News Archive
Cub Scout Muir Trophy
9 teams of Cub Scouts (8-10 1/2 years) took part in the Haslemere and District "Muir Trophy" competition on Sunday 9th October. This trophy was first competed for in 1926, and this years, organised by Andrew Grenside of 1st Hindhead proved to be very challenging and exhausting, particularly for some of the Leaders who accompanied the teams around the Beacon Hill, Golden Valley, and Devil's Punchbowl. Given just Grid references the teams had to find 6 bases and carry out various tasks including firelighting, finding a hidden Scout complete with blackened face, string trail, pioneering, and sending a message by walkie talkie using only the phoenetic alphabet. Points were scored at each base including 10 points for actually finding the base. Each team had to carry 2 eggs and each one reaching the finish whole scored another 10 points. Each team also had two envelopes containing maps in case they got lost. If these were unopened at the finish that was another 20 points. They also had to collect 3 leaves - maple, chestnut, oak, gaining another 10 points for each. One of the bases was at "The Temple of the four winds" - quite a hike, and the total distance covered from start to finish was 7 miles, quite a challenge for these youngsters.
1st Haslemere Group Camp
The first weekend in October proved to be a superb "Indian Summer" for the 1st Haslemere Group, who spent it under canvas at "Garner's Field", the Farnham District’s site, at Tilford. There were 24 Cub Scouts and 12 Scouts on site, and for the very first time 8 Beaver Scouts, who until recently had only been allowed to take part in sleepovers in indoor accommodation. Rules have changed and they are now permitted to camp. Must have been very exciting for them.
Activities included cooking, firelighting, orienteering, blind trail, rocket launcher, assault course, and firing catapaults at tin cans. Apart from the regular Leaders there were a number of parents taking part, having a whale of a time, and much appreciating the great opportunities they were giving to these young "Scouts".
Christchurch Quake
On Tuesday, September 13th 2011, the collection from our St George’s Day Service finally reached Scouting in Christchurch. I had the great pleasure to hand over $NZ 500.00 to Mike Blackburn on behalf of us all.
I was taken on a personal tour of the parts of the central city which are still accessible and although there has been a great deal of clearing-up, the amount of damage is still difficult to grasp.
Here is the message I received from Mike:
It was very nice to meet with you and your wife the other day. I am pleased that you have had the opportunity to visit Christchurch and see for yourself the extent of the damage.
Please pass on our sincere thanks for your Districts very kind donation. A number of our city Groups are still unable to use their halls and this money will go to support those Groups.
I look forward to the opportunity to keep in touch.
Yours in Scouting,
Mike Blackburn M.B.A
Upper South Island Regional Development Manager
SCOUTS New Zealand
District Widegame
On Tuesday evening 12th July, over 100 Scouts & Explorer Scouts from Haslemere District, massed on Bramshott Common for what was to be a very wet evening. Gone was the old traditional wide game of flag raiding where teams had to capture each others flags. Instead we had four teams with all the members armed with the biggest and most deadly water canons they could get their hands on, and 100's of gallons of spare water to re-load with in containers of varying sizes. Each team had 4 animals they had to protect (cut out boards), and the plan was to capture as many animals from the other teams as they could, blinding their oponents with water (or science!). There were umpires to ensure fair play, but Scouts being Scouts they weren't really needed. There were no winners or losers, just a great evening of fun and friendship, and after 1 1/2 hours the wet and bedraggled Scouts made their way to the car park for collection, with washing machines on standby no doubt.
Beaver Scouting's 25th Anniversary Party
This year is 25 years since Beaver Scouts (6-8 year olds) started, and on Saturday 9th July at Grayshott School playing field, Beaver Scouts from Haslemere and District celebrated the anniversary. It was a showery afternoon but this didn't dampen their spirits, as they were given a free rein to rotate around a number of activities manned by Leaders, collecting stickers on a passport for every activity they were successful in.
The activities included feeding the shark by throwing balls in its mouth; splatting the rat (not as easy as it looked); hitting golf balls into upturned umbrellas; obstacle course; skittles; climbing wall; making friendship bracelets; throwing ping pong balls into wellies; making alka seltzer rockets (a few managed to take off); and building a small identical lego model with instructions from a Beaver who could see the hidden master model (not easy). The friendship bracelet was very popular and we hear that some Beavers are busy making them for all and sundry.
After 1 1/2 hours of fun everyone returned to the Scout H.Q. and after a rendering of the song "everywhere we go" led by the District Commissioner Frank Kitchener, the Beaver Scouts tucked into cake and ice cream, and all were given a prize for the stickers they had on their passports. A great day was had by all.
Finally, a big "thankyou" to everyone who helped make it happen - you know who you are!!
