SCOUT UTSomerset Scout Newsletter

January 2012Issue 12

Making delivery

Take part in Alex Norman’s 1417 mile walking adventure...

Taunton’s Orienteering

Challenges with compasses

this month...

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Christmas time in the community.

Fancy a hike?

ScoutFestAll the latest from the team,

programme updates and booking

information

PLUS...

Confirm your ScoutFest booking today

somersetscouts.org.uk/scoutfest

Underground Adventures

Somerset Scouts Caving just

got a lot warmer

you scout...scoutout@somersetscouts.org.uk

www.somersetscouts.org.uk

An invitationAre you Mad for 2013?

In the pot for Pudsey bear

Fancy an adventure in Buckinghamshire? The Southern 50 is a bit like Ten Tors but all in 24 hours. The gruelling challenge rambles

through the Chiltern Hills and is really well attended by Scouts and Explorers from across Southern England.

The event takes place on February 11th and runs for 24 hours from 0600 on the 11th to 0600 on the 12th. You can arrive and camp the night on the 10th if you wish. This invitation comes from the Greater South East London Scout County.

The 1st Coleford Beavers dug deep for Children In Need in November. Each Beaver created a Pudsey face mask during their evening

meeting and took the masks home.

Upon their return to Beavers the following week the young people had stuck all the lose change they could find to the masks. This was all donated to Children In Need which, this year, raised well over 26 million pounds for disadvantaged children in all corners of the UK. CiN works with organisations both large and small who empower young children and extend their life choices.

Five Explorers and two Leaders from Somerset have been selected to take part in Mad13 – an expedition in Madagascar next year.

Chris Brown, Ben Mason, Chris Wright, Josh Fonseka and Jordan Hunt along with leaders Phil Clackson and Reneria Rutherford are the lucky hikers and will be exploring tropical rainforests, touching the sands on paradise beaches, hiking in extraordinary and unique landscapes whilst sharing a cup or two of Ranonapango with the Malagasy. We don’t know what that is either!

"Madagascar 2013 is a large and ambitious expedition with the aim of providing young people in Scouting major international experiences, building strong international relationships through close cooperation and delivering credible benefit to local partners through defined project work,” said Emma Blackmore.

On being selected Chris from Rode said "It's going to be awesome! Can’t wait to make new friends, help out local communities, it’s an adventure of a life time!" Whilst Ben said: "I'm over-the-moon that I'm off travelling again and will be able to meet so many more amazing people like on World Jamboree."

Taking part in the expeditions are Explorers and Network members from across the South West with the primary organising team being from Gloucester.

They now all need to raise £3000 each for the trip, which for most of them is hot of the back of fundraising and attending the World Scout Jamboree this summer.

www.mad13.org.uk

Volunteer driver insurance adviceSome insurers ask that you tell them when you

are driving voluntarily for organisations such as the Scout Association. The Association of

British Insurers has put together an online resource that tells you everything you need to know:

www.abi.org.uk

you scout...

www.somersetscouts.org.uk

New RDS officer for the South West

ScoutFest Bookings

Leaders of tomorrow

Beaver residentialcourses

The South West welcomes a new Regional Development Officer in February. Hannah Bester joins the SW Regional Development

Service on the 6th of February 2012.

Hannah is currently employed in Cumbria Scout County as the CDO. Whilst working in Cumbria, Hannah has been very successful in developing Scouting across the county.

Hannah replaces Debbie Evans who has been promoted to RDM for London. She joins, Jean, Ben, Brad and Jamie to make up the SW Regional Regional Development Service.

The RDS are a brilliant resource available to be tapped into by any Scout leader in the SouthWest. Drop Jamie MacDonald a line:

Jamie.MacDonald@scouts.org.uk

Results of The Scout Association’s Impact Re-view hace now been published online. www.scouts.org.uk/impactstudy.

This independent report highlights how the nature and scale of Scouting brings significant personal and professional development opportunities to its membership, as well as how Scouting’s attributes and activities provide considerable benefit to employers and local communities.

Its impact on young people, its volunteers and the wider community, highlights that the benefits of Scouting go beyond the individual. Offering social environmental and economic benefits to its members and its communities.

The sheer variety and scale of activity on offer to young people and adults at a relatively low cost, makes Scouting unique. It is clear from the research that those who have been involved in Scouting as a young person, volunteer, employer or as a beneficiary of community action see Scouting as a positive influence with tangible benefits to a wide range of groups and individuals.

We’ve beaten our personal best. Somerset’s team are now working on a 2000 person event for ScoutFest this year. The

organising team are delighted that so many people are coming.

Today (Jan 3rd) the second part of our online booking system has opened. You can now download forms for your participants. Once these are filled in and returned you enter the information online and keep the form for your records.

Payment details will then be issued to you. Adults continue to pay separately online when they book up.

ScoutFest t-shirts are also selling quick so be sure to purchase yours before stocks run out.

www.somersetscouts.org.uk/scoutfest

The Scout Association is running weekend courses next year to help Beaver Scout Lead-ers learn how to plan and run residential

experiences in a hands-on and fun environment.

They’re designed to give you the confidence to run a residential for your Colony. Email to book your place or find more information online.

New brand centre resources Display boards, 2012 calendars, minibus branding, car stickers and lots more are now

available now on the Print Centre.

i.SCOUT

Brand centre updates

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Christmas in the community

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Scouting touches around 5 million people every year in communities across the UK through delivery of

Scout Posts and in Somerset we’re doing our bit. Around 40,000 cards across the county were delivered in the run up to Christmas by our Scouts and their leaders.

South Petherton and Highbridge Scouts as well as the Sedgemoor Explorers are just three of the many groups collecting, sorting and delivering in Somerset but the largest operation is in Yeovil where three groups club together to deliver around 30,000 cards every year.

Great Lyde, Holy Trinity and West Coker each play a part in the mammoth operation which sees hundreds of young people and leaders pulling together to make deliveries throughout Yeovil and in some outlying villages too.

Yeovil’s delivery is one of the largest and most successful Scout Posts in the UK allowing Scouting to reach out into the community.

In particular the post takes letters for the elderly of Yeovil and when the Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers go out on their rounds each customer gets a personal ‘Merry Christmas’ with each delivery.

This year the BBC even took notice of the great work going on in Yeovil and sent down a film crew in December to make a short film about the operation.Loads of young people were able to take part in the filming and because the film was shown on BBC One’s Breakfast news the Yeovil Scouts not only reached out to their local community this year but managed to touch people right across the UK with their Scouting story.

Delivering the post in Yeovil...the Scout way!

Yeovil Scouts at their Christmas post sorting in December

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Christmas in the community r

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Festive checkout cheerA first for Wellington and a once in a lifetime

opportunity to do bag packing at the Wait-rose tills in Wellington, Scouts spent six hours

meeting members of the public this Christmas Eve.

When Waitrose chose the 1st Wellington Scouts as one of three charity beneficiaries at its Wellington store the group were given over £500 as a dona-

tion.

Every month the store has three charities and customers choose which charity they would like the monthly £1000 donation to support.

1st Wellington’s appeal was the third best supported in the lifetime of the store and had over half of the customer’s vote.

Then, contrary to standard store policy, the Wellington branch man-ager allowed the group to spend Christmas Eve bag packing for customers as they finished their festive shopping.

In six hours with just five buckets the group raised an extraordinary £870. A festive example of how much Scouting means and gives to the community.

Wellington Beavers fund raise at their local Waitrose on Christmas Eve

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Alex’s route through Somerset

July 20127th Witherage to Exford8th Exford to Minehead9th Minehead to Bicknoller10th Bicknoller to Taunton 11th Taunton to Langport12th Langport to Street13th Street to Wells14th Wells to Cheddar15th Cheddar to Temple Cloud16th Temple Cloud to Bath

Approx 1417 miles

Lands End to John O Groats

That one’s Alex

cCould you accommodate Alex on his 1417 mile adventure?

If you would like to arrange a spot of hiking in 2012, Alex Norman, the latest Scout to attempt walking from Lands

End to John O Groats is going to be passing through Somerset in July.

Alex will only visit a few Scout counties in the UK as he tries to take the shortest possible way and Alex’s adventures will last eight days in the county passing through Minehead, Taunton and Cheddar to name just a few of his stop offs.

What Alex needs is somewhere to stay and some Scouts to hike with. “I hope I make some long term friends out of this walk and it will be extremely nice to keep in touch

with many of the people I meet,” said Alex.

You are all invited to hike alongside Alex as he passes through. Alex’s day routes through Somerset are each 12 – 16 miles long. The full route is shown below.

“The planning is long, complex and very hard. I have to organise my route, my accommodation, my food, where I will wash, what to carry, how to get fresh clothes plus more and it is a logistical problem and a half, but a worthwhile problem to solve. I am really looking forward to meeting many new people on the walk and possibly seeing old friends from the 2011 World Scout Jamboree.”

Alex’s expedition supports Macmillan Cancer and will also raise money to fix up Alex’s local Scout campsite.

“I am taking on this challenge because it is something I have wanted to do for a couple of years and never had the time to do it but as I leave college in the summer and start university in September I have just enough time to fit in LEJOG. I want to do it now while I have the opportunity.”

Email ScoutOut and we’ll put you in touch.

scoutout@somersetscouts.org.uk

Fancy a hike?

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ScoutFestJanuary 3rdConfirm bookings.Download forms from our website

and confirm your reserved places

online.

February 28thBooking closes.Please confirm all bookings by this

date. We cannot accept bookings

after the 28th.

March 31st1st - 4th June 2012

Over 1500 people have booked to

come to ScoutFest in 2012.

The event has proven to be the fastest

booking event the Somerset Scouts

has ever run and now that so many

of you have signed up, ScoutFest is

about to get even better.

We’re bringing in more activities,

including bungee trampolines, a

mobile high ropes course and a spider

mountain slide. We’re also going

to be rigging up an internet cafe on

site and in the next few weeks our

entertainments team will be firming

up plans for their talent show.

Camp fees are due, pay online

for adults, pay by cheque for

participants to our treasurer.

Payments due

1st Cheddar sporting their lush ScoutFest

t-shirts, get yours before they all sell out!

bulk order postage savings from our shop... click here

www.somersetscouts.org.uk/scoutfest

caving@somersetscouts.org.uk

There’s a whole world down hereThe Somerset Scout caving team is growing by the day, we’ve new kit, new instructors and we hope to intise a new hunger for underground adventure in you…Somerset is among the UK’s top locations for caving.

The Mendip hills and the area around Cheddar are home to some of the most exciting cave networks you can clamber into and the Somerset Scouts are fully equipped to let our Scouts explore them.

The winding passages, underground waterfalls, the eerie pitch black that comes with being underground, the drip of stalactites and thrill of exploring cave networks.

Even Cubs can come underground with our instructors.

Our most recent tripJust before Christmas we got several Scouts and even a Cub down Swildon’s hole not far from Priddy on the Mendips.

During the 2 hour round trip the guys and girls were guided into the cave and then al-lowed to explore by themselves, with some guidance.

“We like to think of it as Exploring them-selves and exploring for themselves,” says Chief County Caving Advisor Rob Franklin.

caving@somersetscouts.org.uk

Caving just got a lot warmerWe’ve invested in a lot of kit so you guys can get underground.

Not only have we got new helmets, ropes, harnesses, lights and over suits but we also bought a whole pile of fleece under suits which mean caving as an activity is now a lot warmer and cleaner.

And we’re open all yearIn actual fact it’s warmer in the caves in the winter than it is outside.

Caving is a great activity this time of year, doesn’t matter if the sun goes down at 4.30 in the afternoon because, let’s face it, it’s not going to make much difference underground!

And because there is no wind chill and you’re all wrapped up in our new caving suits anyway clambering about in the dark under the Mendips is a very warm activity.

Leading the wayOur programme of leader training is flourishing and there are still more opportunities to take part.

Leaders have come from all over to learn how to cave and you don’t need any prior knowledge – just an insatiable appetite for adventure!

If you fancy learning this wicked skill, getting underground and helping us give more young people the opportunity to get underground get in touch and we’ll put you in a caving suit.

Typically the commitment to leading groups underground is minimal as we share the trips around everybody. Usually our leaders can’t wait to get given a trip to run!

Our Somerset Scouts are making this ex-treme sport enjoyable and accessible for all.

We can offer you and the young people you support trips underground any time of the year and we’re not just limited to Somerset.

Whilst the caving here is awesome we can also take you to Wales, Derby, even York-shire for trips in caves.

A caving trip is also a great way to get your Scouts and Explorers their Caving badge.

Making extreme accessible

48

Our deadline for content is

Wednesday 24/12/10. Issue six

will be published

January 1st, 2011. ScoutOut

THE COUNTY DIARY

SAT7/1

SAT14/1

FRI10/2toSUN12/2

FRI24/2toSUN26/2

SUN4/3

Written and Produced by

Richard Shepherd for the

Somerset Scout Council.

Images reproduced with the

permission of the owners. Copyright

Somerset Scout Council January 2012

Check it out... www.somersetscouts.org.uk/county-diary

for the online County Diary,

downloadable event application

forms, health forms and kit lists.

MEDIA TEAMscoutout@somersetscouts.org.uk

Issue 13 will be published

March 2012.

Network Scout BallDicky bows and all the chivalry you can muster. The Network ball promises to be the highlight of the January programme. The theme is hats this year.

Trainer’s TrainingCome along to discover ‘what is new’ in the training arena, share good practises and discuss difficulties experienced in the role. Venue:Compton Dundon Village Hall

Snowdon ScrambleSomerset Network are off up the hills again scrambling the peaks of Snowdonia.

Adult Hill WalkingBatchelors Hall, Dartmoor. Learn and experience this refreshing activity whilst gaining a hill walking qualification.

This way...

Despite slippery conditions, a chilly wind and only a hint of sunshine Castle Neroche was host to 48

Scouts and six Explorers racing around in the woods at the Taunton District Orienteering in December.

Their spirits unwashed by the dull and damp day the 14 teams got down to some enthusiastic orienteering.

West hawk was the first team off the line and set a cracking pace around the course, completing in 44 minutes.

They were the team to beat but had unfortunately missed a couple of punches

on the checkpoints at the first attempt and lost valuable minutes going back to get them.

Just under an hour later, Wilton a came in with a time of 31 minutes. “ That seemed unbeatable,” said John Peach, until, half an hour later, Wilton C (Wilton bought three teams to the event), finished in just 25 minutes crowning them the challenge winners.

The Wilton Dragons also won the Explorer orienteering challenge. It was reported that there was no bad sportsmanship on the course and the standard of orienteering was very high indeed.

Scouts navigated through the woods in stellar time at Taunton’s annual orienteering challenge.

Mountain Bike ChallengeRace your bikes around Tedbury campsite near Frome9.15 am, Scouts and Explorers.