This week the Beavers started work on their Creative Badge whilst focusing on our Beaver Promise. A number of the Beavers that attended last year received a variety of badges, these included the outdoor challenge badge, adventure badge, nights away badge, Beaver sleepover badge and joining in awards. Two of the Beavers that are moving on to the Cubs also received their moving on certificates. Next week we start work on our Friendship Challenge.
This week saw the start of weekly meetings for Beavers and for Cubs after their summer break. We were delighted to have a good number of youngsters coming along, some returning after the holidays and some coming for the first time. This has been such a success that we have deemed it necessary to close registration for any additional new members at this stage.
If you would like to join either Beavers or Cubs, please do make contact with us, by email or by using the contact page on the website. Your details can then be added to our waiting list.
For reasons of Child Protection and Safety it is important that those hoping to join do not just turn up at the scout hall – please make contact to ascertain when a space may be available for your child.
What is Nijmegen?
A 4 day 100 mile (125 for over 18’s) international road march in Holland which attracts 40000 participants every year.
When will it happen?
The marches will take place on the 16 – 19 July 2013 (trip will be between the 13th and 20th July 2013.
What will it involve?
A training / test march in Nov, then individual training until Feb. From Feb – Jun programmed Team training on Saturdays / Sundays. This will include 2 x 2 day 50 mile qualifying marches.
What will it cost?
Approx. £400 for the trip including transport, food, accommodation.
What do you get?
Training in walking long distances which will help you prepare for the Explorer belt, a qualifying sport or activity towards your scout awards / DOE, an unforgettable experience, the satisfaction of achievement and a pretty medal for those who complete the March !!
What do you need to do?
If you are interested please let Helen know by Friday 14th September
Northern Ireland Explorer Belt Expedition & Northern Ireland Explorer Expedition Canada 2014
There is planned a NI Explorer Belt Expedition in Europe in the summer of 2013. This will be open to Explorer Scouts and Network Scouts who are over the age of 16.
Full information on the requirements for the Explorer Belt can be viewed on the international page of www.scoutsni.com.
There is also planned an Explorer Scout Expedition to Canada departing on the 28th June 2014 for 14/16 days. The camp will be based at the National Park camp site, in the Greater Toronto area.
A meeting for all those wishing to attend as participants will be held on Thursday 18th October 2012 at Ardnavally at 7.00 pm (participants).
It is expected to have firm details of trip and likely costs for this meeting although our original cost of no more than £1,300 still applies. Until we know the numbers it will impossible to tie down costs.
Ballymoney Explorer Scouts SKI TRIP 2013
As a lot of the explorers have requested that we have a skiing trip, we have decided to run this in February 2013. The dates are provisionally booked the week of Saturday 16th to Saturday 23rd
We will be stopping at the Radmans Hostel in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. The Hostel is within walking distance of the slopes, the meals are based on full board and they are very good.
We will meet up with the other explorers from Mytholmroyd.
We plan to run a number of activities on an evening including night skiing, swimming, skating, bum boarding and road tobogganing. These will all be included within the price.
The cost for the trip will be £750 per person this will be subsidised by fund raising, so individually the cost should reduce.
As we need to get the flights booked ASAP we request a non-returnable deposit of £100 with the attached acceptance form.
The payments then will need to be made in stages:
£150 October
£150 November
£100 December
£100 January
£150 February
Reductions will be made for any fund-raising from February’s payments.
If you wish to discuses this or require any further info please speak with myself or any other of the explorer leaders.
Kevin & Helen
Ex Mytholmroyd Venture Scout Wins Silver medal at the Paralympics
Karen Drake an ex venture scout with Mytholmroyd scouts has won a silver medal in the Women’s Individual H 1-2 Time Trial. http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/cycling-road/event/women-individual-h-1-2-time-trial/phase=crw111100/doc=results.html
Karen’s next race will be Friday morning at 10.30 in the Women’s Individual H 1-3 Road Race, come on everyone lets cheer her on to another medal.
As the light evenings start to disappear and everyone returns to school and work, Ballymoney Scouts and Explorers look back on a summer camp of fun and challenging activities and, yes, it rained!
Summer camp was
held at the end of July in Newcastle Co. Down, and as usual we were joined by Mytholmroyd Scouts and Explorers for what promised to be a week of challenges, fun and water! Arriving on the Saturday we got the tents up quickly in the sunshine but by the evening not only had the Scouts arrived in Newcastle but so had the rain! This didn’t dampen anyone’s enthusiasm though and camp was quickly in full swing with the scout patrols organising their tents and getting wood for their fires.
During the week all the normal summer camp activities took place – learning to use axes and saws to chop wood for fires and learning to cook on the fires (even roasting a joint of meat in an old tin box). In addition the scouts went swimming (in the river and the pool), had a day trip to the Folk and Transport Museum, walked to the top of Slieve Donard and went “wet bouldering”. This last activity was enjoyed by all and involved getting kitted out in wet suits, helmets and buoyancy aids and then “walking” up the river from Bloody Bridge. The addition of natural rock slides, waterfalls and jumping off the rocks into plunge pools made this a great day out, and all without too many bruises!
The Explorers took on the extra challenge of completing their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze/Chief Scout Platinum expedition. They did this at the beginning of the week in probably some of the wettest days of the summer! However, the weather didn’t deter them, nor did the midgies! They completed the challenge of the expedition, being exactly on time at the final pick-up point on the second day. The Explorers also made the most of the better weather later in the week with an afternoon and BBQ at Tyrella beach followed by really big ice-creams!
Friday evening saw all Scouts, Explorers and Leaders enjoying Patrol Choice –the patrol planning the menu for the meal and the youngest member of each patrol being sent shopping for the food. Then it was time to get some of the tents down for leaving early the next day. The final Saturday it was all hands on deck to get the Mytholmroyd tents down and packed into the wagon for 9am.
Scouts Own gave everyone an opportunity to reflect on the week; what they had learned, the new experiences they had, and the new friends they had made. Ballymoney tents and kit were all packed up by 12 noon, and it was off to the chip shop for lunch before heading home – tired, dirty, but with happy memories and looking forward to Summer Camp 2013!