Group Scout Leader Update:

Our leader team had their first adult meeting of the year last Monday. Was lovely to see so many of the team turn out, and for those who couldn’t attend to have sent messages through. Understandably, the team share the real concern that we may be closing up to three sections if we are unable to recruit more adult volunteers to the group. If this is news to you, please do check the following post. It will affect young people right across the group if it becomes a sad reality.

Online Scout Manager

Just a new year reminder that every young person (and adult volunteer) has their own Online Scout Manager (OSM) account. You can log on to OSM here to:

  • reply to event invitations
  • check event details
  • see your progress with badge awards
  • update medical/dietary needs and contact details
  • see a record of all scouting emails you’ve been sent
  • find details of discounts with retailers

Some leaders also post details of the programme for the term’s meetings on OSM. It’s great if parents/carers can use OSM as it really helps to cut down the paperwork for leaders – which gives them more time and energy to spend on practical activities with their sections. If you don’t think you have a logon or you need a reminder, just ask your section leader or one of the Group leadership team – thank you!

The week ahead (13th January onwards):

Beavers

Castors will be picking up some of the challenge badge gaps and working out what we need to do to complete them. To help work towards their communicator badge, the beavers need to practise memorising their home phone number ready for the session.

Boomers and Millstones will be meeting as normal this week. You’ll get an email if there’s anything you need to know or bring.

Future Beaver events

No details at this time.

Cubs

Alegre and Bella Vista will be meeting as normal this week. If there’s anything you need to know beforehand, you’ll get an email.

Raptors will be meeting at Castle Gaming in Stocksbridge. There’ll be an email from Akela with all the details.

Future Cub events

No details at this time.

Scouts

Enigma will be having their first meeting of the new year this week and will be welcoming some new members. We’ll be working together to agree a group code of conduct and will be appointing some new patrol leaders. After that we’ll have a go at soap carving and end with some games led by our young leaders.

Wibbles will be working on the activity badge for this month, covering Chinese New Year and model making. We’re looking forward to earning points for our patrols in the team challenges over this term.

Viernes will be meeting as normal this week. We will be having a cook off outside over open fires, so please make sure your young person is wearing suitable footwear and a coat!

Future Scout events

Booking has now closed for the Abseiling Day at Miller’s Dale viaduct on 18th January. If you’ve had your place confirmed, please check the event details for payment arrangements etc. Numbers had to be limited to fit in the minibus, we closed them at the back of the school holidays. A couple of spaces are still available – if your young person is interested, please reach out to Rob before Wednesday.

Explorers

Scorpions will be focusing on building up navigation and first-aid skills over the next few weeks, in preparation for expeditions.

Future Explorer events

To be confirmed.

Adult volunteers

Thank you to everyone who has spread the word about our Volunteer Information Event coming up on Monday 20th January. We’re looking forward to meeting supporters old and new. If you can’t attend the event but would like to find out more, please ask one of the leadership team.

Previously:

Beavers

This week, Castors sat down and discussed how we behave – thinking about being a good beaver and a good friend. In our lodges we had a ‘Log Chew’ where we talked together about what we would like to do over the coming term.

Boomers also got together to talk about how to be a good beaver and good friend. Everyone worked well together to plan what we’d like to do this term. As you can see from the photos, we had fun in teams, moving from A to B on sheets of paper. We also read the story of Hans Christian Anderson from the book ‘Stories for kids who dare to be different’ (thanks to Ali for that). This week it was great to welcome Jack, a new young leader. He got involved with no hesitation and was a fantastic help alongside our adult leaders – thanks Jack!

Millstones have been playing games and been kind to each other (they had to write something nice on the back of another Beaver). It all made them have happy emoji faces!

Cubs

Bella Vista enjoyed talking about the gifts that Santa had brought us all. We were pleased to welcome a new member to the pack this week. Our young leaders also introduced us to some excellent new games. There was so much excitement that drinks of water and trips outside to cool down were needed!

Alegre welcomed a new member and talked about Christmas and all the fab presents received. With lots of help from the young leaders, the pack enjoyed playing games and were introduced to some new ones. We then talked about how we behave and the need to be safe when arriving to and leaving weekly meetings.

Raptors have really enjoyed their first meeting of the year. We agreed new sixers who will greet new cubs and help agree the term’s planning. The highlight of the evening was playing a game of ‘battleship’ with teams in different rooms using walkie talkies and phonetic call signs. Teams worked together very well and had great fun.

Scouts

Enigma didn’t meet this week as there was a Leader meeting. We hope you all enjoyed a relaxing evening after the first day back at school instead!

Wibbles welcomed new scouts to the troop and had a ‘get to know you’ session this week. We learned that we have lots of musical and sporty scouts in the troop, so we’ll be looking to make sure all get awarded the relevant badges for their skills and interests. We also appointed new patrol leaders.

Viernes have been working off the Christmas Pudding with some light exercise! We said hello to five new members of the troop. The second part of the evening involved planning for a cook-off outside over open fires next Friday.

Scorpion Explorers

Explorers spent time revisiting their media-making plans this week. They are hoping to project some of their ideas into a short video to promote scouting. Everyone was reminded to start logging information for Duke of Edinburgh awards as expedition season is fast approaching.

That’s it for this week. Hope you have a good one!