Group Scout Leader Update:
Drop off and collections
To aid the volunteer team supporting the young people safely getting the best from Scouting, there are a couple of things that we need to emphasise your participation being needed in, please:
- All parents and/or carers to enter the building during drop off. This allows us to pass on any urgent messages and ensures your child’s safety as Leaders often have to leave the hut door locked until there are enough adults to run the meeting (due to strict scouting ratios for safeguarding).
- Unless we have a prior arrangement*, please collect your young person from inside the building at the end of the session too. We appreciate that parents/carers often share drop off and collection – please let us know when this varies. (*prior arrangement relates to Scouts. Beavers and Cubs must be collected by an adult. Scouts and Explorers may leave unaccompanied as long as it has been confirmed by email to your young person’s section leader)
We appreciate everyone has busy lives – we don’t wish to add inconvenience; safety is key for the young people and this is simply a return to a system that has historically been in-place.
Potential closure of some sections
I hope that it isn’t the first time you’ve heard we are looking at consolidating the group into fewer sections? We are short on adult volunteers and have been appealing for people to come forward and help either in youth facing roles or behind the scenes.
It’s not a bad thing to reduce in size so that we are able to sustain quality and safe experiences for the young people. We will be able to mitigate the closure of some sections through new volunteers; however, I would like to stress that we are reviewing the structure of the group so that we may strengthen our ability to also deliver lots of fun additions to the programme in the form of events, trips and camps, regardless of the number of sections remaining open.
If we do decide we need to consolidate sections, we will discuss fully with all parents/carers of impacted young people. We have been considering all options and want to reassure you that all current members will be offered a place to remain in Penistone Scouts, regardless of how many sections we have.
Thank you,
Rob Robinson
Group Scout Leader
The week ahead (20th January onwards):
Beavers
Castors, Boomers and Millstones will be meeting at their usual times this week. Each Beaver colony will be celebrating the Chinese New Year, which falls on January 25th. 2020 is the Year of the Rat.
Castors have got another week to remember their home phone numbers as we ran out of time to check this week!
Future Beaver events
No details at this time.
Cubs
Alegre will be icing our Chinese New Year cookies with the designs that we created last week. We’ll then be putting them together in our sixes to make an overall picture.
Bella Vista will be meeting as usual. You’ll get an email if anything changes.
Raptors are back in school this week, celebrating Burns Night. Please save and bring cardboard inners from toilet rolls or kitchen rolls.
Future Cub events
No details at this time.
Scouts
Enigma will be enjoying cowboy dinners outside this week. We’ll be making fires, cooking on them and then (hopefully!) eating what we cook. The activity will be led by our young leader Harriet.
Wibbles are going to cover parts of the disability awareness badge. The session has been prepared by one of the patrol leaders for her personal challenge. Scouts will learn some Braille and sign language as well as thinking about different types of disabilities.
Viernes will be meeting as usual. You’ll get an email if anything changes.
Future Scout events
To be confirmed.
Explorers
Scorpions will be trying some new taskmaster challenges this week.
Future Explorer events
To be confirmed.
Adult volunteers
We look forward to meeting old and new volunteers at the Information evening on Monday, at 7.30pm at Penistone Grammar School’s lecture theatre.
Previously:
Beavers
This week, Castors had a great time doing their communication badges. We worked on the Beaver Promise and spelling our names using the phonetic alphabet. Then we learnt some fire-lighting skills, using matches and a lighter. We also learnt how to do our laces!
Boomers and Millstones worked towards our international badge this week and Millstones welcomed a new beaver. We learnt how to say hello and goodbye in Spanish, French and (the beavers’ favourite) Icelandic. We also played a game from China. Then we spent time tasting food from around the globe. This included delicacies from India, Mexico, Spain, China and France. Many thanks to Steph for coming along and teaching us about the different cultures and beliefs from around the world.
Cubs
Bella Vista worked in teams this week to see who could build the highest tower using cocktail sticks and mini marshmallows. As you can see, the cubs and young leaders did an amazing job.
Alegre welcomed three new cubs and Isabella, a new young leader, to the pack this week. Following a fun and active game, we spent the evening working towards our artist badge and planned Chinese New Year cookies for next week.
Raptors supported another local business this week, visiting Castle Gaming in Stocksbridge. The behaviour and concentration of the cubs were excellent. Some amazing miniatures were created and we all had a great evening!
Scouts
Enigma welcomed a new starter this week. We began our first meeting of the term by agreeing to a new code of conduct for our section. Ideas for the code came mainly from the scouts themselves, with only a few ideas added in by leaders (see photos below). After this, we carved soap with knives. The scouts worked carefully to produce their own wonderful designs.
Wibbles started the session this week by practising the ‘knot of the month’ challenge. We looked at activities that we’d like to try in the coming months. We also created a new code of conduct and talked in groups about the meanings of the seven scout laws. Behaviour during the evening was superb and a great start to the new year and our new patrols. Well done everyone!
Viernes had a great night working as a team this week. Together, the scouts built a shelter, made fires, skinned rabbit, plucked pheasants and cooked supper! Well done to the young leaders for setting up the evening and working so well with everyone.
Scorpion Explorers
Explorers worked on navigation skills this week. We looked at basic grid references as well as more high-level navigation where we had to visualise the routes and describe what would be seen. Thank you to Beaver leader Louis for coming along to help with the session.
Abseiling off Miller’s Dale
A popular destination for members of the group, and other’s from around the country given we have to book a year in advance to get a slot! Scouts from all three troops and some Explorers went abseiling off Miller’s Dale viaduct (75ft). This was the first time we had a 100% success rate with every attendee making it over the edge and down the rope. Well done to everyone, we were super impressed at how you overcame worries and fear.
