Posts by: webmaster

District Cubs Handicraft Competition 2010

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In true Blue Peter style, with egg boxes and sticky backed plastic, six teams competed against each other to design a Christmas Mobile, Table Decoration and a Christmas Tree Decoration.

The teams had to design and build a Christmas Mobile (similar to the Christmas advent used by Blue Peter), a table decoration and Christmas Tree decoration using tinsel and other Christmas materials.

At the recent competition, held at 1st Normandy Scout HQ, six Teams from 5th Guildford ‘Lions’, 1st Normandy, 2nd Guildford, St Nicolas/9th Guildford, 1st Rydes Hill (St Marys) and 1st Stoughton. The teams were marked on teamwork, behavior as well as there finished products.

The results were:

1st – St Nicolas/9th Guildford
2nd – 1st Normandy

District Scouts Activity Camp 2010

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Over 60 Scouts, from all of the District’s Scout troops, enjoyed this year’s activity camp at Bentley Copse.

On Saturday the scouts were kept busy with pioneering, climbing, archery, air rifle shooting, frisbee golf, lighting fires, a wide game and a campfire.

Leaders from the District ran all of the activities. Mouse and Tim helped Paul who supervised the climbing in spite of a bad back. Jonathan led the pioneering activity constructing a circular obstacle course from A-frames, ladders, beams and ropes, Chris and Kevin ran the shooting, and Neil the archery. Quentin and Charlie taught fire lighting ready for the cooking competition on Sunday. Craig and the 2 Rydes Hill young leaders, David and Stephen, organized the Frisbee golf.

On Sunday, nine teams entered the backwoods cooking competition, which was judged by Kevin from the Bentley Copse service team and won by a team from Stoughton. A Scout from Stoughton also gained his master at arms badge over the week-end.

Thank you to the 20 leaders and other adults, who helped at various times from 9 am Friday to 6pm Sunday, particularly Richard Cant and Mouse who complained that it was still dark when asked to help with breakfast. They both helped with transporting the mess kit and the shopping (including 160 eggs, 160 sausages, 8.5 kg of chicken, 24 loaves of bread, 32 litres of UHT milk, 24 litres of milk) that we managed to squeeze into Richards pick-up. Amazingly there was little left after Richard and various leaders had fed everyone.

District Cubs Backwoods Day 2010

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On Saturday 2nd October, Cubs from the Guildford area congregated at 1st Normandy Scout HQ and grounds to participate in a backwoods day.

The Cubs from 1st Normandy, 5th Guildford, 1st Stoughton and 2nd Guildford learnt some new skills as well as having a fun day.

Inspired by the new Chief Scout Bear Grylls, the Cubs Participated in backwoods cooking, pioneered, constructed biviouacs, lit fires and undertook an orienteering course

Despite the short showers the Cubs enjoyed the day finishing off with a campfire

District Beaver Sleepover 2010

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Beaver Scouts from 2nd Guildford, 5th Guildford and St. Nicolas 9th Guildford; 23 Beaver Scouts in total descended on Bentley Copse camp site.

The evening started with the mandatory safety talk and a walk around the site. We then waited for our camp fire to be lit by Akela Tony and Adam Lees, they were struggling, due to the wood being wet (note for future- take some dry stuff!) but perseverance paid off and the fire was roaring, an energetic camp fire commenced, rounded off by having roasted marshmallows.

To calm the young people down after the fire they watched a DVD of the film ‘UP’ Believe it! they were settled by 11:15 YES that’s correct 11:15 they didn’t wake until 06:45 How brilliant is that?

The day started with a visit from the ACC for Beavers Sharon Andrews and our own DC. Sharon had the great pleasure of awarding Swallow, Janis Payne with her award of merit.

The day continued with karting and the adventure course, remembering that the sun shines on the righteous we had lovely sun all day.

The Beavers left at four O’clock tired but very happy and excited, It was a wonderful sleep over and I would like to thank all those who helped make it a great day!

ADC Beaver Scouts

County Scout Expedition Challenge 2010

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The County Scout Expedition Challenge is an annual event for teams of between 4 to 6 Scouts from the same District. This year the challenge was held from Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd May and the ten teams, including a team of 6 from 2nd Guildford scouts, completed 2 hikes of about 18km on the Saturday and 9km on Sunday.

Scouts work hard to complete the challenge. Apart from hiking, they pitch their tents each evening, cook all their meals on lightweight stoves, and each evening they complete their route plans for the walk the next day. On Saturday and Sunday mornings they cook their breakfasts, pack up their tents and other kit and set off on the hike.

Competition teams carry their food, stoves, tents and sleeping bags and walk without a leader between the checkpoints. Mobile phones are used if they get lost or are late to arrive at checkpoints. Training teams have a leader with them and only carry their lunches and emergency kit.

This year’s route was circular starting from St John’s Seminary in Wonersh, to Bentley Copse for Saturday night and back to the seminary on Sunday. At the end of the weekend teams were hot and tired as they inspected their feet for blisters and cooled off under the trees.

Father Jonathan gave a guided a tour of the seminary including the library and chapel. Richard Shortman, the County Commissioner, presented with teams with their certificates. The 2nd Guildford team got a silver award again and is already planning how to get extra points and a gold next year.

Cyclo Cross 2010

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cyclo_cross_02On Sunday 21 March, Scouts and Explorers took part in the 28th annual Surrey Scouts Cyclo Cross competition at Ranmore camp site. This year, eight Scouts and two leaders from 2nd Guildford entered the competition.

Each year the course seems to get longer and this year participants were challenged by the addition of a hairpin bend as well as the uphill finish. As usual the course was soft but the weather was fine so spectators were not as wet and muddy as the Scouts and their bikes. All enjoyed themselves and Jack even dismounted mid-race to pose for a photo.

As with all Scouting activities, it is taking part that is important, however winning is very satisfying and Craig, Tom and Elliot were delighted to win medals presented to them by Paul Iverson, the new Assistant County Commissioner for Surrey Scouts.

Cub Scout Indoor Challenge 2010

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picture.inline8 teams of Cub scouts took on the challenge of making a self propelled vehicle which would transport an egg safely. They were provided with cardboard, wooden and plastic “wheels”, dowelling and various wooden shapes, card, paper, balloons, elastic bands, glue, sellotape, plasticine and several other craft items.

They were also supplied with instructions on how to power a vehicle by balloon, and rubber band power. Unfortunately even with these instructions, and assistance from an Explorer Scout and leaders, it has to be reported that no vehicle travelled on a flat surface unaided. Once a ramp was added there was some success, but unfortunately some eggs were harmed in the process!

Although the challenge was roughly along the lines of the “great egg race”, judging was not only on achievement, it was also on teamwork and general behaviour. The winning team this year were from 2nd Guildford, but as usual it was difficult to choose the winner, as all teams tried their best to succeed.

Congratulations have to go not only to the winning team, but also to all those who took part.

Fundraising at Whitmoor Common

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On Saturday the 6th and Sunday the 7th of February, Scouts from Guildford West will be raising funds for two Scouts selected to attend the 2011 World Scout Jamboree at Whitmoor Common.

Between 10-4 each day, they will be loading cars (£15) and trailers (£30) with logs.

Cub Scout Handicraft Competition 2009

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On a very wet and windy Saturday eight teams of Cub scouts worked very hard to make a zoetrope and a paper rocket.

Paper rockets; easy, do that in a few minutes….wrong! These rockets had full cutting out and folding instructions, not only for the rocket but the bellows to fire them (it was said in the instructions up to 5 metres). Our valiant Cub Scouts managed a metre maximum, but went away with ideas on how to improve on that.

The zoetrope was slightly less challenging, except of course they had to design their own set of sequenced drawings. Animation, was they thought quite an easy task, until they actually attempted it. But after a few mishaps of figures upside down, and glueing bits in the wrong place, they all managed to create a ‘moving picture’ show.

The concentration and effort were noticeable, and half time refreshments were very welcome, not only for the Cub Scouts but also the leaders, who were also trying to follow the instructions! The judging was very difficult, as all the Cub Scouts showed excellent teamwork, and skill, but winners there had to be, and for the 2nd year running it was 2nd Guildford in 1st place, with this year’s runners up being 1st Normandy.

Congratulations not only to those 2 teams, but also to all those who took part.

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District Scouts Activity Camp

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2009_district_camp_8.inlineThe Scouts used to attend an Autumn camp on a regular basis (the county-organised Interlink) but this has not been held since 2004 so a District Scout activity camp was held at Bentley Copse over the first weekend in October.

The camp was well attended by 57 scouts from all 6 groups in the District and 15 adults including all of the Scout leaders (although unfortunately one had to leave for another Scouting event after helping to set up camp).

Paul Frame and Jonathan Gasson lead the pioneering activity. Over Saturday, other leaders, helpers and Scouts constructed A-frames and transformed them into a circular obstacle course by the addition of ladders, beams and ropes.

Scouts also enjoyed archery, air rifle shooting, go-karts, orienteering, a camp fire and a wide game as well as exploring Bentley Copse and making new friends.

Richard Cant kept everyone fed with 180 eggs, 140 sausages, 2 vats of Bolognese, mounds of pasta and piles of other stuff loaded into 3 supermarket trolleys and wedged into a car on Friday. He commented that he should be awarded his camp cooking badge and asked who was cooking at next year’s camp – any volunteers?