Scouting About May 2011

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    HORNCHURCH DISTRICT SCOUT ASSOCIATION! 1 MAY 2011

    WWW.HORNCHURCHSCOUTS.ORG.UK! PAGE 1

    Hi All,

    As I am sitting down to my writemy report I was reflecting andthinking how lucky we are to behaving such great weather forthis time of year. Young People

    love the outdoors and if you areplanning your summer

    programmes why not put the out intoScouting!

    We have recently had another verysuccessful St. Georges day paradewhich was very well attendingconsidering the change of dates. I

    would like to thank everyone whohelped for all their work. My thanks

    NEWSROUND

    3rd. Rainham cubs...

    Beavers special

    evenings...

    Cub Archery and

    Spring Camp...

    Joan McGovern...

    YL update...

    Southern 50...

    Brownsea Island....

    Monopoly Run..

    Lots more articles...

    Edition:64 May 2011

    A WORD FROM SCOTT ......

    3rd. Rainham Cubs earn prestigious

    Chief Scout Awards

    ScoutingAbout

    The highest award available to Cubs is the Chief ScoutSilver Award. At 3rd Rainham were honoured that two ofour fantastic pack members have achieved this prestigiousaccolade for the first time in our history. Hollie andLeRon, who joined the group as Beavers, are the proudrecipients of this impressive prize. They have bothdisplayed exceptional hard work and consistent effort inattaining the necessary badges and challenges, as arequirement of the Chief Scout Award. It is also a hugetestament to the teamwork and leadership within our

    group, who have given encouragement (cont. on page 2)

    http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/
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    DISTRICT COMMISSIONER REPORT-SCOTT WILDERSPIN - DC

    also go to everyone who received a long service or good service award on the day.

    The various District teams have been busy of the last few months working hard to not onlyprovide District events but also continuing supporting old and new Leaders. Please rememberwe are always here to help and are only a phone call or an email away.

    I am pleased to say that a number of groups from the District have been invited along to theCountys Chartermark Awards evening for showing a increase in the membership from last

    year. This is the last time the County will be running this event so lets try and make sure wefill all our allotted seats.

    Over the last few months we have seen some excellent events ran by the District my thanksgo to all the organisers who do such a great job pulling the teams together. I am pleased thatwe retained our pole position at the County Swimming gala again and this of course is mostly

    due to the extremely well organised District Gala we run every year.

    The Scout section saw a new event take place this year for the young Scouts. A DragonBoating camp to Longridge and we are pleased to say all the Scouts who attended had a greattime and received their dragon boating badge.

    The Scout Association have made some changes to the swimming rules in POR so please ensureall Leaders get this information filtered down from your GSLs. Also, there are soon to bereleased some updates for Module 1 Training which we will be implementing in the District assoon as the documentation filters down.

    I would like to remind all Leaders to have a look through our District vacancies booklet and

    see if there is something in there which may appeal, or perhaps you fancy a new challenge!

    As a reminder for all Leaders running residential experiences throughout the summer theNights Away Notification form must reach me 7 days prior to the camp taking place.

    Until our next edition keep up the great work you all do and I look forward to seeing a numberof Groups at the forthcoming County Chartermark Awards evening.

    and guidance in attaining the various badges.The pair attended a special ceremony at theScout Association Headquarters at Gilwellon 21st March 2011. The awards werepresented by County Commissioner, DeanJefferys and Colonel Alan Hall MBE, CountyPresident. The ceremony included otherprize-winning Beavers, Cubs, Scouts andExplorers from throughout the county, whosimilarly achieved the pinnacle of scouting

    achievement.

    Cubs are aged from 8 to 10 years old, andtherefore have just over two years toachieve the six demanding Challenge badgeswhich lead to the Chief Scout Award. Thesix Challenge badges are the CreativeChallenge, Community Challenge, FitnessChallenge, Global Challenge, OutdoorChallenge and Promise Challenge. Eachrequire a range of detailed accomplishmentsand must all be earned within their time as a

    Cub. (Continued on page 3)

    MR JOMO HUNTE-ST ROSE -GSL 3RD.RAINHAM

    http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/
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    MR JOMO HUNTE-ST ROSE -GSL 3RD.RAINHAM

    Both LeRon and Hollie have now graduated upto Scouts and continue to display exceptionalhard work and dedication in that section. They

    will endeavour to achieve the Chief ScoutsGold Award, which is the highest accoladeavailable to all Scouts. Good luck to them andall other Scouts in the group.For more info on 3rd Rainham Scout Groupvisit www.3rdrainham.com

    TWO BEAVER SPECIAL EVENINGS-SUE CRUSE BSL 8TH.HORNCHURCH

    St. Georges Beavers were given a warmwelcome when they visited the HaveringMuseum in Romford. The museum openedspecially for them on their Colony eveningand devised an activity to keep theminterested.

    There is a charge but its worth a visit.

    St. Matthews Beavers enjoyed an evening of

    music when teacher, Ann, attended a Colony

    meeting. She had them singing, marching tomusic and then playing one of the manyinstruments she brought along with her.

    Email [email protected] - again acharge.

    http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.3rdrainham.com/http://www.3rdrainham.com/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/
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    COUNTY GALA TRIUMPH-ADRIAN RIBNELL-GALA TEAM MANAGER

    A huge congratulations to the DistrictSwimmers who took part in the County Gala,they did fantastically well, with strongcompetition from other Districts.They allgain at least one medal each with otherscollecting three!The Beavers, Cubs andScouts won the Section trophies along withthe excellent results from the Explorers allmade it possible to win and retain theDistrict trophy again for 2011.

    Im sure they are all pleased withthemselves and we should be too.

    Below is the list of swimmers who made theDistrict so proud, well done to you all.

    Lenny Huston 8hx, Charlie Wilson 8hx,Matthew Nolan-Day 8hx, Alex Meade ,JamesCooper 8hx, David Brooks 2ups, LawrieArrowsmith 1ups, Daniel Sida 1 Cr FinleyGilmore 3ups, Joe Groves 3ups, LukeHerrington 3ups, Oliver Curtin 3ups, DanielRobinson 2ep, Daniel Robinson 2ep, ShaunSavant 8hx, Stuart Brown 8hx,

    Tom Carter, Hannah Carter Dragon, OwenMabbott Spartans and Robert Millscenturion.

    I was honoured to act as the HornchurchDistrict gala manager again and togetherwith Sue Cruse almost embarrassed by theresults that kept coming in with 1st and 2ndplaces.

    Its clear that those who organise theseevents do so well it has become a well-oiledmachine and they themselves need anddeserve a pat on the back for a good job.

    I hope you can help, every year my two Brownie groups (12th Hornchurch and 1st Little Thurrock) and

    hundreds of other volunteer groups benefit from the low prices of equipment hire and craft supplies

    from the Pyramid Centre. We are not asking for money, just to join the co-op revolution and vote for

    the Pyramid Centre (follow the link) to help gain more funding!

    The Pyramid Centre is in the running to receive 5,000 from The Co-Operative Revolutions Plan,

    however, we need to get at least 500 votes to win in our region. Please vote for us by following the link

    below (you do have to register with your email address but this is only so the vote can be verifiedcoming from 1 email address so as to make it fair). Please get your friends and family to joinin - anyone with an email address can vote - thank you. www.co-operative.coop/join-the-

    revolution/thurrock-play-network-pyramid-resource-centre-project/

    PYRAMID CENTRE APPEAL

    http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.co-operative.coop/join-the-revolution/thurrock-play-network-pyramid-resource-centre-project/http://www.co-operative.coop/join-the-revolution/thurrock-play-network-pyramid-resource-centre-project/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.co-operative.coop/join-the-revolution/thurrock-play-network-pyramid-resource-centre-project/http://www.co-operative.coop/join-the-revolution/thurrock-play-network-pyramid-resource-centre-project/http://www.co-operative.coop/join-the-revolution/thurrock-play-network-pyramid-resource-centre-project/http://www.co-operative.coop/join-the-revolution/thurrock-play-network-pyramid-resource-centre-project/http://www.co-operative.coop/join-the-revolution/thurrock-play-network-pyramid-resource-centre-project/http://www.co-operative.coop/join-the-revolution/thurrock-play-network-pyramid-resource-centre-project/http://www.co-operative.coop/join-the-revolution/thurrock-play-network-pyramid-resource-centre-project/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/
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    HORNCHURCH DISTRICT SCOUT ASSOCIATION! 1 MAY 2011

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    The Cub Archery Competition was held on the9th April. Again this year we have a very highturn out of 12 teams in the under 9s and as

    you can see from the scores the competitionwas very close this year we had no practiseround each Cub had three round with 3 arrowseach and the team could get a top score of270 .

    1st 8th Hornchurch (D) 180

    2nd 3rd Rainham 168

    3rd 8th Hornchurch (A) 166

    4th 1st Elm Park 160

    5th 1st South Hornchurch 154

    6th 1st Upminster 146

    7th 3rd Upminster (L) 130

    8th 8th Hornchurch (J) 128

    9th 3rd Upminster (W) 110

    10th 2nd Elm Park 106

    11th 2nd Upminster 62

    12th 1st Corbets Tey 56

    At 14.00 the under 10s Competition got underway, this time we had 10 teams all had a goodchance to win, again each team member had 9arrow to score a Max of 90 each, the teamsfinished at 15.30 full scores as follows.

    1st 3rd Rainham 224

    2nd 8th Hornchurch (D) 2023rd 8th Hornchurch (J) 200

    4th 3rd Upminster (L) 190

    5th 1st Rainham 164

    6th 2nd Elm Park 162

    7th 1st Elm Park 152

    8th 1th South Hornchurch 132

    9th 3rd Upminster (W) 106

    10th 1st Upminster 62

    The under 11s were ready to start the lastand final part of the competition and we hadonly 10 teams but as you can see the top 3

    scores are all over 200 again.

    1st 8th Hornchurch (A) 234

    2nd 8th Hornchurch (D) 224

    3rd 2nd Elm Park 210

    4th 1st South Hornchurch 156

    5th 1st Elm Park 154

    5th 3rd Rainham 154

    7th 8th Hornchurch (J) 140

    8th 2nd Upminster 116

    9th 1st Upminster 112

    10th 3rd Upminster (L) 96

    Well I think all the Cubs who took part had agreat time and now its time to thank all theLeaders who have given up their Saturday to

    make it all possible to run the ArcheryCompetition. I would like to thank JanLuscombe, Bob Wallace, Wendy Clarke andPeter Allen for keeping the Cubs entertainedout side the hall while waiting to take part inthe Archery; Chris Plume who turns up every

    year and keeps score for me; Sam Dibble forcollecting the Cubs name and Jan Carver andPaul Snell for helping in the hall. Thank you allfor giving up your time.

    CUB ARCHERY COMPETITION 2011-KEITH CARVER CSL

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    8th Hornchurch Jupiter Cub Pack

    Belchamps Activity Week End

    Our spring camp this year was held atBelchamps on the 1st to 3rd April.

    On the Saturday a special activity day washeld. The Cubs had all day to roam aroundthe site taking part in the activities thatwere offered.

    Activities included: climbing, archery,inflatable zone, fencing lessons, crate

    stacking, rifle shooting, leap of faith, minicrossbows, pedal karts, Easter egg hunt,face painters, Craft tent, live music, stalls,sideshows and egg decorating.

    The weather was sunny and the Cubs wentaround in groups and roamed from activityto activity going on what they wanted timeand time again. There were not too manypeople on site so that queuing was not aproblem.

    This was a first time for the pack to tryfencing. Although it took a time for the

    Cubs to understand that with all the safety

    equipment on the idea was not just to clashswords but to stick the sword in to theopponent. Once they got the idea we hadmore than three Musketeers. The Cubsthoroughly enjoyed this activity and we willdefinitely have a go at fencing again.

    One stand had various snakes, lizards andgiant tortoises we all had a go at holding thesnakes.

    The variousactivitieswere verygood andmade aneasy dayfor theleaders.

    Saturday evening the Cubs all had a go at

    lighting a fire and did some backwoods cakemaking. Later in the evening we held a campfire.

    On Sunday morning the Cubs had a go atputting up tents then packing them awayagain. We played a wide game involvingcoloured pegs on your back, running roundtrying to collect the pegs from other Cubs.

    During the camp quite a few parts of badges

    were achieved. As we all know Cubs do love abadge.

    Then finally lunch and home.

    JUPITER CUB PACK SPRING CAMP - BOB AND ANITA WALLACE-8TH.HORNCHURCH

    Some of you are aware that in Station Lane Hornchurch there is a memorial tothe " Scout V.C." John Travers Cornwell in the form of cottages for retiredseafarers. A couple of weeks ago determined thieves stole the large bronzecommemorative plaque form the outer wall which was no doubt sold to a scrapmetal dealer.There are photographs of the plaque so it is planned to replace itin a material of no value to thieves.-Melvyn Gallagher.

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    Belchamps campsite is and has remained apopular venue for camping and during thecourse of the year offer special weekend

    events, such as Easter activity, fireworksevent etc.

    1st Rainham took part in the Easter activitythis year and had the all the sections of thegroup attending, the Beavers visited for theday while the cubs and scouts camped forthe weekend, many of cubs never beencamping before so only the tales andenthusiasm of the leaders promoting it andallowed them a taste of what it was like.

    Although our group is quite small we hadmanaged to entice most of the members togo.

    It's was still early in the camping season sothere wasn't many other groups atBelchamps and most of the morning themembers had the run of the activities tothemselves. The objective was quite simplereally and we did achieve it by getting people

    camping, encouraging linking betweensections and the working as a team.

    For reasons of pure common sense andpulling together as cub leaders we linked up

    with Jupiter pack of 8th Hornchurch forequipment and catering and I would like tothank Bob and Anita Wallace in particular

    was her hard work in the kitchen preparingfood for the hungry mobs.

    The weather has been truly wonderful andglad of the chance to have a camp withoutrain.

    Not only did they run the usual activities buthad fencing, face painting and retilesexperience. Michael and Gordon our scoutleaders gave the cubs a number of skills

    such as fire lighting and tracking on site andagain gave the group some unity.

    We used this opportunity to invest memberswhilst at camp both a new Beaver and a Cubtoo.

    1st Rainham is blessed by some greatleaders in all the sections, Paula Wendy andJane for the Beaver colony, Jan Luscombeas acting Cub Scout leader has made giantsteps forward in providing quality scouting

    and along with Shaun O'sullivan have workedhard at pushing the linking between thebeavers and cubs and have increased by 50%in membership.

    1ST.RAINHAM SCOUT GROUP OUT AND ABOUT-ADRIAN RIBNELL- ACTING GSL

    The typical British weather must never failto amaze us,being the best April for years,;at the end of March and April a few Cubpacks have already been camping with manymore doing so soon or in the planning stage.

    We have had a great start to the year withthe District Cubs chess competition provingthat its still a popular game with youngpeople. Thanks to Liz and Ian Burton.

    The District Archery competition, whichKeith Carver and team continue to offer an

    excellent event that Cubs around theDistrict really enjoy.

    The St Georges Day parade on the 10thApril; fantastic to see so many Cubsattending the parade and to see the returnof a marching band this year was a goodsight to see. Must admit I didnt hear muchof it as I was marching at the rear of theparade. Scott and the organisers did anoutstanding job as usual this year and itseemed to run like clockwork, so

    congratulations to those unsung heroes fordoing so.

    HAPPY EASTER TO ALL CUB LEADERS, ASSISTANTS AND HELPERS-ADRIAN RIBNELL

    http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/
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    The nominated Cubs for the colour partiesand the Cubs reader should be proud of theirinvolvement in this prestigious event.

    Reader for Cubs Scout Law -Jacob Fortune

    2nd Upminster

    Colour Party St Georges Flag -Daniel Purton,3rd Rainham

    Colour Party Union Flag -Daniel Sida1st Cranham

    Cubs colour party Flag-Jared Salvatore 2ndElm Park , Max Hurst 8th HornchurchJupiter and Jack Delone 1st SouthHornchurch.

    There are more exciting events to come upsoon;

    The District Soapbox Derby is on the 21stMay at Nelmes School; full details have beensent out to all Cub Leaders and posted on theDistrict website. Bob Wallace DCSL isarranging this and open to all Cub Scoutsaround the District, great fun day out.Afterdiscussing various elements of it for quite

    some time the District Cub camp, due to beheld at Belchamps campsite is on the 1st 3rd July.

    As with past years its proved a wonderful

    opportunity for Cubs and Leaders alike toshare a common bond, to mix with other Cubsand the Leaders a chance to meet up and havea chat and laugh. This camp isnt just limitedto Cub Leaders as its always good to havehelp from either Beavers or Scout Leaderstoo, there is a wide range of site activitiesand we do need instructors to run theArchery and Air Rifles so if your free and canhelp out even if only for a couple of hours

    please let us know.

    The information for parents and leaders isdone and waiting to be sent out and again willbe available on the District website.

    Please join us for this years full filledDistrict Cub camp 2011. The Wild West

    Thank you all for your hard work and continueto make that difference.

    After 52 years of Service of the mostexceptional nature Joan was awarded theSilver Wolf in this years St Georges DayAwards from the ChiefScout. Joan along with herlate husband Bill played apivotal role in 2nd Elm Park

    during its history. Talkingto Joan, she ran the CubPack from a variety oflocations in Elm Parkduring her time involved. Afew highlights from hercitations are below thatgive a flavour into theScouting life of thisextraordinary woman.

    Joan joined the movement as an adultvolunteer in 1959, having been attracted bythe noise coming out of the local community

    hall.

    Joan and her husband ran threeCub Packs simultaneously in thesame Group, ensuring that over

    ninety young people were able tobenefit from Scouting on aweekly basis. Joans serviceduring this period wasexceptional.

    Joan helped establish one of thefirst Beaver Colonies in the UKwhen as an experiment in the

    late 1970s, this additionalprovision was trialled in Squirrels HeathDistrict following the successful earlier

    JOAN MCGOVERN-VICE PRESIDENT 2ND ELM PARK SCOUT GROUP-PAUL FIX GSL

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    implementation in Ireland. Her efforts insetting up this exciting new venture helpedto ensure the success of the official sectionwhen it was launched across the rest of the

    UK in the early 1980s and is again a hallmarkof her extraordinary dedication to Scouting.

    As a District Cub Scout Leader she helpedcreate and lead a highly organised team ofDistrict Leaders, providing support to all ofthe 30 Cub Scout Packs within her care anddevising a busy support programme ofdistrict events.

    While she was a DCSL the District had moreCub Scouts than any other time in itshistory. She has always been highly involvedin the organisation of numerous districtevents, competitions and fun days.

    Joan has always been a prime-motivatingfactor within her Scout Group and hasplayed a major role in the recruitment,induction and support of her leaders. Shehas served in a distinguished capacity as along-term member of the 2nd Elm Park

    Scout Group, where she is well known by allthe young people in her active role as a Vice-President.

    Joan established and continues to fund anannual trophy to recognise the mostoutstanding member of the Group each year,which again highlights her commitment to

    putting the needs of others above the needsof herself.

    The 2nd Elm Park Scout Group have alreadyrecognised the commitment of Joan and herlate husband in a number of ways; all ofwhich highlight her remarkable dedication toScouting. The Groups headquarters is namedThe McGovern Hall in tribute to the yearsof commitment given by both of them. TheGroups Scarves incorporate a badge made

    out of McGovern Tartan on the point andher recent appointment as a Life Vice-President highlights the continuing respectand admiration with which she is held by allin Scouting

    Joan has never stopped supporting 2nd ElmPark and the Group are delighted andthrilled that such a special and deservinglady has been honoured with the Silver

    Wolf.

    The Collins English Dictionary defines challenge

    as ademandingorstimulatingsituation a

    definition I think the Southern 50 challenge

    conforms to. On the 19thof February 2011

    Dragon ESU submitted three teams, thecreatively named Dragons A, Dragons B and

    Dragons C, to the event which involves hiking/

    orienteering across either 50 kilometres or miles

    of the Chiltern Hills. After arriving at the

    starting point the day before, the Explorers

    were treated to sleeping on the most

    uncomfortable sports gym floor in the Northern

    Hemisphere. However an early start and a

    satisfactory breakfast soon woke us up. The 50

    mile Team containing George, Callum, James and

    Rob were the first team to leave, followed by

    the 50km team of the two Jacks, Jamie and

    Sean. The last 50km team of Jen, Susie, Tom

    and Chris were soon well underway after a

    nervous moment at the kit check area where the

    staff member - who clearly had a chip on hisshoulder about something - declared that

    waterproof trousers did not count as trousers.

    He made Chris find a third spare layer of

    clothing in case his other two and a coat got

    destroyed, and said we would be in huge trouble

    if we were in his unit and if he caught our

    leaders he'd give them a piece of his mind -

    mistaking Jen and Susie for Explorers. Our lack

    of wearing scarves also meant we had to be

    careful not break anything as we would have

    nothing to use as a triangular bandage.

    SOUTHERN 50-THOMAS CARTER - DRAGON ESU

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    Considering Ive washed my Explorer scarf three

    times in four years I cant think of anything Id

    less like to use as a bandage. We left feeling very

    happy that we werent in his unit.

    As we set off all the teams made good progress

    with no one getting majorly lost but taking the

    scenic route a few times. The fastest pace was

    made here when checkpoints were relatively close

    together with some sort of refreshment at each

    one. The number of walkers meant that quite a lot

    of the routes were muddy which lead to a few

    comical moments as a few of the less balanced

    team members fell over. At this point as the 50

    mile team ploughed on and the pace of the 50km

    teams slowed as other teams overtook. However

    both teams stayed motivated in spite of beingovertaken by 50 year old scout leaders.

    By mid afternoon the second 50km team had

    picked up some stragglers from other teams and

    were making good time due to the motivating

    effect of Checkpoint 4 and its free burgers. This

    continued for a few hours but was slowed

    considerably by several very steep hills including

    one that actually had to be climbed. By this time

    most people had eaten their emergency rations and

    as night set in people started to get despondent.

    The darkness had brought with it the effects of

    exhaustion, blisters and awkward chaffing. Even

    the delights of checkpoint 10 and its supplies of

    cheese toasties,Vaselineand time to apply blister

    plasters did little to increase the pace. A phone

    conversation with the 50 mile team revealed they

    too sounded tired and banter levels fell

    significantly. The next roughly third of the walk

    was very painful, walking along long roads. The

    second 50km team avoided foot paths at this point

    as they believed some off their feet couldnt dealwith the mud so ended up pounding residential

    streets. Just as well as if they had tripped and

    broken an arm they had no triangular bandages.

    The last checkpoints were the hardest and even

    the hot dogs and random theme of cops and

    robbers of checkpoint 14 did not lift the mood

    although this was the first point were the two

    50km teams saw each other. The teams seemed to

    limp the last few miles and spirits were not helped

    by the team at the final checkpoint that said the

    end was 10 minutes away. We got there 40 minutes

    later and by then for many people blisters meant it

    was like walking on a bubble. Notably the 50 mile

    blinded by their destiny to beat the Centurionsleaders team did manage the last checkpoint in 15

    minutes. However the school that was the finish

    point seemed like a sight to behold by the time

    everyone reached it.

    In the end all the teams finished with respectable

    rankings of 23rdand 24thfor the 50km teams and

    6thfor the 50 mile team, who also won trophies

    for fastest under 25s and fastest novices. All

    impressive feats considering one in four teams

    dropped out - including two of Centurion ESUsteamsJ.The floor of the school gym seemed much

    more comfortable on the second day although a

    few people could hardly walk on the day

    after, looking a bit silly limping slowly through a

    service station without any proper footwear for

    the victory meal at KFC. Callum was given the task

    of lifting Susie's right leg in and out of the car as

    she no longer had the strength to lift it (didn't

    stop her tucking into KFC though). I think although

    there was much pain everyone gained from the

    experience and are keen to redo it again andmaybe aim to do a higher event or faster time

    without being one of the teams of anoraks that

    trains for it all year so they can jog through it. At

    explorers the following week it was described as

    'hell on earth' but on a show of hands everyone

    was ready to take up the challenge again.

    In conclusion I think there are two important

    points all who have done the Southern 50 learn

    Pain is your friend, your ally, it will tell you when

    you are seriously injured but it wont supply youwith any triangular bandages.

    And Dragons dont quit!

    http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/
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    HORNCHURCH DISTRICT SCOUT ASSOCIATION! 1 MAY 2011

    WWW.HORNCHURCHSCOUTS.ORG.UK! PAGE 12

    Friday

    Early on Friday the Leaders met and took ontheir roles from BP himself to Kenneth

    Mclaren and Sir Percy Everett.The trip down was exciting.The boys andgirls are delightfully excited. When wearrived at the services near Winchester itwas a chance for the Explorers fromDragons, Centurions and Young LeadersUnits to get to know each other. There wassome sitting on each other laps and everyonegot very excited.

    Sandbanks is so delightful. The sun is streaming through the wispy clouds like jets of water.The water is splashing with a wanton freedom, like a shoal of fish darting and diving. While onthe key Mr Robson used a modern device to speak to Mr Stevens on the Island. What amarvellous piece of equipment. I wonder if they will catch on?

    On the Island

    BROWNSEA ISLAND EXPERIMENTAL CAMP 2011 - PAPPA RATZI-

    As I stand on the campsite I breathe in the air and feel revitalised and Sir Percy looked veryrelaxed and at home as he prepares us a well warranted cup of tea. The boys and girls aresetting up camp. Perhaps this Scouting event might become very popular.

    Major Kenneth Mclaren introduced the boys from Wroughton to Vivian and the patrols of

    Wolves, Ravens, Bulls and Curlews. BP set down some rules and the boys were put in patrols.

    We shall be having you guys in this tent BP

    In the evening we told each other yarns while sitting in a bell tent. Each of the patrolsbrought to life some very interesting stories. Their enthusiasm was clear and the mixture ofpeople was refreshing.

    Saturday

    We arose early for our morning exercise. And I was lucky to be invited to practice some ti chi.

    This was followed by fire making, how to rescue a an unfortunate chap from drowning, helping

    an injured fellow and moving them on their hand made stretcher. They also had to butchersome rabbits which ended up being our dinner.

    We had our afternoon siesta followed by a swim in the sea.

    Wroughton A mythical tree

    In the afternoon BP organised some tasks that used the skills the boys had learnt during theday. Ravens did very well pushing their fellow Bulls into second.

    We returned to camp for our rabbit stew. A quiet evening was had by all. The sun set and theboys were in their tents by ten thirty in the evening.

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    Sunday

    I woke to the chattering of the boys at six thirty in the morning. A tad early for me. I arose alittle later and cooked some porridge. They seem to have let me help cook some food for them.

    The other cook seems to like the goose.I asked Sir Percy how the boys have done so far and with great enthusiasm he told me Ohspiffing, even the jolly chaps from the local area have played their part. It's as much as acultural exchange.

    At this moment my papers blew out of my hands towards the sea. Sir Percy leapt the fenceand saved them all...

    We started the morning with a moment of contemplation. Each person had some time tocontemplate life and what they are fortunate to have. We then all came together and talkedabout our thoughts.

    Our Sunday activities includes Observation, camouflage, tracking and stalking and fauna andtree identification.

    The day continued with more challenges using the skills learnt on the day. We enjoyed anevening meal of gumbo followed by an exciting wide game.

    Monday

    We had to strike camp quickly as we needed to depart Brownsea Island for coasteering. Thewhole weekend was just thrilling.

    BROWNSEA ISLAND EXPERIMENTAL CAMP 2011 - PAPPA RATZI-

    http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/
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    HORNCHURCH DISTRICT SCOUT ASSOCIATION! 1 MAY 2011

    WWW.HORNCHURCHSCOUTS.ORG.UK! PAGE 14

    The point of these weekends is to offer training,

    support and guidance to help make the most of

    their time within the section they are working in

    while aiming towards achievements themselves.

    We not only had a great team of Leaders who

    gave up a weekend to provide this course but had

    the honour of a fantastic group of young people

    who took everything on board with the classroom

    modules and with the practical elements built in

    to make it more fun and tie in with how the

    modules work. The climbing, fire lighting and

    outdoor cooking gave them quite a lot to do, The

    late evening got a bit cold and what with rain the

    outdoor campfire seemed unpopular, with the

    help of a torch and a boot we all decided not towaste the opportunity and the campfire circle

    happened in the hall with the lights off. One by

    one each of them lead a campfire song and did so

    well we had to finally order them to their

    sleeping quarters at 1.30 am, which they quite

    happily carried on there.

    With the paperwork, making the slideshows the

    leaders went off about half 4 in the morning

    then up for 8am to make breakfast. Sunday was

    a more relaxed morning with a review and able tosee each YL to discuss their plans and feedback

    to the weekend.

    All of them saying it was good and they had

    learnt a lot; we also had a few good points raised

    by them which we will put in to action next time.

    Course Leader, Peter Ager,who pulled a team

    together, worked on the format and modules and

    presented a couple too.

    Module presenters were;

    Paul Lovell also provided the wall climbingactivity.

    Alan Winston, who also did a great job of the

    practical side of outside cooking.

    Jan Luscombe, trainer & Camp fire Leader.

    Scott Wilderspin for catering

    Izzy Mitchell and Rob Lyus- Mentors. Who have

    themselves have been through the scheme and

    guided the new YLs with help and support from

    their experiences.

    Here are the members who took part and gave usthe inspiration to build on the Hornchurch Young

    Leaders unit.

    Rachel Taylor, Owen Mabbott, Chase Reid-

    Stiffell, Alexander Govey, Christopher

    Littlewood, Brody Ramsden, Christopher Lyus,

    Jack Bresslaw, Luke Taylor, Toby Meadows, Ben

    Bushaway, Patrick Behan, Sasha Cheung, Claire

    Hubbard, Michael Gibbs and Matthew Whipps.

    Special awards were presented by Kevin Cooper,

    the District Explorer Scout Commissioner to;Owen Mabbott Mission 1 badge, Ben Bushaway

    Mission 1&2 badges

    For the completion of the whole Young Leader

    scheme of 11 modules and 4 missions goes to;

    Jack Bresslaw, who gained the Young Leaders

    Belt buckle.

    Congratulations to all of them.

    Please visit the Young Leaders pages of the

    website to find out how you can become involved

    in the unit too.

    Next date for the Young Leaders Unit Forum is

    18 May at Thriftwood campsite, Practical

    sessions, Modules A training and intro and to

    round it off a BBQ. Check out the YLs webpages.

    YLS S TRAINING WEEKEND 26TH -27TH FEBRUARY-ADRIAN RIBNELL ESL (YL)

    http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/
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    GSLs -as we head towards the summer andyour sections head off on their camps andday trips please make sure that appropriate

    risk assessments are being completed. Areyour leaders permits and authorisationsupto date? Are they getting their NAN formsin on time. Are you happy with the In Touchprocedures being used?

    On the May day bank holiday all the Rainhamgroups are going to the Rainham Rave topromote local scouting. Well done to Jomo,Joel and Adrian for their hard work.

    Some dates for GSLs to make sureare in

    your diaries. Monday June 20th GSLs

    meeting. 1st October is the DistrictConference.

    At the next meeting we will be looking for

    your feedback on St Georges Day Parade.We will review the District development planand see how it fits in with your own groupsplan and how it supports the county plan.Feedback is important and as a result at thenext GSL meeting group reports will follow astandard format, which I will send outnearer the time. This should reflect yourown comments and an overview of how yourdevelopment plan is going. This will help

    shorten the time taken at the meeting.All the best

    GROUP SUPPORT-PETER AGER ADC GROUP SUPPORT

    HELP CELEBRATE 80 YEARS OF SCOUTING WITH

    3RD UPMINSTER SCOUT GROUP.

    80th Celebration Day 9th July 2011.

    Come and join us at Lambourne End Outdoor

    Centre.

    For an experience not to be missed!Help make it a day to remember.

    1pm to Late

    Under 8s 6 each 8s and over 12 each. Family ticket 35 (2 adults+ 2 Children)

    Cost includes all activities and food. Closing date for tickets 31st May 2011.

    For more information and to book your place please contact Mark Scrace (Scout

    Leader).

    [email protected]

    3rd Upminster Scout Group 80 years in the Making!

    http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/mailto:[email protected]://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/http://www.hornchurchscouts.org.uk/