Issue Issue 9797 August August && September September 2015 2015
From the Courtyard
sac scouts newsletter
From the Courtyard feature of the month
SUMMER CAMP 2015
From the Courtyard
GSL’s note
Issue 97 August & September 2015
Major Events The last two months has seen our Group and its members at full throttle. We’ve had two major events, the pasta night and summer camp. Both events require a lot of planning and commitment from our older members and I am very glad to say that we did very well on both fronts. On August 8th we held our pasta night and over two hundred and twenty members and family and friends attended. A big thank you to all those that attended and hopefully enjoyed the evening. A lot of work went into the vent and all sections contributed in some way or from. Summer camp was a great success again although preparing and setting up (and clearing up) is every leaders’ nightmare, working in the hot temperatures of the weekend (5th and 6th September) where the temperature must have reached at least 400C.
GSL’s note
Camp was very well attended by all Sections and at its peak where all Sections where at camp we were around ninety members. A big thank you goes to camp chiefs, Andre Brincat and Bernard Maniscalco and their assistants and section leaders. I cannot not mention the dedication an commitment of camp cook Matthew Zarb and his team and QM Gabriel Rizzo who dedicate so much time to the cause. Without such characters camp will not be possible. Campfire was also a great success thanks to the members and parents and friends that attended in spite of the threatening and looming clouds overhead which thankfully gave us a chance to get things done and dusted. The following hours were rather wet ones!
Activity T-Shirts We are currently working on our new activity t-shirts. Most probably they will be ready by the time summer is over but given the requirements and standards imposed on us as a Group we cannot do otherwise. The cost of the new t-shirts will be around €10. We’ll start working on the new sweaters and hoodies once the t-shirts are settled.
HQ Maintenance As most of you have noticed we haven’t stopped working on maintenance at our HQ all summer. We hope to draw a close on the minor works by the end of September. The courtyard should be finished by the end of the month and the troop room within two weeks. Works on the “room next door” should start by the end of October.
Back to school In the coming weeks most members will go back to school. We hope the momentum gained this summer will not be lost. We encourage all members to keep on attending regularly and manage their time well.
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From the Courtyard
MEET THE PACK LEADERS
Issue 97 August & September 2015
OUR Cub Pack has had two recent additions to its Leaders’ cadre. This month we meet Cher Tonna who, having survived Summer Camp, seems to be here to stay! Cher was briefly a member with another scout group for a few months, in her late teens, and has always enjoyed outdoor activities such as hiking, trekking, and snorkelling. After reconnecting with an old friend, namely SAC’s Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, and remembering the fun times she used to have at scouts, joining SAC seemed natural. Being an only child, Cher has always valued other people’s company and after a month the members at SAC have already begun to feel like a second family. In her spare time, Cher enjoys activities such as photography, reading, travelling and playing the piano. Being a dog lover, she spent the majority of her life caring for her six dogs, only two of which are still alive,
From the Pack
Splodge and Toffee.
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From the Courtyard
TROOP SUMMER CAMP
Issue 97 August & September 2015
Following a great summer camp, Paolo, Jake and Matthew give us their insight as to what made such a successful camp. Paolo Bezzina Summer camp preparation started on the Wednesday before when we packed the first truck. The things that weren't packed were left in the troop room. On Saturday morning Baron and Bocc went to the HQ and packed the other truck. They arrived at the campsite were there were some pls. The tents were pitched up and wash-pit, flag pole, gate and the dining shelter soon followed. We then went to the beach and afterwards we had international afternoon (cooking). Bulls had India, Hounds had Japan, Wolves had Mexico, Buffs had China and Tigers had Australia. The main activities of the camp were: International afternoon, Water Playground Building, Expedition, Obstacle course, Operation Slide, First aid scenarios and ISIS Day. During the Playground Water Edition Hounds built a shower, Bulls Built a Pool, Tigers built a water slide, Buffs built a swing set and wolves built a catapult. The Water Playground was on the same day as the expedition, so everyone was pretty tired.
From the Troop
The Campfire was on Tuesday. The topic of the campfire was an award ceremony for the patrol's weakest activity. Although during Wednesday and Thursday it was raining activities still carried as they were planned. The tigers, bulls and buffs went to sleep in the ablution block the night between. The last day was ISIS Day, organized by the ventures. We had different activities from a Training Course to a midnight game, it was lots of fun. Although during the camp we didn't get to play a lot of wide game, we still enjoyed the ones we played. The last day was the opposite of the first day. Instead of unpacking, we dismantled the camp gadgetry and packed the truck and left to the HQ by private. The truck was quickly unpacked and everyone headed home to have a good scrub. Jake Busuttil Summer Camp 2015 was held at Ghajn Tuffieha Campsite. It started on Saturday 5th of September at about 10am. I arrived at the campsite at about seven, since I was slightly sick. While I unpacked my bag, the Troop had showers since they went swimming earlier in the day. After showers we had international ‘afternoon’ although it was in the evening. We had Australia as a country. All the patrol helped in cooking. We had chicken breast, melted cheese and a whole can of mayonnaise with pitta bread. As desert we had apples with cinnamon. It was delicious. On Sunday we woke up for flag up and washing up and next came breakfast. As usual we had our duties and then we had inspection which was weird since it was the second day. Afterwards we had an activity with Mike called The Great Escape. Although I was feeling a bit sick and didn’t do the activity, it seemed fun. I was starving by then, and next came lunch and duties. At about two we had badge work and PL’s and APL’s had mapping. We had showers and then prepared for mass. In the evening we had our fun troop campfire. On Monday we started the day with First Aid Scenarios and later we had badge work. Afterwards we had to build a playground but water edition. Then we had lunch and finished our pioneer project. It was really fun. The next activity was our short expedition….. On Tuesday we started the day by snorkeling with Gabe and Pierre. I learnt to jump in head first. Next we
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From the Courtyard
TROOP SUMMER CAMP
Issue 97 August & September 2015
headed back to the campsite and had lunch there. Then we had showers and prepared our stunts. Afterwards came Rodeo and our Campfire. It went well. Wednesday started by building up the base of a slide. Later in the day we had lunch and we headed down for the beach and finished the construction of the slide. It completely wasn’t worth it because of the choppy sea. Then we returned to the campsite and had rabbit for dinner. Thursday was organized by the ventures. We had an obstacle coarse (water edition) and we had a water ballon fight. It was really fun. On Friday we had to dismantle everything, and headed back to the HQ to dismantle the truck.
Matthew Muscat DAY 1 The first day is always one of the hardest days especially in the scorching heat like it was at camp. The first day consisted of unloading the truck and setting up campsite. After we set up our tents (which our patrol finished last) each patrol was assigned with a camp gadget to set up. We had the flagpole which the buffs
From the Troop
ended up doing because our tent took long to set up! After all the hard work we went to the beach to cool down which was loads of fun. DAY 2 Our patrol leader Matthias left for the day as he had a football game and our APL Owen hadn’t arrived yet so I was PL for the day. Although I was slightly anxious the day went better than I imagined as we had an easy day with Mike’s game and an inspection being our main activities. We also had some mapping for the expedition which was the next day. DAY 3 Our APL Owen came and we made a (sort of ) successful catapult for our water games! We also had the expedition which we did quite well in finishing in 4th place. At least we didn’t finish last! DAY 4 On this day we had the campfire so the bulk of it was preparing our stunt and campsite for campfire. The leaders also surprised us with a mechanical bull to do rodeo on which was lots and lots of fun! The campfire was also a big success as the parents enjoyed it and so did we so it was a win win situation ! DAY 5 This day was one of the best days apart from the fact that we were in a storm! We played fifty challenges which is always enjoyable but the main event was building a raft/slide and taking it out to sea! DAY 6 Matthias had to leave again and Owen was our PL. It was the ventures “ISIS DAY” which they organized for us which we all enjoyed. The ventures put a lot of work into it and i’m glad that it was a success! DAY 7 Along with the first day this was the toughest, dismantling in the in scorching heat. At least we had pastizzi for lunch! CONCLUSION Once again it was another amazing experience, The only problem was the heat!
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From the Courtyard
Issue 97 August & September 2015
VENTURES SUMMER CAMP
This summer camp was attended in full force by our 12 strong Venture Unit. Although not as intensive as the other sections’ programmes, the Ventures had a good time doing their own activities and helping around where needed. This year’s Venture Unit summer camp was held between the 5th and 11th of September. Preparations for this camp started off several months ago as this year the unit were to plan and make their own program for the camp. Several activities were suggested and taken into consideration and final plans were made to make the summer camp memorable. It had been decided that on the 5th of September, the Unit would help out at the SAC Headquarters to load the truck. We met at HQ at around 8:30 in the morning. All equipment needed was loaded onto the two trucks together with our personal belongings. It took till 9:30 to get both trucks loaded and soon after we set off to Għajn Tuffieħa Campsite in the leaders’ cars.
From the Unit
We arrived at the campsite at around 10 o’clock and waiting for us we found the Troop already unloading the Group’s equipment from the trucks. The Unit joined in the unloading process. While the scouts started off with setting up the camp gadgetry, the Unit started setting up the Dining Shelter. We started off by setting down the poles and joints and with the help of the scouts the frame was put up. After, the canvas was placed onto the frame and after some final adjustments, the shelter was set up. All the dining tables and benches were placed inside the tent. After a quick lunch and break, we set off to pitch up the Ventures’ and Cubs’ tents. These happened to be the three Vango tents used during the SIMIT national Emergency exercise which took place at the campsite the day before our camp started. The tents were heftily moved and once both the Ventures’ and Cubs’ tents were pitched up safely, we settled into our tent and set up our rucksacks and marked our places. After settling in, and having finished setting up camp, we decided to go down to Golden Bay. We changed and took our equipment where we were joined by the troop. We spent a good amount of time swimming and relaxing after a hard day. Once it started getting dark, we walked back to the campsite, showered and got changed. After, we set up a BBQ on which we cooked the Unit’s and Leaders’ dinner. Matthew Zarb was there to help us and he made us Chicken drumsticks together with pork sausages. During dinner we relaxed and socialized. We then washed our messtins and washed the dishes used for the BBQ. We cleared the area and decided to settle in early for the night. Before sleeping we played a number of card games to pass the time.
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From the Courtyard
Issue 97 August & September 2015
VENTURES SUMMER CAMP
Sunday 6th September After a good nights’ sleep (thanks to Luke’s fan), we woke up at around 7:30. We decided to participate in the scouts’ lumbering up, led mainly by Max. For our first camp breakfast we had Rice Krispies or at least something similar to it anyway … After that we went to sit down on the captains’ chairs but soon after we decided to go down to the beach. The plan was to have some Beach Games coordinated by Julian but no one felt like it so everyone decided to play piggy-in-the-middle in the water. It was still an amazing morning despite the change. When it started getting hotter we decided to go up back to campsite where a luscious lunch was waiting for us. Since Daniel Pace was ill at the time we had to cancel his activity. This made way for lost time and laziness. Finally, Andre decided to take us up near the barracks where we had an air-rifle shooting session. Before we started the actual shooting Andre showed us a presentation on safety, how the gun works, what procedures we would use and so on. This session was however cut short after some time because it was a Sunday; the day to go to church. Only Nigel was able to get the practice part of the session. After mass we figured out that there
From the Unit
was no time left to complete the session so everyone went to shower. After we ate our supper we went to our tent to prepare for the hike ahead of us. The unit was split up into three different groups. These consisted of: Craig, Mike and Julian; James, Nigel, Max, Daniel M, Daniel B, Johnny, Max and Luke As you most probably realised the second and third group decided to join up. However to start our hike we had to go by car and to ensure we didn’t know where we were going we were asked to blindfold ourselves with our scarves. This didn’t stop the majority of the ventures to take it off anyway. Short after our arrival we learnt that it was Miżieb Forest. The first group wanted to get the hike over and done with so they started off strong, while the second group took it pretty much like the rest of the camp, relaxed. The first checkpoint was figured out to be at Xemxija Kiosk. Obviously the first group arrived first and shortly after they found out where the second checkpoint, was the second group arrived. The way to Wardija School (the second checkpoint) was quite rough as it was a steep uphill and it was getting dark but, miraculously, we made it. Again the first group came, saw and conquered the second checkpoint and were on their way to St Marin’s Cave when the second group arrived. It was a simple road to the cave but the second group did manage to get lost. They were doing quite well until they walked PAST the checkpoint! In other news the first group met a house on the route, a house which was built ON the street that blocked them from walking the rest of the planned route. So they backtracked their way until they found a footpath which led to a quarry. They continued their way to the final checkpoint, the Roman baths. Here the first group waited for the leaders for around 15 minutes because the second group had just left St Martin’s Cave. When the leaders finally arrived there were two other figures in the back of the car, Max and Luke because of pre-
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From the Courtyard
Issue 97 August & September 2015
VENTURES SUMMER CAMP
camp foot injuries. They found out that their sleeping quarters for the night was in the wartime Searchlight Battery, which was not far from Għajn Tuffieħa Campsite. And all this was done by 3:00am, or at least it did for the first group. The second group arrived at around 4:00 so as soon as they arrived they took out the bivouacs and slept for they soon had to wake up to walk the rest of the way back to the campsite.
Monday 7th September At around 7 a.m. one of us woke up because of the hunter. So all of us had to wake up and start to dismantle our sleeping equipment even though we didn’t sleep much. It was almost half past seven when we were ready from packing and started to walk back to the campsite. Most of the ventures enjoyed the fact that we slept on our own. At around 8 o’clock we arrived at the campsite hoping to have a shower, but before we could take one, we had a little chat with the rovers and we recalled our adventures during the hike. After ten minutes
From the Unit
every one was ready from the showers and went to have breakfast. We took some cornflakes and a slice of bread with left over chicken. In our program the next activity we had planned was to bake pies. So everyone started to make their pastry. Every member made a different pie. There was a chicken pie, a meat pie, a pea pie, a tuna pie, two apple pies and quiche lorraine. This was a fun activity in which all of us learned how to make a pie. Till half four everything was ready except the pies weren’t baked. So since everyone was ready, two members of the unit went to help the cubs making an experiment and some others helped the rovers preparing some ftiras for the troop since they were having their expedition. After an hour or two all the pies were bake and ready to be eaten. By now all of us were very hungry. The first to be eaten were the quiche lorraine and the meat pie. Afterward we went to play some football and we were joined by some rovers and the Group Scout Leader: Edward Cassola. In the evening, we had some delicious apple pie and closed the day with some card games and some jokes. Some of us went to sleep during this time because they were exhausted while some others joined the troop to play wide game. At around midnight we all went to sleep because the following day we had to wake up early because it was campfire day.
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From the Courtyard
Issue 97 August & September 2015
VENTURES SUMMER CAMP Tuesday 8th September
On Tuesday morning we woke up early in to help prepare lumbering up for the troop and the pack. During Lumbering up we organised an old fashion game of Lions and Tigers for our youngsters. Following lumbering up we helped to serve cereal for our scouts. After we went up to the activity area and set up the area for target practice, where we saw who really was the best marksman of us all. After our activity was done we cleared up the area had a short siesta followed by lunch, where we ate the left over pie that we had baked on Monday. We then prepared for camp fire by rehearsing our stunts and helping with campfire preparations. This included cooking, helping our QM with the fire wood, helping to prepare the area for the BBQ and campfire and finally serving the food at the time. Before the campfire started we had a chance to ride the mechanical bull which the scouts had hired for their activity.
From the Unit
During the campfire we all showed off our acting and singing talents with two very funny stunts. Campfire had to be cut short due to the pending storm, and we rushed to clear up the area and render al tents safe after which we settled for a nice game of wide game with the troop. Unfortunately this was cut short due to the rain, we then hurried to save our equipment in the tent and, afraid of getting flooded during the night, we slept on tables inside the dining shelter. (Venture Leader’s note: The only water in your tent was from your wet shoes. CHICKENS!!) Wednesday 9th September Wednesday didn't start off as planned as rain did not stop pouring down from 1.00am till 5.am which then continued again at around 9 am. It was the day after campfire night, and on that day building a raft was planned but that did not quite happen. Due to strong winds and heavy rain the troop were delayed in building their own huge water slide raft. This led to us not having enough time and equipment to build ours. So instead we went for a swim in the choppy sea and also helped with the troop. But overall it was a good day well spent.
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From the Courtyard
Issue 97 August & September 2015
VENTURES SUMMER CAMP
Thursday 10th September On Thursday morning we woke up earlier in order to get dressed for a full packed day. It was planned that today the unit would organise the activities and the day for the troop. Our main theme was Funny ISIS. So in the morning, we dressed up as terrorists, equipped with water guns and fake weapons, and planned to hijack the troop’s fall in. After the hijack, our leader, Andre Brincat, acted as the chief of an Isis terrorist gang and explained to the troop that they were now in an ISIS training camp and would become warriors after this day of activities. The morning was followed by the troop’s lumbering up, which was done Isis style. After lumbering up the troop went washing up and after they had breakfast. After duties, the busy day started. According to our program, the troop would have to construct ten obstacles for an obstacle course that will act as an Isis training camp. So the ventures were split up, two per patrol. Each patrol would have to construct two designs. Work started as soon as all the spars, ropes and other necessary equipment were placed in the activity area. After two hours, all the obstacles were constructed and once all the equipment was cleared, the troop
From the Unit
had lunch. After duties, the troop had a short siesta while the ventures were making last changes to the troop’s next activity. This was to be a Scavengers Hunt. Ten locations around the campsite were chosen to be the ten different locations the troop had to go to. At each location a venture waited for them together with a challenge. Each patrol had a different route and knew where they had to go next with the help of riddles (that were Isis related). At the end, the patrols would arrive at one location, this would be the party tent, and would receive a water balloon to be used in later activity. It took around 2 hours till all patrols went to each location and do each challenge, and one by one they arrived at the party tent. Once each patrol arrived, we moved back to the activity area in order to start the obstacle race. One by one each patrol tried the obstacle race and were timed. Even the ventures had a go. After some time, it was time to dismantle. It didn’t take us long to remove all the tight knots and spars, and take them back to the store area. Once the area was cleared, the ventures split into two groups, those that will take care of the next activity and those who will be helping out to cook dinner,ISIS Lamb with curried rice. The next activity was grenade practice. Once the troop changed into their swimming trunks, each patrol was given a number of water balloons and had to use them to hit a target. Several targets were placed around the cement area including; barrels, members of the troop, a moving target and a wooden frame in which a member of the unit stood inside. One by one, the targets were hit. After sometime, the activity turned out into a full scale water fight with the help of some of the units’ water guns. Meanwhile, the rest of the unit helped out in the kitchen. Once the food was ready and once the troop washed up and changed into clean clothes, it was time for dinner. The troop was amazed at the food we had prepared for them. After dinner and duties it was time for the last activity. The next activity was very similar to wide game, but with ventures against scouts. However the unit’s side, which acted as the Isis terrorist group, had 5 hostages (5 scouts from each patrol) who acted as a counter terrorist group. These held the 5 water balloons given to them after the scavenger hunt, and the other members of the counter terrorist group had to free these hostages without bursting the balloons. The
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From the Courtyard
Issue 97 August & September 2015
VENTURES SUMMER CAMP
game went on well and was highly praised by the scouts afterwards. The day came to an end and the scouts thanked the unit for our hard work to organise such a packed day full of activities. Once the scouts went to sleep, the unit stayed up to play a number of card games till they got tired.
Friday 11th September Today was to be the last day of SAC summer camp 2015. We woke up early to start the busy day ahead. We washed up and had breakfast and packed our equipment to go home. Once all our equipment was packed, we took it outside in order to start striking down our tent. Once our tent was folded and packed we took it down to the truck. We then went down to help the scouts load the two trucks. While some of us went to help the scouts pitching down their tents, some of us remained to help load the truck. We got all equipment from the kitchen, activity area and tent area to the trucks. At lunch time we gathered in the shade of the dining shelter to eat lunch, Pastizzi. After lunch, we took
From the Unit
down the party tent. It didn’t take long for all the tents to be placed into the trucks together with the
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Cubs’, Troop’s and Unit’s equipment. At around 2:30pm the bus arrived and the ventures went to help supervise the scouts on the bus. We arrived back at HQ at around 3 o’clock and spent the rest of the time unloading the trucks and placing them back in their places..
LAST WEEKEND OF SUMMER On the 19-20th September we as ventures decided to help pitch in with the renovation of our headquarters. Together with our leaders and a few rovers we helped renovate the troop room. We also helped arrange some of the kitchen equipment found at our headquarters. Together with a couple of cans of paint we managed to finish painting the cub room's benches and recreate that unique scouting look the troop room once had a long time ago allowing the scouts to use it once again. This helped us realize that everything found at HQ doesn’t happen on its own but t takes long hours of preparation to make our Wednesday meetings run smoothly. At the ed of the day we celebrated a good summer together with a BBQ .
From the Courtyard
ROVER ELECTIONS
Issue 97 August & September 2015
Who you gonna call? The Rover Crew is probably one of the least visible sections within a Scout Group. Its contribution and presence during the Group’s activities is, however, crucial. Rover Crew members work in the shadows ensuring that any additional support required for the successful implementation of activities is readily available. The Rover Crew’s motto, “SERVICE”, cannot be more fitting. During the recently held fund-raising Pasta Night, Rover Crew members carried out most of the logistical preparations and setting-up required prior to the activity. During the month of July, occasionally assisted by Venture Unit members, Rovers laboured away for a number evenings scraping the Courtyard walls which will now be professionally plastered and white-washed. Focus has, more recently, shifted to preparing the equipment required for the Annual Group Summer Camp. This includes checking and - if necessary - carrying out repairs to tents, tables, benches, lighting and kitchen equipment.
From the Crew
Concurrently, the Crew holds its own activities. This year alone, Crew activities have included a Comino trip, participation in an international Scout competition, participation in fund raising activities organized by other organisations, a treasure hunt and camps. These activities, which also double-up as a teambuilding opportunity, give Crew members the possibility to brush up on their own scouting skills. Rover Crew activities are discussed, decided upon and planned out during Rover Crew meetings which are held every Wednesday evening. Meetings commence after the younger sections (Pack and Troop) have finished off their meetings and are sometimes concluded late into the night. Meetings and activities are organized and run entirely by the Crew members themselves under the supervision of the Rover Crew Leaders (referred to as Rover Crew Co-ordinators). The Rover Crew elects its own Executive Committee every six months. The roles and responsibilities of the Rover Crew Executive Committee are the following: Chairman: Responsible for preparing the Crew meetings’ weekly agenda, chair meetings and fill-in for the Rover Crew Co-ordinators at meetings if required. Secretary: Minute-taking during Crew weekly meetings, circulation of minutes and management of Crew e -mail address. PRO: Co-ordinate newsletter articles concerning the crew, uploading articles concerning the Crew to the website and co-ordinating the posting of updates on Crew activities to the Group’s Facebook Page. A Rover Crew Executive Committee Election was held on Wednesday 5 th August 2015. The following nominations were received: Emanuel Lewis (Chairman), David Pace (Chairman), George Zammit Montebello (Chairman), Joanna Camilleri Ellul (Secretary), Luke Maistre (Secretary), Liam Curmi de Gray (PRO) and Ilaria Zammit (PRO). Nominations for the Executive Committee and running of the election itself were managed by the Rover Crew Co-ordinators. Voting was made by secret ballot. Members who were unable to make it for the weekly meeting were given the opportunity of submitting their votes by proxy. The following members were elected to the Rover Crew Executive Committee for the next six months: Emanuel Lewis – Chairman Joanna Camilleri Ellul – Secretary Illaria Zammit – PRO Commenting soon after the results were announced, Rover Crew Co-ordinator Pierre Sant pointed out that all roles in the Executive Committee were now being taken over by members who didn’t form part of the outgoing Executive Committee. “We need not be afraid of change”, Pierre said, whilst also adding that this provided the new Executive Committee with the opportunity to renew and continue building on the enthusiasm amongst Crew members that the outgoing Executive Committee had managed to instill.
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From the Courtyard
PASTA NIGHT
Issue 97 August & September 2015
Whilst congratulating the Rover Crew members who have been elected to the Executive Committee for the next six months, we would also like to take this opportunity to thank Crew members of the outgoing Executive Committee, some of whom had held positions for several terms of office – namely: George Zammit Montebello (outgoing Crew Chairman), Matthew Zammit (outgoing Crew Secretary) and Liam Curmi de Gray (outgoing Crew PRO) – for their sterling contribution.
Timmy Zammit Asst. Rover Crew Co-ordinator
Food .. Glorious Food!
From the Crew
Pasta Night has now cemented itself in the Scout Group’s yearly calendar and continues to be one of the most awaited summer activities by both present and former members. This year, Pasta Night was held on a Saturday evening, 8th August 2015, as opposed to more recent previous editions which were held on Fridays. For the first time ever, online booking was provided for this event. With more than 225 paying attendees, this year’s Pasta Night was one of the most attended fund-raisers we have ever had. Attendees were treated to a variety of filled pasta which were prepared by our very own kitchen team ably led by Matthew Zarb and Kyle Mangion. Serving was managed by the Venture Unit. The menu consisted of the following: Chicken Ravioli with sage and garlic butter sauce; Chicken tortellini with Pesto Calabrese; Beef Tortellini with porcini mushrooms, pea and cream sauce; and Ricotta mezzaluna Ravioli with Tomato, Garlic and Basil Sauce. A free drink was included in ticket pricing. Any additional drinks had to be paid for at the bar for a nominal price. On the night, the bar was manned by Rover Crew members. Feedback received following this activity has been overwhelmingly positive. Funds collected through this activity will definitely be put to good use. As well as conducting extensive maintenance works within Headquarters, the Group also needs to upgrade/ replace the office computer and printer used for preparation of circulars and other administrative tasks, repair some of the larger tents used during annual camps as well as cover incidental expenses that crop up on a regular basis. As well as thanking all attendees for making this another successful event, we would also like to extend our gratitude to those who have supported us in the organization of this year’s Pasta Night, namely: Fr. Rector and the College Facilities Manager for allowing us to hold the Pasta Night in the car park adjacent to Headquarters as well as facilitating the use of tables and chairs belonging to College; Mrs. Charlotte Sammut (parent) for sponsoring the wine served during Pasta Night; Grand Hotel Excelsior, Borg Cardona Co. Ltd., Profumeria La Piazzetta, Marsovin, Myoka Spa, JB Stores, General Soft Drinks, and AFS Limited for providing us with raffle prizes. Timmy Zammit Asst. Rover Crew Co-ordinator
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From the Courtyard
ROVER SUMMER CAMP
Issue 97 August & September 2015
SAC Rover Camp – Summer 2015 Edition Day 1 - Friday As we gave a cheery wave to the last members of the Troop and Venture Unit that were departing the campsite, the members of the Rover Crew still present at the campsite new that the real business of the week was about to begin; the Rover Camp!
From the Crew
The Rover Camp is a short camp which is generally held directly after the whole Group Camp, where the older members of the SAC Scout Group carry out a couple of further activities during the weekend. During this particular Rover Camp, the first order of business was to move our tents and equipment to an adjoining plot, and then set up a shelter to ward off the worst of the sun. With all this done and evening fast approaching, our ordeals during the day had tired us out and the next priority, that of nourishment, was quickly agreed upon. Trotting down to the kitchen with images of hot food happily bubbling away at the back of our minds, a rude awakening awaited us. The gas cylinder we were to rely upon for the whole weekend had unfortunately divested itself of any trace of gas, and repeated pleas with it resulted in nothing but an even hungrier Rover Crew. Falling back on our traditional Scouting skills, we returned to the tents and rapidly set up a blazing fire with which he heated a large pot of curry, thoughtfully left behind for us. We ate it all with gusto, and considering the size of the pot in question, this would be a decision that would result in considerable repercussions later. After this filling meal, we sat around the dying embers of the fire, engaging in small talk about how the Scout Camp had gone, as well our plans for the rest of the Rover Camp. The next major activity would take place the following morning, first entailing a short hike to Ġnejna Bay, from where we would make the return journey to Għajn Tuffieħa via a set of two man kayaks. Mindful of any early morning start, the Rover Crew then settled it for an early night. Day 2 – Saturday Having awoken at roughly 7.00 am in the morning, aided with copious amounts of coffee made via a sink whose default setting seemed to be somewhere between ‘scalding’ and ‘lava’, we departed from the campsite at around 7.30 am, and set off along the coast towards Ġnejna, negotiating the clay slopes along the way, happily with no incidents along the way. Our arrival in Ġnejna took place around forty minutes after our departure from our campsite, and contact was quickly established with the kayaking company. After a wait and some snacks, we were ready to leave at around 9.00 am. Unfortunately due to a dropout the party would now compose of seven rather than eight members, proceeding in three two-man kayaks and a one-man kayak, the latter of which would be manned by kayaking enthusiast Simon Gauci, whilst the rest of us, wholly inexperienced in such devices, decided to rely on the tested method of safety in numbers, reasoning that if we were to fall off the kayaks we might as well take someone with us.
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From the Courtyard
ROVER SUMMER CAMP
Issue 97 August & September 2015
Such fears, were, however, completely unfounded, and after a few teething troubles, such as how to move off, the expedition started. Once the correct procedure of moving the kayak was established, the next logical step was to make it go in the direction its two-man team intended. Whilst this posed fresh difficulties, there were brief periods in the first ten minutes where the kayak did, on occasion, point vaguely in the direction its riders wished it to go in.
From the Crew
All these initial problems were soon dealt with, and shouts quickly started to echo across the water from one Rover kayak to another, either as challenges to a race or as crews started to show off by performing manoeuvres one would have thought quite impossible fifteen minutes previously. Our small party made its way round the headlands separating the bays from one another and worked our way along the coastline, on occasion paddling through narrow gaps and, on occasion, letting ourselves drift along without paddling and enjoying the quietness and beauty of the surroundings. A couple of very happy hours were spent in the kayaks, before we regretfully handed them back over to their owners and made the climb from the bay back up to the campsite, where we flopped down and had a relaxed afternoon, with some members starting a fire and cooking whilst others went to wash and then relieved them. Courtesy of some further items that had been left behind on the previous day, we cooked up a pot of pasta, flavoured with a number of assorted ingredients (chiefly consisting of Polpa with just a smidgen of corned beef). Although Saturday afternoon was a mostly relaxed affair, work did still take place, in preparation for the following day’s activity. Whilst this activity would once again herald the Rover Crew’s love affair with the kayak, this time the kayak in question would not be rented, but rather built by the Rover Crew itself, with a design established after much consideration, thought, and the accumulation of a truly incredible amount of plastic bottles. The frame of this kayak, having already been put together during Scout camp, was now placed near our shelter and a ready discussion ensued as how to proceed with the best method of attaching the bottles to the frame. It should be noted that the kayak for this camp was meant as nothing more than a prototype for bigger and better things in the future, but this did not affect our desire in any way to ensure it was anything else than a complete success. With night falling rapidly only a few rows of bottles had been finished, but valuable knowledge and brainstorming had been undertaking which would aid us in our endeavours on Sunday. More Rovers, who were unable to attend the whole camp due to work and other commitments, came up for the evening to admire the work that their full-time camp counterparts had carried out.
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From the Courtyard
ROVER SUMMER CAMP
Issue 97 August & September 2015
Day 3 – Sunday The vast majority of Sunday was spent completing the plastic bottle kayak, working throughout the whole day and stopping only to consume a quick meal. Although much of the kayak had been planned and designed beforehand, problems and changes still had to be dealt with on the spur of the moment and the construction took longer than initially planned, with the end result that initial testing had to be postponed by a mere six hours. At eight in the evening the descent was made, kayak bravely hoisted over our shoulders, down to the bay were the first trials were to be held. Hearts in mouths (and clad in swimsuits for good measure), our creation was gently laid into the water and our two volunteers, selected by sole virtue of weighing between 15-20 kilogrammes less than the rest of us, clambered in gently. The initial results surpassed our expectations considerably, so much so that the plastic bottles located at the bottom of the kayak had to be deliberately flooded, as the kayak was in danger of capsizing on account of riding too high in the water. However, the brief trials continued with a few manoeuvres, before it was regretfully decided to proceed back to the campsite, pack the few remaining items and start our homeward-bound journey.
From the Crew
For all our dear readers, let them be informed that this was merely the beginning to our ambitions with the plastic bottle kayak. All shall be revealed in later editions‌
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Matthew Zammit