping the Pears Foundation may look at their District as a candidate for some development in the coming year. The District badge featured a slab of Cotswold stone in light gold, with a crossed dark brown hammer and chisel above all, on a grey background with orange binding. The design was approved by HQ on 31 March 1977 and issued shortly thereafter as a single bound variety. There are three recorded issues of the badge before the name of the District was changed to North Cotswold in 1992. It is not thought that there was any change to the boundaries and the only change was to the District’s name, which more accurately describes the area.
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30 years of Beaver Scouting in Tewkesbury On the afternoon of July 10th, a big party for Beaver Scouts from across Tewkesbury District was held at Cranham, to celebrate the 30 th Anniversary of UK Beaver Scouting. Fifty Beaver Scouts joined together with their Beaver Scout Leaders and Young Leaders at the Scout Centre to take part in various traditional Scouting challenges and learning some new outdoor skills. First of all, we sat down to a picnic lunch and then went into action with activities such as archery, climbing the traverse wall, grass sledging, orienteering deep into the woods and a water challenge course. The Beavers were kept going with a supply of fresh fruit from Woody’s of Tewkesbury. All of this in the glorious afternoon sunshine (ordered specially)! At 5 o’clock everybody was more than ready to gather around the blazing camp fire, where we all sang our hearts out to “Go bananas, go, go bananas”, “Alice the camel has four humps” and many more besides, inspired by the YL’s leading these traditional Scouting songs and accompanying actions.
To round the event off, the Beavers delivered a loud rendition of “HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BEAVERS”…….before, the pièce de résistance, we all tucked into the ‘chocolate’ birthday cake with 30 candles.
A big thank you to Tracy Barrell for designing the fabulous 30 th Birthday badge, to Tony Day for making the special pin badges, Caroline Sexton for the epic cake, Bruce Warden (Glouc DC), who spent all afternoon instructing the Beavers in Archery, the Williams trio for the camp fire and singing, and all the Beaver Scout Leaders and Young Leaders who helped on the day to make a truly special occasion a great Scouting success. The Beavers went home tired, messy and happy, which confirms that Beaver Scouting continues to be a great activity for boys and girls. Pat Veal (ADC Beavers, Tewkesbury) ************************* Apparently Hillary Clinton plans to change her first two names to Kirsty Frances because, if she becomes President of the United Sates of America, she wants to be as famous as Colonel Sanders.
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Forest of Dean District The District has recently welcomed a new DC, Gary Law, who will replace Martin Williams who has been their DC for the last six years. Martin will continue in Scouting as their District Training Manager. Gary will be undertaking a review of the District and plans to visit all the sections, including Explorers and Network during September and October. He aims to set up four teams, Youth Programme, Adult Support, Media and Development. Gary has invited Chris Brewster to be his DDC. They are hoping to restart the Group in Wollaston. Their District programme includes a Discovery Day visit to Bristol Zoo Gardens in October and the Beavers will enjoy “Jack and the Beanstalk� at the Everyman Theatre.. Gary is proposing a new District neckerchief and has put forward nine possible designs from which members can make their choice. Members have been invited to attend a Total Communication training evening, introducing them to Makaton. (Makaton is a language programme using signs and symbols to help people to communicate. It is designed to support spoken language and the signs and symbols are used with speech, in spoken word order. It can help people who have limited speech. Today over 100,000 children and adults use Makaton symbols and signs).
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From Forest of Dean District’s Newsletter ASTON INGHAM EXPLORERS – SUMMER CAMP 2016. This year’s summer camp reached new heights when we hiked to the top of Snowdon via the RHYD DDU path, starting from RHYD DDU station. During a glorious day of warm sunshine with an occasional cloud, we reached the top around 3:30pm. After a nice cup of tea in the visitor centre, we waited to get to the trig point on the top between groups of other walkers and those who chose to travel by train. The second day of camp was rather wet with a visit to the National White Water rafting centre near Bala. In a full raft of seven and guided by Callum, the Explorers enjoyed four trips through the rapids getting a thorough soaking before emerging the other end. The rest of the week was a little less tiring practising some basic Scouting skills, pioneering, map reading, fire lighting and exploring the local woods, with games and a rope trail through the woods and across the stream. A visit to the beach at Aberdovey on Wednesday and beach BBQ at Barmouth on Thursday culminated with the return of the Barmouth life boat which was out on exercise. Andy Heaysman TOM GOES DOWN UNDER. This year, I was very fortunate to be involved in ISEP: the International Scout Exchange Programme. I "buddied up" with an Australian lad called Koby. Koby stayed with me and my family for seven weeks over December/January. He went to school with me and got involved in lots of Scouting and nonscouting activities - and several Christmas parties! He was gutted we didn't have any snow this year. This summer, I stayed with Koby and his family in Brisbane. I had a fantastic time; it's a very laid-back, easy-going place. I'd just done my GCSE's, so wasn't thrilled by the idea of going to school a couple of days a week but actually really enjoyed it, particularly the woodwork. It was their winter, which means it was just like our summer! I went on three Scout camps. One morning, we woke up to some frost, which some of them had never seen before! They said they'd been too cold to sleep (I, of course, had slept like a log). I also went on two night hikes and a scavenger hunt around Brisbane city, where we used public transport to hunt out certain objects. The Scouts were very welcoming and we went to the cinema, the ice-rink and entered a soapbox derby. Koby's family were wonderful and made sure I did all the touristy things too: downtown Brisbane, the Gold Coast (the sand really is like talcum powder), drag-car racing, fairs and amusement parks. The best bit for me was racing along on Koby's family's jet ski (even if I did rip my swimming trunks falling off!). Oh, and cuddling one of those cute koala bears! Iconic gifts for the family: boomerangs, Vegemite, Tamtams and Milo (just like Penguin bars and Nesquik but they rave about them!). I'd definitely like to go back to Australia one day. Andy Heaysman 7
DISTRICT CUB CENTENARY CAMP Forest of Dean Cubs enjoyed a District camp on the weekend of the 23rd / 25th September, to celebrate 100 years of Cubs. More than 70 Cubs plus Leaders from Clearwell & Sling, Ruardean, Aylburton & Lydney, Royal Forest and Cinderford came together for a weekend of fun. Lots of excited Cubs arrived on Friday evening to set up camp, and, with some help from Leaders, managed to get tents up before it got dark. An opening ceremony started off the camp properly, before everyone went back to their group for supper and a good night’s sleep. Saturday was a busy day! Each pack provided an activity for the day, plus a few extra WOW activities too. With six activity sessions during the day, all the Cubs had chance to try different things, like climbing, zorbing, archery, pioneering, making cotton reel racers, obstacle courses, catapults and more. Everyone gathered together in the main marquee for dinner in the evening, where we had a delicious meal served up in a way reminiscent of how meals were eaten in the trenches 100 years ago. Many thanks go to Gareth for organising and Ali Payne and Cath Hutchinson for doing all the cooking, which was a huge job. During the day all the cubs and adults were able to decorate a label to attach to a balloon and at exactly 20:16 in the evening we released 100 balloons, one for each year! Finally Jerry Green led our campfire and managed to get even us old Leaders up on their feet joining in with campfire songs! Everyone was tired out and ready for bed and, despite the very heavy rain and wind during the night, slept well. Unfortunately Sunday was packing up day, but not until after everyone joined together for a moment of reflection at Cubs Own. There was also still time for some Cubs to have a go on the zip wire or build a trebuchet, before heading off home for a bath and a sleep in their own beds, oops was that just the Leaders? Well done to all the adults, young Leaders and Scouts who gave up their weekend, a big thank you from all the cubs on camp. CUBS 100th BIRTHDAY 15th DECEMBER We would like to hear from anyone who has been a cub at any time over the last 100 years with their memories and pictures if they have any. Carol Aston
Points to Ponder He who laughs last thinks slowest. On the other hand, you have different fingers. If the shoe fits, look for another one just like it. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine. He's not dead; he's electroencephalographically challenged. The things that come to those that wait may be the things left by those who got there first. 8
From Cotswold Vale District
Cotswold Vale DC, Carole O’Donnell, presenting Ken Tucker with a Bar to his Silver Acorn at Wotton-under-Edge’s AGM.
Slimbridge Cubs and Beavers visiting Tintern Abbey on on 24th September
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Dedication of Memorial Bench for Anthony Howarth The Scout Active Support Unit from Stroud and Tetbury District used the occasion of its Annual Summer Barbecue at the Pennwood Campsite to unveil and dedicate a smart hand-carved wooden bench in memory of their late District President and Unit Chairman, Anthony Howarth.
Anthony was very well-known throughout the County. He was a CSL, VSL and ADC in Gloucester between 1957 and 1973, before coming to live in Stroud. There he was the GSL of two Groups, an ADC (Scouts) and a member of the County Adult Leader Training Team. He had an enviable reputation as an intrepid leader of Summer Venture Scout expeditions from Turkey to Morocco and Germany to the Mediterranean, as well as organising skiing expeditions for Stroud and Gloucester to Switzerland each winter. Anthony was Stroud and Tetbury's District Commissioner from 1977 to 1988 and was the prime mover in the establishment of the District's campsite at Pennwood on the Cotswold escarpment. As the Chairman of the Pennwood Committee from 2000 to 2007 he was involved in planning negotiations, rights of way claims and environmental concerns, as Pennwood is sited in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. He established the initial Norwegian log cabin facilities on the campsite and, more recently, the wooden bunk-house cabins for Cub Scout overnight stays. Pennwood was the obvious site for any memorial, and the bench with the inscription 'a lifetime to Scouting' seemed both appropriate and sufficiently modest to reflect his unassuming personal style. Yet Anthony's achievements were far from modest in themselves, for not only was he elected the District's President in 2011 but he received the Association's highest award, the Silver Wolf, in 2005. The dedication took place at Pennwood on Thursday 21st July and was conducted by the Rev Bob Miller, a long-time friend of Anthony's and one-time ADC (Leader Training) for Stroud and Tetbury District. Whilst it was a celebratory occasion, the 'English Summer' weather brought out the anoraks and umbrellas to render the event 'real cool'.
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DofE Gold on the Dordogne – Extreme ESU When our Explorer Leader asked us at the start of the year to think about what we would like to do for our Duke of Edinburgh expeditions, our team formed because we all knew we wanted it to be exciting and different. However, I don’t think she expected that, come July 30 th, she would be on a ferry heading for France… Luckily for us, she was. Back in January during the initial planning for this year’s round of expeditions, the idea was put forward of a Gold qualifying expedition canoeing the Dordogne river in the south of France. Four of us were very excited about this prospect and after a few weeks of discussing the possibility with our Leaders, we became determined to see the project through, even though the rest of the Gold teams all decided on the Lake District. Many Explorer sessions and planning meetings later, the ferries were booked and we were at our final briefing before the trip. We finalised the details of the journeys and the kit being taken, before waiting anxiously for the weekend to arrive. Saturday morning dawned bright and clear and soon everyone was gathered in front of one house for the first team photo of the week. The cars were soon full and we began our journey to Dover.
The team with some French scouts.
Despite the worries at the time, our journey was smooth and when the port was reached there wasn’t a queue in sight.
Eventually, we arrived in France and started our journey south, stopping at a small campsite just outside Paris on the Saturday night. Unfortunately, no Scouting trip is complete without some sort of mishap on the way - in our case it was a punctured tyre on the slip road of a French autoroute… Fortunately, we had a spare tyre which was quickly swapped for the old one and we were soon off again. We eventually reached Rocamadour campsite, which was to be our ‘base camp’ for the week, we then set up before going out to find a local restaurant for tea. Acclimatisation day is one of the key aspects of any Gold expedition. You should be in an area you have never been to before, so it is necessary to look around the area and find local places to source food and water before starting your expedition. As we had travelled abroad, we were hiring canoes from a company who are used to facilitating four-day expeditions on the Dordogne and so had the same style of canoe we were accustomed to (although the hired ones had backs on the seats, which we were not used to!). We spent the Monday visiting the canoe company to look at the buoyancy aids, canoes, paddles and food barrels they provided: all of which were what we had expected. We then went to an E. Leclerc (French supermarket) to top up the food supplies we had brought with us from England. We also did a kit check with our assessor, where we went through all of our group and personal kit, as well as all of our food we had. We were ready for our expedition. The expedition started well; it was very sunny and so we had to stop in the first ten minutes to reapply our sun cream!
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On the first day, we had to use a canoe slide to bypass a large weir on the river, this was a new experience for us but was very enjoyable, if slightly terrifying! We wild-camped twice, on the first and last nights, on the islands on the Dordogne. This was something we had wanted to do from the start and was an exciting experience for all of us – even if it did take us an hour to find the first site. Ready to go down the canoe slide. The second night, we stayed at a campsite where we met some French Scouts and traded our neckers with them, whilst talking about Scouting in each of our countries. We enjoyed having to be self-sufficient and, on the last night, we even built a shelter to sleep in rather than our tents! Overall, the whole experience was amazing and we enjoyed every minute of it – we would definitely recommend it as a DofE expedition, but would also encourage people to think deeply about what experience they would like from their expedition, as completing the expedition you wanted to do is what makes it really special. Finally, we would like to thank our Leaders – Liz Orchard, Dan Orchard and Andy Holter – for accompanying us and making our expedition possible. Kat Holter, Charlie Edwards, Tom Bowen and Nathan Littlejohn
Croft Farm Water Weekend — September 2016
81 attended, 51 Explorers & Scouts who either gained their Stage 3 Badge or worked towards Two Star British Canoeing (one more river journey to do) and some commenced gaining their own permit. Eight leaders joined the training with the eighteen kayak/canoe BCU coach/permit holders. Two catering & one admin leader. Almost every District was represented. Shelley Wright 12
Discover Scuba Diving 19th November. Sir Thomas Rich School, Gloucester. £26.50. An hour of fun to see if scuba diving is for you in this taster session – and you also get the Water Sports Activity Badge for doing it. How cool is that for an hour in a swimming pool? See Paddy Langham’s Badge Course News 13 September 2016.
Wye So Serious Team six miles from the finish (a Gold D of E Expedition, July 2016) *************************
How incredible is this piece of Trivia? The passenger steamer SS Warrimoo was quietly knifing its way through the waters of the mid-Pacific on its way from Vancouver to Australia. The navigator had just finished working out a star fix and brought the master, Captain John Phillips, the result. The Warrimoo’s position was latitude 0 degrees 31 minutes North and longitude 179 degrees 30 minutes West. The date was 30 December 1899. “Know what this means?” First Mate Payton broke in, “We’re only a few miles from the intersection of the Equator and the International Date Line.” Captain Phillips was prankish enough to take full advantage of the opportunity for achieving the navigational freak of a lifetime. He called his navigators to the bridge to check and double check the ships position. He changed course slightly so as to bear directly on his mark. Then he adjusted the engine speed. The calm weather and clear night worked in his favour. At midnight the Warrimoo lay on the Equator at exactly the point where it crossed the International Date Line! The consequences of this bizarre position were many. The forward part of the ship was in the Southern Hemisphere and the middle of summer. The stern was in the Northern Hemisphere and in the middle of winter. The date in the aft part of the ship was 30 December 1899. Forward it was 1 January 1900. This ship was therefore not only in two different days, two different months, two different seasons and two different years but in two different centuries — all at the same time! 13
Trigonometrical Pillars (from the Ordnance Survey) On 18 April 1936 a group of surveyors gathered around a white concrete pillar in a field in Cold Ashby and began the retriangulation of Great Britain. That trig pillar is still standing 80 years on, along with thousands more around the country. We’re celebrating by sharing the story of the humble trig pillar, still much loved by walkers today.
Cold Ashby photo by Bridgeman via Trigpointing UK What is a trig pillar? The shining (sometimes) white monoliths are now instantly recognised by any walker or geography lover. They’re quintessentially British, and even made it onto Bill Bryson’s list of favourite British items in his 2015 book The Road to Little Dribbling. But what were they for? Now largely redundant, back in 1936 they formed a state-of-the-art network built to re-map Britain, dreamt up by Brigadier Martin Hotine. Responsible for the design, planning and implementation of the retriangulation, Hotine also designed the iconic trig pillar to provide a solid base for the theodolites used by the survey teams to improve the accuracy of their readings. Some 6,500 were built, to be used for triangulation, the mathematical process that makes accurate map-making possible. It works by determining the location of a point by measuring angles to it from known points at either end of a fixed baseline, and in this case those known points were the 6,500 trig pillars across the country. Ordnance Survey teams spent 26 years gathering measurements across Britain to create a highly accurate map of the country, but time and technologies have moved on enormously to the point where the traditional trig pillar is now obsolete in its original guise. They still act as a beacon for many an outdoors lover, but they no longer help shape our maps. Although 6,500+ trig pillars were built, hundreds have been lost to housing developments, farming, coastal erosion and other causes.
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The vast majority follow the standard Hotine design, but some are stone-built, and in Scotland there are some ‘Vanessas’ which are taller, cylindrical concrete pillars. You can only imagine how hard it was for surveyors of the past ,not only to map Britain but also to locate sites for trig pillars and carry the materials to remote spots to build them. It’s a true testament to their skills that such an accurate map of Britain was created from such humble beginnings as the trig pillar 80 years ago. A ‘Vanessa’ trig pillar on the Isle of Skye, photographed by Scott MacLucas-Paton How do OS survey today? The modern equivalent is the OS Net network of 110 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers. Our surveyors use OS Net and GNSS technology everyday instantly to position new map detail to within a few centimetres. What took many hours at Cold Ashby in 1936 we can now do in seconds and to a far greater degree of accuracy. Trig trivia: The survey control network of trig pillars was accurate to 20 metres over the entire length of Great Britain. Today the receivers that make up the OS Net network are coordinated to an accuracy of just 3mm over the same area. Over 6,500 trig pillars were built for the retriangulation of which we think somewhere in the region of 6,000 are still standing. In total the retriangulation had in excess of 30,000 coordinated points. The modern OS Net network performs the same function with just 110 points. Measuring angles by eye from a trig pillar meant the retriangulation was reliant on good weather – perhaps part of the reason it took until 1962 to complete! Modern GNSS surveying works in all weathers and is available 24 hours a day. Trig pillars are mostly made of cast concrete but a few are built from local stone cemented together. Like an iceberg, there is a large part of the trig pillar below the surface. While we no longer use the trig pillars, they are still our responsibility to maintain. If you do spot a trig pillar looking unsafe, let us know, so that we can take a look and decide on the best way to remedy it. Some trig pillars have been redecorated. We don’t condone this, but it’s preferable to those sorry ones that are covered in graffiti. We’ve seen an alien, a minion, Welsh dragons and English roses so far. Again, spot one in a particularly bad way and let us know so that we can see if we can sort it out. The highest trig pillar, unsurprisingly, sits atop Ben Nevis. The lowest trig pillar is at Little Ouse, sited at -1m! 15
A Wolf Pack Really Interesting – the animal kingdom can teach us many good things…..
(Cesare Brai's photo.)
A wolf pack on the move :
The first three are the old or sick; they give the direction and pace to the entire pack. If it was the other way round, they would be left behind, losing contact with the pack. In case of an ambush they would be sacrificed;
Then come 5 strong ones, the front line;
In the centre are the rest of the pack members;
Then the five strongest following.
Last is alone, the Alpha. He controls everything from the rear. In that position he can see everything, decide the direction. He sees all of the pack. The pack moves according to the elders' pace and help each other, watch each other. How much we could learn from them! They are to be seen up front, setting the pace and direction while enjoying the protection of the rest... and not invisible at the back of the line. *************************
Answer on page 17
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Changes at Cranham Scout Centre After 5 years at Cranham Scout Centre our Centre Manager, Pete Richardson, has decided to move onto a fresh challenge at another site. During his time at Cranham Pete has transformed the site, improving the look of the buildings, creating a modern brand and has increased usage of the Centre. While in the County Pete has offered his help in various County roles, including with Cranham Scout Group on a regular basis and being the administrator for Strategy & Evolution. We wish him all the best in his new role. Before we look to appoint Pete's replacement, we are using the opportunity to look at how Cranham operates, to ensure we achieve the best outcome for Gloucestershire Scouting. Over this period we will be relying on Mary, Dave, Louise and volunteers to help ensure the continued smooth running of the Centre for visiting groups. Mairead and Andy Bruce have been appointed to take over management temporarily to allow the review to be undertaken without la loss of momentum. They are moving into the cottage shortly. They were selected from a very large field of excellent applicants and we wish them well. They look forward to welcoming you to Cranham!!!
From Pete: Goodbye and Thank You Hi All. I just wanted to take the opportunity, on my last day at Cranham Scout Centre, to say goodbye and thank you to everyone that has shown support to me or the centre during the last five and a half years since I started as Centre Manager. Cranham has come on in leaps and bounds in the last few years, and it can only do this with your support as customers and volunteers. Please know that I appreciate you immensely. I move on to start a new post at Beaudesert Activity Centre in Staffordshire (www.beaudesert.org), and look forward to seeing many of you in the future at Beaudesert and when I return to support Strategy and Evolution in 2017. Best wishes as always.
70th Anniversary In 2017, Cranham marks it's 70th anniversary since the first official Scout Camp was held at the centre. Before I go, I am going to take the opportunity to kick off the celebrations with a badge competition. There are four categories in the competition for different age groups and an overall winner will be selected from the winners of the four categories. The competition is open to all; young and old, Scouts and non-Scouts. Good luck. Details of the competition are on the next page. 17
70th Anniversary Badge Competition To help celebrate the 70th anniversary since the first Scout camp at Cranham Scout Centre in 2017, we are holding a competition to design a badge. The winning design will be used to create a badge that can be sold in our shop throughout 2017. Winners will receive a copy of the badge plus other prizes. There are a few rules: Use a maximum of eight colours (including the background and black and white). Badges can be of any shape, but we would prefer a simple shape as it keeps costs down. Badges need to include the words CRANHAM SCOUT CENTRE and the number 70. The competition is open to everyone and can be completed using digital media or by hand. Prizes will be offered for winners in the following categories, and an overall winner from the four category winners: years and under -10 years -14 years years and older Please return all entries to: Badge Competition, Cranham Scout Centre, Cranham, Gloucester GL4 8HP or email them to info@cranhamsc.org.uk. Winners will be chosen by the Cranham Management Committee. The closing date for entries is 1st December 2016. Please include your name, age, e-mail address and/or telephone number. *************************
(See page 15)
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Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island in the equatorial waters of the South Atlantic Ocean, around 1,000 miles from the coast of Africa and 1,400 miles from the coast of Brazil, The British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena is around 800 miles to the southeast. Ascension’s single-runway airfield is so far from any other that commercial airliners cannot, with a viable payload, carry enough fuel to reach an alternate and still be below their maximum landing weight on arrival at Ascension. The only way Captains can operate there is to carry “island holding” fuel, i.e. enough for two hours overhead before it all goes quiet. On one side of the runway, a mountain slopes right down to its edge. There is no scheduled commercial flight to Ascension Island from anywhere, however it is possible to occupy one of the ten seats available on the twice-weekly Royal Air Force flights from Brize Norton, which refuel there en route to the Falkland Islands. Until July this year it was visited by RMS St. Helena which came up from Cape Town and St. Helena about once a fortnight. Ascension Island is thus so isolated that the population of 880 considers the arrival of a ship in the harbour near the capital, Georgetown, a significant occasion! The island is named after the day of its recorded discovery, Ascension Day, 1503. During World War II it was an important naval and air station, especially providing antisubmarine warfare bases in the Battle of the Atlantic. The island houses RAF Ascension Island, a European Space Agency rocket tracking station, an Anglo-American signals intelligence facility and the BBC World Service Atlantic Relay Station. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the United States Air Force operate a radio telescope on Ascension Island for tracking orbital debris, which is potentially hazardous to operating spacecraft and astronauts. It is gratifying to find that the 1st Ascension Island Scout Group is flourishing. They recently celebrated their 25th anniversary. They have approximately 18 Scouts, 12 Cubs and 8 Beavers and are a little unusual (and lucky) in having nearly 100% of the boys on the Island as members of the Scouts, Cub Scouts and Beaver Scouts. Unfortunately they do not currently run a Venture Scout Unit. 19
Some of their members come from the UK, but primarily are from St. Helena or were born as St. Helenians on Ascension Island.
The 1st Ascension Scout Group have three dedicated areas where they can meet. The map shows where their Buildings and Camp Site are located.
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The Scout's Beach Hut This is the Group Scout Headquarters building. It was re-built in 1995 and is known affectionately as "The Scouts’ Beach Hut". Due to the heat it is only enclosed by two and a half walls which allows the steady tropical breeze to cool the occupants. It has electricity, water, toilets, seat lockers and an ever-popular barbecue. The building overlooks Dead Man’s Beach, which is an ideal place to play games and go fishing off the rocks.
This is the inside of the building, with plaques, trophies, fishing nets and pictures adorning the walls and coloured lights on the ceiling, making the "Beach Hut" very comfortable!
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This picture shows the area known as the "Scout's Campsite". This is used by the Group for their frequent camping expeditions. The climate is cooler than in the rest of the island, as it is 2000 feet above sea level and is located around the back of the highest point on the Island, Green Mountain, which reaches 2817 feet. Below is the ex-NASA tracking station located near "Devils Ashpit�. The Americans kindly left the building for the 1st Ascension Island Scout Group, when NASA left the island in 1990. The building has enough room to sleep 75-80 people and is used as a weekend centre by the Scout Group. As well as staying in the building, they sometimes have cycle rides to it from Georgetown (a 10-mile ride).
The Challenger Outward Bound Centre Its large hall, originally used by NASA as the Operations Floor, is now used as a games room and also for the occasional disco. The bedrooms sleep about six to a room.
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Are you the next ACC Cubs? Gloucestershire Scouts is looking for a new Assistant County Commissioner for Cub Scouts. This individual (or perhaps a small team) would be responsible for supporting the Cub Scout programme in the County, by meeting with Assistant District Commissioners (Cubs), visiting groups to directly support and influence adults and young people, and attending events. If you are interested in this role, or think you know someone that could be ideal for it, please contact the Deputy County Commissioner (Programme), liz.hodge@btinternet.com
Role description for an ACC (Cub Scouts) Outline: To work in partnership with County Commissioner to ensure that effective operation of the Cub Scout Section in their County in accordance with the rules as laid down in POR of The Scout Association. Responsible for: County Leaders (if applicable) Responsible to: County Commissioner Main Contacts: CC, DCs, ADC (Cub Scouts), other ACCs, District and County Advisers, County Administrator FDOs, HQ, National Commissioner (Cub Scouts), ACC (Cub Scouts) from other Counties, GirlGuiding UK, Schools and other local Youth Organisations. Appointment Requirements: To understand and accept The Scout Association’s policies, have a satisfactory CRB Clearance, Completion of Wood Badge, which includes the Section Supporter Modules as detailed in the Adult’s Personal File and The Scout Association’s Adult Training Scheme. “General” Main Tasks “Specific” Tasks Agreed with the CC Ensure purpose, method, policies and programme are carried out throughout the Cub Scout Section in the County Assist ADC (Cub Scouts) in the encouragement of all Leaders in the Cub Scout Section to provide a balanced programme Co-operate with DCs to support all Leaders and Commissioners in matters relating to the Cub Scout Section and its Leaders Promote and encourage to the Cub Scout Section the implementation of all policies of The Scout Association, especially the key policies as laid down in Chapter 2 of POR Liaise with County Administrators Maintain a working relationship with DCs, ADCs (Cub Scouts) and other Commissioners within the County Work in partnership with CC in the management of the County and the Cub Scout Section’s programme and activities Support the CC and the CTM with the learning needs of Leaders and Commissioners in the Cub Scout Section Maintain contact relevant to the Cub Scout Section age group with in the local community p Promote the Cub Scouting to the local Community Support the CC in the development of the County 22
Everybody, Anybody, Somebody, Nobody and Someone Else Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it, and Anybody could have done it. But in the end Nobody always ended up completing the task. When Nobody did it, Somebody was angry because it was Everybody's job, but Everybody thought that Somebody would do it instead. Now Nobody realized that Nobody would do it, so consequently Everybody blamed Somebody, when Nobody did what Anybody could have done in the first place. Now, as you may have guessed, these four were active, busy people, but what they accomplished was a shame and Everybody knew it. You see Everybody had a good idea, but Everybody thought Somebody would follow it through. However Somebody thought Anybody would deal with it and Anybody thought Everybody should do it. So Nobody ended up working on it... Now one day a contest was announced. Everybody thought Anybody could win the prize: Anybody thought Somebody would win, and Somebody thought Everybody would get a prize. Nobody worked very hard, thus Nobody won the prize! All these people worked at a firm and at this firm worked Someone Else. Now the four were greatly saddened to learn of the death of one of the most valuable members - Someone Else. Someone Else’s passing created a vacancy that would be difficult to fill. He had been around for years and for every one of those years, he did far more than a normal person's share of work. Whenever Anybody mentioned leadership, Somebody always looked to this wonderful person for inspiration and results: "Someone Else can do that job!" When there was a job to do, a need to be filled or a need for leadership, one name always came up........Someone Else. Everyone knew Someone else was the largest giver of time and money. Whenever there was a financial need, Everybody, Anybody and Somebody always assumed that Someone Else would make up the difference. Now Someone Else was gone, and the friends all wondered what they would do. No longer could they utter the words "Let Someone Else do it". If it is going to be done, one of them will have to do it....and I guess most of the time it will be Nobody.
A big brass gong Proudly showing off his new apartment to a couple of friends late one night, the drunk led the way to his bedroom, where there was a big brass gong. ‘What’s the big brass gong for?' asked one of his guests. 'It’s not a gong; it's a talking clock,' the drunk replied. ‘A talking clock? Really?’ asked his astonished friend. ‘Yup,’ replied the drunk. 'How's it work?' asked the second guest. 'Watch,' the man said, picking up a large hammer and giving the gong a shattering blow. Someone on the other side of the wall screamed, ‘For Heaven’s sake, you idiot - it’s ten past three in the morning!’ 23
gscouts is edited by John Morton editor@gscouts.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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