Bookbridge!
The Acorn E.S.U. and 1st Islington Scout Group in CCI took part in Bookbridge this summer. The project was collecting books to send to two new libraries in Cambodia.
In many schools around the world pupils are taught without any books at all. Bookbridge aims to change that by building libraries with donated books. In the summer of 2010 the first Bookbridge Library was built in Mongolia – it has 13,000 books and to date more than 25,000 children have benefited. In 2011 they are aiming to build six more libraries. The UK Scout Association has twinned up to help find books for the library in Cambodia.
As a group we collected in excess of 300 books which we sent off to the project. The whole group were all involved in the effort from Beavers to Explorers – the Beavers helped us count, the Cubs designed posters and Scouts sorted through the books to check they were appropriate. The Explorers and Leaders also made the 3hr trip to the national sorting days in Nottingham – whilst we were there we sorted through nearly 40,000 books, loading hundreds of boxes into containers! Across the country in excess of 70,000 books were collected.
You can find our more about Bookbridge, the libraries and our links with Scouts at www.bookbridge.org/scouts. The books collected will be a huge boost to children in Cambodia – thank you to every one that helped!
County Awards Evening
Following on from the success of the previous event held in March of last year the County will be holding this years event on Wednesday 16th November 2011 at the RAF Museum in Hendon at 7.30pm. This event is to celebrate the achievement of young people in gaining the highest awards in the Scout, Explorer Scout or Scout Network sections. The awards presented will include the Chief Scout’s Gold, Platinum and Diamond Awards, the Queen’s Scout Award and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards.
We have been fortunate to secure the use of the RAF Museum and it will provide marvelous surroundings in which to hold this year’s event. To ensure we have details of all young people who have achieved these awards since the last event, leaders have been asked to log these awards via the County website. The young people will then get a personal invitation to attend.
Click here for the form and details.
Wall’s – The Big Adventure and Scout Camp Cook Badge
(From www.scouts.org.uk )
Don’t miss this opportunity to get some coupon discounts on food for camp, as well as Camp Cook badges.
Wall’s sausages are delighted to become a partner of The Scout Association and are supporting the Association’s exciting initiative The Big Adventure as well as becoming a partner of the Scout Camp Cook Badge.
Wall’s are interested in supporting youth groups that encourage outdoor fun and activity and therefore have an interest in helping to support The Scout Association.
Sausages are one of the main staples of any Scout camp and Wall’s will be offering specific coupon discounts to Scout Leaders participating in Scout Camps and The Big Adventure this summer.
Wall’s sausages are composed of prime cut meats and are therefore a very welcome ingredient for easy to cook recipes for your Scout camp – be it breakfast, lunch or dinner!
Get your Scouts involved in helping with the preparation and explain to them at each stage what you are doing and why. The recipes can be interchanged for different meals or can be used as snacks for your hungry Scouts who have no doubt been active all day!
Find out more about the requirements for the Scout Camp Cook Badge.
About Wall’s…
Wall’s sausages is one of the main consumer brands manufactured by the Kerry Group, a leader in the global food industry.
Find out more about Wall’s.
Changes to badge requirements (all sections) – June 2011
www.scouts.org.uk – 07/06/2011
A number of badge requirements have been updated or amended as of June 2011.
Most changes are very minor, but for full details please see the PDFs below which describe changes relevant to each section. (Each PDF has the minor changes highlighted in red, which makes them easier to spot)
June 2011 badge changes for Beavers
June 2011 badge changes for Cubs
June 2011 badge changes for Scouts
June 2011 badge changes for Explorers
June 2011 badge changes to Staged Activity Badges
June 2011 flexibility statement
For a full list of all badge requirements, please see the badges and awards section of Member resources.
County Cub Camp 2011 – lots of fun, sun – and some rain
Well, County Cub Camp is over and around 500 Cubs from across the County had a very exciting time, with a huge range of activities on offer. Ahead of a full report from the Cub Section there is a photo gallery (which will be added to) on the Cub pages – click here to access the photos as a slideshow or here to see the gallery
1,200 camper nights
500 cubs and over a hundred leaders from every District in the county are at Phasel’s Wood campsite, near Hemel Hempstead, this weekend for the GLN County Cub Camp.
The sun shone as the Cubs made the most of the activities on site, caving in the the artificial cave system, climbing on the climbing wall, abseiling, flying down the zipwire, racing the pedal cars, or simple climbing trees, playing football or doing crafts.
After a day of activities in the sun, the evening plans included a disco and a campfire. With more activities on Sunday, it’s a packed weekend.
County Cub Camp is here!
Phasels Wood, Friday Night
Phasels Wood is now packed with GLN Cubs, all having a great time. Watch this space for further reports. (And what’s more, the rain has avoided the campsite so far!)
Enfield Cub Leader runs first-ever Pack Meeting in Parliament
Jenny Thorp, a Cub Leader from the 4th Enfield, lead a group of Cub Scouts from around the country in the first ever Pack meeting in Parliament to promote Volunteers’ Week on Monday.
MPs became Cub Scout Leaders for the day as Cubs from across the UK took part in the first ever Cub Pack meeting at the Palace of Westminster.
The event was part of the Scout Association’s drive to promote the benefits of volunteering to adults, and coincided with Volunteers’ Week (1–7 June). MPs worked with 12 leaders to help the Cub Scouts enjoy a range of activities, including pitching a tent and going on a blindfold trail.
Safer Swimming Changes in Detail
As part of the ongoing review of all Scouting activities, the rules on swimming have been amended. The new, simplified arrangements will ensure that running such activities is easier for leaders. The details can be found at www.scouts.org.uk/swimmingupdates.
Main changes
• Paddling has been clarified and requires no qualification by leaders
• No further qualifications are required in instances where a lifeguard is provided (including swimming pools and beaches)
• Swimming in pools and Class C waters are now managed in line with other Class C water activities. No qualifications are required by leaders
• Swimming in all other open waters (B1 and higher) has been simplified and safety cover can be provided by either:
- a water activities permit holder (when following the guidelines
outlined in the swimming factsheet)
- someone who holds the Royal Life Saving Society Water Safety
Management Programme (WSMP) or any equivalent or higher award.
Full guidance is available in the swimming factsheet
Why change?
The revised rules for swimming are determined by the classification of water location and required supervision. It ensures that you can continue to provide accessible activities for young people in a safe environment.
Communicating the new rules
The rule changes are initially being communicated to volunteer commissioners and advisers who specifically support relevant activities. A summary will be sent to local communicators.
Please ensure that this is passed on to those adults in your area who this affects.
Any activities planned under the existing rules can still take place under these revisions, which are implemented and in use immediately.
The review and consultations were revised to fit with the way swimming activities work in scouting by teams of specialist activity volunteers, representatives from the Royal Life Saving Society, staff members and volunteers across the organisation via Scouting Plus, survey and formal discussions.
Details of the updates will be communicated to the movement via Scouting Plus on 1 April and the April / May edition of scouting magazine.
Support
A number of WSMP courses are scheduled.
A team of trainers is being recruited to help deliver the WSMP courses.
Guidance has been updated in the shape of the swimming factsheet and POR.
CCI Raising Money For Haiti
Scouts who live and meet within walking distance of Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium used this iconic venue for a sponsored walk, and will give all the proceeds from this event to UNICEF who are doing brilliant work in Haiti.
The sponsored walk took place on Monday 15 March when 250 young people in Scouting from the 34th, 19/23rd, 26th, 11th, 31st Islington groups and 1st and 8th Hampstead groups had youngsters from 6 years old upwards they were all challenged to complete ten laps of the outside of The Emirates Stadium.
The event organiser, Mark Darlow, Group Scout Leader of the 201st Islington Sea Scouts that meets in the shadow of Highbury Square in Avenell Road, said: “All Scouts are really good at helping other people, and this adventure will not only go some way to support UNICEF in Haiti, it will also help our young people to keep fit and active.
”Kelly Owens, a 17 year old Explorer Scout, said: “It’s really good that I am one of the Scouts who are raising money to help people who are less fortunate than me.I am sad that there have been so many deaths and injuries in Haiti. I hope that the money we raise by doing the sponsored walk will make a difference.”
A JustGiving page has been set up where supporters can donate: www.justgiving.com/201st-Islingtonscouts-Haiti Already we have nearly £5000 pounds raised with more to come.Mark asked that we thank all the young people who took part from all the groups it was a fantastic evening and he was really pleased with the support all the groups put in also a big thank you to all the parents and friends who came to see and help at the event as marshals etc lastly a big thank you to the 201st team who did all the marking and kept the youngsters going part of this team was Scott our entertainer who drove from Maidstone to do this event for just petrol money if you need a good entertainer he is your man contact Mark for details
Mark Darlow
