This Thursday River Ash Beavers visited Christ Church as part of their Promise challenge badge. We learned about the history of the church, which is about 150 years old, and were told the story of Moses.

After a drink, we explored the church with a quiz, which took is round some of the main areas, and left us with a sentence to unscramble.

Night away

As you know I have had lots of nights away this year (I really must count them and get my badges sewn on).

However the most recent one was a little bit different. For those of you who do not know, I spend most of my time living with the GSL and his family and have got to know them all very well and sometimes they take me on extra activities.

At WaGAwood two of his children looked after me, one is a young leader at 3rd Ware and the other is an "Honorary Beaver", she does not actually attend our Beaver colonies (her choice) but goes to Rainbows. However out of necessity, she often attends Beaver events and is in class with lots of the Beavers.

This weekend she had a Rainbow sleepover and I was invited along as a special guest to see how it differed from a Beaver sleepover. Actually it was quite similar - lots of fun and lots of activities to keep us busy.

We went to Cottered (this was where the afore mention Young leader had his first ever Beaver sleepover many many years ago!) and I had a great time.

The theme was holidays and we had a photo taken and made a frame for it, made a place mat, played chinese whispers, went to the shop and bought some badges, ate a stick of rock and fish and chips,  did some washing up, watched a film, played outside and lots lots more.

 

It was great fun. I don't think I will go on one again because my little Rainbow friend will be too old next year but I am glad I got the chance to see what Rainbows do, after all Guiding was started by Baden Powell as well.

 

I now need to ask for my 1 night away badge from Rainbows!

100 Challenge

Do you remember I told you that the GSL had had his first 100 challenge sheet back ?

Well Tom asked his Mum to send an email in reply.

Tom said the following :

" I really enjoyed completing the 100 challenge as it was always fun things that I could do with my friends or family.

I did lots of them at Beavers, at home and quite a few on some of our holidays.

I am really pleased I am on the blog, I cannot believe it" .

Thank you Tom for sharing this with us.  I look forward to seeing what other people have been up to as more sheets get returned.

Harvest good deed

Our Centenary activity for October was to provided Harvest baskets for local residents.

I went along to Falcon Pack Cubs as they were helping to make up the harvest baskets.

Everyone in the Group had been asked to donate a tin or packet of some sort and when we looked in the stores there were loads of things in there!

Tins of soup, fruit, fish, custard, rice pudding along with packets of biscuits, tea and even some boxes of chocolates!

Some of the Cubs, Falcon Leaders, Dormouse and Bagheera from Heron Pack helped to sort everything into types of food to make sure that there were lots of different things in each parcel. Then the baskets were lined with tissue paper and they began to fill them.

Other Cubs were making harvest cards so that everyone could have one of them as well, and some of the older Cubs were addressing the card envelopes so that the leaders know where to take the baskets and the people who receive them know where they had come from!

The HQ was very busy for an hour whilst everything was got ready, then the Cubs were able to have their drink and biscuit while Dormouse and Shere Khan wrapped the baskets to make them look really nice. Then Baloo, Oli and Will helped to carry them all into the stores so that they can be collected and delivered over the next few days.

After all the excitement four of the new Cubs were invested which meant that the meeting finished rather late (nothing new there I hear!) and I went home with Oli as I am going to be measured up for a very smart suit for the dinner dance......

Silver Award

I always enjoy an evening with the Herons and usually have a lot of fun with them.

Last week I was invited down again, but this time it was for a different occasion altogether. We weren't tramping across the meads, whizzing around London or even cooking. No, this time the GSL, and I, went down to present a Cub with his Silver Award.

This award is the highest a Cub Scout can get and means that they have participated fully in the life of the pack, not just on the usual evenings, but also in plenty of extra-curricular activities. They must also have worked hard by themselves and home and will have needed family support to do this.

This particular Silver Award is just one of many Chief Scout Awards that are gained at 3rd Ware each year with many Beavers being awarded Bronze, Cubs Silver and Scouts their Gold. We are proud of them all.

Peak Assault

One Friday evening a week or so ago I boarded a coach and set off for an unknown destination. No, it was not a mystery tour, but the Peak assault Competition!

Every year coach loads of Hertfordshire Scouting members, of Explorer age and above, get taken to “destination unknown”, set up camp and then spend the next couple of days yomping round "peaks" to gain as many points as possible in an orienteering event.

I joined them this year because we had two adult teams taking part and also an explorer team which was made up of six Scouts, three of which were 3rd Ware young leaders. There was also many other past and present members there as support teams or organisers.

Some of our Young leaders and Leaders

When we arrived we found out that, this year, we were in the Peak district. The teams camped in two different places with the adults returning to base on the first night and the young people staying at "high camp" overnight.

Which way next?

A great weekend was had by all, the weather held and the sun even came out. The two leader teams did well coming 5th and 6th in their class, and the Explorers exceptionally well coming 8th out of 24 in their class.

It is very popular event and I am glad I got a chance to experience it this year.

Investitures

An important part of all Scout Groups is investing new members.

Several times, recently, I have been down to Lynx Troop to witness Leaders and Scouts making their promise and being invested. The GSL has invested the Leaders and the Scout Leader the Scouts. Above is a typical moment during this ceremony.

Well done all.

Lynx effect

The promised newspaper article

Cub Night Hike

Gus’s Night Hike

On Saturday 15th October, when we got to Roger De Clare school, the first thing we did was unpack our sleeping bags and we waited until it was our go to ride on the minibus to the starting place.

Eventually we started the night hike and passed some eerie, sinister, black cows, all dark with bright eyes! Next we got to our first base. What we had to do was collect chocolate from a cup by fishing the cup out of an area with string and an elastic band.

We then carried on walking and we arrived at a base where we boiled water on a Trangia stove. We had hot chocolate. After a while we carried on and walked back to the school. When I got back I felt exhausted and happy.

We watched films then went to bed. My favourite part was fishing out the chocolate and eating it.

By Brandon (Heron Cubs)

I also met "Akela" the new mascot for Falcon Pack and had a chat! I told him what to expect from being a section mascot. He will be busy, but he has company; Snuggles, the Heron mascot will show him the ropes I am sure. I met him at the beginning of the year and he let me know what fun it is having adventures with the Cubs. He was right and I get the honour of joining the Beavers, Scouts, Young Leaders and Leaders as well!.

First past the post

This week the GSL received his first completed 100 challenge sheet. Well done Tom, a Beaver from River Lea. You will be rewarded at a future point and will also get a special certificate for being the first person to complete the challenge.

What was great was that these challenges have been completed over the whole year, with something being done each month and many of them of them would not have been easy challenges. Tom did not take a soft option.

We are proud of him and thank his family for supporting him. Tom a few photos or words about some of the things you did for the blog would be great (hint, hint!)

In the news....again

What would you think if you saw this billboard outside a local shop?

Would you be surprised? Would you think anything of it? Would you buy the newspaper to find out what it was all about?

Well for us it was the icing on the cake. We knew that a short article about Lynx, our new Scout Troop was to be featured this week. We did not however realise that is was such a headline article and would be posted up around town.

I will put a copy of the article on the Blog next week once the paper is no longer for sale.

Nocturnal

Last weekend I joined the Scouts at the annual nocturnal competition. The Scouts have to read a grid reference and then navigate their way to a base. Once there they undertake an activity.

This year included fire lighting, pioneering, first aid, an assault course, communication, a challenge, mapping and a hot drink. Points are awarded for each base and penalty points deducted for finishing late.

There are also several checkpoints to pas through en route to ennsure everyone is on tack and heading in the correct direction!

This year we did not fair so well coming 8th out of ten teams. Oh well we will try again next year!

Science with the Herons

Following on from my night away with the Herons and the trip to the museum, I was invited to participate in their Science evening.

We had fun with Gloop (cornflour and water). When you kneed it, it goes into a solid. When you let it rest it starts to go into liquid but is soon stopped by pulling it back together. They also made volcanoes! Those mad Herons certainly know how to have an explosive evening and get every ounce of fun out of simple things. I look forward to the next time I meet them.

HELPING

In 2007 HELPING linked us with a Scout Group in The Gambia. Since then we have held many events to fund raise for our twinned troop.

This annual quiz night is held by the charity to raise funds for their various projects. All profit will go to the children.

Contact them direct if you wish to field a team!

They will also be at the Charity Christmas Bazaar at Leaside church on Saturday October 15th 10am-2pm

WaGAwood Video

Travel bug race

One travel Bug has taken a couple of flights recently and added on the miles...A certain Scout Leader will not be pleased but a Cub one will be delighted!

WaGAwood 2011

Last weekend I attended WaGAwood. This is the annual Beaver camp that is run by 3rd Ware and 1st Great Amwell. Four years ago the camp was started and ever since has proved to be a popular event.

Each Beaver Scout is invited to bring one adult with them and the ethos of the camp is about enriching and enhancing the adult/child relationship. How often does a parent/carer get a whole 24 hours alone with one child, to take part in the same activities and not only experience first hand what their child is doing but also to be there as encouragement? Well at WaGAwood that is exactly what they get! (As well as good food, laughter and adventure!)



Ready for the CrestaRun



making camp

Flag break

Backwoods cooking

Pedal cars

The leaders and older children stay for the whole weekend at Thriftwood and ensure that everything is ready for when the Beavers arrive. They assist the Beaver and adult in pitching their tent, and then a whirlwind of activity takes place. This year included pedal cars, inflate-Bull, a photo trail, pond dipping, backwoods cooking, a wide game, a campfire, scouts own, a scavenger hunt, a soft toy competition, time to play in the woods, a trip to the provi and more.

camp fire

Breakfast

Cuddly toys

Beavers

The meals are catered for centrally, so well done to the team who cooked for 155 people! However the Beavers (and adults!) learn about plate bags, washing up, wet pits and pig bins ready for when they are in Cubs.

Pond dipping

Dampers

Inflata-Bull

everyone needs a cuddle

Whilst this is taking place a sub camp runs for the leader’s children, who have to be there because their parents are, but who are Cubs, Scouts, Brownies, Guides or Explorers. The older ones do assist with the Beavers but as a group they do their own cooking, camp on a different field and have their own activities all over seen by a leader, who is there to supervise but also to step back and let them work as a “large” patrol. This year these included the Cresta run, surfing and bouldering in addition to some of the previously mention activities.

Bouldering

Surfing

Once the Beavers are in bed the adults can congregate around the campfire and socialise and it is here that leader/parent relationships are made and stories swapped. WaGAwood has, in the past, resulted in adults asking to join the leadership team. If this is you please do contact the GSL of Great Amwell or 3rd Ware.

This was my first WaGAwood and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was even awarded a certificate at the cuddly toy competition for being the “centenaryist toy”!!

As the Beavers and parents left, they were full of praise for the camp and many a thank you was heard – the leaders then packed up the kit, cleaned the site drove home unloaded the trailers and went home feeling it was a job well done!

Goodbye

Video will be coming soon.

One of our Dinosaurs is missing!

A trip to the shop

I am sure you have guessed by now that the destination of the Heron Cub Pack trip was the Natural History Museum in London and, as far as we know, all dinosaurs were still there when we left!

Blue whale and mammals

I had the privilege of travelling by train and tube with the Cubs to the Museum. Once there we looked in the Dinosaur section, visited the Blue Whale area, went to see human biology area and loved the investigation centre. Some of the Cubs claimed to have spotted Terry Wogan in the dinosaur section, which I saw made a few leaders give a wry smile!



Dinosaur Walkway


We travelled back the HQ where we had an evening meal from the local fish and chip shop before gathering outside for a roaring campfire and making s’mores.

In the investigation centre



The Cubs then got into their sleeping bags and we all watched “One of our Dinosaurs is missing” before dropping off to sleep.



In the investigation centre


This morning we ate a breakfast of bacon rolls and watched some Looney tunes before the Cubs were collected and we locked up and came home.

Human Biology area

meeting an ancestor

 It was another successful trip to London. Well done Herons!