News Archive
Peace Light in Guildford Cathedral
On Friday evening 23rd December District Chaplain Rev'd Sarah Brough, District Commissioner Frank Kitchener, Ken Lyndup (Group Scout Leader of 1st Chiddingfold Group), and John Stone (PRO) took the Peace Light to Guildford Cathedral where it was received by Canon Nicholas Thistlethwaite during the Evensong Service. Frank gave a brief resume of the history behind the Light and Ken read a short prayer.
Haslemere and District Scouts are doing their best to get the light distributed more widely, and it is their wish that its distribution may bring Peace and Friendship throughout the world.
Peace Light
The International Peace Light from Bethlehem arrived at Bentley Copse, the Surrey Scout Campsite at Shere, on Friday 16th December at 8.00 p.m. The flame will have started its journey at the Grotto of Christ's birth and with help from Scouts and Guides from many countries it is distributed around the world, so that people can burn the flame in their homes and churches over Christmas.
Leaders from Chiddingfold collected the light that evening, and on Sunday 18th December at 10.00 a.m. the Rev'd Sarah Brough received the light from two Chiddingfold Scouts into her Church at St. Mary's Chiddingfold at the start of Morning Service, where it will remain over the Christmas period. At the end of the Service 70 Christingles were handed to the children and some of the congregation, lit from the Peace Light, and taken away to be lit in their own homes over Christmas.
Also during the Service the District Commissioner Frank Kitchener presented Alan Martin with a 20 year service certificate, and Ken Lyndup the Group Scout Leader presented the Group's former Chairman Roger Clough with a well deserved "Thanks Badge" for services to the Group.
Packs combine for good turn
On Sunday morning 20th November, misty to start then glorious sunshine, Cub Scouts from Hindhead & Churt with their Leaders Sue Styles and Andrew Grenside and a number of parents, spent the morning cutting down invasive pine trees on Frensham Common. Supervised by Steve Webster, Waverley Countryside Officer, hundreds of trees were cut, dragged across the common and stacked beside the track ready to be taken away. Over the last couple of years the Dartford Warbler had disappeared from the area, and so a few scattered trees were left as song perches in the hope of tempting the birds back. Steve was very grateful for the work done and said that without this kind of help it wouldn't happen, as the job was very manpower intensive.
In the afternoon Churt Cubs went back to collect wood from the cut trees to make Christmas gifts.
Churt & Hindhead Cub Scouts with their Leaders and Steve Webster in front of a pile of cut trees. A good job done!
Remembrance Day Verse
I was sent this poem and decided it was definitely worth sharing:
How can we forget these grim days?
For today it is Remembrance Day
The men shrieking and wailing in war
Their deaths silenced
But no more
We must remember the day of the war
With a bang and a rattle
They lived no more
Thrown in a ditch
Or left to rot
How can we forget these grim days?
For today it is Remembrance Day
The surviving men built a wall
To remember the men
Who saved us all
In the fields
Where these poppies grow
They rustle and blow
For we must remember the day of the war
Where the men stood
But lived no more
How can we forget these grim days?
For today it is remembrance Day
for who saved the day
Were forgotten
In these pointless graves.
By George Edser
Grayshott Scout Group
Jamboree Presentation
On 16th November as promised the 5 Explorer Scouts, Rabbie McGowan (Grayshott), Matthew Slade & Michael Stanley (Haslemere), Emily Collins-Wingate (Fernhurst), and James Knatt (Chiddingfold), lucky enough to go to the Jamboree in Sweden, gave a presentaion with slide show at the 1st Haslemere H.Q., which was very interesting.
On the day of departure Heathrow was awash with Scouts and their identical Jamboree holdalls, resulting in an hours delay for the Haslemere Scouts, but so excited time didn't really matter. The first day in Copenhagan was a sight to behold for the locals, with 3,500 Scouts in various colours of neckerchiefs. Power boating and a party were two of the items on the agenda. On arrival at the site tents had just been erected when the heavens opened, and from then on it rained continuously for 3 days, followed by a long hot spell, and more rain when they were packing up. Most of the 40,000+ young people had arrived by coach but some came in a London taxi, others on bicycles, and some on foot!
In the Town Centre of Haslemere's site they had an English tea shop where other Nationalities were welcome, and Haslemere Scouts visited other countries to sample their food too. There were many activities on site to try apart from the usual games, making friends, and swapping badges/uniforms etc., and everybody had one day off site to spend with a Swedish Scout Group.
After the Jamboree the Scouts spent 3 days home hospitality (HO-HO) with Scout families in Sweden and other countries. Emily spent her break with a Sea Scout family on their boat in Finland. Michael with his family spent most of his time swimming but remembers a 1/2 hour of hail stones as big as paint balls.
All agreed that it had been a life changing experience of a lifetime, and thanked all those who had been instrumental in getting them there.
Plans are already ahead for the next Jamboree in 4 years time to be held in Japan.
