Scouts

On Wednesday, we began the trip home. After the bus journey we discovered that the weather at Wildenrath was too bad for flying, so we drove 60 miles to Dusseldorf, losing a third of the party on the way. When we finally took off, we were six hours late. I arrived back at York at 3 o'clock in the morning. C.J.A.S.

SCOUT GROUP

This term we reconstituted a Rover Crew in the Group as we had a sufficient number of older Senior Scouts. The Crew, because of their many other commitments, cannot meet very regularly, but its members are able to assist with a wide variety of activities in other sections of the Group and, in particular, with training. At the same time this has made our Senior Scout Troop rather more manageable in size and has given the opportunity to younger Senior Scouts to take over positions of responsibility.

SENIOR SCOUT TROOP

Because of the creation of the Rover Crew, the number of Senior Scout Patrols this term was reduced to four, and the Patrol Leaders appointed were J. M. McKay, A. S. Medlycott, A. J. Moss and R. I. Moss. An active term included a number of evening outdoor meetings, an energetic field day and training largely concentrated on the Ambulance and Senior Pioneer Badges. The field day was spent in the Western Moors and the object of the day was to simulate a rescue operation, a dummy having been placed in a valley by the Rovers two or three days earlier. Some useful lessons were learned and all enjoyed a bracing dry day away from the confines of School.

Unfortunately this year it was found impossible to arrange an Easter Expedition for the Senior Scouts, but we hope that next year this activity will be resumed. In the meantime, members of the Senior Scout Troop have been using Group equipment to go off on their own expeditions and camps.

SCOUT NOTES

Two new boys joined the troop this term, R. A. Hodgson and G. S. Yule. This makes our number 37, with the result that a new patrol, Badgers, had to be formed with Warnock as Patrol Leader and Powell as his Second. Under Boyd the first-class scouts have continued their badge training and the end of term saw them building rope bridges with fair success. A start was also made on the theory of the camper and cook badges, which we hope will be taken next term. First-class training has continued with splicing, first aid and highway code and most scouts will be able to do their final test, the journey, early next term. Under Plews the second-class tests have nearly all been finished by those who joined as tenderfeet in September.

The Field Day was held on 1st March. Four groups went out cycling, taking packed lunches with them and returning at about 2 p.m. to cook a meal in the scout compound. A fifth party, led by Beckingham, were dropped at Helmsley and had a long hike returning to York just in time for tea. At the last meeting of the term a large number of the scouts passed the swimmer badge, and two boys obtained their Master-at Arms badge.

Summer camp will be in Monmouth near Abergavenny, from 27th July to 3rd August, and it is hoped that nearly all scouts will be able to attend.

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