Issue Issue 8686 May May 2014 2014
From the Courtyard
sac scouts newsletter
From the Courtyard feature of the month
SEA SCOUT SHIP MINOTAUR
What’s on August 2nd— Pasta Night (Group)
Sept. 6—13— Summer Camp (Group)
Most people are aware of Operation Dynamo which evacuated the British Expeditionary Force of over 300,000 personnel from the beaches of Dunkirk in May and June 1940. Few would realize that Sea Scouts played their part amongst ‘the little ships of Dunkirk’ of saving the British Army from capture and allowing them to fight another day. The following extract was written by the Group Scout Master of the Mortlake Sea Scout Group which crewed the 45ft motor picket boat Minotaur during Operation Dynamo. The Scout Master is believed to be Mr Tom Towndrow and he received Admiralty orders on the night of 29 May to sail the Minotaur to a staging area in the Thames Estuary to wait further instructions by the Royal Navy. “By midnight the Rover Crew was found, and at 8:30 a.m. we were under weigh down river, refueling and taking on stores and water as we went. At 8 p.m. we reported to our destination and were given further instructions to proceed to a south-east port. We made it at 9 o’clock the next morning.” At Ramsgate two fully armed Naval ratings joined the crew of the Minotaur and assisted with the loading of fuel and provisions. They all received detailed operational instructions on the morning of 31 May before making the crossing to Dunkirk and would have had little knowledge of what they would encounter. By 10:45 a.m. we were on our way. The crossing took five-and-a-half to six hours, and was by no means uneventful. Destroyer after destroyer raced past, almost cutting the water from beneath us, and threatening to overturn us with their wash. We approached the beach with great caution at Dunkirk, because of the wrecks. We found things fairly quiet, and got on with our allocated job of towing small open ships’ boats, laden with soldiers, to troop transports anchored in deep water, or of loading our ship from the open boats and proceeding out to the transports. Conditions did not remain quiet for long. We were working about a quarter of a mile away
Feature of the Month
From the Courtyard
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SEA SCOUT SHIP MINOTAUR
Issue 86 May 2014
from six destroyers. Suddenly all their anti-aircraft guns opened fire. At the same time we heard the roar of 25 Nazi planes overhead. Their objective was the crowded beach and the destroyers. Salvo after salvo of bombs was dropped. Adding to the deafening din were air raid sirens sounding continuously on the shore. One ‘plane made persistent circles round us. Another Nazi ‘plane was brought down in flames, far too close for our liking! After the raiders had passed, we shakily got on with the job. Eventually our fuel ran low and the engine made ominous noises, so we were relieved. We took a final load to a trawler, returned to our East Coast base, re-fuelled and turned in for a few hours’ sleep. We were then told to stand by, as fast boats were making the next crossing. We shipped aboard another motor boat as crew. We left before it got dark under convoy of a large sea-going tug. Our job this time was to work from the mole at Dunkirk Harbour in conjunction with the tug. The operation was supposed to be carried out under cover of darkness, but with the petrol and oil tanks on fire it might have been daytime. Having loaded the tug, we came away barely in time. As we left the mole the Germans got its range, and a shell demolished the end of it. On the way back we Scouts transferred to a Naval cutter, full of troops, which was making the return journey. The officer in charge had lost his charts. Knowing the course back we were able to take over. After a nine-hours’ crossing we made our East Coast base once more. German aircraft constantly followed all small boats out to sea, gunning the crews and troops on board. Three more members of our Sea Scout Troop crewed other boats from Chiswick which were short of men.”
For further information see http://scoutguidehistoricalsociety.com/minotaur.htm
From the Courtyard
GSL’S NOTE
Issue 86 May 2014
Fundraising events In their continuous efforts to generate funds for the Group a number of leaders organised a team building event for a business organisation on May 16th. The event was led and co-ordinated by myself and eleven of the Group’s leaders. There were sixty participants taking part on the day and a number of games and activities were prepared to boost team spirit and encourage members to get to know one another outside of their regular work environment. The event was held at the Ghajn Tuffieha Camp site and all leaders had to take a day off work / studies to dedicate their efforts towards this fund raising event. I would like to thank them once again for their time and dedication. We are also planning two other fundraising events for the Group. On August 2nd 2014 we are planning to organise a pasta night at our HQ for members and their families, friends and former members. More details will follow via email and circulars in the coming weeks. The Group also plans to organise a wine night for adult members, friends and parents only in mid-September. Cub Meeting Times
GSL’s note
The Group’s leaders have decided that the meetings for Cubs shall from now on be held between 17:30 and 19:30 throughout the year. This was done to ensure that enough leaders are at HQ for the meeting and it also gives the boys more time to finish their homeworks. SACFEST The Troop and a number of ventures and leaders set up one of the obstacles for the obstacle course being organised for SACFEST. This was a good exercise for the scouts to apply their skills for something useful and in a small way we are giving back to the College. HQ Maintenance With summer fast approaching we have plans to fix some areas of our HQ in the coming months. We apologise for the occasional “mess” we find ourselves in at the HQ but it is also a sign that we are a dynamic Group and are always up to something. Summer Camp This year’s Summer Camp will be held between the 6th and the 13th of September 2014. Cubs, Scouts and parents please take note of these dates and be sure to be there! It’s going to be a big one!
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From the Pack
From the Courtyard
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BP ADVENTURE 2014
Issue 86 May 2014
SAC Cubs take part in “BP Adventure 2014” On Saturday 10th May, 20 SAC Cubs joined around 500 other cubs and brownies from a number of other scout groups to take part in the national event “BP Adventure 2014”. The event was very well-attended and had a mixture of activities intended to bring out the team-work element between brownies and cubs aged between 7 and 12 years old. This was the first-ever activity organised between the Scout Association of Malta and the Malta Association of Girl Guides. The name “BP Adventure” refers to Lord Robert and Olave Baden Powell, were the respective founders of the boy scout and the girl guide movements. The BP Adventure activity was held at the International Scout Campsite of Għajn Tuffieħa and this consisted of a number of fun and challenging events, which also included a “community initiative” in line with the beliefs of the Scout and Girl Guides movements. The first activity was themed “Fun with Science” where the cubs performed a number of scientific experiments under the guidance of instructors. Afterwards they proceeded to a number of athletic and creative challenges which required a great element of team-work in order to achieve the objective of the game. The third activity consisted of a clean-up event under the national clean-up scheme “Let’s do it Malta!”. The cubs were provided with gloves and garbage bags and cleaned the area around the campsite. Before the activity was over, all the cubs dressed in their colourful activity tshirts, gathered in the Campsite Arena to take part in the “Scream and Jump Activity”. The cubs and their leaders provided 45 minutes of entertainment which was thoroughly enjoyed by all those present – cubs and leaders alike.
From the Pack
From the Courtyard
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BP ADVENTURE 2014
Issue 86 May 2014
From the Courtyard
SACFEST BRIDGE
Issue 86 May 2014
The St. Aloysius' College has been organising the SAC Fest for the past 7 years, and this year was no exception. Such fest usually falls on the last weekend of May and is full of activities for all ages, ranging from live concerts, football tournaments, food stalls to obstacle courses. The St. Aloysius College Scout Group has been involved in the SAC Fest since the inception of the event, and each year is assigned a different task or activity. Past events vary from a group parade around the grounds, a weekend live-display of a typical camp, archery and building several obstacles in the obstacle course set up for fourth, fifth and sixth formers. This year it the troop section was entrusted with the job to build a bridge over some pipes, which would join up the rest of the obstacles over the given course around the grounds. The leaders together with some older scouts designed the bridge after measuring the area on site. Come Wednesday before the Fest, and the whole troop was seen working hard in building such bridge. Basically the group was divided into three teams, the first is making sure that all of the material has been transported to the site, the second
From the Troop
which takes care of building part, together with delegating and work that needs to be done and the last took care of
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any miscellaneous items that need sorting out, such as guying the bridge down. All in all, the bridge lasted a whole weekend of pounding and everybody enjoyed it. A huge thank you goes to all the scouts and leaders who worked hard on this pioneering project. Bring on next year!
From the Courtyard
Issue 86 May 2014
THE THESEUS AWARD
As the Unit gets ready to receive its next batch of new Ventures, here are the guidelines for them to obtain their first badge – the link badge or Theseus as it is called. The older scouts should start working on it from now so that when they will join the Unit they will already be underway. This article follows the first of a series in the October 2013 issue.
Theseus is the Link Badge and the first badge to be achieved from the Venture Award Programme. Every Venture has to achieve this badge prior to start working on the rest of the Programme. This badge incorporates the basic scouting skills which need to be known in the Venture Section. • For those coming “from the street” this mission is split in two parts; first to learn scouting skills and secondly to understand the Venture Programme. • For those members who are moving on from the troop: to have a better understanding of what it means to be a venture scout.
From the Unit
JOINING FROM TROOP Voyager Level from the Troop’s Programme • 5.6 – Ropework • 5.15 – Rescue Knots • 5.20 – Cooking for the Patrol • 5.24 – Organise a Troop Meeting
JOINING THE VENTURE UNIT Before officially becoming a Venture Scout • Understanding the Award Scheme, The Executive & The Unit • Plan a route/journey • Strengthening my weaknesses • My role as a Venture • How the unit perceives me • Attend a Weekend Camp with the Unit (2 nights)
JOINING FROM OUTSIDE Needs to learn new skills • Scout Promise • Scout Law • Tents • Plan a menu • Knife and axe • Mapping • Knotting • Highway code • Fire • Plan a Hike
Formal Request to Executive to join the unit Joining the Venture Unit is not an “automatic” process. The way the Unit operates is different from the Troop or the Pack. During your Link Badge period, you have worked closely with other ventures and by now you should have understood that commitment and dedication are of utmost importance for the success of the venture unit. Therefore, once you have completed the Link Badge requirements, you have to formally request the Venture Executive to join the unit. This will mean that YOU will be doing your best to be an active and responsible venture.
My Role as a Venture Scout Becoming a Venture Scout brings further commitment and responsibilities and these responsibilities do not stop within your Venture Scout Unit but they also extend to the Group and even towards your community. Take some time to identify what you will be contributing to the: In the Unit
In the Group
In the Community
To further understand your role, please download and read the booklet entitled: “The Venture Scout”. This can be downloaded from Scout Keeper, Downloads Section, Venture Scouts section. We also suggest further reading:• The Venture Scout Unit• The Unit Executive• Programme Planning
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From the Courtyard
Issue 86 May 2014
THE THESEUS AWARD
Plan a 20 km Expedition These are a combination of journeying and project work, with journeying as their principal component. Aim—To inspire young people to develop initiative and a spirit of adventure and discovery, by planning, training for and completing an adventurous journey as part of a Team. Method—The activity should be over two days (including a night away) with at least three other Venture Scouts. You must be involved in the planning of this activity, complete relevant training and be properl prepared.
From the Unit
Complete the activities in one of the following two areas: Area 1 - Expedition: A journey with a purpose During the expedition: • Be a team player and participate fully • Journey for at least five hours each day. • Use a map to keep track of where you are. • Keep an updated route card and log. • Camp overnight at a suitable site. • Cook the evening meal and breakfast. • Achieve at least one goal, agreed with your Leader before the expedition. Purpose: To further develop your skills; to go on a historical/environmental track; to explore unknown territory.
The activity may be on foot, canoe, bicycle or sailing boat. Other options may be appropriate, and should be agreed beforehand.
Area 2 - Exploration: A purpose with a journey You must have completed some initial research into the subject to be investigated. The challenge should take place somewhere you have never been before or don’t know well. During the exploration: • Be a team player and participate fully • Travel for at least 90 minutes to a hostel, campsite or other suitable venue. • Use a map to keep track of where you are. • Keep an updated route card and log. • Conduct the exploration within an agreed area (discussed with a leader in advance) collecting evidence and information for the report or presentation. • Camp overnight and cook the evening meal and breakfast. • Complete the exploration before returning home. • Have the report or presentation ready within four weeks of the exploration. Purpose: To investigate and report back. The investigation could be anything from an investigation into bird life to visiting museums in a town.
What Are Your Personal Strengths and Weaknesses? Do you know your personal strengths and weaknesses? A simple question but what would you answer? Can you name your biggest personal strengths instantly? Why it’s Good to Know Your Biggest Personal Strengths Knowing your personal strengths and weaknesses can help you a lot in making good decisions. If you are able to focus what you do around your personal strengths, you have the opportunity to create something remarkable, while making it look almost effortless. So your biggest strength is what comes easy to you – and probably is not so easy for everyone else. This is what you do best and where your real talents lie. If you want to have a comfortable life you should focus on using those strengths to the fullest, because that’s where you have a competitive advantage and where you can create the most value for other people. Equally important to knowing your personal strengths, is to know your personal weaknesses. Those are attributes that you have a hard time when carrying them out. Everybody has weaknesses. It’s only natural, humans are not perfect. So don’t be embarrassed to look into your weaknesses. It will help you to improve yourself to recognize them. So take some time to reflect and list down your strengths and weaknesses. We encourage you to keep on looking at this list and reevaluate yourself from time to time and note what weaknesses you have turned into strengths. For further reading, please refer to the document “What Are Your Personal Strengths and Weaknesses?“.
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From the Courtyard
THE THESEUS AWARD
Issue 86 May 2014
How Am I Being Perceived? It’s fair to say that we don’t constantly walk around with a full length mirror in front of us to check our behaviour. We are not that aware of the signals we are giving off or what behaviours we are subconsciously demonstrating. Behaviour is very deep rooted. It is driven by values, beliefs, motivation and attitude as well as our individual personality type. Because it is so deep rooted, we don’t look at our own behaviour in the same ways other will. The trouble is, because our behaviour is so deep rooted, and we have lived with it for so long, we think that the way we behave is absolutely correct. But, more often enough it’s not what we think about our behaviour, it’s the impact that is has on others which is more often enough the issue. For example, we may think that we are being confident, but other people may look at that behaviour and think its arrogance, others might think it’s aggressive. We just don’t know what the impact is on other people. When we look at other people’s behaviour, it is exactly the same. They are not always that aware of the behaviour they are demonstrating, but it’s the way they behave and the way that it impacts on us that causes the reaction that we might have on them. We use this to choose the way we respond to them. We don’t know what is driving the behaviour. What we see on the outside could well be very different to what is happening on the inside. We can use the analogy of a swan on a lake. The part we see is the swan gliding through the water, it’s almost regal. But, underneath is a very different story. The swan is paddling like mad to keep itself moving. We only see what’s on the surface and because of this, we believe that is what is going on. Perception is a funny thing. By using our insight, when we meet someone for the first time we immediately build a picture of the type of person s/ he is and how best to interact with them.
From the Unit
So, how can you become more aware of your behaviour and how others perceive you? Engage Your Brain Before you respond or react to a person or a situation stop for a couple of seconds, regardless of the way they are acting and behaving. Say to yourself ‘You choose to behave like that, I choose to behave like this’. This will give you the time to engage your brain and consider the way you should respond rather than using a gut based or unconscious reaction. Ask For Feedback If possible ask those close to you for feedback about the way they perceive your behaviour. Don’t be embarrassed to do this or worried about the feedback you will receive. How can you change your behaviour if you don’t know what to change? Plan Tricky Discussions in Advance If you are about to have a conversation with someone who has a particularly difficult character for you to deal with, then be sure to plan it in advance. Plan what you are going to say rather than doing it all off the cuff. Take a Personality Type Questionnaire If you would rather not ask for the opinion of others then you could get some guidance by taking some form of personality profiling questionnaire. These questionnaires are a great way of getting feedback about yourself without the need for asking others. Be Assertive, Ask Questions, Get To Know People Don’t let your gut reactions or biases drive away the possibility of sharing a good friendship with others. Don’t judge, instead ask questions and get to know more about the person. Keep an open mind and gather as much information about your acquaintances as possible, then choose how best to deal or interact with them. There’s no need to be paranoid about your behaviour, but being a little more aware of how you act/ react can go a long way to building long term and strong relationships with others.
Take the Personality Test and afterwards discuss your score together with other Venture Scouts in your Unit. Followed by the questions below: 1. What have you learnt from this exercise? 2. As you learn the results of everyone’s test, what have you discovered about the group? 3. Why do you think people are so different? 4. Most people have a habit of making fun of, or picking on others who are different from them. Why is that? 5. There are probably a number of things that you have in common with the others. Can you name a few? 6. What is it that keeps you from recognizing the good in people on a daily basis?
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From the Courtyard
THE THESEUS AWARD
Issue 86 May 2014
From the Unit
Personality Test 1. When do you feel that you are at your best? a. in the morning b. during the afternoon and early evening c. late at night
7. You’re working very hard, concentrating hard, and you’re interrupted... a. you welcome the break b. feel extremely irritated c. vary between these two extremes
2. You usually walk... a. fairly fast, with long steps b. fairly fast, with little steps c. less fast head up, looking the world in the face d. less fast, head down e. very slowly
8. Which of the following colours do you like most? a. Red or orange b. Black c. Yellow or light blue d. Green e. Dark blue or purple f. White g. Brown or gray
3. When talking to people you... a. stand with your arms folded b. have your hands clasped c. have one or both your hands on your hips d. touch or push the person to whom you are talking e. play with your ear, touch your chin, or smooth your hair 4. When relaxing, you sit with... a. your knees bent with your legs neatly side by side b. your legs crossed c. your legs stretched out or straight d. one leg curled under you 5. When something really amuses you, you react with... a. big appreciative laugh b. a laugh, but not a loud one c. a quiet chuckle d. a sheepish smile 6. When you go to a party or social gathering you... a. make a loud entrance so everyone notices you b. make a quiet entrance, looking around for someone you know c. make the quietest entrance, trying to stay unnoticed
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9. When you’re in bed at night, the last few moments before going to sleep you are... a. stretched out on your back b. stretched out face down on your stomach c. on your side, slightly curled d. with your head on one arm e. with your head under the covers 10. You often dream that you are... a. falling b. fighting or struggling c. searching for something or somebody d. flying or floating e. you usually have dreamless sleep f. your dreams are always pleasant
From the Courtyard
THE THESEUS AWARD
Issue 86 May 2014
SCORING & ANALYSIS: 1. (a)2 (b)4 (c)6 2. (a)6 (b)4 (c)7 (d)2 (e)1 3. (a)4 (b)2 (c)5 (d)7 (e)6 4. (a)4 (b)6 (c)2 (d)1 5. (a)6 (b)4 (c)3 (d)5 (e)2 6. (a)6 (b)4 (c)2 7. (a)6 (b)2 (c)4 8. (a)6 (b)7 (c)5 (d)4 (e)3 (f)2 (g)1 9. (a)7 (b)6 (c)4 (d)2 (e)1 10. (a)4 (b)2 (c)3 (d)5 (e)6 (f)1 Now add up the total number of points.
From the Unit
OVER 60 POINTS: Others see you as someone they should “handle with care.” You’re seen as vain, selfcentred, and who is extremely dominant. Others may admire you, wishing they could be more like you, but don’t always trust you, hesitating to become too deeply involved with you. 51 TO 60 POINTS: Others see you as an exciting, highly volatile, rather impulsive personality; a natural leader, who’s quick to make decisions, though not always the right ones. They see you as bold and adventurous, someone who will try anything once; someone who takes chances and enjoys an adventure. They enjoy being in your company because of the excitement you radiate. 41 TO 50 POINTS: Others see you as fresh, lively, charming, amusing, practical, and always interesting; someone who’s constantly in the centre of attention, but sufficiently well-balanced not to let it go to their head. They also see you as kind, considerate, and understanding; someone who’ll always cheer them up and help them out. 31 TO 40 POINTS: Others see you as sensible, cautious, careful and practical.They see you as clever, gifted, or talented, but modest. Not a person who makes friends too quickly or easily, but someone who’s extremely loyal to friends you do make and who expects the same loyalty in return. Those who really get to know you realize it takes a lot to shake your trust in your friends, but equally that it takes you a long time to get over it if that trust is ever broken. 21 TO 30 POINTS: Your friends see you as painstaking and fussy. They see you as very cautious, extremely careful, a slow and steady plodder. It would really surprise them if you ever did something impulsively or on the spur of the moment, expecting you to examine everything carefully from every angle and then, usually deciding against it. They think this reaction is caused partly by your careful nature. UNDER 21 POINTS: People think you are shy, nervous, and indecisive, someone who needs looking after, who always wants someone else to make the decisions and who doesn’t want to get involved with anyone or anything! They see you as a worrier who always sees problems that don’t exist. Some people think you’re boring. Only those who know you well know that you aren’t.
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From the Courtyard
ROVERS BRING HOME THE BACON
Issue 86 May 2014
George ZM was challenged to write an article that does not include references to coffee. He lost! Nonetheless here’s his good summary of a fundraising event held recently at Ghajn Tuffieha Campsite. Are you looking for a fun packed day, for you and your staff? Exciting activities which will help your employees build teamwork skills (or further increase the divide between departments)? Then contact the SAC Rover Crew! That was an extract from the unofficial advert for our new team building services which for some reason was never approved for public viewing.
From the Crew
Team building is a new activity for those still considered the young part of the group (such as myself), but the concept was resurrected in this modern decade. By resurrected I mean that the group was contacted by a manager at a local business who remembered that we used to do them “back in the day”. As with everything, we took up the challenge with our usual charm gusto, and incredibly long email threads! The job itself sounded simple enough, come up with a morning of activities to entertain a group of grown ups, who were already happy enough to be spending a paid day out of the office, and make them all leave feeling higher levels of camaraderie with their co-workers. That being said, the way our prep meetings were held, one would assume we were planning a military exercise. Though somehow we managed to formulate a solid plot, taking into account almost every conceivable possibility for failure (except rain, though thankfully that didn't happen). As with everything we do, no activity is considered feasible unless there’s a meeting time at some ridiculous hour, for us at least, our guests joined us at a more reasonable time. We met at HQ to load the equipment into everyone’s awaiting vehicles, and have a quick breakfast ( I would like to use this space to thank the lovely lady at DC confectionary for her patience and understanding of my lack of communication skills in my coffeeless state and not judging me for ordering a ham cheese and sausage pie at 7:30 in the morning). We finally arrived at Ghajn Tuffieha campsite, which at 8:30 on a Friday is wickedly enjoyable considering one is moving in the opposite direction of the majority of the traffic (my apologies to anyone who saw me drive by with a guiltless smirk across my face). Set up was simple enough: fill the jerrycans, put the food in the fridge, stack up everything else in a neat and orderly fashion and then wait. We were joined by our excited guests soon after.
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From the Courtyard
ROVERS BRING HOME THE BACON
Issue 86 May 2014
From the Crew
The group we were working to bring closer together, gathered around as we explained to them that we were going to divide them into teams. The team that did the best in the challenges we set out for them would win a trophy, because nothing says togetherness like some healthy competition. After this we set out into a series of challenges which covered SAC cub favourites such as a sponge relay race, a semaphore challenge (waving flags at each other to pass on a humorous message), moving on to the more challenging activities such as command tasks (the scouts will know the more notable one of retrieving the bucket from the circular crocodile infested lava lake), the waddle walk and building a self supporting friction bridge. The design of the bridge must be attributed to Leonardo Da Vinci, a man credited for being the scout of the Renaissance. Although I was there to help run the event, I couldn't help but find myself observing the dynamics taking place. I managed to turn the event into a scientific experiment to observe human behaviour. Obviously no competition is complete without the customary tug-of-war tournament. An event loved by all, especially the winners. In what can only be assumed as an attempt to show dominance over their scouting captors, we were challenged to a final showdown over the rope. It was an interesting battle, they brought forward their finest specimens of strength from the whole group, but it was for naught. Using our years of training (Rovers have a compulsory tug-of war session after every meeting) we retained our pride in what was a well fought victory. In our customary fashion, we ended the event with some open fire cooking, because nothing celebrates a fun morning of activities like fire cooked burgers and hotdogs accompanied with ice cold adult beverages. As much as I would like to say that I enjoyed watching the trials and tribulations of our amateur fire starters, it would be hypocritical of me considering my memorable failures at fire lighting which my fellow rovers will no doubt remind me of. All this was followed by an awards ceremony where the trophy was presented by our master of ceremonies Mr. Edward Cassola, and the winning team giving the most humble of congratulations to the runners up and the rest of their competitors. It was very obvious though that a fun day was had by all, and hopefully word of mouth will be more than enough for SAC TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES Inc. to take off into the corporate behemoth that it is destined to be! Are you interested in providing your staff with a great alternative to the traditional run of the mill team building exercises? Then get in touch with our CEO Edward for all the info you may need!
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