For Scouts and Explorers there is a planned ‘Overnight Survival Experience and Big Breakfast’ with a scheduled visit from the Chief Scout, Bear Grylls. This event is planned for 18th-19th May 2012.
Total cost per person, including transport, will be no more the £25. As we need to book places early, please have your deposit (£15) with the leaders by 9th December.
Community Clean up 3rd December
As part of the ongoing Environment Partnership Award there is a community clean up at Macosquin on Saturday 3rd December. Scouts and Explorers (and parents who wish to help) should meet at the Scout Hall at 10am. You should be back by 1-1.30pm. Come in old clothes, boots or wellies and waterproof coats.
These clean ups are organised with local community groups and the PSNI community officers.
The more people that come along the quicker the morning goes. The recent clean up at Greenmount in Coleraine was very effective with a wall of black bags being created!
This activity also counts towards the Community Challenge Award for Scouts and Millennium Volunteer hours for Explorers, it can also be used towards DoE and Explorer Chief Scout Awards for volunteering.
Many of our Ballymoney troop have met Keith, the Scout Leader from Mytholmroyd (the group with whom we often share summer camps). Keith is a Fire Fighter when he is not a Scout Leader. As a Fire Fighter he has had his head shaved as part of a fund-raising (or perhaps that should be ‘hair-razing’?!) event for the Fire Fighters Charity – he tells me it’s a bit cold on top now!
In case you don’t recognise him without his hair, Keith is the one in blue kneeling down in front.
(click on the image for full size view)
Those explorers who wish to do Biking during the weekend camp at Dunluce need to be at the hall this Wednesday (23rd) at 8.00pm with their bike to get the bike checked over for safety. For the weekend you will also need to bring your helmet – no one will be allowed to ride without one!
On Tuesday night past (13th November, 2011) we had Carol McClure, a Fitness Instructor from the JDLC, doing a keep fit class with the Beavers who are currently working on their Health and Fitness badge. The Beavers all took part in the class and thoroughly enjoyed it. Some of the leaders also joined in but found it a bit tough going!
From Friday 25th – Sunday 27th November, Scouts and Explorers will be enjoying their winter weekend away at Dunluce Guide House. The weekend will involve many different activities, and on Saturday night we will have our traditional Christmas Meal, followed by some fun and party games (remember the After Eight Challenge? … and who managed to eat the big bar of chocolate…?)
We will meet at the Scout Hall on Friday evening at 6pm, and we will return on Sunday afternoon at about 3pm. We will be travelling in full scout uniform.
The Kit List is available to download here and is also on our ‘resources’ page.
Ballymoney Scout Group now has a presence on Twitter and on Facebook!
Along with our updated website, we now have the facility to share information, news and events via Facebook and Twitter. Plus, there is the added advantage of interaction from other users of these social media.
Our Twitter feed now appears in the right hand side of our web pages along with our Facebook ‘like’ box. Simply click in either (or both) of these to find out more about how to stay up to date with Ballymoney Scout Group.
The Twitter and Facebook accounts will be automatically updated with the latest news posts from this website so you can easily keep up to date with the latest information.
Ballymoney Scouts would like to extend a BIG Thank-You to everyone who helped out at our recent fundraising activities. The monies we raised will benefit all sections of our Troop.
The Bun Sale on 25th October raised £223 – thanks to everyone who provided buns and those who manned the stall.
The Bag Packing at Tesco Ballymoney on 12th November raised £643 – another fantastic result! Thank-you to everyone who came along to help.
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the introduction of the Explorer Scout and Scout Network sections, we’re releasing a special occasional badge, chosen by members of the Movement.
After a month of voting, the deadline has now passed, and Explorers and Network members have selected their favourite from a choice of three very different badges.
Emma Saunders, Programme and Development for Scout Network said:
‘The badge comprises the green of the Explorer section and the grey of Network. It also captures the fun and adventure of both sections while leaving no-one in any doubt about what birthday we’re celebrating. I hope Explorer Scouts, Network members and their leaders enjoy wearing the badge on their uniforms throughout 2012.’
There’s plenty for us to celebrate in 2012.
Since 2002, the number of 14 to 25-year-olds in Scouting has soared. Our 2011 census counted 36,346 Explorer Scouts (including 9,030 Young Leaders) and 4,885 Scout Network members. This adds up to more than double the 19,245 Venture Scouts recorded in 2001.
The winning badge will be available to buy from Scout Shops in January. It is to be worn above the Membership Award on the left side, where all occasional badges go.
The Explorer Section is planning a trip to the swimming pool on Friday 11th November. All Explorers are asked to confirm with leaders if they hope to attend. Meeting at the Scout Hall at 6:30pm. Bring £5 to cover costs (and remember your swimming kit of course!!).
From 12 noon until 5pm on Saturday 12th November we will be packing bags at Tesco in Ballymoney to help raise funds for our Scout Group. The plan is to have two shifts – one from 12 to 2.30pm and the second from 2.30pm to 5pm – so that 2½ hours is the most you will be expected to do.
We would ask for as many scouts (in uniform) and helpers as possible please to help with our efforts.
In t
he past this type of project has been a successful fundraiser, as well as a good method of raising public awareness of Ballymoney Scouts. We appeal to scouts, parents, family and friends for help. See you there…
The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations will take place across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth on the weekend of 2 to 5 June 2012.
There are many ways Scouts can get involved, one of which is to take part in the Jubilee Beacons project. There is a long history of lighting beacons to celebrate Royal events. The aim for the Diamond Jubilee is to light 2,012 throughout the UK.
Scouts are invited to organise events at a local level, using the attraction of lighting a beacon to involve your community in the celebrations and raise the profile of Scouting.
If you’d like to consider lighting a beacon for The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has produced a guide with further details.
Download the Jubilee Beacons guide
Register your beacon event
Further information is available on the Jubilee Beacons website.
If you’re organising the event yourself, The Scout Association Public Liability Policy, arranged though Unity (Scout Insurance Services), covers personal injury or property damage to people attending your beacons event.
Unity can also arrange cover for other risks such as cancellation of the event, hired in equipment and your Group’s money. If you would like to check on anything to do with event insurance, please contact Unity.
There is a range of badges and awards available to young people in the Scout Section.
Many of the badges available are activity badges, which allow Scouts to show their progress in existing pursuits, but also to try all kinds of new things and form new interests.
Challenge awardsGaining a challenge badge involves accomplishing a number of more ambitious tasks within the Troop or community. There are several challenge badges across a number of themes, from the physical and outdoorsy to challenges dealing with the local community or issues connected with the Scouting world.
In addition, there are a number of core badges, obtained upon joining or moving on from the Troop, or for time spent in the Scouting movement.
Some activity badges are sponsored by outside companies, and these companies often provide extra exciting resource packs to help Scouts towards gaining their badges.
Find out more here…