April - awards galore!

Kidlington Scout Group

This month, we have a special report from our Sea Scout Troop.

Tuesday 4^th April was a very big end of term meeting for the 33^rd (Oxford) Kidlington Sea Scouts RN102.

Firstly, as a Royal Navy recognised Sea Scout Troop (one of only 103 in the country), the Troop are subject to an annual review to ensure that the high standards required for this recognition are maintained. Lieutenant Will Jones RN commanding officer of our local Royal Navy Unit came along to spend an evening with the Troop and congratulated them on their broad programme, training opportunities and reminding the Scouts of the valuable life skills they are learning. Lt Jones confirmed the review was successful and RN recognition maintained.

Lieutenant Will Jones 

Secondly, District Commissioner Anthony Morris came along to present three Scouts with the Chief Scouts Gold Award. To earn this, the Scouts each had to complete six activity or staged badges and a further nine challenge badges - no mean feat! Anthony reminded the Scouts that the requirements for achieving this Award have become more difficult and encouraged them to thank their Leaders, parents and fellow Scouts for helping them achieve this award. Well done to Holly, Tilly and William!

Will, Tilly and Holly

Last, but by no means least, Phil Earl (County Commissioner) and Anna Weekes (District Commissioner) came to the meeting to present Sea Scout Leader David Eyles with the Silver Acorn Award. This prestigious award is only given to a few Leaders and recognising exceptional service to Scouting for a minimum of 20 years. David’s Award deservedly recognises not only his 27+ years as a Scout Leader, but also his roles as Assistant District Commissioner for Scouts, District Nights Away & Water Activities Advisor and County Canoe, Kayak & Rafting Assessor. Well done David!

David Eyles and Phil Earl

This was a fantastic end to the term, and followed the Troop's first outdoor camp of the year at Youlbury Scout campsite in Boar's Hill on the weekend of 31st March-2nd April. 34 Scouts and Leaders camped, and rather than the usual wind, rain, sleet and snow, the Troop were lucky to have warm sunshine for their 'back to basics' weekend. Over the two days, they learned Scouting skills such as making camp gadgets, navigation and cooking on open fires. They also had a lot of fun taking part in one of the onsite activities, axe throwing!

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Elsewhere in the Scout Group all of our units have had an action-packed term of meetings, weekend events and awards. Of particular note are the six members of the Land Scout Troop who earned their Chief Scout Gold Awards (well done Kian, Harry, Adam, Ashton, Natasha and Charles) and Lennon in Mowgli Cubs who earned his Chief Scout Silver Award. Jo Hawtin, a Scout Leader for many years in Kidlington and now Assistant County Commissioner, receives a Silver Wolf award in this year’s St George’s Day Awards.

District Commissioner Anthony Morris and Lennon

Well done to each and every one of you who has worked hard to earn awards and badges this term. You make us all proud!

AGM

If you’re interested in learning more about the Scout Group or want to find out how you can get involved, please join us at our Annual General Meeting on 8^th May. The meeting is at the Scout Centre in Blenheim Road and starts at 7.30.

Find out more at www.kidlingtonscoutgroup.org.uk

What have we been up to in February?

Beavers

Our Beavers at Oxford Spires County Fun Day. They took part in activities, games and crafts based around disability awareness

Homemade torches

Mowgli Cubs

Building bird boxes

Not quite what was meant by 'paint everything'...

Learning first aid

Pancake day - yum!

Jacala Cubs

Activity time on Jacala's Space Camp at Youlbury

Christmas post: Help us reunite these undelivered cards with their senders

Can you help us reunite these cards with their senders? We think most of these were never intended for delivery in the Scout Christmas post and we'd like to return them to the people who posted them.

Where we were unable to find the house even though it looks as though it is in Kidlington or Bletchingdon, we have tried our best to locate the recipients by searching on the electoral register.

If you recognise any of these, please get in touch with us by email (kidlingtonscoutgroup@gmail.com) or through the Friends of the 33rd Facebook page

A fantastic run of fundraising!

January's ScoutRail model rail show at Exeter Hall in Kidlington

It's mid January, and that means Kidlington Scout Group's bumper fundraising season is finished for another year. And what a successful few weeks it was!

December's Christmas Post saw our Scouts deliver thousands of Christmas cards in Kidlington and Bletchingdon. Our one day bag-packing at Sainsbury's just before Christmas was really well supported by members of the group and shoppers. Our final major annual fundraiser, the ScoutRail model railway show at Exeter Hall, saw around a thousand visitors enjoying the models, the stalls and the wonderful cafe.

All of us at the Scout Group are extremely grateful to everyone who has supported these events. THANK YOU! It costs a lot of money to maintain our headquarters in Kidlington and our boat base in Wolvercote, and fundraising events help keep subs affordable for our members.

Holding three major fundraising events close together means that we start 2017 able to plan our building improvements for the whole year. Our next planned major improvement is to refurbish the toilets at the Scout centre.

Our members taking control of the model railways

December update

Several of our sections have had indoor camps over the past month. The Sea Scouts had a fun-filled weekend at  Youlbury Scout campsite staying in the new Bear’s Den building, but with its warm en-suite dormitories it wasn’t much like camping at all! Many of their activities were outside however, and the troop took part in a District Wide Game on the Friday night where 150 Scouts competed in teams by torchlight. Fire-lighting, high ropes and problem solving activities took place over the weekend along with Camp Service, where Scouts do jobs at the camp site for part of a challenge badge. Several of our younger members spent a morning taking wheelbarrows full of woodchips to the bottom of the climbing tower.

Jacala Cubs had a ‘Sinterklaas’ sleepover at the Scout Centre, where they celebrated Christmas the Dutch way. One of the traditions they followed was leaving a carrot in a shoe overnight and waking up to find sweets there instead!

Continuing the Christmas theme, our youngest members enjoyed a ‘Singalong with Santa’ day at Jubilee House in Beckley along with Beaver Colonies from all around Oxfordshire. They had a great day taking part in crafts, toasting bread and marshmallows on open fires and enjoying songs and games.

Fundraising

December and January are our busiest times for fundraising, with Christmas Post, Bag Packing and ScoutRail. We're currently collecting Christmas cards at Freelance Fabrics and La Patisserie in Kidlington, and our Scouts will deliver them for just 25p a card (Kidlington and Bletchington only).

On Sunday 11th December, we'll be in Sainsbury's helping pack your groceries in return for a small donation. All proceeds go to the group to pay for building maintenance and new equipment.

Coming up in 2017

We’ll be starting the year as we always do, with the ScoutRail model railway show at Exeter Hall. On the weekend of 7^th-8^th January, our doors will be open from 10am-4:30pm. Everyone is welcome to come along – the hall will be full of large and small model railway layouts based on real and imaginary railways around the world. Layouts range from the very large (more than 20ft long) to small enough to fit on a piece of furniture. Our café will be open all weekend serving homemade cakes, sandwiches and hot and cold drinks.

In 2017, we’ll be celebrating the Scout Group’s 75^th Anniversary. If were a member of the group at any time and have old photographs or a story to tell, we’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch at kidlingtonscoutgroup@gmail.com

 

November

Last month, we told you about the Land Scouts' sponsored survival event to raise money to fund a school teacher in the Maasai community. This month, we're delighted to report that they raised an amazing £1150, which smashed their target of £750. The Scouts presented the money to the Woodland Ways Bushcraft Foundation on 9th November, when the charity's founder, Jason Ingamells, visited a Troop night. He gave a talk on the work his charity does with the Maasai community in Kenya, and was extremely grateful for the Scouts' fundraising efforts.

The past few weeks have seen lots of Halloween and bonfire night celebrations across the group. Mowgli Cub pack had a fun Halloween themed sleepover at the Scout Centre at the end of half term week, while the Sea Scouts dressed in Halloween fancy dress for an evening of messy games. They all went home covered in custard, egg and flour but had a fantastic time! The Beavers and the Explorer Scouts both had bonfire celebrations in the grounds of the Scout Centre.

There has also been a strong community theme this term: Jacala Cub Pack spent a Sunday afternoon weeding and tidying St Mary's churchyard; the Sea Scouts went out into Kidlington and recorded problems on 'Fix my street' cards to pass on to the council; and Mowgli Cubs were visited by Land Scout leader Andrew Davis,  also from Ability Matters, who brought along a large range of products to teach the Cubs how having a disability doesn't have to stop you having a normal life, and how not all disabilities are visible.

October - Land Scouts' Sponsored Survival Event

Kidlington Land Scouts tested their survival skills overnight in a woodland camp to raise money to fund a Maasai teacher in in Kenya.

From Saturday 8^th October and Sunday 9^th October the Scouts fended for themselves armed with only an Army Ration Pack and a litre of water each, sleeping in shelters they made themselves.

The Scouts are well on their way to raising their target of £750, which will be enough to train a teacher and then pay their salary for a year.

Money from the event will go to the Woodland Ways Bushcraft Foundation (WWBCF) charity, which aims to use the skills, history and story of bushcraft to provide tribal peoples around the globe with assistance where required or requested. The charity owns the 250 acre woodland in Appleton where the Scouts camped out.

Land Scout Section Leader Andrew Davis and Assistant Section Leader James Palmer came up with the idea for the event during a talk by the charity’s founder Jason Ingamells at the Bushcraft show in May.

“James and I sat in on one of his talks, his personal journey that started the foundation,” explained Andrew. “It was a very moving, inspiring, tear jerking story, and without hesitation James and I looked at each other and said “sponsored event”. We chatted to him afterwards about our idea and he offered us the use of his site here in Oxfordshire”.