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Cubs: 2016 Update 2015 Update
Scouts: 2016 Update 2015 Update Gilwell Camp May 2014
Summer 2016 Cubs Update
Last term the Cubs worked on the nauralist badge, they had to check the hedgerow at the
hall three times over a three month period to see how it changes.
They had a walk round Crowsheath woods looking at leaves and mini beasts. They made bug house to put in their gardens and learnt the Country Code.
Work started on the Skills Challenge badge by sewing on a button, making cakes, ironing their scarves
and laying a table. A member of the Barleylands team visited to talk about healthy eating and they also learnt the rules, and played, basketball.
Just before Christmas the Cubs made snow globes and we had a games night at the end of term.
During last term we had three Cubs achieve the Chief Scout Silver award, the highest award in the
Cub section.
This year is a special year for the Cub section. It is a hundred years ago that Robert Baden Powell
created the Wolf Cubs.
We started the year wearing a special commemorative scarf and badge on our uniforms and these we will wear for the whole of 2016.
Many events are taking place this year to
celebrate Cubs 100 years. The Cub section was based on the book Jungle Book written all that time
ago by Rudyard Kipling, a friend of Baden Powell's. The Cubs have made Jungle Book characters and
will tell the story of Jungle book at our AGM in May.
They have also learnt about the history of Cubs and
did a code breaking evening on the subject.
Winter 2015 Cubs Update
The Cubs have mainly been working on the new Adventure Challenge badge which has included quite a range of activities. Making and flying kites and hot air balloons; an evening at Thriftwood scout campsite practicing camp fire lighting; practicing tent pitching; an evening following tracking signs on the bridle paths in Mill Lane, Ramsden Heath; raft building and sailing on Barleylands lake and a water games night outside at the hall.
Cubs went to camp twice last year. They joined hundreds of other Cubs from all over Essex for the County Mega Camp at Skreens Park near Chelmsford. Saturday was spent doing as many activities as they could, ranging from climbing and crafts to rafting and learning about the solar system. For the second camp they joined up with Ramsden Scouts for a group camp at Gilwell Park. This was American Independence weekend, so we had an American themed camp. A few of the activities were T shirt printing with stars and stripes, making figures of American characters from recycling and tracking to finding pictures of American animals.
Summer 2015 Cubs Update
September and October last year seems like a long time go, the cubs did some practice in readiness for the bi-annual Laindon Trophy competition where they joined other cub scouts in the Billericay and Wickford district for a half day of traditional scouting skills, tent pitching, knotting, lashings, first aid and practising their promise.
On 21st October we met at Hanningfield reservoir visitors' centre, where the education officer showed them how to look for bats and then they did mini beast hunting in the dark.
November 5th last year happened to be a Wednesday, so the cubs made tea lights, cooked sausages on disposable BBQs and had sparklers.
The lead up to Christmas was a very busy time, cubs went to see Nativity 3 at the cinema, decorated chocolate logs, joined other cub packs for an evening at Partyman world in Basildon and we had our own Christmas party on the last night of term.
This term they have been working towards the Emergency Aid stage 2 badge, which should now be completed, they should all know how to put someone in the recovery position.
They have also been
working on the Community Challenge badge which included a visit from a Police Officer to find out about their work in the community.
Fifteen cubs recently spent the night at Skreens Park Scout activity centre, supposedly sleeping in bunk beds in dormitories, but not a lot of sleeping was actually done The next day the site staff supervised the cubs taking part in team building, archery, bush craft, climbing and caving. They all went home happy and with plenty of mud. We are now looking forward to some nice summer weather for two camps planned in June and July.
Summer 2016 Scouts Update
Since returning from the summer holidays last September the Scouts have been kept busy with a a variety of activities. Many of these are linked to achieving Activity badges and Challenge badges, which are wide ranging in scope. Activities and topics towards the latter have included the importance of sleep and diet, environmental issues, accidents and incidents at camp, fitness and making a sedan chair using poles and rope. Some of the activities are of a domestic nature such as making a bed, sewing on a button and ironing!
More recently the Scouts have been working towards the Personal Challenge Badge. For this they have to choose a challenge and have one set by a scout leader. The challenges can range from keeping their bedrooms tidy, cooking/baking or doing their homework on time.
An Australia Day themed evening included a quiz, food (kangaroo and crocodile) and aboriginal crafts. Basketball and football/cricket (kickit) have featured as competitive patrol challenges. We have four patrols: Foxes, Lions, Tigers and Wolves. Pancake night is always great fun, cooking the pancakes from scratch and then eating them.
The second Wednesday of the month is an outnight with visits to Chelmsford swimming pool for badge work and lots of jumping from the diving boards. Just before Christmas a visit to Laser Kombat in Basildon was a very enjoyable frenetic evening. A trip to Runwell Scout HQ gave us the opportunity to use their 3D Maze caving system, which is in the roof! Most recently, the Scouts went to Base Jump, the trampoline centre in Rayleigh.
An overnight stay at Skreens Park Scout Campsite in February saw the Scouts working on the Teamwork Challenge, which involved memory games, the great egg drop and sheep dog trials where one scout is the shepherd and others, who are blindfolded, are the sheep who then negotiate a course by whistle. The following day involved a hike, climbing wall and air rifle shooting.
Winter 2015 Scouts Update
The last few months have been very busy for the Scouts. We had a very sucessful joint camp with the Cubs in July at the home of Scouting 'Gilwell Park'; the theme was American Independence Day.
Thirty two children and adults attended, activities included cooking their own American meal, printing American themed tee shirts, rifle shooting, climbing and grass sledging.
In May, twenty five scouts and adults cycled from Rayne to Hatfield Forest and back, and stopped for a picnic in the forest. At the end of the 28 miles there were a few aching limbs and the odd puncture, but everyone made it to the end. The Scouts have also been learning how to maintain a bicycle and cycling safety, the ride completed the scouts cycling badge.
Out nights have included an evening at the golf driving range; a visit to the Runwell Scout group bouldering wall; Partyman World; Thriftwood for backwoods cooking; fire safety and runouts; games in the park and raft building at Barleylands. We have played various sports, including rounders and newspaper hockey, worked on the fitness badge, had a water pistol fight where everyone, including leaders, got soaked; the scouts attempted to learn how to wire a plug with limited success; we made bird feeders and cooked pancakes.
Spring 2015 Scouts Update
After last year's summer break, scouts restarted on 10th September by working towards the Promise Challenge Badge, looking specifically at fair trade. The following week they went to Billericay Fire Station to learn about fire safety; always a popular venue and very informative as all scouts enjoy campfires!
Over the following term the scouts worked towards various badges by undertaking a number of activities that included building matchstick boats, CD hovercrafts, making a poppy wreath, woggle making, scarf and shirt ironing, making a bed, making a bird feeder, shoe/boot maintenance and lacing and knife and axe theory and practical, stove safety and cooking.
Once each month we have an out night. During October we visited Thriftwood Scout Campsite for an evening of fire lighting and cooking on an open fire, followed by wide games, which normally means run outs. We visited Chelmsford swimming pool in November when the scouts worked on the staged swimming badges and for the last week before Christmas a trip to the Rayigh Megazone for two games of quasar followed by food and drinks and badge awards. Since Christmas there has been a trip to the Rawreth Golf driving range on a cold and windy evening and also to 1st Runwell Scouts to use their indoor climbing wall and preview their tunnelling system, in the loft!
Seven scouts took part in a hiking and camping weekend that also involved a train journey. We stayed at Prances Scout Campsite Wickham Bishops and also made use of their adventure course and also practised archery.
The scouts take part in a number of church parades throughout the year, including Remembrance Sunday, when the War Memorial was dedicated. Eleven scouts took part in the ceremony.
We currently have 20 scouts and will be pleased to welcome new recruits on a Wednesday evening when we meet from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. The age range is from 10½ to 14.
1st Ramsden & Downham Scout Group
Gilwell Camp - May 2014
A group of 27 Scouts and Cubs (including Group Leaders) took part in a Spiderman Camp held at Gilwell Park Scout Activity Centre on the edge of Epping Forest.
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