UKCC Blog

As most of you now know Wayne Bulpitt called in for a cup of tea and a photo or two during our camp. Wayne has his own blog and this week we get a name check. Thank you Wayne.

Gus, Wayne and some of the Group

Phew!

Everyone is home and the reports, which have reached my ears, are all positive. It was an amazing weekend and we filled it to the brim.

Yes, the Scouts did get the water fight!
(Note leader with a Billy and Scout with a mug!

Let me know what you thought of it by commenting on the blog and look on the Group website for more photographs.

Guess what...we can repeat it all in two weeks time at the District Centenary camp. I will be there, will you????

Time to go home

The Cubs and Beavers have left site and are hopefully home or on the way home telling tales of their camp exploits and adventures!

The Scouts are just about packed up, having decided against backwoods cooking. The Met Office say the temperature is  28 °C and so it was felt a blazing fire was not going to be the most appropriate activity, the new plan is, yes you guessed it, a Water fight! Then time to head home for one and all.

I will update you more once the kit is put away, both at the HQ and at home and we have all had time to recover.

Scouts' Own

The Group gather together for Scouts' Own and Flag break.

Food Glorious Food

Whilst the Beavers and Cubs are being fed and watered by the leadership team, the Scouts are fending for themselves.

They soon learn how to cook up a storm and enjoy taking part in providing for themselves and others. This morning started with the Scouts sizzling sausages, frying bacon and making eggy bread (French toast).

What could be better than the aroma of a cooked breakfast wafting across a campsite in the cool air of a Sunday morning?

Another campfire is burning

The Scouts enjoy their campfire after a long and busy day

Campfires burning...

Badger starting off the campfire songs for the Beavers and Cubs...no need to say any more really.

UKCC drops by and we dine al fresco

Evening meal

Undaunted by the weather last night, we set up camp and then headed out for a wide game. After everyone was tired out we settled down into our tents to be lulled to sleep by the pitter patter of rain drops.

We all awoke from a very wet night to a lovely dry day and after breakfast set off for our activities. The Beavers arrived and duly got stuck into their own programme. Everyone had a great morning grass sledging, climbing, shooting etc and we were all ready for lunch, which we enjoyed together at the Lodge.

In case you did not guess our special visitor was Wayne Bulpitt, the UK Chief Commissioner of The Scout Association. We knew he was at Gilwell Park this weekend and so we invited him to drop by. He called in at lunchtime and we are really grateful that he would give his time to visit us. The GSL had a quick chat with him and Dormouse made him a cup of tea and said he is a really lovely gentleman.

We then set off again to the afternoon activities and the Scouts headed for the hills (well the trees really) where they enjoyed a fantastic cycle ride through Epping Forest.

The temperature has been steadily increasing and so were all (except the Beavers who were otherwise engaged) ready for a swim to cool down..this predictably turned into a water fight against the leaders, but then again I am not sure who enjoyed that more the Cubs and Scouts or the Adults.

Dinner is Al fresco tonight due to the beautiful evening weather. The smiles say it all! The Scouts are cooking for themselves in their field. It has ben a great day and a fitting way to celebrate 100 Scouting years.

Evening meal

Us!

A Group shot including our special visitor , who even wore a black shirt to blend in seamlessly! Do you know who it is?

Lunch at Gilwell

Who said our camps revolve around food? We have just settled down to our Picnic lunch at the Branchet Lodge, before we head off to even more activities this afternoon.

We may be Centenarians but we are very active!

Breakfast at Gilwell

I am serving the cornflakes...can you spot me?

For the Cubs and the Scouts the excitement of the first night is over, breakfast has been taken and we are ready for the day!

The Cubs have grass sledging, Aeroball, pedal karts, swimming and the climbing wall to look forward to.

The Scouts will enjoy rifle shooting, the Leap of faith, swimming and a cycle ride in Epping Forest.

The Beavers have yet to arrive (due anytime now!) but after claiming their bunk will have the revolving rock, low ropes, grass sledging, games and craft to enjoy. 

In 2007 we camped at Gilwell as a Group and the Grass sledging proved very popular with two of the leaders (Can you recognise them?) I wonder which activity will be a favourite this time?

We also hope that, if his schedule allows, a special visitor will join us at some point and I will hopefully finally achieve my mission to get a photograph of him and me!!

Check back later for me camp updates.

Off to camp...

...yes it is centenary camp time. This time it is the Group camp (everyone not just the Scouts). I am packed, the trailer is loaded, the bike is on the car roof, the advanced party has arrived and we have set off for Gilwell. I will update you when I can.

Good deeds

Do you remember back in May when we finally got to celebrate St.George's day I was involved with the planting of the flower bed at The Priory? Well tonight I had a little peek at our handy work and this is what it looks like now. What do you think?

 fleur-de-lis

Well done Ware and District it makes a fine show at the entrance to The Priory and I am sure many people enjoy the display.

School Family camp

Many of our Beavers, Cubs and Scouts attend the same school. This weekend the PSA held a family camp. Since 3rd Ware have quite a few leaders who are parents at the school, many young people at the school and even a couple of adults on staff at the school, we decided to offer our help.

The Group loaned kit and helped set up, take down and generally assisted as well as having lots of fun. It was a rather wet start but with the help of some Scout Leaders and a couple of Young Leaders all the families soon had their tents up and were ready to enjoy being together as a family.

Although we were not running the event it was a very positive endorsement of Scouting that so many Group members were willing to lend a hand where it was needed. Thank you.

Wet, Wet, Wet!

As I write this I am still damp from my excursion on last night. The Scout Troop went out on a hike and I spent the entirety of the evening strapped onto the top of Assistant Scout Leader Richard's rucksack. Normally this would have been great as I'm at a good height to see the sights.

Alas on Friday it rained, and rained, and rained some more. It didn't deter the Scouts though - they're a hardy bunch.

Our group left the Scout hut, ascended Hoe Lane and headed out into the countryside to the South of Ware.

We headed out over the A10 and into the grounds of Haileybury college (at which Clement Attlee and Stirling Moss studied, and which also has links, somewhat appropriately, to Rudyard Kipling), before returning back over the A10 and back to then hut via Stansted Abbots, Great Amwell and the New River.

Next time I'll bring a waterproof coat!

Trailer

As a Group we have a lot of kit to transport to camp.....

In the past this was how it was done

1922 with trek cart

Then something like this.  It has served us well but is coming to the end of its useful life, needing frequent repairs.

Old trailer

 

Now it looks like this!

2011 Betty

Many years ago a lady called Betty was an Akela at 3rd Ware. She gave a lot to the Group and was very well liked. Since she left she had kept in touch and helped out a lot with the research for our 100 years exhibition. Very sadly Betty died last year. As a Group we were very sorry to hear this and passed on condolences to her family.

This year we were extremely surprised, but delighted, to find that, in her will, Betty had left the Group a substantial donation. Wanting to put this to good use and buy something we felt Betty would approve of the leaders agreed on a new trailer. This will enable us to continue running  camps because we are able to transport all the kit that has to somehow get from our HQ to whichever location the camp is taking place at. Thank you to Betty and her family, we hope you approve.

Cub Fun Run

The start of the race - In a "Where's Wally"
type challenge, can you spot me?

Tonight saw the annual District Cub fun run. We assembled at Rigery Farm, registered and then got ready to race!

Falcons

The Fun Run is a team event around a cross country course of about 2km. All Cubs are presented with a medal as they cross the finishing line and the trophy is awarded to the pack which is the first to have four team members across the line.

Herons

Herons and Falcons did well and came 9th and 5th respectively and all seemed to have fun and gave it their all. The cheers from the watching crowd help a lot and the parents are very supportive of all the runners not just their own Cub.



Some of the Cubs taking part

3rd Ware also sold refreshments during the event to raise money for one of our Young Leaders who is attending the World Scout Jambore in August.

District AGM

Tonight I went to the District AGM. It is interesting to hear what all the other Groups have been up to over this past year.

Cycling

The Cubs and the Scouts have been out cycling recently. Both have spent their respective meeting nights out on bikes. We are fortunate to live in a place that has easy access to towns but also lovely country side, rivers and fords.

The Scouts, as usual, seemed to relish in getting as wet as possible.

Where as the Heron Cubs managed to stay dry this time, despite the rain during the day and the fact they cycled along the river and back; they had a great ride and then games on the common before heading home.

Denmark camping

Guess what I did this week end?

A training camp for the Denmark Expedition. Hopefully some of the Scouts, who attended, will help me fill you in a bit later this week. 

London Photograph

Here is the group photo I mentioned. Three Scouts, two deputy speakers, one MP, one GSL, half a "Gus" and half a UKCC!

A new friend

Sometime ago 1st St.Andrew's Porthill Scout Group posted (with our permission) a link to the Friendship knot video that was made by our Scouts. Since then we have had a large amount of viewers via their site. I decided it was time to contact them and Nick, their GSL, very kindly replied, pointed me in the direction of another new friend and then blogged about me. Thanks Nick!

Why not return the favour and have a look at their site or drop by Nick's blog and say hello!

Where in the world?

A rather large climbing frame

During half term a Beaver and Cub took me away for a short while. They have sent a detailed account of what I did and photographs but for now, here is a clue. Can you guess where I went?

Parliament

Yesterday I was privileged to be invited to attend the Speaker's reception at the Houses of Parliament.

Myself, 3 Scouts and the GSL met with Mark Prisk MP and then ventured into the Parliament building.

Elise says "Today was really exciting because we visited the House of Commons, we had a fun day and met lots of important people and got our photos taken. We had afternoon tea and listened to some speeches. It was a good opportunity and a memorable day...

.....We tried to get Gus in as many photos as possible"

I did also, finally, get to meet Wayne Bulpitt. Hopefully the photo will be emailed to me soon, but for now, here is proof he and I were in the same building!

We had a great day; history, food, drink, good company and a sense of spreading the word about Scouting. I even got to have a rest in The State Bedroom. (This is a room, in the building, which is available to the monarch, they can use it on the night before their coronation.) The bed was moved into the speaker's apartment shortly after WW11.

The Scouts, the GSL and I all enjoyed our day and thank the SA and Mark Prisk for making this possible.  I have to say the Scouts were a credit to us and their manners and behaviour were impeccable!



Scouts and food...no comment!







Half term adventures part 2

Well, did you guess where I was in the last post?
Another visit I made this half term was to visit a few people you may recognise....

Boris and I visit No.10

I try out my Olympic torch carrying skills

I pop to the palace for a quick word in the Queen's ear

I stop off to meet a local lad made good...

Hmmm, do you think he's seen me?

 A friendly American loaned me his phone

I made a quick escape from these hands...

and found myself dancing on the ceiling...



and was "rescued" by someone sporting one of my
favourite colours (as his skin!)



What is it with Green skin around here?

After a quick conflab,
I decide it is time to shake things up a bit

and find a man...
who would appreciate a monkey who blogs!

So where did I go this time?