Archive for the ‘Scout Troop’ Category

This weekend some of the Scouts are on camp.
So far today, the Scouts have done their knife and axe and had a paddle in the stream.
As usual it’s raining and the Scouts are standing round poking the fire!
After lunch they will be making shelters to sleep in tonight.

Posted from the campsite!

The Scouts have recently completed a backpacking trip. They set out and hiked to their campsite, a farmer’s field, and then hiked back the following day.

This means that all who attended have now earned their Expedition Challenge badge!

More photos in the Gallery.

At this year’s Family Camp, I managed to video a few of the activities.

In the video you can see the camp site in the rain (just for a change), the Beavers and Cubs making their pirate equipment, the BBQ and finally the full camp fire.

The video lasts about 40 minutes and does take a moment or two to load when you click play, so please be patient!

There is a shorter version on YouTube – click here

Last night was the Group’s Annual General Meeting.

As well as the ‘formal’ stuff, awards were given out. It was pleasing to see three Beavers get their Chief Scouts Bronze Award and the Cub of the Year Award presented (we really need to have Beaver and Scout awards as well!).

But it was also pleasing to see a A Chief Scout’s Commendation for Good Service given to the Group Treasurer.

Congratulations to you all.

More photos in the Gallery

On the weekend of 28th – 30th May the Group held its second Family Camp (our first was for our Centenary in 2008). This time we stayed at Barnswood Scout Camp, which is near to Rudyard Lake.

Everyone arrived on the Friday evening (the majority of families having put their tents up the previous nights) and we soon started the weekend’s programme. First was a walk around the campsite as many people had never visited Barnswood before. This was followed by one of Paul’s special wide games! After this chaos subsided, it was time for supper and bed – where did the evening go?

Explaining the Wide Game

Saturday morning brought the rain! After cooking breakfast for 105 people (the most we’ve ever had on a camp!), we split into two groups. The Scouts and their parents lit fires and did some pioneering, while the Beavers, Cubs and their parents went down to Rudyard to go on the Lake on Bell Boats. To say it rained a lot would be an understatement and we got wetter from the rain than the lake!

Bell Boating

After lunch the Scouts went on the lake and the Beavers and Cubs got themselves painted with pirate faces and learned how to make secret messages, how compasses work and made their own telescopes.

Creating Secret Messages

By this time the rain had stopped and we prepared the BBQ. The BBQ was a huge success and we must have cooked well over 150 burgers and sausages!

Men BBQing (Rachael supervising obviously)!

Then it was time for part 2 of the wide game, a general knowledge quiz with questions for both adults and children (can you name the Titanic’s sister ships and do you know which country Dora the Explorer comes from?) and of course a campfire. The camp fire saw fine performances from a group of the Beavers and one of the Scouts did a solo turn. The rain even held off for most of it and just came on at the end. Then time for supper and bed.

The Campfire

Sunday began a bit more leisurely and after breakfast and flag break we held a Scouts Own and then invested one of the Beavers.

Beaver Investiture

Then it was a few quick games and activities, then packing and tidying, lunch, more packing and tidying, the close of the camp and home!

More photos are in the gallery.

All three sections of the Group have been busy recently.

The Scouts spent an evening a Kidsgrove Group’s climbing wall.

The Cubs spent an evening investigating Westport Lake.

And the Beavers spent an afternoon playing football.

You can see photos of all these activities in the Gallery.

This camp was the first time Porthill Scouts have been to Forest Camp site in Cheshire and I would like to thank Basford Scouts for inviting us. We all arrived safely and got the tents up, made a fire, played a wide game and then went to bed.

In the morning we could see how beautiful the site was, with its pine trees and peat bogs. Unfortunately, one of our leaders on their first outdoor camp has an allergy to pine trees.

We had a great day of activities which in the picture gallery and enjoyed some good food. We had an early night due to the fact the clocks went forward and we needed to be off the site by 9am, which we did and headed to Chester for the Dragon boat fun day.

The fun day was extremely fun, but very competitive. Even as complete novices, we managed to win one race, which got us into the final, which we won!!

A great day and fantastic weekend was had by all. A huge thanks to all the parents for getting up so early Sunday morning to collect the Scouts to take them to Chester.

The Scouts recently spent the weekend camping and racing Dragon Boats in Chester with our friends from 14th Basford Scout Troop.

We are pleased to say that our Scouts won! Well done to all who took part.

Photos are in the Gallery. More photos are on Basford’s site.

The Beavers, Cubs and Scouts have been bag packing at Marks & Spencer today and we’ve made a whopping £579.12!

Many thanks to all who came and huge thanks to Sharon who organised it and Natasha who stayed all day!

Most people I work with thought that going to camp in January was a mad idea, especially in the middle of the coldest winter for years, but just under thirty Scouts and Leaders arrived at the snow covered campsite on the Friday night. This was the largest number of Scouts on a Troop camp for years. Some slept in the Hut at Beaudesert and some had the luxury of a tent. The Hut had not been used for a while and was unheated which meant that everything inside was very cold and that took 24 hours to warm up.

At the start of the Camp we invested 4 Cubs into the Troop. Following this we got changed to suit the weather conditions and got set to play a wide game in the snow. Supper was served to warm everyone up ready for bed a little later than planned, but we slept in on Saturday morning. Breakfast was therefore late, but was necessary before our walk in the Woodland surrounding the Camp.

We got back in time for dinner and straight after we were out in the snow again to try some Initiative Exercises which are hard enough for the Scouts in summer, but in freezing conditions they were very hard, however the weather did not dampen the Scouts spirits and they did well completing most of them. The Troop then went and collected fire wood for the Campfire, which was followed by a Campfire sing-song led by one of the Young Leaders. After Tea we held a camp Awards Ceremony (with used jars and tins from tea as the awards) and then played 15-pin bowling which most of us were not very good at. It was then supper time again to warm us all up before bed. We all slept much better on the Saturday night and after a huge breakfast, the packing up of kit started and the Camp shop opened. We were then told we could use some sledges this kept the Scouts amused long enough for us to prepare dinner and after a quick clean up of the buildings it was time to leave.

For our newest Leader at the Troop, this was her first camp and we are all really proud of her for making this tough snowy weekend the first of many more to come.

More pictures are in the Gallery.

Tonight we were pleased to have the District Commissioner join us at our Troop meeting to give out some awards.

First of all, he presented a Chief Scout’s Gold award to the first Scout in the Troop to achieve this award since we restarted the Troop in 2007.

Then it was three Chief Scout’s Silver awards for three Scouts who had achieved their awards before they left Cubs.

Finally Don was presented with his Ten Years Service award.

Congratulations to them all!

It’s nice to be able to mention a couple of items of good news.

First of all, one of our Scouts has just completed all the requirements to gain his Chief Scouts Gold Award. This is our first Scout to gain this award since we restarted the Troop in March 2007. And to compliment this, we have another Scout who isn’t that far off gaining his as well. Very impressive!

Secondly, one of our old Scouts, who is now an Explorer and a Young Leader with our Group, has been chosen to be in the group of Scouts representing Staffordshire at the 2011 Jamboree in Sweden. This is a great honour and a really exciting adventure for the Scouts who will attend and we’re all really proud that this particular Scout is going!

All we can say is ‘watch out Sweden!’.

Some of the older Scouts were able to try out climbing on a mobile climbing wall thanks to Centurion Explorers. The Explorers had set this up a a taster of the kind of activities available at Explorers.

See the Gallery for more photos.

Back in May we talked about trying to find an old photo that was taken of the Troop in January 1926 (as we now know). We had a vague photo of it and that was all.

It was taken to be presented to the Church’s Vicar, Fr. Nash, who was moving to a new post in Devon. We think he got a copy and the Church kept one as well. At the same time a photo of the Church’s Guides was also taken and now this photo has turned up! It was found down the back of a cupboard in Church.

However it has not stood the test of time too well.

As you can see part has been torn away and it is quite dirty. Fr. Nash is just about visible in the middle and I’m guessing the lady beside him is his wife.

Wouldn’t it be great if there are still other copies in existence. It would be great (but highly unlikely) if the negatives could be found!

Anyone who knows anything about these two photos, please get in touch with us here.

The Scouts took part in the District’s archery competition today. They all did very well and they came 4th out of 6 Troops. This is an improvement on last year as they were in last place then!

One of the Scouts came first in the individual reserve shooters competition and Nick came second in the Leaders competition! Many congratulations! The day was rounded off by having a flyby from two Spitfires!

Well done to all who took part.

More photos are in the Gallery.