Random Ramblings from the Group Scout Leader! March 2019
Random Ramblings from the Group Scout Leader!
Welcome back
A big welcome back to Martin Hall an ex Beaver, Cub, Scout and Venture Scout at the XRE who has stepped forward and volunteered to become our new Group Chairman. Martin has recently returned with his family to the ‘Hill’ after working abroad for many years and has a wealth of experience from his time in Scouting, as well as his work within the Diplomatic Corps, to help him with the rigours of the Chairman’s role. Martin heads up the Executive Committee (our Trustees), which provides support to our Leaders to effectively run their Sections and to help develop our Group’s full potential within the local community.
And Goodbye
Sadly, we are saying goodbye to Peter Bennett our Group Treasurer who is relocating to Bexleyheath and his children to another Scout Group. Peter assisted by John Kingsmill has, for the last 2 years, reorganised and streamlined our banking and financial systems which I know took them a lot of time and effort to achieve. A big thank you from the XRE to Peter for all his hard work and for leaving us with a very healthy bank balance and a tidy ledger.
This also means that we now need a parent, with suitable experience and knowledge, to stand and be nominated for the Treasurer’s role at our next AGM in June to keep the XRE books balancing and the creditors at bay.
Spring Clean at the Hut.
Time to get some old clothes on, find the rubber gloves and lend a hand at our annual Spring clean morning at the Hut on Saturday the 9th March from 10.30am to 12.30pm. No particular skills or equipment needed and we will provide tea a plenty. Tasks are: Filling cracks in the outside brickwork, clearing leaves from the roof and land surrounding the Hut, PAT testing our electrical appliances, tidying up the store rooms and washing and cleaning the interior of the building. Our Hut is used regularly as a meeting place and store for all of our sections and is a really wonderful (if a little rudimentary) asset to our Scout Group. Let’s look after it?
- If anyone knows a budding carpenter can you please make contact?
We are Friends of Shrewsbury Park
Last Autumn our Scouts, Beavers and Cubs, joined efforts with Friends of Shrewsbury Park to work on a community project for the much loved and used Park. The Friends of Shrewsbury Park chose a neglected patch of the park next to Plum Lane and Dallin Road. The Scouts worked hard to clear and transform a very overgrown area then helped plant new hedgerow saplings. Our Beavers did a tree spotting walk in the park and followed this by going along on a Saturday morning and learning all about how to use Tools and planting over 1000 narcissi and crocus bulbs in the area cleared by the Troop. The sections were keen to work on their Forestry and Community Impact badges and we had some really encouraging comments from local residents who saw them as they worked. If you pass by Plum Lane now, you will hopefully see the beginnings of a fantastic Spring display…if the squirrels haven’t feasted on all the bulbs already!
Under Canvas
Our old Vango Force 10 tents have seen 30 years of good service and have been used in some horrendous conditions in the Highlands and the Alps over the years. Sadly they have now begun to look a little threadbare and in need of replacing. Fortunately, due to a great bag pack last Autumn at M & S in Eltham and the very kind support given to us by our local Co-op stores, we are now in a good financial position and so able to purchase much needed replacement tents for the Troop and also a few items of cooking equipment. Thank you all for your sterling fundraising efforts last year to make these new purchases possible.
Top Awards
I recently had the privilege to attend the Royal Greenwich Founders Day Award presentations at the Shree Swaminarayan Temple in Plumstead. It was a fantastic evening organised by our District and 11 of our Beavers and 2 of our Scouts were presented on stage by the District Commissioner with their Chief Scout’s Awards (the highest award within each Section). As far as I can remember this is a record achievement for the XRE and is a tribute to these young people and their Leaders, in achieving such a high standard of Scouting. Also, on the night, Martina Douglas and Caroline Gregory (our Scout Leaders) were presented with their Wood Badges. The Wood badge (two wooden beads hung around the neck on a leather lace) is an international scouting symbol which signifies that a leader has attended and passed their full adult leadership training. Well done everyone!
www.10throyalelthamscouts.org.uk
Were almost ready to launch our new Group website thanks to the hard work of our Exec member and tech guru Debbie Maclaren. The new website will be a little more colourful and interactive than the version I put together 10 years ago, hopefully it will be a great resource centre for parents to see what we are up to, where we have been and a place to log in and find out how your children are getting on in our progressive award scheme.
The web site will be going live mid-March 2019.
Group dates for your diaries:
Work Party at the Hut 10.30 Saturday 9th March
Exec meeting at the Hut Monday 1st April 20.00
Leaders meeting at the Hut Tuesday 2nd April 20.00
Group AGM and Awards Night at Christchurch Hall Thursday 20th June 19.00
Group Summer BBQ Thursday 18th July 19.00
See you ‘Up the Hut’!