More 100 challege booklets returned

Well done Joe. Rama got your booklet today and we can see you have worked very hard over the last few days to complete the final few of your 100 challenges. Even today you Learnt to tie a Friendship knot and on Christmas day you were seeing who could eat the most cream crackers!

Ethan and Jacob also returned their today. I see that both of you have enjoyed the food aspect of this challenge, have helped with the recycling and had attended lots of Scouting events.

100 challenge

Thanks Alex. Rama got your sheet today. You have been very busy this year. I enjoyed reading your article about Cubs and hope you enjoyed seeing it on the blog.

I can see you have done lots of good turns and now have many new life skills. I hope you continue to help with the cleaning and cooking.

How old was the person you asked to share their memories and what did they tell you?

Well done for completing this and returning it.

What’s good about Cubs

Number 60 of the 100 challenges was to email Rama and article on why you enjoy Scouting, today Rama showed me this....

Dear Rama

I am sending an article about why I like Cubs as part of my 100 challenges.Thanks for reading the article from Alex M.

I enjoy doing outside challenges. I like doing night hikes, watching fireworks and building tents. I used to be in Herons but I moved into Falcons. I like doing inside ball games because when I was in Herons I used to play a good ball game. Sometimes when I get stuck on something the leaders help me. My leaders are Akela, Shere Khan and Ka. We used to have a Baloo but she left. On the last day of Cubs I got my silver award with my promise badge.  

This is me getting my silver award.

Ware and District Centenary Party

I will tell you more about this in a short while, but for now I will soon publish a taster film of the District party and carol service, held today at Wodson park for all Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers (provided the nativity) and Leaders.

Many thanks to those who organised it and those who ran it today. We all had a great time!

Photos will be on the 3rd Ware website soon (ish) and if anyone who was there would like to write about it for the blog, please email Rama A.S.A.P!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!.

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.

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!

and home again.

All safely back to HQ and a quick game of Duck and Goose before the evening meal arrives.

Triumphant Falcons

Winners

Well, Oxley Shield is over for another year and our Cubs thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The Cubs have gone home for a well deserved bath and dinner and the leaders have taken the kit back to the stores.

The Falcons were delighted to once again be named as the winners. Well done to them, they fielded a strong and competent team and deserved their win.

The Herons put in a brave attempt and had a lot of fun and were finally declared in 10th place. A great effort Cubs.

During the event the Cubs had to, amongst other things, prepare and cook a meal on an open fire, put up a tent,  tie and use six different knots, take part in an assualt course, use their tracking skills, show their first aid knowledge and light a fire. This is coupled with inspections and teamwork assessments.

Joining the Herons for Inspection

After the evening meal the Cubs took part in a wide game and then a campfire where each Group presented an item. Then it was hot chocloate and into those sleeping bags ready for the morning and the Wildgoose craft competition, which this year involved making flowers for Akela out of unusal items! The item made changes each year.

Well done to the Herons for coming 2nd in the Wildgoose Competition, with the Falcons close behind in 3rd place.

Thanks to all the Cubs who turned up and represent 3rd Ware and let me join them in this event.

A sunday stroll along a river (or two).

The centenary event for September was a river walk. On a rather wet afternoon a group of leaders, young people and their families met at our HQ building and took me for a walk along the river.

We walked from Ware to Stanstead Abbotts and back again. On the way we stopped at the locks to look for boats and we tried opening the lock gates.The rain soon stopped and it was a very pleasant stroll with good company.

When we reached the other end we stopped for refreshments, gave our doggy friend a bowl of water and a treat and then returned via the New River. Here we saw swans, cygnets and lots of geese. In the fields horses were grazing and rabbits hopping around. We stopped to look at Emma's well.

It was a great way to round up the school holiday and to start a new term. Thank you all who attended.

This was my second river walk in as many months. I will update you on the other one when I have time.

River Walk

Don't forget that our September Centenary activity is a Family River walk to Stanstead Abbotts. Just turn up and join us at the HQ on Sunday 4th September in suitable clothing and be ready to set off at 2pm.

There will not be anything organised at the other end (because the walk is the activity its self) and so feel free to bring a picnic, get a meal or refreshments from the Pub, turn around and walk straight back or even go to the station and get a train home.

Young people need an adult with them and so why not enjoy those last few hours of the school summer holidays together as a family and get some fresh air at the same time. 

Any queries contact Rama (GSL Gavin Matthews) details found on newsletter or Group website or send a message via the website or here.

I'll be there - will you?

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.

District centenary camp video

This is a short snapshot of the weekend. A longer version will be coming soon. Enjoy, because I certainly did and will blog soon.

I had a fantastic weekend and hope you did too.Why not comment and let me (and your leaders) know your best bits and activities?

Carnival time.

So were you there? We had great fun dressing up as spacemen and aliens and flying our space craft and flying saucers down the midle of the High street.

 

Alien siblings

  

Before we set off



In the parade



Nearly there




Can you spot me?

 Many Congratulations to the trophy winners. This did not include us this year although the Ware and District Float did win one.

District Float

Well to and thank you to all who took part before, during and after the parade and to those worked on the Group bottle stall.

The stall

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.