|
|
|
This page provides access to current and past copies of the the monthly newsletter of the 4th Worcester Park Scout Group plus other reports relating to life at the 4th. The Friends of the Fourth page has copies of their own section's newsletter. 4th News, April 2004Sections
Keith DalyGROUP SCOUT LEADERBaden-Powell SupperEvery year the Leaders, Section Helpers and members of the Group Fellowship hold a dinner in memory of Lord Baden-Powell the founder of the Scout Movement. The dinner is traditionally held on the nearest Saturday to Baden-Powell's birthday. This year the dinner was held on 21st February and was attended by 43 people. We sat down to an excellent meal prepared, cooked and served by Margaret Pennington and her team from Charterhouse Pack. The food was very good and the service first class. The food was served quickly by a very polite and friendly bunch of waiters. This all added to an excellent evening. My thanks to Margaret, Brenda Cawley, Kay Attwell and Pat Dibbens for their excellent efforts in preparing and cooking such a good meal. Thanks also to Tom Pennington, Eddie Dibbens and Graham Attwell who helped with the preparations and waiting. Finally thanks to the waiters - Nicholas Attwell, Richard Attwell, Oliver Dibbens, Greg Dibbens and Richard Pennington. CongratulationsCongratulations to Kay Attwell who has been presented with her Assistant Cub Scout Leaders Warrant by the District Commissioner. Taking out a Warrant is a substantial commitment for the individual but is so important to the Group. My grateful thanks to Kay for making this commitment. ASPEN COLONYAnne Mays (MAYO), Carol Salter (HOLLY)A warm welcome to Oliver Newton who has just started with us. We have had quite a busy month again. We started by making Valentines cards for Mothers and Girlfriends; I have to say they all looked very good when they were finished. We had to do them early as half term was coming around quite quickly and they wouldn't have got them finished. We have decorated biscuits, some of which may have arrived home, but most of them were eaten as they were made. They seem to like anything that involves making food and eating it. Tom did a quiz for them (they don't all enjoy using their brains) which they all managed to complete. The quiz was about the Scout Group and the Beaver Colony with the most important thing being that we had fun answering the questions. Half term came and went. Holly and I tidied up our cupboard, it took us nearly 3 hours to sort it out but it was a job well done. On 21st February it was the anniversary of Lord Baden Powell's' birthday and each year in our Scout Group we have a supper to celebrate his birthday. This year it was run by Charterhouse Leaders and some parents, it was a fantastic evening and the food was excellent. Any parent can become a leader or a helper and then you to could join in some of the good time events that we have. It is not all work and no play so if you are interested let us know. Maybe some of you could join our Parents and Friends committee and join in some of the events - see the results of your hard work, it can be fun. Finally this month we have made some spectacular pancakes all with different toppings and all eaten whilst still hot straight from the frying pan. We have also been planning our sleepover and I feel sure that by the time this newsletter goes to print several of you willing parents of the children of Aspen Colony will have put your names forward to help. Thank you. Without help the event cannot take place as Holly and I can only do so much. We try to make the meetings variable but sometimes we need a little help. BIRCH COLONYAnne Richardson (MAPLE)At our first meeting we made Marshmallow Snowmen, not our greatest success as my husband had made the royal icing "glue" a bit too runny and the snowmen wouldn't stand up - nobody seemed to mind much! Sheila organised a meeting about Growing; we measured how tall all the Beavers were and will measure them all again in a few months time to see if they've all been eating their greens. We also planted some Mustard and Cress to grow at home. We made pancakes on Shrove Tuesday -YUM YUM. It could have been worse, we only set the fire alarm off once and the impromptu fire drill was an impressive sight. Many thanks to Sarah Yelf for organising the ingredients and the cooking, also to Mr Marshall for sterling work in the kitchen. Alex Thompson and Kye Whelan have received their 2nd Joining In Badges, and Alex has also received his Friendship Challenge Badge. Adam Varnham has been invested and Miles Mitchell received his Buddy Badge for introducing his friend to Beavers. Lewis Webb received his IT Badge. Well done to all. We said goodbye to Brynmore Chittock at Scout's Own (not very good turnout again by the way) and hope he's having fun in Brownsea Pack. CEDAR COLONYAnne PriceIn February we continued our space theme and made a mobile of the planets and a collage for the wall. Unfortunately the weather was against us and so we were unable to use the telescope outside. We also had a baking evening where the boys made Valentine biscuits and decorated them. After a break for half term we had an evening of games with a weather theme and made a weather clock collage. As the new leader, I went on three evenings of leader training which covered planning activities, safety issues and sharing ideas for activities. I found it very useful and informative. I have also put together a parent's rota for helping out each week to ensure that we have enough helpers on the night. It will also give parents an opportunity to get involved and see what we do. This month saw both our new boys, Liam Richards and Callum Jones being invested into the colony, which brings the colony up to 16. ANGLIA PACKBrenda Hunt (AKELA)Due to half term we were one Monday short so we packed lots of things into the other three! We did our bit for the Jumble and delivered notices. We had a great night splashing around at Westcroft Pool. Finally we cooked pancakes with 3rds and 4ths being had by some, so I am sure they tasted good. BROWNSEA PACKLes Prescott (KERICK)In preparation for the District Cub Chess Competition, we held an evening of board games including chess and Connect 4. Each Pack in the District could enter two Cubs in the competition and our representatives were Jason Keehn and Jack Francis. Both did really well with Jason coming fourth overall. Well done, Jason and Jack. Sally organised a visit to the bowling alley at Sutton and we enjoyed an evening of ten-pin bowling. The following week each of the four sixes took it in turn to undertake different activities: pancake making, looking at the innards of a computer exploring how it works, chromatography and electrical safety. Congratulations to the following Cubs on gaining badges:
Dates for your Diary:
CHARTERHOUSE PACKMargaret Pennington (AKELA)We started the month with a team of two boys William and Kieran attending the District Chess competition. They both played well all afternoon and gained second place out of twenty-two teams who entered. We were very proud of both of the boys so we had to have a celebration party. On the same day as the chess 5 parents turned up to help at the Jumble Sale. Well done to you. The second Jumble was unfortunately not as well supported presumably as people had gone to a romantic lunch (possible because the boys had an outing)! We travelled by train to Waterloo and after a play in the adventure playground we went up on the London Eye. Although the weather was "clouded over" there was enough visibility to see the "sites of London" from the air. Then we walked across Westminster Bridge and thanks to Edward and his Dad, after we spoke nicely to the policeman, we were allowed into Downing Street to have photos taken outside No.10. We were very impressed by the level of security - all the officers had a gun of one kind or another, reinforced glass, security passes etc, etc. Those brave men and women who ensure the safety of the leaders of our government then allowed us free run of Downing Street - very, very brave officers indeed! Tired and hungry we walked back across the river to have our picnic lunch. When fully rested and refreshed we had a lovely calming time in the London Aquarium. Then came the real challenge of the day - time to spend pocket money in the gift shop. All the boys rose to the occasion in spite of the effort involved. After another round of the Adventure Playground we made our way back to the train for our journey home. A really excellent day which had memorable and magic moments in equal measure. After a week off for half term we were back in harness to celebrate Lord Baden-Powell's birthday. Baloo talked about how Cubs started and what Lord Baden-Powell had in mind for us - then we had food. Our District Commissioner John Perkins then arrived and presented Kay's Warrant. A real magic moment- Kay agreeing formally to carry on the hard work she has been doing for seven years already - well done Kay! As if that was not enough she then agreed to enrol our latest recruits. PURPLE TROOPAlan Avery (Scout Leader)
The main event was the sleepover with the Unit at half term. We cleared a load of wood from the field, had a large fire and backwoods cooked on it. The standard of cooking was excellent - it was a meal in itself - and after we continued burning some of the massive woodpile at the end of the field. The lads camped in hike tents on the field and thankfully it wasn't too cold. The next day we went for a scramble up Box Hill and then a swim. Thanks to Nic Attwell and Chris Mullings for their help. We went Jumbling and made pancakes. Please note Promise Renewal is 25th April. SILVER TROOPPaul Green (Scout Leader)No news this month. EXPLORER UNITAlan Avery (Explorer Scout Leader)We played football at the Sutton Centre on the outdoor pitch - as ever like handball everyone put heart and soul into it. An evening was spent on Challenging behaviour and completing a questionnaire on HIV and Aids. The unit took part with Purple Troop in a sleepover when we worked on the field - see Purple newsletter. In my absence at half term a chillout/pizza evening was enjoyed. Sainsbury's was a bit concerned when 20 lads and lasses invaded! Please note the Promise Renewal date is 25th April and Unit Expedition is 6th - 22nd August. PARENTS & FRIENDSRichard Marston (Chairman)Recent EventsJumble Sale The second Jumble Sale of the pair went very well and together they have got the fund-raising activity off to a good start. It was unfortunate that a lack of helpers at the end resulted in the final clearing up and putting away of tables being left to some of our older members who should not have been put in this position. Would all parents please try to help with at least one event during the year, it makes life easier for everyone. Coming SoonADDITIONAL EVENT Family Quiz Night Sat 17th April - Thanks to my deputy, Graham, for offering to organise this additional event. This is not intended as a fund-raising event but is being run due to the popularity of previous quizzes. Keep an eye on the notice boards or web site for more details - tickets will go fast. Jumble Sales, Sat 8th and 15th May - Please hold on to your unwanted items ready for sale at the next jumble. Christmas BazaarAn odd time to be talking about this you may think. The Christmas Bazaar is one of our most important events financially and one of the most popular in terms of visitors. It has been successfully run for many years by Jenny Overy and she has decided it is now time for someone else to take over the management. I will take this opportunity to thank Jenny for the huge effort she has put into this event over the years and for the huge amount of money raised, including over £2,700 in the past two years. I would also ask all parents to consider taking on the management of this year's event. As with all Parents & Friends' events we need someone to manage the planning and execution of the event, with help from Committee members and other parents and friends of the Group. Without a volunteer the 2004 Bazaar will not run! Internet www.4wp.org.ukWhat have 'welly rack', 'lost cats north cheam' and 'weather in july sri lanka' got in common? Surprisingly, they are all terms used by people in Internet search engines, such as Google, that brought visitors to our web site. I am pleased to say the most popular search term in January was a more useful '4WP'. The number of visitors to the site continues to grow and the number of people buying goods, and therefore generating income, is also improving. Any thoughts for new uses and content? How are we doing?Following the two Jumble Sales we have now raised over £800 towards our target of £8,500 for 2004 and we are expecting a credit of around £30 for commission on items bought through the web site. Thanks for your help so far and if you haven't got involved yet, we are looking forward to seeing you soon. ContactAs usual, I am pleased to receive any comments, suggestions and offers of help by e-mail to "p and f" at "4wp.org.uk" or by telephone on 020 8337 2641. FELLOWSHIPGraham SmithAt a well-attended meeting on the 26th February we were able to review the main points arising from the last three Group Executive meetings and then turned to Group events which had taken place during the month or so prior to Christmas and during the two months since. It had been impractical to discuss these matters at the December and January meetings, the former being the Christmas Eve Service and the latter, in January, being our Annual Dinner. Looking ahead there are two major occasions referred to - firstly the Book Sale with the P & F on Saturday 20th March, when all the books now stored in HQ will be brought out for one giant sale and, secondly, the Fellowship AGM on the 25th March when the Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary have to be elected and for which purpose nominations were invited. The meeting was told that the Fellowship's programme for 2004/2005 would be available at the AGM. At the conclusion of the meeting we moved from the Den into the Hall to listen to Colin Read give his extremely interesting, humorous and to the squeamish, slightly chilling talk on 19th century medicine. The talk was supported by slides showing "ancient" medical apparatus much of which seemed more like instruments of torture rather than the intended purposes of relieving pain and curing ailments! Colin Read, a neurologist by profession, held his audience fascinated when he related the background to his hobby of collecting medical artefacts and the stories that accompanied so many of the instruments shown in the slides. A vote of thanks was made to Colin for a most entertaining talk. I firmly believe that we shall be inviting Colin to talk to us again sometime in the future on another subject about which he is similarly so knowledgeable. Our next meeting, as mentioned above, is the AGM on the 25th March and the April meeting on the 29th (the first in our new year) will be "A look at 4th Worcester Park Archives" following our usual meeting in the Den.
Information for May 2004 Newsletter to be with Keith Daly by Monday 5th April
This page was last updated on 08 May 2004 |