Group Scout Leader Update:
December is almost upon us and with it many fabulous Christmas events! We’ve quite a few in the diary for both the young people, as well as the group supporting local community initiatives. On Monday 2nd December, we host our annual Christmas Service at St. John’s Church. Similar to last year’s format, we’ll be asking all of the young people, plus their family (and extended family) to top up their uniforms with festive decorations and to join us for a fun hour of Christmas songs, festivities, and cheer. Details can be found on our dedicated event page here.
For most of us, Christmas is a wonderful time of year; sadly, for some, it is very much like every other difficult day – a case of struggling to find a way to feed their family. A situation increasingly faced even here in Penistone, a predominantly affluent area. I was appalled to learn this week that a family at my daughter’s school is in a situation whereby a mother is reliant upon regular food donations, through school, to feed her two children. Food banks aren’t uncommon; however, when it’s right on your doorstep, it hits home a lot harder.
This year, during December, Penistone Scouts will be asking for food donations. We will have a collection box during our Christmas Service and two boxes at the Scout Hut. (One in the Beaver Lodge and another in the entrance hall). We will split the donations across a couple of local food banks just before Christmas. If you can afford to support this, please feel free to send your donations with your young person to their section meeting, or drop the food into the donation box personally during the drop-off or collection times. No opened packets though, please. For our Raptor cub pack members, I’ll be speaking with Rob and Claire to see if there’s a way we can collect at Thurlstone meetings and pass on.
I’ll be asking the leader team to highlight this initiative during some of the section meetings during December and reinforcing the on-going message of helping one another – a key pillar of Scouting.
Thank you so much for your support.
Rob
Group Scout Leader
The week ahead (25th November 2019 onwards):
Beavers
Section meetings
Castors, Boomers and Millstones will be meeting at Air Haus this week on Wednesday 27th. Please make sure that your £5 entry has been paid into the Beaver account. Also complete your waiver form and bring it with you, if you haven’t already done so.
We have space for siblings too at the same price (waiver form required). Limited to ages 10 and under only please to keep it safe for the youngest ones.
Future Beaver events
The Christmas Carol celebration event on Monday 2 December will replace the usual meetings for Beavers next week.
Unfortunately, due to an availability challenge around adult volunteers, the intended Beaver Christmas Disney Camp has been cancelled. If you could help by becoming a leader, please do get in touch.
Cubs
Section meetings
Alegre will be at the scout hut as usual this week. We’ll be in touch if there’s anything you need to know about beforehand.
Bella Vista will be baking Christmas biscuits this week.
Raptors will be in school as normal, 6.30 – 8 pm. We’ll be preparing for the Christmas Carol meeting and generally getting in the Christmas spirit.
Future Cub events
Details of Abseiling off of Miller’s Dale – the Cub’s Christmas Day trip were sent out last week. Please make sure you book through Susie.
Scouts
Section meetings
Enigma will be preparing for the Christmas carol service.
Wibbles are hoping to look at the menu planning that was missed this week.
Next week Viernes will be having a pioneer night. Split into teams, they’ll have to build a bridge over a chasm – well, over a blue tarpaulin!
Future Scout events
Details of this year’s Christmas Camp will be revealed and bookings opened for our Scout Camp 20th to 22nd December during this week.
Explorers
Section meeting
Explorers will be meeting as usual this week. We’ll be in touch if there’s anything you need to know beforehand.
Future Explorer events
Next weekend nearly half of the unit will be joining other members of the district on a survival-themed camp. Time to start looking at kit choices in case of inclement weather!
Adult volunteers
Next Saturday, 30 November, there’ll be a Christmas Market in Penistone from midday. We’ll be running a hot food stall in the Market Barn and are hoping to sell festive flashing lights and toys near the church for the Christmas lights switch on. If you think you might be able to help, please let us know – spread the word!
There’s a group of volunteers who make all the difference with building maintenance, pre/post-event tasks and engaging with other community organisations to achieve a common goal. At Penistone Scouts, these people are the “Falcons”. Find out more in this recent post.
Previously:
Beavers
Castors, Boomers and Millstones learnt about environmental issues last week and the problems of unsafe drinking water.
Cubs
Bella Vista finished one of their badges – modelling planes and boats out of paper. Then we had fun racing the planes.
Alegre did their communication badge this week. We also invested three new cubs.
Raptors completed some healthy eating awareness activities, with a small element of the home help badge.
Scouts
Enigma completed a hikes-away walk last week. We walked from the hut down the main road to Oxspring park, where we had some time playing in the dark! We then walked back along the trail with torches off for the most part, taking in the sights and sounds and chatting as we went. Good fun had by all.
Wibbles assistant patrol leaders took charge this week and ran ‘quiet’ games to work on the troop’s listening and teamwork skills. We also rounded off the evening with a debate in small teams to highlight some of the current issues in the world. Everyone focused and gave a good account of their allocated topics with the overall winners gaining extra points for their patrol.
Viernes designed a new necker for the group and troop. Quite a few had a camouflage-based design – don’t know who influenced them … must be our chief scout Bear Grylls. The second part of the evening was spent making dips and breadsticks from homemade dough. During the breadmaking we discussed allergies, what celiac disease is and what gluten is made up of.
Scorpion Explorers
Explorers held an auction this week with the hard-earned scout pounds that they won in last week’s challenges. They bartered for ingredients and made some surprisingly delicious meals.
A group of Explorers also went to Stocksbridge Leisure Centre this week to try Scuba Diving.
