1st Woodville (St Stephens) Scout Group

Spring Term Newsletter 2016

Adrian Moore – Group Scour Leader (GSL)

Welcome to our Spring Term Newsletter

2016 promises to be an amazing year of celebrations…

Could you spare a morning or afternoon, once a month, at a weekend? Would you like to help us make the environment your children Scout in, outstanding and vibrant? We are seeking volunteers to form a HQ renovation team to help spruce up and tidy up the building. From cleaning, tiling, painting and decorating, fixing broken doors and windows to establishing a garden. Please add your name and contact details to the recruitment sheet on the notice board. We are hoping to start renovation in March 2016.

A belated ‘Happy New Year’ to you all, and what an exciting start to 2016 with all sections out and about engaging with the community and learning new skills.

I would like to take a moment to remind you about Gift Aid. Not all families opted to support us with Gift Aid in 2015 which meant a reduction in our income and consequently we had to use monies allocated for running costs to supplement the cost of Annual Scout Association Capitation (Membership) fees. In 2016, we cannot afford for this to happen again. So if you can fill one in please do so. It may be that any family not completing a Gift Aid Declaration Form, if they are able to do so, will be responsible for paying their child's Scout Association Capitation (Membership) fees during the month of January in addition to any weekly membership fees that may be due. In 2016 we expect this to be approximately £35. If Gift Aid forms are an issue for you please talk to us.

INTREPID SCOUTS COMPLETE EXPEDITION Congratulations to the intrepid group of Scouts that night hiked from Donisthorpe to camp overnight in Woodville, hitting a low of 1oC, and then hiked on to Hartshorne in the morning to their pickup point. The skills they demonstrated, teamwork and their determination shone through. The Scouts not only had to navigate by night and by day but also carry their tents, cooking appliances and camping equipment. The leadership were extremely proud of them all and may they be an inspiration to others to try it next time. The Scouts were all awarded their Derbyshire County Chilly Challenge badge for 2016 to wear with pride on their uniform.

BEAVERS BUILD BIRD BOXES WITH DERBYSHIRE WILDLIFE TRUST

Between the 1st September 2015 and the 31st August 2016 I challenge all our young people to complete my ‘70 Things to Do’ Challenge. All you have to do is complete the challenge and record it in a scrap book, hopefully with lots of photographs, and show it to your section leaders to sign off your record sheet. Certificates will be awarded to those completing 45 or more of the challenges and a special award will be presented to those completing all of the 70 challenges. Good luck and I look forward to seeing your scrap books!

70 THINGS TO DO

WINNERS OF THE BEST DRESSED ELF COSTUME Well done to Liam and Ellie!

THE GROUP SHINES AT CAROLS AROUND THE TREE A huge thank you to everyone that supported the Carols Around the Christmas Tree event. We received the following message of thanks from Jean Fletcher, who arranges the event: “I would thank the parent, leaders and scouts for their help last night at the carol event. The refreshments were most welcome. It was lovely to see you all walking to the event with lanterns, it felt a traditional carol event. Hope you could attend next year. Please thank all the children, parents and leaders for me.”

PARISH COUNCIL DONATION In recognition of the Groups support of local Parish and Community events we received a donation of £50.00 from the Woodville Parish Council. The money was put towards topping up our gas supplies for the cold spring ahead.

GROUP SUPPORT LOCAL NURSERY AFTER VANDALS DESTROY 90% OF THEIR TOYS Thank you to everybody that donated unwanted toys in our recent appeal on behalf of the nursery located at Gresley Old Hall. We dropped off a staggering nine bin bags full of toys and books. The nursery manager send her sincere thanks to everyone. The amount of toys they have received has meant they have restocked the nursery and been able to make a sizeable donation of surplus toys to a local toy bank.

GROUP TO SUPPORT LOCAL SPORT RELIEF MILE EVENT SUNDAY 20TH MARCH 2016 We have been invited to support the local Sport Relief Mile event at Swadlincote Woodlands. If you can spare a Sunday morning for a great cause we would really appreciate your support. Please speak to a leader.

CUBS GET DOWN AND DIRTY AND TICK OFF FIVE OUTDOOR CHALLENGES A group of Cubs, and crazy parents, took part in a walk around Calke Abbey with the aim of ticking as many challenges as they could. They successfully managed to tick off No.13 Splashing in Puddles, No.16 Climb a tree or balance on a fallen tree, No. 17 Make a Mud Pie, No.18 Paddle in a stream or waterfall and No.21 Create some wild art. Well done everyone!

DATES FOR THE DIARY

February 28th 2016 Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, Carvers Rock

March 5th 2016, 6.30pm Cubs Centenary ‘Thank You!” Party

March 18th 2016, 6.00pm Beetle Drive and Chocolate BINGO Fundraiser

March 20th 2016, 9.30am – 1.30pm Sport Relief Mile Event Support

March 25th – 28th 2016 Cubs Adventure Camp to Chester

March 29th 2016, 7.00pm Scouts Climbing and High Ropes at Alter Rock Climbing Centre

April 8th – 11th 2016 South Derbyshire District Scouts Hike Weekend

April 24th 2016 St Georges Day Celebration and Family Day

May 14th 2016, 9.00am Jamboree on the Trail

May 27th – 30th 2016 Scouts Spring Bank Camp, Drum Hill

June 18th 2016 Woodville Summer Fete

June 19th 2016 10.00am-4pm Beavers 30th Party, Twinlakes

DATES FOR THE DIARY

July 8th – July 10th 2016 Cubs Centenary Adventure Camp October 28th – 30th 2016 Cubs and Scouts PGL Adventure Camp December 16th 2016 Cubs Centenary Celebrations and Promise

COUNTY CHALLENGE BEAVERS TO COMPLETE 30 CHALLENGES The Derbyshire County Beaver team have challenged all Beavers to achieve 30 challenges, see below:

LEADERS OUT FORGING LINKS WITH OTHER GROUPS AROUND THE UK The Cub leaders and the GSL paid a visit to 6th Bebington (Eastham) Sea Scout Group, who are hosting to the forthcoming Cubs Adventure Camp to Chester.

WELCOMING OUR NEW ASSISTANTSCOUT LEADER We would like to extend a warm welcome to Helen Scott, who will be joining the Scout Troop as of the 1st February 2016 as Assistant Scout Leader. Helen joins us from Girl Guiding where she has just completed her 10 year service award. Welcome to the dark side!

EXCITING MEMORIES OF 2015…

DO YOU HAVE ANY UNWATED WALL TILES? ANY COLOUR ANY SIZE? OR ANY UNWANTED TINS OF MAGNOLIA OR WHITE EMULSION PAINT?

Any donations of either items would be greatly received.

BEAVERS CHRISTINGLE SERVICE AT METHODIST CHURCH LIT THE WAY FOR CHRISTMAS

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR VERY OWN PC PLOD

We would like to congratulate our Assistant Scout Leader, Alex Booth, on his recent appointment as a Special Constable in Derbyshire.

SCOUTS ENJOY AN EVENING AT THE SKI CENTRE The Scouts enjoyed a night at the local ski centre snow tubing and using the Viper Slide.