Dinner dance

Gus and his guest

The adults at 3rd Ware enjoy having fun as much as the young people do. The highlight of the centenary year for some was a chance to dress up and act like grown ups!

On Saturday we held a Dinner dance at the Roebuck hotel. A local band provided the music (all have been involved in Scouting in Ware at some point either as Scouts or parents of Scouts, although not all at our Group).

The Guests were past and present members of the Group, parents of members and others asociated with 3rd Ware. They were welcomed by three of our Young Leaders. After being greeted by the GSL, they were invited to have their photograph taken and to then proceed to the bar area where a slide show of photos was taking place. Many took this chance to sip their drink and reminisce.

Once all were present, everyone moved to the formal dining room and enjoyed a delicious meal. The GSL made a speech, the master of ceremonies kept the proceedings going and the lucky ticket winners were announced.  

The meal consisted of soup, a chicken dinner and apple crumble and ice cream. Red and white wine was drunk, the commemorative scrolls were read and the formal meal came to an end. The GSL made a toast to Scouting.

Despite saying that he would keep the speeches and thanks you kept short, the GSL (and his first lady - she was unaware that she held this title!) were delighted, surprised and humbled to be thanked and then presented with a gift each. An engraved tankard for Gavin and an engraved wine glass for Jacqui.  They both expressed their thanks and said it was totally unexpected and totally unwarranted. 

Two present day leaders and their wives.

The evening finished with more dancing, more chatting, more photos in the bar and a chance to talk to many people and celebrate a special year for 3rd Ware. Everyone seemed to have a great time and even the band said it had been fun playing at this particular event.

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.

Greek Orthodox Easter

The Simou family very kindly invited me to celebrate an Orthodox Easter with them. They collected me, took me on a train to their church and then brought me back again. Whilst I was there I was able to join in with lots of things and learn a lot.

The family took lots of photos and then Elena (a Cub) put it together in a PowerPoint presentation for me to share with you. This she sent to me a week or so ago.

It has only just made it on to the Blog today because up until now 

a) I have been busy posting lots of other things,

b) busy attending lots of events

c) had to learn how to put a PowerPoint on a blog!

Here it is!

Gus does orthodox Easter!

View more presentations from AgustusClibbon

The Jewel of the Ocean

Shere Khan and Badger look after me at our table.

Last night I joined Captain H Samuel aboard his ship for a very enjoyable dinner. The evening promised glamour and good food, but then disaster stuck. Whilst the lights were dimmed, and the singer was entertaining us, a murder was committed! The ship photographer met a very sudden and snappy end, killed with a steak knife!

The two undercover detectives who had been on board for a different reason  soon set about questioning everyone who was sat at the Captain's table. One of them had to be the villain, but which one?

As we tucked into our soup, chicken and then cheesecake the enquiries continued at the top table. The occupants tried to clear their names and give reasons as to why it might be their fellow guests. We listened to the interviews and then gave our own verdicts as a table.

This was followed by tea or coffee and an after dinner mint whilst the guilty party was led away and the rest of us could relax in the knowledge that a murderer was no longer at large.

We were fortunate that on our table one very clever chap had been paying close attention and was able to name the culprit.

Well done to all the Explorer Scouts and their Leaders. They played the parts of the cast very well and cooked and served a great meal. The behind the scenes guys also did a fantastic job with kitchen duty, the sound desk and general running around.

No, we were not really on a ship but in the school hall of The Chauncy school. The evening was a fund raiser to help the four members of our District, who have been selected to attend the Jamboree, raise some of the money needed.

I got to mix with many of the people associated with Scouting in our area. Leaders, parents, committee members etc and had a great evening. I also met "Alex". He is a kindred spirit. He is a bear that is the mascot for one of the (local) units attending the Jamboree and apparently has his own facebook page!

3rd Ware was well represented at the event, with members of the Group at two of the tables and plenty of the Explorers are past members.

It was very pleasing for their past Beaver, Cub and Scout Leaders to see them taking a full part in Explorers and supporting their friends by fundraising for an event they are unable to attend themselves. It is an event only a few are selected for, not because they did not want to go. They are a credit to themselves and the Explorer Sections. Well done all and thank you so much for a fun filled evening.

Kitchen hand - no I did not need a shower!

Who was the murder? Well that would be telling but let's just say they are pictured on this page.

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.

Party Video

A brief snap shot of our Centenary party.

How many times can you spot me in the video?

Party, Party, Party!

Well, what a fab afternoon we had.

Those dudes at 3rd Ware really know how to party!

First of all we registered to say that we had arrived and were given a sticker with our name on it and then had to negotiate the slalom that was the registration tables. Young Leaders (and Bethany) took us from our parents and escorted us in to the hall where we put on party hats and found our first activity.

slowly does it.

Then the Beavers, Cubs and Scouts went around the room to do lots of different things. There was Giant Jenga, Giant Snakes & Ladders, Limbo, Hopscotch, Pick - a - stick, a Big Bouncy Castle, Pass the Parcel, Musical Chairs, a Giant Parachute and so much more. Yianni (Beaver) said: “I really enjoyed the cat and mouse game on the parachute and the bouncy castle.” and Elena (Cub) “I really enjoyed playing the limbo, hopscotch and snakes and ladder games.” She also liked the pass the parcel and musical chairs. Cameron (Cub) enjoyed the party, especially the bouncy castle because he was wrestling with his friends!  When we did Pass the Parcel he did the Macarena as a forfeit, which was really embarrassing - especially because it was his Mum that chose the forfiets!

Getting Dizzy

 Badger was a bit concerned about my safety, because some of the dudes thought I would enjoy being thrown up in the air on the parachute. I haven't mentioned it yet but I'm a bit afraid of heights. It was quite amazing though, getting a view of all those smiling faces as I whizzed through the air, I did, however, need a little rest before I moved on to my next activity.

That clever lady Dormouse baked a cake in the shape of 100; it got very hot when the candles were lit. I was a little worried that my fur would get scorched. Elena said she loved the candles and especially liked the sparklers and she and her friend Abigail said that the cake was yummy.

Rama presented Tiegan with a special framed badge. It was the one that she designed to celebrate the Groups 100 years. I wonder if I will get one sewn onto my scarf – when I get one!

Wow!

Dormouse and Shere Khan had prepared party food along with Kate and Jim; my bag included a drink, crisps, sausage rolls and jammy dodgers, yummy. I know the Young People enjoyed the food they got in their bags because there was very little left at the end and they were Very quiet whilst eating and drinking!

Our party bags

Then it was time to go home, and we got to take a special drawstring party bag with us which had some cake, sweets, a badge which can go the green and black scarf, a glo stick and lots of information about what's going on in 3rd Ware in 2011, including the 100 year challenge which will keep us all busy. The bag was an absolutely fantastic idea. I will have to put my name on mine so that it doesn't get mixed up with everyone else’s.  Several of them were spotted at schools around Ware today. Elena said the party bag was great, she loved all the things inside it and Yianni agreed that it was great along with the food and the scrummy cake.

 



Hanging with the girls.

I had an amazing afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed playing all the games and seeing the adults and young people enjoying each others company and mixing together to celebrate the start of our 100 years. All in all it was a fantastic 100 year party!!!!!! (to quote Elena)

 I can't wait to see what the Group is doing in February and thanks to Cameron, Shere Khan and Elana who helped me write this blog entry.