News 2005-05
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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, May 2005

Sections

 

GROUP SCOUT LEADER

Fred Fletcher

Many congratulations to Sheila Kinton on being awarded the 'Silver Wolf' in recognition of 'Services of the most Exceptional Nature' in Scouting.

We also send our congratulations to one of our Fellowship - Geoff Seaton, who also held the post as Sutton & Cheam Chairman, for being awarded the 'Silver Acorn' in recognition of 'Specially Distinguished Service'.
Well done Sheila and Geoff!

I am delighted to report that Kevin Mohr has taken up my offer to become Chairman of our Parents and Friends Committee; it goes without saying that Kevin is going to need your help and support for the task. Let's all give both him and the Committee a helping hand, to start with at the next two Jumble Sales on 7th and 14th May and then the 'Big One' our Summer Fete on Saturday 2nd July. Are you ready! Let's - play - Scouting.

The Explorer Unit, Purple Troop and some Ranger Guides had a great time in Wales over the Easter holiday period. I know this because they phoned me from the top of Snowdon to tell me! Thanks for keeping me informed, the mobile reception was excellent. Many thanks to Alan Avery for organising this event; everyone enjoyed themselves and it was kind of them to think of me all the way on the top of Snowdon!

Special Notice

The Group AGM will now be held on Wednesday 8th June starting at 8pm at Headquarters (not 12th June as previously advised).
All Parents and Members are invited to attend.

ASPEN COLONY

Anne Mays (MAYO), Carol Salter (HOLLY)

Once again we have been busy on our quest for more badges, the boys work hard to achieve these badges and we do not take it lightly for each badge they receive there is a lot of work to go with it.
This month the boys have received their outdoor challenge badge we have been working on this badge for a few months and have just finally completed our tasks.
We would like to thank Alan Avery, Scout Leader for Purple Troop, for coming down with a dog and explaining to the boys when a new litter of puppies arrive what happens and how the pups must be cared for and how to look after a dog in general. It was a real fun evening and all the boys had a good time in the field running with the dog.
We have had an evening learning about Spain and China tasting foods and discussing the culture of both countries. We have also grown some cress seeds to show how quickly some things can grow.
We watched a great Scouts' Own put on by Charterhouse Pack it was very entertaining and thank you and well done to all the boys who attended on behalf of Aspen Colony it was good to see you all.
Easter nests are always popular and this year was no exception we made quite a few and some of the -eggs went in the nests; the rest went in the boys mouths - no change -there either! It was a fun evening and thanks to Tom and Louise for all their help - Philip is in New Zealand at the moment on holiday.
Finally Kenan Moore and Ross Davis have now received their scarves.
Myles Mitchell has now gone up to Brownsea Pack we hope he enjoys his time with them and we have now taken in his younger brother Elliott Mitchell and we also hope he now enjoys his time in Aspen Colony.

BIRCH COLONY

Sheila Kinton (bAgheera)

We welcome Nicholas Downes and by the time you receive this newsletter he and the other three new boys will have been invested as Beaver Scouts.
Before Easter we had an evening based on Australia organised for us by Laura Griffiths, one on the Experiments Badge organised by Andy Marshall and then we made Easter baskets. The following badges have therefore been awarded this month -

Outdoor Challenge - Henry Grover, Connor Hampstead.
Discovery Challenge - Joseph Start, Henry Grover. Alex Pickersgill.
Friendship Challenge - Lewis Webb.
Experiments Badge - Scott Marshall, Lewis Webb, Robert Hughes, Sam North, Henry Grover, Joseph Start, Connor Hampstead, Ciaran Mohr, Alex Pickersgill, Theo Cordery, Max Fitzgerald, Brandon Gibson, Nicholas Downes, Bailey Bruton.

The highlight of the month was our outing to the London Eye. After the March Scouts' Own, Alan Avery very kindly ran us down to the station in the minibus. Our train took us to Waterloo, whence we walked past the Eurostar trains to the Embankment where we had our picnic lunch. The boys climbed on the playground equipment prior to going on the Eye.

We had a capsule to ourselves and although it was rather misty, we were able to identify many famous buildings. When we came down to earth we walked along the Embankment watching a unicyclist, steel band, an artist using spray cans and statues, thence back to Waterloo station for a chocolate ice-cream before catching the train home.
All the boys were extremely well-behaved and it was a pleasure to take them out.

CEDAR COLONY

Valerie Street (BADGER)

No news this month.

ANGLIA PACK

Brenda Hunt (AKELA)

No news this month.

BROWNSEA PACK

Les Prescott (KERICK)

Our first two meetings in March were devoted to the three Safety Badges - Home Safety, Road Safety and Personal Safety. I am very pleased that all those Cubs who attended both meetings have passed all three badges. Well done, Cubs. We will endeavour to pass those Cubs who missed a meeting in the future.
Thanks to Ben who arranged a night game for us on the field just before Easter. At the March Scouts' Own we said goodbye to Charlie King who went up to Purple Troop, and welcomed Myles Mitchell from Beavers. Charlie was presented with his Chief Scouts Silver Award certificate.
Some dates for your diaries:
Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th May - Weekend training camp
Sunday 24th July to Friday 29th July - Summer Camp

CHARTERHOUSE PACK

Margaret Pennington (AKELA)

March may have been short because of the Easter holidays but it was very busy. One evening Alan bought Jess down to visit us. Jess is a lovely dog and we learned how to look after animals and how much energy we need to keep them healthy. Thank you Alan.
Pack nights for the rest of the time were taken up with sorting out Scouts' Own. This was the final activity for the Challenge award so Ramah worked very hard with the boys. We were very lucky to have John Baldwin to give us the talk as John was the first Akela of Charterhouse; so many grateful thanks go to him.
On the morning of Scouts' Own when we were all seriously under slept after Race Night the previous evening, we were without a pianist, but as usual the boys came up with a really star performance. They led the singing and even at the back of the hall they could be heard loud and clear. Along with the speaking parts which they were expected to carry out, on that morning they definitely did deserve their Caring Challenge. Very well done Boys!!

On the last Wednesday before the holiday a very well deserved games night was held. It was very popular and nobody noticed that I had not appeared as I had gone on my holidays early.
I would just like to say that at Charterhouse we are truly blessed with a superb team of very caring adults who just get on and do the work and don't expect any thanks. Well done.

PURPLE TROOP

Alan Avery (Scout Leader)

 

The mountain camp in North Wales was very successful - see Explorers' newsletter. Needless to say an evening was spent on honing one's navigational skills. We also had an evening of pyromania and looked at Primus's, gas and trangias. The water weekend will be 24th & 25th June and an immediate reply will be needed.
Summer camp will be 27th-31st August - info to follow.

SILVER TROOP

Paul Green (Scout Leader)

No news this month.

EXPLORER UNIT

Alan Avery (Explorer Scout Leader)

The main event was the Mountain camp together with Sutton Division Rangers and Purple Troop Scouts. We climbed Glyder Fawr and someone's navigational skills took a 180' deviation - I think it's called an upside down compass! We visited a light house on Anglesey, went to Aber Falls, had a freezing swim in Red Wharf Bay on Anglesey and on the last day climbed Snowdon.

Believe it or not someone was carrying a washing machine on his back - with a note on it: - "I'm not mad I'm doing this for charity". If it were a 'Toploader' it would take him so long that he would be 'dancing in the moonlight' on top! Thanks to Roland for assisting and in particular Tom and Margaret Pennington for coming up at the end to bring a car load home.

Unit expo will be 13th - 23rd August in Scotland.

PARENTS & FRIENDS

Kevin Mohr (Chairman)

Watch this space! Jumble Sales Saturdays 7th and 14th May 14.30
Wednesday 11th May P & F Committee 20.00

FELLOWSHIP

Graham Smith (Chairman)

With our own annual dinner having taken place in January and the Group's BP Supper in February, the main Group social event during March was the Race Nite - if that can indeed be called a social event! Many Fellowship members attended what I think could be called a great fun evening with an excellent buffet style meal, prepared by Margaret Pennington and her colleagues, which gave us all renewed incentive in the second half of the evening to try and pick winners - some were lucky, others not quite so!
But nonetheless, win or lose, everyone enjoyed the evening and thanks were expressed to GSL Fred for once again having organised and run the event, with the capable assistance of Dave Sweetland and Les Prescott.
Some of us gave assistance on the Tuesday prior to the auction in erecting the garage tent and then dismantling it on the Tuesday afterwards. The auction took place on Saturday 5th March and the financial result made a welcome addition to Group funds. Fellowship attendance at the Scouts' Own on the 20th March was, on this occasion, somewhat limited; several regular attendees having family commitments elsewhere.
The Fellowship AGM took place on the 31st March. An AGM can never be described as the most exciting event in the year but this year's had a special importance because of the decisions of our Secretary, Mary Root, after four years' service and our Treasurer, Alan Hedger, who had served in that capacity for six years, to stand down.
Before asking for proposals for these two positions for the coming year it was my pleasure to thank both Mary and Alan for the sterling work they had both done during their years of service and for the help and advice they had given me personally since I was elected Chairman. Shirley Cornish was elected Secretary, Derek Scrine as Treasurer and Peter Phillips takes on the newly created position of Vice Chairman.
The meeting decided that I should continue as Chairman for a further year. The extremely well attended meeting listened with great interest to our Secretary's Report of the year which made us all, again, realise what a very active Fellowship we are.
GSL Fred announced during the meting that Sheila Kinton had been awarded the Silver Wolf in recognition of her years of service with the 4th Worcester Park and she received our heartfelt congratulations. Also the Fellowship would like to congratulate Geoff Seaton on being awarded the Silver Acorn - well done to both of you.

In a different arena, so to speak, congratulations had also been offered to Dave Sweetland who had been voted The Sutton Guardian's "Lollipop Man" of the year!
Our next meeting is on Thursday, 28th April when Colin Read will speak to us, after the business of the evening has been completed, on "Treasures of the Victorian Rubbish Dump". It will be remembered that Colin gave a very amusing talk to us early last year on "A Humorous Look at 19th Century Medicine".
Our May meeting takes the form of the visit to the Hog's Back Brewery, leaving HQ at approximately 5.30pm.

PLEASE NOTE: Because the Group's Summer Fete takes place on Saturday 2nd July, it has been decided to bring forward one week the July Fellowship meeting (a Boules evening) to Thursday 23rd June.

 

 

Information for March 2005 Newsletter to be with Fred Fletcher by Monday 9th May

 

 

This page was last updated on 11 July 2005