Cyndy has summarised recent activities:
Changes to the Leadership Team
The last few months have seen some changes being made to the leadership team for the group.
In the Beaver section, Cyndy, Sue, and Rachel are now joined once again by Melanie, one of our parents. Melanie has a lot of skills to offer particularly in the areas of storytelling and nature.
Andrew has now been warranted as our Cub Scout Leader with Lynne as his Assistant. They also have two parent helpers, Jonathon and Hayley whose son is a Cub Scout. Like Andrew, Jonathon was a sea scout at Weaverham and it is great that he is willing to support the group as an adult. Hayley is also a very keen supporter and we hope they both enjoy their time with the group.
In the scout section, Yvonne has decided to take some time out from weekly meetings, although she will still be supporting the water activities during the summer and camps when she can. Kathryn, who is currently one of our Explorer Leaders, will be changing sections to become Assistant Scout Leader, working alongside Geoff and Bob.
Cyndy and Richard will continue to lead the Explorer Scout Section.
Group Camps
In the last few years, the numbers attending our group camp which is open to Cubs, Scouts and Explorers has seen a decline.
When planning a group camp, we have to consider such options as leader availability, time of year and location. For this year (2012) we initially wanted to offer an international experience for the sections. However, we were unable to get a suitable booking at a reasonable cost, therefore we chose our second option of attending an International Camp Site in the UK and hence our group Camp was held at Gilwell Park the Headquarters of Scouting in the UK. The date was chosen to avoid clashing with the Olympics and hopefully to get some better weather. Although the numbers attending were not as good as we hoped, everyone who went had a great time. I am sure they will all agree, the highlight of the trip was their day out in London. Cubs and Scouts took in all the tourist attractions during their bus tour and boat trip and they enjoyed travelling on the London Underground and the train. Explorers chose to visit the Scott exhibition at the Natural History Museum followed by a flight on the London Eye. They also visited many of the famous landmarks, travelling by tube and on foot. An exhausting day for all, but well worth it.
There were lots of exciting activities to take part in on site too, from the excellent climbing wall, to the 3G swing. Each evening, everyone had the chance to wind down with supper served around the campfire. A great way for everyone to get to know each other.
Despite the low numbers, we managed to keep the costs almost within budget. We were only £21.00 overspent. Fortunately, this was covered by the Group Executive.
Once the leaders had recovered, it was time to start thinking about next year. In order to try and get feedback from parents, we sent out questionnaires to all sections. We are very grateful for the comments received from the 14 families who returned their forms. All of the comments have been taken on board during our meetings to decide on our Group Camp for 2013.
Please put a note in your diaries – our Group Camp next year is to be held at Waddecar Scout Camp Site during Spring half term which is from Saturday 25th May to Saturday 1st June 2013. The costs have not yet been finalised as we are waiting for confirmation of our booking from the campsite. Letters will be sent out in the next few weeks.
Beavers are now able to take part in a one night camp in tents. I am currently investigating opportunities for them sometime in July.
District Camp 2013
For information, there will also be a District Camp for all sections during the weekend of 21st to 23rd June 2013, at Tatton Park. Cubs and Scouts will be able to camp for the weekend; Beavers will attend on Saturday only, to take part in the activities. More information will be sent to parents at the beginning of next year. Again, the cost has yet to be finalised, but as a guideline, the last big district camp (2011) was £25 per head, plus food.
Membership
We are very pleased to report that we are almost at capacity in all three sections. Beavers have had a waiting list since September; Scouts have had a waiting list for more than 12 months and have only just been able to invite everyone on their list to join. The Cub Pack has seen their numbers almost double in the last twelve months and is now almost full.
The only section with vacancies is Explorer Scouts.
Young people, who are from 14 to 18 years of age, are welcome to join the Explorer Unit. Previous membership of the scouts is not a requirement, nor do you have to have been a scout at Weaverham. We are actually a district unit and our current membership comes from Barnton, Davenham, Comberbach and Weaverham. If you know anyone in this age group who may be interested, just get them to contact Cyndy or Richard via our contact page.
We are very fortunate that our leader team is such a dedicated bunch; with such a small team, they all have to work extremely hard! We are not alone. The shortage of leaders is a national situation and the Scout Association has been looking at increasing membership of adults for some time. It has now been recognised that adults may not always be able to make a commitment every week but would be happy to come along to help, for instance with particular badge work for a few weeks at a time, or, as has been happening with the scout section, to be part of the rota supporting the water activities during the summer. As you will have seen over the last few months, one of the association’s most famous new volunteer is HRH the Duchess of Cambridge who helps out at her local cub pack and beaver colony in Anglesey whenever she can. You can probably even spot the nights she helps out – all the dads go to collect their children from the meetings!
Any parents who feel that they could help make a difference to our young people, by taking up one of our flexible volunteering opportunities, please contact your child’s section leader or our Group Scout Leader, Robert on our contact page.
Please be aware that everyone who helps out with our young people is subject to a Criminal Records Bureau check.
Community Pride 2012
Those of you who are familiar with the Weaverham News may have seen the item about the Community Pride competition and the group’s continued involvement this year. Once again members have been involved in the preparation, planting and maintenance of the garden that we nicknamed The Pinfold Triangle, just opposite the Church House. Although the display was not quite as vibrant as last year, mainly due to the weather conditions, we still had a colourful display in recognition of the Queens Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Games. Our Russett Scouts also took part this year by taking over the small beds at the end of Wood Lane which they planted up with the same themes. Sadly, summer is now over and the beds have been cleared and are waiting for the daffodil bulbs to be replanted amongst the Forget-me-nots that have self seeded from last year.
Remembrance Sunday – November 11th
Following the success of last year, the group will be taking part in their Act of Remembrance in The Chapel at Forest Camp, Sandiway. All sections will be actively involved in the ceremony and we feel it is more appropriate for our young people, than a formal parade.
Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers should meet at Forest Camp at 9.45am for a 10am start. They should wear uniform and be prepared for the weather with a waterproof coat and appropriate footwear. They should also have a poppy. Hot drinks will be provided during the event which will finish at 12.00pm
Gang Show 2013
Mid Cheshire’s 4th Gang Show is being held at The Grange Theatre, Hartford during February half term 2013. All sections are invited to join the production.
Beavers are invited to join in for the first time and the launch day for Beavers is Sunday 11th November from 2.30 to 4.30pm at Cuddington, but their rehearsals don’t start until January. For the rest of the cast rehearsals have already begun, but there is still time to be part of the fun! So, if you enjoy singing, comedy, or dancing, come and give it a try. Explorers – we need help both on and off stage. So, if you are interested in sound, lighting, stage crew or production, please contact us for more information.
We also need musicians! We are looking for people to help provide the music both for rehearsals and for the shows. If that’s your area of expertise, please contact us.
Parents
Check out the notice board in the scout hall for details of our next fund raising events.
Burns Night Supper
Our very popular Burns Night Supper is set for January 26th 2013. We think it is a great evening. Guests are welcomed by a traditional Piper and treated to a 3 course Burns Supper which includes Brian’s amazing desserts. This is followed by the ‘not so traditional’ speeches and toasts and it is all rounded off with Scottish Country dancing!
The tickets go very quickly, so make sure you get yours in good time. To register your interest, contact us.
Spring Quiz
Our Spring Quiz is to be held on 16th March 2013. Our quizmasters Mike and Sue work hard to produce an amazing list of questions for our teams. Brian will also be providing the two course supper during the evening. The quiz is for teams of 6, but don’t worry if there are only 2 of you, we can usually find you space with another team as everyone is very friendly and welcoming. If, like me, you are not good at quiz questions, don’t worry, just get the pen and be the one who writes the answers down!! It’s still a good night! Again, to register your interest, contact us.
Plants 2013
As always, we will be offering bedding plants for sale next year. We know that there is a lot of competition out there now, so we would like to give you this advance warning. Order forms will be available from the end of January 2013. The delivery date will be Sunday 19th May 2013. Plants can be delivered, or they can be collected from us on the day. We hope that parents will support us in our fund raising and encourage friends and family to get their plants from us.