SCOUT UTSomerset Scout Newsletter

July 2011Issue 9

PLUS...

Riverdance

Bear GryllsAs if you had forgotten! The day

Somerset welcomed our Chief

Scout for his flying visit

All the action from this year’s scout and explorer camps

How to get wet

Summer water awareness and

harvesting activity ideas.

this month...

O

World Scout Jamboree is upon us and unit leader

Ben Groves explains why Somerset is singing in the rain

Jamboree and Moot

Ten TorsMore Somerset scouts than ever

before tackle the moors

Follow the World Scout Jamboree blog

www. somersetscouts.org.uk/world-scout-jamboree/wsj-blog/

Share the link, read the story, be part of the adventure.

Cover image: The WSJ Cheddar Unit on a

training camp at Huish Woods in 2010.

you scout...Beavers from 5th/7th Wells have been helping

barn owls in June. Working with the Hawk and Owl Trust and the Mendip Sustainable

project the youngsters spent time fundraising to buy two barn owl nesting boxes which will be hung on the Yoxter Range on the Mendip Hills. The beavers will visit the 885 acre SSSI near Priddy in July to see their boxes hung ready for the nesting barn owls.

Twit Twawooo

www.somersetscouts.org.uk

scoutout@somersetscouts.org.uk

Give us your opinion What could you support next year? The

county team are planning 2012 events and thinking about an activity camp to

sit along side the popular County Jamboree. To help us get next year’s event planning just right please take a moment to complete our on line survey. Your responses will be listened to and acted upon to continue to improve the organisation of our events and quality of scouting for the young people. The survey is open to all appointments.https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CountyEventsClosing date is July 17th

Beavers afloatWatchet harbour was

alive with the sound of youngsters sailing in June.

Nine beavers and two scouts from 1st Wellington were taken out in dinghies by the Watchet Sea Scouts and, after playing in the wind, the young people visited the Watchet coastguard station where they were shown rescue equipment.

“We had a brilliant day out with Simon Bale and the Watchet Sea-Scouts”, said leader Sharon Cannell, “and after sailing we went out in the inflatable boats too. You could hear the beavers laughing from the harbour wall!”

Sand castles everywhere

The beach at Weston Super Mare was covered with sand sculptures and sand castles in June. 300 scouting youngsters from Sedgemoor

descended on the beach with buckets and spades in hand to build all sorts of sand-based creations. Space rockets, planes, boats and castles were all carved out of Weston’s beach in just a few hours. Huntspill and Highbridge Beavers came first in the beaver category and Burnham-On-Sea came first for the cubs. As for scouts, first place went to Bridgewater Scouts for their motor car while the Sedgemoor Explorers won for the district’s 16 – 18 year olds.

Scouts have been helping protect butterflies and bees at Barcroft Hall in South Petherton. 2nd South Petherton held a camp at the hall

combining camping skills and fun in the 90 acre gardens working to protect and enhance the wildlife there. The site, which is already used as a release site for the RSPCA, has a series of lakes and a variety of wildlife habitats ripe for the adventuring and the scouts were really excited to be able to team up with the owners to do something good for the environment.

Birds and the bees

3

you scout...

www.somersetscouts.org.uk

Join in the fun on the 16th of July. With a new route and format, this year’s hunt promises to be more

exciting than ever. Equipped with clues and a map, teams will see some of London’s famous landmarks in this fun event. Find out more online or email:youngshelterbox@shelterbox.orgwww.youngshelterbox.org/events

Cubs in Yeovil

Yeovil’s only sea scout group celebrated the successes of its youth members in June with a presentation evening. A

whopping 42 awards were given to scouts and explorers ranging from challenge awards to hikes away awards and a special certificate and medal was presented to 14 year old Ben Gilbert for completing the 35 mile Ten Tors route on Dartmoor this year. The 1st Charltons Sea Scout Group is the only sea scout group in the Yeovil District. Their adventurous activity programme includes canoeing, sailing, raft-building, conservation work, hiking and the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.

Scouts in Martock are getting off on the right foot as their new scout leader Andy Radford takes on the adventure. After a

quiet year, the fledgling group are kicking off again in September with 10 scouts. However, troop night clashes with the football club. If anyone has any friendly advice on growing the group they could offer Andy over at Martock the whole group would be really grateful. Perhaps a scout / football club play off? Andy’s email: andyradford@yahoo.co.uk.

Sea scouts’ awards

On the head

Somerset’s Network scouts have been busy since building a new gateway at Huish Woods. The 18 – 25 year old scouts were

seen at County Jamboree, Explorer Moot and more recently enjoying a spot of ten pin bowling in Taunton. Bringing into play the skills of aiming and throwing, the networkers got quite good at bowling come the end of the evening. The sport also helped develop a good sense of trajectory which came in handy six days later when network were out again, this time clay pigeon shooting.

Network scout Charlie Drakeford said: “Some of us didn’t have an eye for bowling or clay pigeon shooting before we tried them but we do now!”

Getting an eye for it

ShelterboxScavenger

Beaver 25 Fun Day, September 18th...All event details available on the

County Diary.www.somersetscouts.org.uk/county-

diary/

More opportunities

Taunton Deane district celebrates as the appointment of new District Commissioner John Troake was

announced at the district’s AGM in June. John said: “I’m still an active beaver leader in Rockwell Green, so keeping in touch with every day adventure and I hope to give the young people of every section as much opportunity as possible.”

Cubs have been busy in Yeovil. Not only have 1st Street Cubs recently visited a local Elderly People’s home in Street to plant

summer flowers in the wooden planters made as part of their DIY badgework but 11 cubs were also awarded their Chief Scout Silver Awards. The youngsters from Great Lyde Comanche Cubs were each presented their Chief Scout Silver Award which is the highest achievement that can be reached by a cub.

Badges A number of badge requirements have been

updated or amended as of June 2011. For a full list of all badge requirements, please

see the badges and awards section of Member Resources on the www.scouts.org.uk website.

Please note: text

presented in this shade of pink is a

hyperlink.

In the last two months we reckon Somerset scouts have racked up well over 2500 nights away. That’s people camping times nights camped on the various beaver, cub, scout, explorer and network camps taking place. It all kicked off with the Explorer Moot at Huish Woods which more explorers than ever before went along to.

“We had double the numbers for the 3rd annual Somerset County Explorer Scout Moot,” said ACC Explorers Liz Henderson, “And there were even more activities to choose from on previous Moots including canoeing and kayaking at Langport and climbing / abseiling at the 1st Wellington Scout hall.” Moot 2011 also included the presentation of our 2 WSJ Units to the county and evening entertainments included the Big Quiz, a hog roast, a traditional campfire and a fabulous disco with a London DJ.

The new Go Bananas Café and tuck shop were both very popular and the Moot also hosted a group based session called ‘Your Voice’ giving the explorers an opportunity to have their say about topical scouting matters and to consider taking on roles as young spokespeople at group, district and county level. Liz, who spent some of the weekend dressed as a banana, continued: “Everyone had a great time and took part in their personalised (very hectic) schedule of activities but best of all, the weather stayed dry for the entire weekend!”

Following Moot it was the scouts’ turn for their annual camp. County Jamboree up at Ilton was a huge success. Competition camping was of a high standard, the scouts turning out their best camping skills and when patrol work was done the scouts spent their day enjoying the jamboree activities. Shooting, archery, craft, assault courses, branding, climbing, zip wire, monkey bridge and trolley dashing to name just some and even after all that excitement the disco and talent show could be heard across the airfield as scouts partied into the night.

On Sunday over a hundred cubs came to camp to join in the adventure. The Somerset Scouts media team also broadcast the event live through social media for the first time giving leaders, parents and young people unable to make the jamboree, an interactive window on the camp. Despite there being some crockery related security issues, James, Ollie, Dan, Tommy, Mike and Henry from West Coker scouts said the whole camp was ‘excellent!’

And just as everyone was recovering from jamboree the Taunton Deane Beavers held a 25th anniversary fun camp up at Huish Woods. From walking on custard to grass sledging, over 200 beavers had a whale of a time celebrating the 25th birthday of beaver scouts in the UK. The Huish Woods’ Beacon was lit and the beavers sang happy birthday and ate beaver birthday cake.

Sadly though, the county’s cubs were considerably less civilised. Not only did Sedgemoor’s cubs spend their district cub camp dressed up as marauding pirates but Yeovil’s cubs pretended to be Vikings for the weekend. Activities included walking the plank, beating the rat, throwing your enemies’ severed head* from cub to cub – marvellous fun if you haven’t tried it – and an innovative version of Chess involving a bouncy castle and an obstacle course.

So not only is that collectively over 2500 nights under canvas for Somerset scouts in June but something like 35,000 days of adventure experience. That’s 95 years!

If you would like to know how we worked that out please email us: scoutout@somersetscouts.org.uk.

*The severed head was actually a bean bag. 5

12

A beaver at the Taunton Deane Beaver 25 fun camp is splatted with a very wet sponge.

Who said flagbreak was dull?! Pirate cubs show off there arghghhghg-ing.

2500 Moot, jamboree, district cub camps, beaver fun days, ACC’s dressed as bananas, marauding pirates and vikings - it’s all in day’s Somerset scouting.

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With a view to raiding Montacute, cubs in Yeovil turn out their home made long boat complete with cardboard oars.

Explorers on Moot cart camp leader Liz, dressed as large banana, across a field.

Scouts on jamboree, tent pitched, kit ready, the sun is out, four days of intense adventure ahead.

Check out videos from

Jamboree 2011 on YouTube.

“It’s easy to see why so many young people are

making adventure and having fun together.”

Bear Grylls’ words as

he spoke about what

he saw of scouting in

Somerset on a flying

visit to the county in

May. Stopping twice in

Somerset, Bear visited

a scout camp in Yeovil

before dropping in on

an activity day at Huish Woods. The Chief

Scout toured the events, met young people

and leaders and took part in some of the

activities. Bear was even seen trying some

of the backwards cooking prepared at Huish

Woods by scouts and scrambling about on

an assault course only to be beaten in a one

-on-one race with a young person based

on the activity. And Bear’s words could not

have resounded better because just days

after the Chief Scout had been shaking

hands with beavers and jumping across

a monkey bridge, explorers from across

Somerset embarked on one of the most

challenging hiking events in the scouting

calendar.

Eight teams from across the county took

part in the 2011 Ten Tors Challenge up on

Dartmoor and they all finished the route

with just 3 hikers falling out across the

eight teams. The event is not a competition

but a challenging adventure that demands

careful planning, determination, endurance,

skilful navigation and teamwork by the

participants and this was present in

abundance as the teams crossed the line

all with excellent times. Ed Hull, who

turned 18 during the event, even gave

up his birthday to hike the gruelling ten

tors, commendation indeed. Explorers

and scouting made up for over a 6th of

the teams overall at this, the 51st Ten Tors

challenge which strives to engender team

spirit, teach how to deal with adversity and

promote adventure and fun.

Taunton Explorer Scouts had a 35, 45

and 55 mile team, the Wellington Explorer

Scouts had a 35 mile team alongside

the Wiveliscombe Explorers and Welton

Wanderers who also had a 35 mile team.

Yeovil district sent two teams, one 35 mile

and one 45 mile team. The latest team

finished just before 5pm on the Sunday at

16.51 – just in time for tea I’d say.

Below: scouts get their foreheads

signed by Bear in Yeovil, scouts make

feathered hats at the Huish Woods

activity day, explorers hike the tough

Ten Tors Challenge and Bear does

some serious high fiving.

Somerset Network Scout Peter Venn

accommpanied Bear on his tour:

“Bear's visit to Somerset was a

great inspiration, giving our

young people determination

to be great at their scouting and continue this brilliant

adventure.”

Imag

e kin

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dona

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by Le

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plan

d, W

este

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“It’s easy to see why so many young people are

making adventure and having fun together.”BEAR GRYLLS TEN TORS.

USJoin

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WSJ

201

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WSJ

27 July – 7 August 2011 Rinkaby, Sweden

38000

32

04 000 1100

60101027

• 38000 Scouts will attend the World Scout Jamboree.• 3,204 Young people are in the UKcontingent.• 7,000 Adults from nearly every country in the world are on the IST.• 1,100 Adults are attending from the UK.• 10 Guides join the Cheddar unit.• 10 Scouts from Gibraltar join the Apple unit.• 2 units, Apple and Cheddar, will travel to Sweden as part of the UK contingent from Somerset.• 60 Scouts from Somerset will attend this year’s WSJ.

So far I’ve had the time of

my life. Jason

I have so many memories

and we haven’t even been

yet! Emily

It is hard to believe that is was a

little over a year ago that we met

for the first time and wow, what

an adventure we have had from

training camps to parades, cooking

competitions to hikes, rifle shooting to

moving our entire camp site, the list is

really endless. What have we achieved

from it all, well the best description

would be a family? Although we

all belong to a worldwide scouting

family the bond that has developed is

something special. Ben Groves UL

ISUPONSo far

In numbers

As a unit we are now ready

for every eventuality when

in Sweden. Caroline

Read

the

blog

Foll

ow th

e un

its

Every time you come across the ever

effervescent explorer WSJ units they

are bubbling over with energy and

enthusiasm and just lately they’ve been

bubbling over with song as well. Ben, the

Cheddar unit leader, gets up front and leads

this hilarious impromptu act called the ‘river

dance’.

“The song is about the water cycle, first

the rain falls (tinkle, tinkle, tinkle) then is

runs into a babbling brook (babble, babble,

babble) then it joins the river (river dance),”

chants Ben. When is Michael Flatley getting

here then? Oh no that’s a different river

dance, carry on: “Then it makes its way into

the ocean (whoosh, whoosh,whoosh) then

from the ocean it evaporates (evaporate,

evaporate, evaporate).”

“We use song in the mornings mainly to

wake the unit up and give them a bit of

energy! But it also brings people together.

It’s a simple routine to understand, different

language and cultural barriers can be

broken down through the dancing. At the

jamboree we hope to do the dance on the

subcamp stage and after a couple of days

see how many other units we can get to

join us.”Since the initial unit selections back in May

2010 the WSJ units have grown, developed,

bonded and become something really

special in preparation for their Swedish

adventure. The Jamboree itself is the

pinnacle of a larger journey that has always

been building up to this moment. Ben’s

fabulous River Dance has been part of that

journey and hopes to make bonds between

cultures at the jamboree through song.

Our Somerset units are part of a 3000 +

strong UK contingent of scouts and guides

from 89 units. The UK will also take patrols

from Sierra Leone, Papua New Guinea,

Armenia, Western Europe, the Pacific

Caribbean and Somerset will travel with

British Scouts from Gibraltar.

The Jamboree starts on July 27th, our

units leave for camp on the 24th. Before

getting onto the Jamboree site itself the UK

contingents are meeting in Copenhagen,

Denmark for a ‘prejam’ and after the

jamboree in Sweden our units are off

travelling Europe in home hospitality. The

Apple unit will visit Poland and the Cheddar

unit will travel to Spain.

Everyone can get involved in the

experience. Our unit’s young people will

be tweeting, facebooking and blogging

throughout their jamboree and all of

this can be accessed through our county

website www.somersetscouts.org.uk. It’s

an adventure for all, Baden Powell defined

the word jamboree: “People give different

meanings for this word but from this year

on, Jamboree will take a specific meaning.

It will be associated with the largest

gathering of youth that ever took place.”US

Send off

Marking the end of training and

the beginning of the Jamboree

itself, both the WSJ Apple and

Cheddar units attended a Valedictory

service at Glastonbury Abbey in June.

Parents, leaders, local dignitaries and the

unit participants basked in the evening

sunshine at the abbey for their formal

‘sending off’ to Jamboree. Leader Mandy

Merrett commented: “The Valedictory

service was lovely - some humour, some

singing, many special words and moments

and someone even sorted out sunshine and

white doves flying around the Abbey ruins!”

WSJRiver dance

27 July – 7 August 2011 Rinkaby, Sweden

ISUPON

48

Our deadline for content is

Wednesday 24/12/10. Issue six

will be published

January 1st, 2011. ScoutOut

THE COUNTY DIARY

SUN17/7

WED27/7toSUN7/8

WED4/8toMON8/8

SAT17/9

SUN18/9

MON26/9

Written and Produced by

Richard Shepherd for the

Somerset Scout Council.

Images reproduced with the

permission of the owners. Copyright

Somerset Scout Council July 2011.

Check it out... www.somersetscouts.org.uk/county-diary

for the online County Diary,

downloadable event application

forms, health forms and kit lists.

We want your stories please...

Our deadline for content is

Wednesday 18/8/11. Issue ten

will be published

September 1st, 2011. ScoutOut

22nd World Scout JamboreeKristianstad, Sweden. Som-erset takes part in the world’s largest gathering of scouts.

County ShootClay pigeon, archery and a chance for scouts and explorers to be considered for the county shooting team. Event near Kingweston.

scoutout@somersetscouts.org.uk

How to get wetTaunton’s annual water

camp was a big splash at the beginning of July.

It was soggy, damp, moist, wet and anything but dry as youngsters from across the district hurled buckets of water at each other, learned to fish, sailed rafts and kayaked on lakes at Brompton Ralph.

But when water seems in such plentiful supply and despite it falling from the sky at a seemingly endless rate sometimes, it isn’t always as convenient to come by...

A guide to harvesting rainwater for Summer

Always purify, filter and boil ‘wild’ water before drinking it but these methods are effective as rainwater harvesting techniques that might just come in handy:

1. When the clouds do decide to burst, simply pop a bucket out. A more efficient method, however, is to string up a large tarpaulin and funnel the rain water into a bucket. This way you catch a lot more in less time.

2. Overnight, dew tends to form as the air cools and harvesting this is simple too. Dig a pit and line it with a clean plastic sheet. As dew forms on the plastic it will collect at the lowest point.

No lie in the following morning though otherwise the sun will just have the dew back again!

3. Harvest water from plants. Tie a plastic food bag around a leafy branch. The theory is evaporation from the plant’s leaves will condense in the bag. Give it a couple of days and although the water will be brown (probably) with a little purification, filtration and heating (to boiling point for 10 minutes) the water is good to drink. It will probably taste sweet.

Network Summer CampThis long weekend of summer fun takes place at the Blackwell Adventure Centre. Contact Peter Venn for more info.network@somersetscouts.org.uk

County Cub DayA day at Devon’s Crealy with cubs from across Somerset. £9.50 per participant.

Beaver 25 Fun DayCelebrating 25 years of Beaver scouting in Somerset join Somerset’s beavers for a fun day at Merryfield Airfield, Ilton. See County Diary on line for full details and booking.

County AGMJoin us for our annual general meeting. Details forthcoming.

MEDIA TEAM