What’s in this Issue?
1. Bear in the Air
5. Items of Interest
Bear Grylls, our Chief Scout, recently visited both Gloucester and the North Cotswolds on a trip round the South West of Britain. At both sites, Bear was greeted by loads of Scouts, despite the poor weather.
6. News from Gilwell
See pages 2 and 3 for more pictures.
2. Our County 3. Upcoming Events 4. News
What‟s been Email us at n everyone to
Pat has now resumed her duties as DC. A very successful St George‟s Day event was held on Easter Monday. A District Swimming Gala is due to be held in July. A new Explorer Unit has opened as a result of the closure of the Oasis Centre. Four Leaders are available to run the Unit. Cheltenham College is planning to open a Cub Pack in September. There is a new Scout Leader in place.
Safeguarding training is taking place at Fairford on 30th June. Lechlade Beavers and Cubs are thriving following support from County to recruit new leaders. Following the resignation of the Scout Leader at South Cer ney, two potential replacements have been identified. Two Explorer Scout Leaders as well as a GSL and Scout Leader are moving out of the District.
St George‟s Day parade was held at the Cathedral and was the usual success. Gang Show was terrific with lots of new talent on display. Bear in the Air day was a great event attracting more than 400 Scouts (many of whom camped on site) and a number of members of the public in the afternoon. Press coverage was extensive in the Citizen and on local Radio.
The district camp coinciding with the Chief Scout‟s visit was a great success if rather wet. Good press coverage was achieved. The first St. George‟s Day parade and service for a number of years was held in Northleach which attracted a lot of support and interest from the locals.
n going on in your district? news@gscouts.org.uk and share your event for see.
Over 100 people attended the Highgrove Tour. Tickets for the Beer Festival at Slimbridge are currently on sale. Plans for building a new HQ in Dursley have hit planning problems but alternatives have been identified. An individual has been approached to take on the role of District Media Manager and a new website is being developed.
Excellent weather was enjoyed by all those who attended the District Cub Camp. George Hiscocks was presented with the Silver Wolf. A Water Activities Day at Mallards Pike is being held on 9th July. The District Explorers need to find a new meeting place as they are currently using the Wilderness Centre, which is due to close. The possibility of opening a new group in the Newnham area is being investigated. 24 Beavers and their leaders have
190 Beavers attended a 25th Birthday celebration at Penn Wood. There was good media coverage of the Beaver Air Activity Day at Nympsfield Airfield and was attended by 175 Beavers. The District Cub football competition took place in May. 325 people attended the Penn Wood Open Day. The District Beaver trip to the West Midlands Safari Park and the District Cub visit to Portsmouth are due to take place in June. Two new Scout Troops have opened
District events are planned for all sections. Two new ESUs have opened with total membership exceeding 50. At Winchcombe over 100 parents attended a recent meeting during which Jim Mayer (GSL) presented Chief Scout‟s Awards. Promotion of the Group took place at the Winchcombe Street Fair. Jean Marshall attended an assembly in one school with further visits likely to take place. A belated St George‟s Day parade run by the Beaver leaders was held in the
Want to find out more? Visit: gscouts.org.uk
24th-26th June Malvern Challenge 1st-3rd July
Sun Run
9th July
Try Dives 2011
28th July
Snorkelling
18th August
Snorkelling
16th-18th September
PADI Advanced Open Water Scuba Diver Qualification
23rd-25th September
“Beast of the Lake” County Explorer Camp
30th September2nd October
PADI Open Water Scuba Diver Qualification
8th October
Try Dives 2011
14th-16th October
PADI Open Water Scuba Diver Qualification
12th November Try Dives 2011
27TH DECEMBER TO 5TH JANUARY
This trip is organised by Stroud & Tetbury District. Skiing around Lake Lucerne. Open to Explorers, Network, leaders, wives and husbands. 40 maximum. Cost £400.
Recently, Highbury Cub Scouts raised £37.03 for the New Zealand Blanket Appeal for the Christchurch Earthquake. The Cubs brought in 2p coins to cover a blanket and then had fun counting and bagging all of the money. The sister of one of one of Highbury‟s former Cubs, Jordan Oliver, was caught up in the earthquake whilst working in Christchurch. She has now, however, been relocated to Wellington. Felicity Cleaves 1st Cheltenham (Highbury) Scout Group.
John Dover, DSL, Stroud and Tetbury, has calculated that Gloucestershire has had the highest percentage increase in membership from 2001 to 2011 in England and the second highest numerical increase after Cambridgeshire.
Gloucestershire!
15TH TO 17TH APRIL
The second weekend of this course saw patrols of Scouts out completing their Expedition Challenge hike and carrying just day kit. Explorers completed a longer hike for their DofE Bronze and CS Platinum awards with full kit. After spending the night at Shurdington they all hiked on different routes into Cranham where they cooked their evening meal and camped the night. Sunday saw them hiking to Upton St. Leonards. All patrols arrived in good time. If you want to see what the Explorers got up to go to You Tube: „Six Idiots and an electric fence‟ & „How to make DofE hot chocolate‟.
29TH APRIL TO 2ND MAY
A spell of beautiful, settled weather ensured a truly memorable weekend for Leaders and seventeen Gloucestershire Scouts and guests from Troops and Units from London and Eastleigh. On the Saturday, after a short drive from our base including a crossing of Windermere via the fascinating Hawkshead chain-ferry, all the groups completed one of several routes on and around The Old Man of Coniston. An excellent day out was enjoyed by all. On Sunday all groups walked from scenic Langdale, one group on the Langdale Pikes, one on Pike Of Blisco and two groups on Crinkle Crags. The strong, blustery winds prevented the two groups from completing the exposed skyline ridge of Crinkle Crags but both were able to complete a thrilling circuit by traversing the leeward side of the crest. On Sunday evening we all enjoyed an hour or so in Bowness for a take-away supper before returning to base for the traditional indoor games and challenges. We stayed for the weekend in the Kirkstone Chalet at Great Tower Scout Camp, recently taken on once more as a national campsite. A very big thank you to all the Leaders and particularly to Darren, Alan, Stu and Donna who worked so hard to look after us all with their usual kitchen magic. David L'Oste-Brown
At the end of May, 150 Scouts, Explorers and Leaders converged on a field in Miserden for the start Survival Skills and Bushcraft weekend. Saturday was spent doing training in fire lighting and cooking, use of knives and bivvi building before the participants were sent into the warmer and drier woods to set up tarpaulin bivvis. Sunday dawned too early for many, and the training continued with edible plants and direction finding. At lunchtime, the participants were sent into the woods to survive - cooking on wood, and building bivvis from natural materials. Food preparation included gutting fish and skinning rabbits, before cooking them on the wood fires. Monday started with an early trumpet reveille - which still didn't seem to waken everyone. The 24 hour exercise was successfully completed just after lunch on Monday when 60 Survival Skill badges were presented. Congratulations to everyone. Continued...
...The Advanced Survival course now runs parallel to the Bushcraft course so that participants can attend either course in either order once they have completed the Scouts Survival Badge course. This year 16 Scouts and a leader completed the course in unusual circumstances. The inability to have fires at the bivvi site meant that the teams had a lot more walking to do before they could practice their fire lighting skills and cooking. Building upon skills learnt previously the course developed their knife awareness and safety, cutting techniques, making natural cordage, preparing game, plant identification and wild food, traps and snares, water purification and the priorities of survival and shelter building. For those looking at attending the "Nabbo" course in the future the ability to construct a warm, dry shelter efficiently and quickly is a prime concern. Despite a wet finish all finished in fine spirits, if a little hungry. Food may be the last of our survival priorities... try telling a group of teenage boys that when they are cold and tired!!! However in our game points mean prizes. By completing tasks each patrol earned more food. Some exciting meals were cooked including pasta with duck, nettles, wild garlic and other wild plants. Well done to everyone... a great course spirit and some good skills learnt.
14TH MAY
This saw another 10 Scouts and Guides embark on this exciting fun-filled sport spending an hour swimming around on and under the water at Lydney White cross Swimming Pool. I wonder how many of them will be fully qualified Open Water Scuba Divers before the end of the year (next course in October)?
Cranham is currently buzzing with activity. Not only that, but it is buzzing with people from Gloucestershire Scouts and Guides – there is an active group of Brownies in the main building, over a hundred Scouts who are preparing to attend the Haarlem Jamborette on the camping field and a hundred and fifty Beavers from Gloucester enjoying an activity day in the Grove. All we need to do now is make sure that every weekend is as busy and exciting! Since my official start after Ken‟s retirement at the end of March, I have been offered a range of opportunities. Firstly there has been the opportunity to meet so many wonderful and interesting people from around the county and beyond. Getting to know the Scouting „locals‟ has confirmed the fact that I have done the right thing by taking on the role at Cranham. I have also been offered the opportunity to see how the centre can be further developed. So far we have:
Introduced a new activity – Sumo Wrestling which can be hired for an hour by groups on site and can be taken off site for events such as the recent camp in
Gloucester (Bear Grylls was wearing one apparently!) Completed construction of a new bridge in the Grove by the toilet block Made improvements to the Managers house and garden, including felling trees in the garden, selective planting, repainting downstairs in the house and we are currently in the process of insulating and plastering upstairs Plans over the next twelve months include finishing jobs that were started before I arrived and work on the infrastructure of the site some of which will ultimately save the centre money and time. This includes: Replacing signage and putting a new sign on the road Redoing the website, flyer and brochure – website done Finishing the Challenge Course (hanging tube) Replacing heating in dining room Reinstating the shop Investigating solar panels If anyone knows anyone who may have a business or skill that can help to improve the centre please let me know (please note the new email address below). I am also trying to develop the Service Team on site. This is being done with Gloucestershire Active Support. We already have a small number of extremely hard workers whose work I greatly appreciate, but I am keen to expand this team. Opportunities are available for:
Activity Instructors Maintenance Cleaning Supporting administration
I have pencilled in a number of dates where we can get a few jobs done. Some of these weekends are busier so may be more orientated at working with groups. The dates are: 18th - 19th June – Himalayan Balsam eradication, fencing and strimming 16th - 17th July – Fencing and benches 27th - 29th August – Bank holiday weekend 8th - 9th October – Planting and fencing 26th - 27th November – Decorating inside crew cabin 7th - 8th January – Main building and social 11th - 12th February – To be confirmed 3rd - 4th March – To be confirmed Please contact the centre for further information. Pete Richardson Centre Manager Cranham Scout Centre Cranham, Gloucestershire, GL4 8HP Tel: 01452 812309 Email: info@scoutcentre.org.uk Website: www.scoutcentre.org.uk
The ticket agency “Youth Fun Days” is offering Scouts and Guides discounts on many popular theme parks including Legoland, Alton Towers and Thorpe Park. It is run by Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire Scout Counties and raises money for Scouting AND lets you get tickets at cheaper prices. Follow the link HERE to get to their website www.youthfundays.co.uk
Ordnance Survey are starting to run a series of map reading workshops to brush up your skills or learn from scratch. They are running them across the UK and will take you through the basics of map reading and compass navigation. Find out more HERE. Also, Ordnance Survey have produced a series of videos on their YouTube channel with the TV naturalist, Simon King, to help you with any bits of map reading you get stuck on. These can be found HERE.
Now, you can get 20% off all your purchases at Cotswold Outdoor just by showing your Scout membership card. You can also visit Cotswold Outdoor‟s “Tent Roadshows” to test some tents that your Scouts could be sleeping in.
Sainsbury‟s are looking for places to host team building events for their staff. If you can lend them your Scout HQ for a day or can arrange for them to train in the place that you meet they will give you one day of bag packing. This is a great opportunity to raise funds for your Group . You can fill out the form HERE.
The Scout Association has now released an iPhone/iPod Touch App that can be a very helpful little bit of information. On my badges you have a list of all the badge requirements plus badge position diagrams, the ability to track personal progress and even reminders of you promises and laws. More information can be found HERE You can download the app HERE for £1.19
Gilwell Reunion On 2-4 September the 85th Gilwell Reunion will excite, exhilarate and entertain adult volunteers. And it’s not too late to book your place.
Scouts Speak Up
Media workshops A series of national one-day media workshops have been arranged to provide media skills to any adult interested in doing positive Scouting media work at Group, District or County level. The following courses are coming up soon, Saturday 24 September 2011 at Leicestershire Scout County Centre Saturday 21 January 2012 in Leeds. To book yourself and others from your area to attend of these courses, please email Wendy Cook including your name, contact phone number, email, Scouting appointment and which event you want to attend.
Six nationally co-ordinated communications courses a being run for young peopl Scouting. These courses ar designed to give young pe the skills needed to talk ab their experiences in Scout wide variety of audiences, learn how to plan and carr campaigns. There are also opportunities to lobby pol at this year‟s party confere
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The Pride of Scouting For the third consecutive year, Association will be represente Pride – the annual celebration gay, bisexual and transgender parade through the heart of Lo place on Saturday 2 July and w can join us.
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Chairman, County Finance Sub-committee - to support County Treasurer and advise on budgeting and investments. Assistant County Commissioners for: Beaver Scouts Cub Scouts Scouts Explorer Scouts Director of Adult Training
Please contact the County Commissioner if you would be interested in any of these roles at cc@gscouts.org.uk.
The year ended with a deficit of
£23,546. This was largely attributed to a drop in income from Cranham. The accounts were approved unanimously by the Executive with thanks to Bill Bowen, County Treasurer. The annual contribution to the support fund will be increased to £4,000 to reflect the increasing call on the fund . A Service Team at Cranham is to be set up and will be open to Explorers, Network members and other adults. The provisional date for the Beaver and Cub Fun Day at the Racecourse is 16th June 2012. Paul Trott proposed that changes to the County Constitution were required to bring it in line with POR. As a result it was agreed that the AGM be postponed to September and that a further meeting to discuss the Constitution be held on Saturday 9th July at 2:30pm, Eastcombe Scout HQ.
5th July
County Leadership Team Meeting
9th July
County Exec. Meeting
6th County September Leadership Team Meeting 29th DCs Meeting September
For more information visit: gscouts.org.uk or phone the County Office on: 01452 812309
The next edition of i.SCOUT-GLOS will be published in September. Please submit all contributions by 31st August 2011.