We will remember them

Today our town held the annual Remembrance day parade and church service. I decided that this was one event where I would be a bystander rather than join in. I did not really think it was appropriate for me to parade.

However many of 3rd Ware did. The older Cubs, the Scouts, the Young Leaders and the Leaders joined the other uniformed Groups from our town and surrounding villages and  took part.

The parade starts at one end of town, passes through the High street and into Church for an act of Remembrance. Then the colour bearers and wreath holders stand by the war memorial and everyone else forms up behind. The traffic is stopped and the wreaths are laid.

The parade then falls in and returns to the other end of town before being dismissed.

I was honoured to be taken to observe and say well done to all who took part, especially the Young people who, as usual at this service, acted with decorum and respect.

Party, party , party

We started the year at a party...we can end the year at a party!

I have my invite. Do you?

See you there.

If you have not had an invite, please ask your section leader.

District Day

Today the members of Ware and District met at Christ Church School in Ware, to discuss the future of the District. We have had 100 years of very successful Scouting and so do we continue as we are or do we make changes?

Members of every Group in the district met and spent the day in numerous workshops outlining the future.

Rikki, the County Commissioner also attended and put forward his views. It was a long day, but a productive day.

We also learnt about Lochearnhead 2013. Will I be allowed to go?

I wonder what the next 100 years will bring?

westminster Abbey

Yesterday I went to a very different kind of church service at Westminster Abbey in London.

There was a National Scout and Guide service of Celebration and Thanksgiving held there and there were Leaders from all over the country. I went with the Falcon Akela and her husband Duncan who was actually the one invited as he has given over 30 years of service to the Scout Association as a Leader in Hertford District.

We caught the train from Hertford North because there were no trains from Ware, and went to Kings Cross where we met Akela’s mum and dad who were also invited. We travelled on the Underground to Westminster Station, then joined the queue to get into the Abbey. The service was quite short with several hymns, readings, prayers and a talk by the Chaplain to the Speaker to the House of Commons. There were some really nice interviews with Young People who had achieved lots of different things with their time in Scouts or Guides, they had all got their Queens Award, been to Jamborees and tried many different and exciting activities. After the interviews we renewed our Promise again before singing the National Anthem.

 I then visited the Memorial to Lord and Lady Baden-Powell, who were the Founders of both the Scout and Guide Movements and were the World Chief Scout and Guide.

After that we went to a restaurant and had lunch, before going back to Kings Cross. On the way back we visited Platform 9 3/4 and I had my photo taken on Harry Potter’s luggage trolley before we travelled home to Ware.

Sparklers

River Lea Beavers always like to mark Guy Fawkes night in one way or another. Tonight I joined them to make cardboard fireworks, learn the safety code and then to enjoy waving a sparkler around outside. I had great fun.

Daring dos and ghastly ghouls

Last night I was taken out onto the Meads by the Heron Pack.

Apparently some ghouls were trying to put toxic waste into our water system.

The trusty Herons had been asked to scout the Meads, locate the toxic waste and remove it all, thus saving the people of Ware from certain death!

You will be glad to know that we rescued the town!

I was rather disappointed though to not meet any of the fiendish creatures, I wonder where they all were....but then again a pack of Cubs rampaging around in the dark is enough to scare even the hardiest of Ghouls.

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.