Explorer News Archive Jan-Jun 2006

News Archive Jan - Jun 2006 (Current see News!) (Updated: Wed Aug 23 2006)

News!

Program Diary!

Sun 25th of June 2006

Activities!

News Archive!

Loddon District Explorer Website

Explorer News

Next Meeting: Monday 26th of June: Raft Design & Build Practice.

Next Explorer meeting is Monday 26th at Paddicks Patch, 7.30pm for a raft building practice session ready for the District Raft Race on Sunday 2nd July at Black Swan lake (10am – 4pm) where we compete (totally unfairly and with maximum cheating) against the District Leaders raft building teams (who will lose “your going down” literally!). Please wear uniform for flag break and flag down, but do bring some suitable clothes (swimming costume?!) and footwear (Waders? Fins?!) as activity wear, just in case you decide to actually test the raft in the lake, and the inevitable happens!

Be aware that the Woodley Times has expressed an interest in coming along to watch us all falling in, (surely “Rafting”? Ed), probably around 8pm, so best behaviour, please, in front of the press, or if you can’t manage best, at least try for second best, huh? Thanks!

Last Meeting was a Hazard Hike from Twyford

The Explorers met at Twyford Youth & Community Centre, (by the old Twyford Scout HQ site) and were given flo-jo jackets, a detailed “treasure hunt” map with mapping co-ordinates and a marked map for those that still couldn’t manage map co-ordinates! They were all then sent on their way from Loddon Hall to Southbury lane in Ruscombe and then along the traditional Vineyard Hike Route.

The evening got off to a shaky start when one of the adult leaders turned up in flip flop sandals, (somewhat inappropriate!), but fortunately it was dry and the Leader still valiantly completed the hike!

Mark L had prepared clues about locating small edible items hidden at various places along the way with grid references, but also highlighted the locations on their maps so those who can not read a map reference would not get totally lost! Hmm, good theory, but didn’t work.

Several groups still managed to get slightly lost; some even before the start of the Vineyard Hike route, and one of them because they foolishly followed a slightly lost senior Explorer who was supposed to be marshalling the hike. Albert claimed it was because he didn’t have a map, but he did managed to successfully navigate to the Green Man pub, after asking directions from a bemused citizen, so that was all right.

The first group back came in the wrong way and lost time going round Paddicks patch, thus losing their first place in the process.

The Leader Team “counted them all out, and counted them all back”, as Max Hastings might have said! So a successful evening.

Explorer & Loddon District Fundraising

Next: Cambridge Re-Union 23rd June & 3rd July

Pack trailer with 30x15 + 24 chairs & 6 tables on Fri 23rd during afternoon and tow to Henley 5pm and erect on patio as directed by Peter who will meet us on-site.

Return to site, pack-up kit and return it to stores a week Monday, (ie the 3rd July), during late afternoon before Scout night.

Iceland Expedition News

Iceland Programme Booked & Published

Almost everything has now been booked, full amounts and deposits paid for the Iceland Expedition, and an updated News & Program is here, with some new web links and more details.

Check the Iceland Account page and make sure you have provided the information from your Passport and confirmed that you have an E1/11, if you are marked as one of the ones NOT yet having done so! Thanks!

Explorer & Loddon District Events

Urgent: Scout Shoot 2006, Bisley, 10th Sep. Booking form now due.

The Surrey Scouts do not allow advance block booking for any places at this very popular event. All those wanting to go must complete the PC and return it to me quickly to be certain to reserve a place. I will then post all the ones submitted as they arrive with a cheque to guarantee your places. We can sort out payment closer to the date. Those who do not send me the PC form by 30th June will probably be too late anyway, so at that point I will remove them from the Activities list of who is going.

Summary of previous:

Scout Shoot 2006, Bisley, 10th Sep

District Media Development Manager

East Reading Unit Program

Bullying is NEVER OK Poster

Anyone want to help on the Web or be next Web Master?

Young Leaders wanted for Beaver Scout Section

Please buy our exclusive Loddon Explorer Unit leisure wear polo shirt

Make sure you keep updated with the Scout Diary

Check your Fundraising is all recorded in the Activities Diary Planner

County & Network Events

Scout Section County Flag Camping Challenge 2006

The Country Scout Section Camping Challenge County Flag is on Friday 30^th September to Sunday 1^st October 2006

The County Team are looking for some support and help from the Explorers to run the County Flag competition.

This is also a great opportunity to do some linking with other Explorers and Scouts.

The request is for:

1) Organising and running the Saturday night football / wide game / camp fire

2) Assisting with the incident hike on the Saturday

3) General checking duties – kit check, site check etc.

As a “working camp” there will be no charge, and basic foodstuff will be supplied. These can be “augmented” from Explorers own money if more exotic food stuffs are required.

Please Book Now! and put your name down for this FREE camping, hiking, socialising and linking opportunity.

Network & Explorer Camp “Theme Park Camp 2006”

The "Theme Park Camp 2006" on 8^th – 10^th September 2006, is a National Explorer & Network camp organised and run by Surrey Scouts via the Summit Scout Network website. They have successfully run the event for the last three years - take a look at the photos and event reports from the previous 4 camps.

The national Explorer and Network camp is called “Theme Park Camp” and is held in Cobham. The website is www.summitnetwork.org.uk/tpc/. The Berkshire Explorer units are invited along to it. They have certainly had a great deal of praise for the event in the past.

- Countdown: Only 48 days to go -

[Members of Summit Scout Network on the front of Thorpe Park's "Nemesis: Inferno"]

Can you afford to miss out?

Can you and your Unit afford to miss out on the Explorer Scout and Scout Network event of the year? Take a look around the site to find out more about the weekend in September when over 300 of us will descend on a campsite in Surrey and go to Thorpe Park to have the time of our lives.

Friday 8th - Sunday 10th September 2006

It's all getting a bit BONKERS at Thorpe Park these days!

New for 2006 is Stealth, fancy going 0-80mph in two point three seconds ? Then it goes up 60 metres! That's three times higher than Colossus, over twice as high as Tidal Wave! Yikes! Talking of which, Colossus is the only 10 loop roller coaster in the UK , that reaches speeds of 45mph, while Tidal Wave is like being strapped down, pushed off a massive waterfall, then someone pours a bath of water on you. Remember, waterproofs are for wimps! There's also Nemesis:Inferno, which is very cool, G-forces of 4.5, and stupid speeds right down close to the ground. Then there's Rush, a giant swing basically, then all sorts of mad spinning things which some of Summit say are amazing, while some feel sick on the teacup ride! Still, there's always the Thorpe farm.

Berkshire Scouts at the World Scout Jamboree

Welcome to the first of many eNewsletters from Berkshire Scouts about the 21st World Scout Jamboree. We’re sending you this eNewsletter because you have registered with Berkshire Scouts News Service as being interested in learning more about the World Scout Jamboree.

One World – One Promise

The 21st World Scout Jamboree, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of Scouting, comes home to the United Kingdom next Summer from 27 July until 8 August 2007.

The decision to bring the centenary World Scout Jamboree to the UK was made more than 10 years ago. Now with just 13 months away the UK promises to make this World Scout Jamboree the biggest ever!

Situated at the massive Hylands Park estate near Chelmsford, some 40,000 young people from 216 countries and territories will come together into a global village for 2 weeks.

The World Scout Jamboree is held every 4 years. The last one was held in 2002/3 in Thailand. Previously in 1999 saw the World Scout Jamboree in Chile, 1995 in The Netherlands and 1991 in South Korea. The last time it was in the UK was in 1957.

jamboree

On each occasion the UK has sent a contingent made up of Units representing each part of the United Kingdom. Each Jamboree Unit comprises 36 young people who will be aged 14, 15, 16 or 17 years old at the time of the Jamboree and a team of 4 leaders.

In 2007, the United Kingdom will for the first time consist of at least one Unit from every county in the United Kingdom plus overseas branches of the Scout Association (such as British Scouts in Western Europe) and representatives of Girl Guiding UK.

The United Kingdom Contingent will be the biggest at the Jamboree with nearly 6000 people comprising at least 116 Units (totalling 4176 young people, 464 leaders and around 1500 members of staff and IST).

Also for the first time at a World Scout Jamboree, Berkshire Scouts is sending two full Units to the Jamboree.

Berkshire Scouts Jamboree Unit

In October 2005, Sue Clarkson, ACC(International), began a series of roadshows across the county looking for adults undertaking Scouting in Berkshire who might be interested in leading Berkshire's contingent to the World Scout Jamboree.

Following a Leader selection weekend held in November, a team of eight leaders were chosen and Bruce Clark was appointed to initially lead this team. The team undertook a promotion campaign to recruit members of the Jamboree unit during January and February 2006. Using the website, email campaigns and personal visits resulted in a record 116 applied to join the unit.

A selection weekend in March 2006 was held to seek individuals to fill the 72 places. There were many more young people who applied than there were places available.

The Jamboree Unit held a Kick-Off meeting in May at which a provisional allocation of patrols was made. It was also a great opportunity to meet each other again, talk with the leader team and design the Unit’s badge.

For clarity, Berkshire Scouts Jamboree Unit (72 young people + 8 leaders) will actually be operating as 2 separate Jamboree Units (each 36+4) during the Jamboree. Once at Hylands Park they will be camping and working independently in quite separate and distinct sub-camps, possibly more than a mile apart; they may not even see each other during the two weeks. However, nearly all of the training will be together, run as one County, one training programme.

The leadership team for the two Units comprises :

• Bruce Clark (leader) assisted by Andy Ellis, Wendy Allum and Sue Took

• Peter Swynford (leader) assisted by Laura O’Neill, Alex Clarke and Matt Foster.

Unit Membership

The 72 young people who have signed up for the experience of a lifetime need to pay £1200 each to be a member of the Berkshire Scouts Jamboree Unit.

This fee includes:

• World Scout Jamboree attendance (including all meals and activities during the 2 weeks, plus contributions to support attendance by World's poorest nations)

• UK Contingent fees (includes uniform, equipment and transportation to/from site)

• Berkshire Scouts fees (all training weekends)

Berkshire Scouts is extremely appreciative of the generous support received by all Districts across the county in assisting the young people attend. This gratitude extends to individual leaders, groups and families who have supported the young people through various fundraising ventures.

Did you know that if you are a UK Taxpayer you can gift aid any donations to the Jamboree Unit? Full details will be available later in the year.

The Jamboree Programme

The whole UK contingent will arrive on 26 July 2007. This lets the United Kingdom, as host nation, be available to welcome in overseas participants who will arrive a day later on 27 July.

The programme promises to be fantastic - a whole day on water activities in the Splash Zone, an adventure day at Gilwell Park, days in the subcamps as part of the Global Development and World Village; but there's much more to a Jamboree than activities.

The Opening and Closing Ceremonies will be one of the most memorable experiences ever, 40,000 people together in one field! And there's all the evening entertainments too.

Additionally, Berkshire Scouts Jamboree Unit is aiming to have an overseas experience for its members either before or after the World Scout Jamboree. There's much to plan with this, so we’ll let you know what happens in a future newsletter.

Home Hospitality

One of the key elements to any World Scout Jamboree is for the host country to be able to offer Home Hospitality to overseas visiting Units.

HoHo, as it’s know, can be home based or HQ based, or a combination. Home based HoHo sees overseas Units being hosted in the homes of Scouting connected families, with each home hosting a leader or a pair of young people. In HQ based HoHo, a Scout Group will offer up its headquarters building for a Unit to use with the Group’s members providing hosting facilities as required.

A reminder that there is a requirement for hosting adults to be CRB cleared. Contact the county HoHo coordinator for more information.

If you are interested in hosting during Jamboree, please contact Annick Tremblay, Berkshire Scouts Jamboree HoHo co-ordinator. Details are available on our HOHO web pages.

Friends of the Unit

In addition to the Unit members own membership fee, the Jamboree Unit needs to raise funds to support training projects, sundry items at the Jamboree and also a possible proposed overseas Trip. When you donate money directly to the Jamboree Unit, provided you are a UK taxpayer, it can be Gift Aided.

Make a difference today. To contribute and support Berkshire Scouts at the World Scout Jamboree, visit our Friends web pages at which you can download a Friends of the Unit application form and gift aid declaration.

Online shopping to support Jamboree Unit funds

We have brought together a number of online shopping deals under one umbrella. When you purchase through buy.at/jamboree commission is paid directly to the Jamboree Unit. A number of big high street names are available including BT, Capital One, Egg, Hertz, John Lewis, Amazon and Marks & Spencer.

For more information, call in at the webshop

Jamboree Communications

Berkshire Scouts has a detailed website with coverage of all aspects of the World Scout Jamboree as Berkshire participates in it. This also includes the International Service Team.

The site can be found at www.berkshirescoutsjamboree.org.uk. Please bookmark it and return to catch the most up-to-date news.

The Jamboree Unit operates a bulletin board called ‘Flagpole’ for participants. This can be found at www.berkshirescoutsjamboree.org.uk/flagpole where you can join in today.