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

Summer Challenge

At the end of term you were issued with a Photo challenge and a Mission Possible 2 aka the second £5 challenge.

What have you done to raise the £5?

Which photo will you choose?

Did you accept them? Why not leave a comment and tell me some of the things you have been doing. Remember the photograph can be of anything you do not need to have been on holiday to take one.

Please return your photographs, money, diary/challenge information and photos to your leader next term. Both of these projects help our Twin Group in The Gambia.

Peter Geer winners!

The members of 3rd Ware who attended the parade

What a fantastic day! It all started with the Scouts meeting at Christ Church School and getting ready to take part in the community action. They were set the task of planting a display at the entrance to The Priory. There was a strict plan to follow and it will make an interesting display when it flowers. Make sure you go down and take a look, you will be pleasantly be surprised. You may like to know like to know we planted 1000 bedding plants in the "Centenary Bed". If we didn't get them all mixed up within a few weeks we should see a flowering tribute to the Centenary! If they did get mixed up we will describe it as an abstract!

Community work

Whilst they were doing this, Guides, Explorers, other Scout Troops and Leaders were all over town engaged in other community acts, from planting to cleaning to litter picking. Then it was back to the school for the service.

When they met in the school hall for their service, the rest of the Group joined other Cubs, Beavers, Brownies and Rainbows in Christ Church, Church Building. Here a service not only celebrated St. George but also included presentations  of the different things which had taken place in the District this year.

There were all manner of worthwhile activities from planting flowers with Ware in Bloom to our own fundraising for The Scouts in Gambia. I know I am biased but I thought our speakers presented their item very well.

Presentation in church

After the services the GSL invested our newest Leader and then we formed up ready to parade. It is always exciting to walk through the town and see how many people come out to witness the parade and today was no exception, the sun shone, we smiled and people waved!

Two Scouts, Rikki and me!

Once we reached the Priory the colour parties formed up at the front and the rest of us stood behind and listened to the speeches. We were privileged this year to have Rikki, the Scout County Commissioner attend our celebration and make a speech. I had got to meet him earlier in the day when we were gardening!

Can you see me?

After every section had renewed their promise David Geer gave a short speech and got ready to present the Peter Geer trophy. This is an award  which is presented every year to the Scout Group which has, percentage wise, had the most members take part in District events. It holds special meaning to 3rd Ware because Peter is an ex 3rd Ware Leader and his son attended our Group.

After his death his family instigated the award based on Peter’s philosophy that although it is great to win, taking part and making the most of the opportunities given is just as important, and our Group still stand by that and it is a trophy we have been fortunate to win several times in the past.

Eyes Right

So it was with great delight and surprise that we won again this year! Even Peter’s son seemed thrilled that his old Group had won it in their centenary year. Everyone in the Group and their parents gave a loud cheer and it was smiles all round.

After the presentations we all arranged ourselves for our annual Group photograph and then the Young People, who all still seemed to be smiling, went home.

Thank you to all the Young People and Leaders who represented us today and have turned out over the past 12 months to make us the most active Group in the District.

Gambian Gardening

Last year the Herons raised lots of money to  some buy gardening equipment for the Medina Sering Mass Scout Group. The idea was to support the Scouts in planting and growing their own food. Whilst HELPING was in The Gambia this time with me (flat Stanley version) we handed over the equipment, that had been bought locally.

The Scouts have made, and will be tending the plots at school, and this will provide much needed fresh food for many families. Not quite the same as Ware in Bloom but still a joint interest stretching across the sea; two groups, two continents both gardening.

A Gambian Adventure

As well as playing in the woods, planting trees and walking along the River, I took a quick trip to The Gambia to meet the Medina Sering Mass Scouts. In 2007 3rd Ware twinned with this Group, has supported the Gambian Scouts ever since and both sides have exchanged letters and gifts.

I travelled out with Chris and Margaret Meeks from HELPING to deliver some gifts, letters and the centenary badges for the Scouts. We also took the money that the Herons raised to buy gardening equipment.

Last year the GSL held a photograph competition and members of the Group paid £1 to enter their photograph and then at Christmas we sold laminated calendars which had photographs on from the last year of Scouting.

This money was put together and used to pay for a party for the Gambian Scouts and their school friends. We held our party in January in the Drill hall and we wanted our twin Group to be able to celebrate in February. This they did, in a big way, Margaret says “There were 660 children at the party and well over 100 were Scouts. It started at 9am and when we left at 6pm the other Scouts from all around the area, were just arriving. They said the party went until about 11 pm.”

If you have been reading this carefully you will have noticed that I said February – OK, I will come clean….I did not actually go to The Gambia, although I wanted to, because there was too much for me to do here. I did however send a “flat Stanley” version of myself who got to meet the Scouts and report back. Hopefully next year I will go myself. Watch this space.