Phoenix explorers and network met at the Crescent in Portstewart this week. Leaders just finished scout camp at 12:00 so we had a slightly later start time of 14:00. They were split into 4 teams to solve puzzles around Portstewart using a treasure trail activity. A couple of hours around Portstewart in bracing winds solving all the clues, then a meet up in Morellis for a wee treat and socialising together. Well done to Matthew’s team for completing the treasure hunt first!
Scouts were on a 2 night “camp” at Portstewart Scout hall. Originally they were meant to pitch tents and camp outside, but unfortunately Storm Kathleen changed our camp out to an indoor sleepover.
On Friday night we had a walk around Portstewart and brief visit to The Strand before returning to the hall for socialising and card games.
Saturday started with map symbol bingo and looking at os maps with our now altered route to walk to Portrush along the roadside, rather than coastal path due to the strong winds. On arrival in Portrush we had a quick stop for packed lunches in the amphitheater before scouts enjoyed Curry’s fun park. After this we walked back to Portstewart for dinner, campfire and a movie before bed.
Sunday morning was packing up and games before heading home for a well earned rest.
This month Phoenix members started to plan for our spring camp. So far date has been agreed, venue confirmed and now need to decide on activities and risk assess together. We also did some prep for camp… chopping firewood and trying some camp food treats. Camp doughnuts as requested by our scout YLs and campfire popcorn. Popcorn flavours were sugar, butter and sugar or chilli and salt. Lots of firewood chopped, traditional method using axes and a new gadget which will hopefully allow our younger member to prepare firewood without an axe.
At our other meeting this month we visited Somerset forest. It was a lovely afternoon for a walk, playing capture the flag, enjoying a competitive team Easter egg hunt and trying some cup a soups (using trangias to boil water) and other drinks and snacks. Plenty of socialising time as always, so important for this age group.
Over a couple of weeks our scouts tried some tasty camp foods. They cooked omelettes in bags in trangias (No pics 🙊) and cooked camp doughnuts on stoves with our YLs. While waiting for their turn to cook their doughnuts they enjoyed board games. Games at the start of the meetings too as usual.
Our Scouts and Explorers travelled to Phoenix Park at the weekend to visit Dublin Zoo (requested by our youths back in September)
We invested a new scout and explorer before breaking into groups to tour the zoo. Nice wee day out, lots of chatting on the bus and a stop off at applegreen for our meal on the way home.
Finally, they have been asked to send through their favourite photo of the day for a wee competition 📷
Leaders and Beavers brought lots of recyclables along to this week’s meeting for a junk model challenge.
Build a robot!! They could use anything on the floor and used cello tape and hot glue to attach pieces. Main rule was if someone already had their hand on an item then they couldn’t snatch it for themselves 😂 321 GO!! Beavers literally launched themselves into the pile of recyclables 🤣🤣
While building we asked what their robot could do to help them…mostly chores, homework and getting them food 😂😂😂 Badge links were builder badge and make a machine (skills challenge badge)
After everyone was helpful tidying up the excess pieces we had a wee game of duck, duck, goose ran by Lotars.
Scouts had an enjoyable dander for their half term meeting. We met at the Dunluce centre car park, walked to the West Strand, went along the promenade to the harbour, then followed the lower path at Ramore Head before continuing on along the coast to the East strand. Once there, mini campfires were prepared and lit with flint and steel to toast some marshmallows and enjoy s’mores. Lots of time for chatting with friends as they walked and spent time on the beach 🔥 A short walk back and a full circuit of Portrush was complete.
Our Phoenix youths have had a busy start to 2024. Some teamwork challenges in patrols, litter picking in the park after storm Isha, crafts for fundraising later this year, Chinese New Year cook off, a visit from Zachary Geddis Break the silence trust, games and lots of food with friends.
Scouts have spent a few weeks practicing their circus skills and routines. Some of our scouts managed to master the skills, the rest definitely completed their entertainers badge 😂😂
Our most recent meeting was lead by one of our patrols. National pizza day. Well done to Shannon and her patrol
National pizza day
Over the last month scouts have been using their DIY and craft skills to create scrap wood snowmen and other festive decorations. Sawing the wood to size, painting, hammering nail buttons and crafting woolly hats. Some of them also made clay tree decorations or paracord Christmas trees. Not many photos 🙊
To finish up 2023 they also enjoyed a trip to the Jet Centre for bowling, arcade games and presents. Enjoy the break everyone and see you in 2024.
After a planning session at a previous meeting our Phoenix Explorer and Network Scout Unit (ENSU) were all prepped and ready to go with their Xmas fundraiser disco’s for squirrels/beavers and cubs. Roles assigned (DJ’s, welcoming, entertainers, tuck shop, clean crew, face painters and photographers) and our youngest sections were welcomed to the hall for dancing, face painting, games, tuck shop and fun with friends.
As a reward for their hard work Phoenix enjoyed an “after party” with music, Wii games and food. Finally a slumber party with movies and more games on Saturday morning 🤩
Thanks to all our Phoenix ENSU…Squirrel,Beaver and Cub leaders for being familiar faces…Croxford family for tasty buns..and, as always, all our scouting families for supporting their youths and our group.
For the last 2 weeks Chris has been guiding our youths through the global issues activity badge We had log chews on recycling and endangered animals, learned about Fairtrade and tasted some fairtrade goodies. We made water filters and endangered animal masks and played some related games throughout. Well done everyone 😃
Well done and thanks to all youths and adults who turned out to remember the fallen. Lest we forget
Our Phoenix ENSU had asked to attend Fright night at The Jungle NI when gathering ideas at the beginning of this year. Therefore we planned our Autumn camp around this activity!!
After setting up camp, they had time to explore the site, chill out, face paint and play before dinner time. After a hearty dinner (sausage baps, potato waffles and beans) it was time to experience Fright night 🤡 🧟♂️ They took part in the woodland trail and a couple of scare attractions. They also enjoyed the entertainment provided by Reggie and the freak show – getting up on stage to sing and dance along, and take part in some challenges. Finally all back to camp to sit around the campfire until they all eventually drifted off to their tents to sleep.
Sunday morning lie-in!! It was 9:00 before the bell was rang to get ready for breakfast. Last few activities (pumpkin carving, rounders and dangling donuts), another couple of investitures before dropping camp for home.
Lots of laughs throughout camp, a fantastic bunch of youths! Check out the YouTube video below ⬇️
Beavers have been very busy recently, earning a couple of badges and starting another!!
Our fantastic YLs planned and ran the experiment badge. Good work guys 👏🏻
Then coach Rob started them off on their Health and fitness activity badge with fitness fundamentals and some fitness games. They also made tasty rice cake fruit faces.
Martin from the ambulance service guided them through the emergency aid level 1. Covering what an emergency is, who to contact in an emergency and teaching the recovery position.
Finally we invested all our new beavers and our newest assistant beaver leader ⭐️ 🦫⚜️
Great work everyone!! Thanks to our guests and YLs for all their help 😊
Last weekend 29 scouts caught the train to Helen’s bay then walked to Crawfordsburn scout centre for an overnight camp, in tents outdoors. Shortly after they arrived they had a tour of the site and then it was time for some archery and tomahawk/angel throwing. After setting up tents there was some free time before dinner. Then scouts were split into small groups to complete a blind trail before everyone headed off along the coastal path for a short night hike. Back to camp for hot chocolate and s’mores before heading to bed with temperature of 2 degrees. Up next morning for breakfast and exploring Crawfordsburn Forest before lunch and packing up ready for home.
Our Phoenix ENSU recently took part in a hike around some of the Glenariff forest park trails. While lots of our YLs were attending County 1st aid training the others were tasked with taking photos while on their hike. The prize for best photo (voted by leaders from our other sections) went to Aaron. Well done on winning your Greggs voucher. Robyn took 2nd place and Adam got 3rd. We also invested some of our new members during the waterfall walk.
Our scout section has grown since last year, with 36 youths now signed up. Therefore the emphasis has been on teamwork and getting to know our members
We had a snowball fight for part of our 1st meeting. Each snowball contained some information about each scout that they chose to share with the troop. We had a silly relay race to collect and solve the scout law puzzle. Then our YLs gathered ideas of what our scouts would like to do. At another meeting we had team building activities after being assigned patrols (minesweeper, team mazes, mini gem towers and hats of different varieties). We had an introduction to compass skills working in patrols to complete compass pictures in the dark at the park. Then our awesome young leaders taught the scouts 6 figure grid references to continue the navigator staged badge. Lots of games and lots of new scouts invested too 😃
Beavers have been meeting for two weeks now. Last week we had getting to know you parachute games, meeting lodge members making family crest shields to learn about each other. This week we had log chews about the beaver promise, learning about their wild beaver counterparts, enjoying lots of games and a go on our bouldering wall!
Great teamwork from our leadership team and young leaders 😎
Leaders spent 6 months planning summer camp for our Scouts and Phoenix Explorers in Newcastle, County Down. We got to the site and set up for the week. Unfortunately Storm Betty (just named after our arrival) had different plans. The campsite started to flood around 23:00 and so we were all evacuated offsite to take shelter overnight in Newcastle Scout hall. Thanks to Peter from Newcastle Scouts for supplying some tea bags and milk. Checked the site and equipment the next morning and concluded that camp had to come to an end 😢
However, leaders got together and planned 3 days out so the young people could still get together for some fun. A morning shopping in Belfast, a visit to Botanic gardens then onto airtastic in Bangor, a day pass to Let’s go hydro and finally a trip to Prison Island for some team challenges and problem solving.
#resilience#stormbetty#itscharacterbuilding#survivors#itsrobsfault
Click on the link below ⬇️
Ballymoney Scout Group enjoyed an all section camp at the weekend. Smallest squirrels (4 year olds) to our tallest explorers (17 year olds) and leaders/network/executive helpers took part!
Friday – Cubs, Scouts and Explorers arrived on site and listened to camp rules. Scout sections worked on pioneering wash stands. Explorers discussed DofE for September, cooked and sampled different ration packs on a jet boil. Cubs enjoyed a movie in the Hen Hoose.
Saturday – relaxing morning, then Beavers and squirrels arrived just after lunch time. Phoenix Explorers and some scouts helped to set up camp for the wee ones. Busy day doing crafts, bouncy castle, face painting, laser tag and team games. BBQ for dinner then Squirrels enjoyed a mini campfire before heading home. Main campfire led by our fabulous explorers (renamed Phoenix entertainers by our Beavers) with campfire cones, songs, skits, dancing and singalong!
Sunday – Breakfast then pack up before wacky relay races 😂😂
Well done to all the young people, your behaviour on camp was exceptional!
A HUGE well done to our older sections for all their help and entertainment throughout the weekend. You guys are awesome 😎
Again, massive thanks to Lislagan Farm for allowing us to camp at their farm. Also to all the volunteer leaders and executive. Well done to our newest section leaders (squirrels) for getting stuck in 🌟
Also thanks to #limitless for running laser tag. Thanks to a friend of the group for a donation of £40 towards food.
We had some silly games this week to finish up for the year. Balloons were used for the over and under game, pairs race, balloon hopping race, longest keepy uppie and other fun games. Good work YLs. Then some party foods and social time followed by badge awards.
Well done to 10 of our Beavers who managed to complete their Chief Scout Bronze during their time with us 👏🏻👏🏻
This week Beavers met at the hall. They enjoyed an ice lolly on arrival before starting into activities. They were working in their lodges to build a machine out of Lego. They discussed their ideas in their lodges, drew their design and then attempted to create them from Lego.
At the same time they took turns in their lodges to conquer our new bouldering wall. Well done to our YL Lotars for running this activity with leaders assisting.
Some very interesting machine ideas, especially the diamond making machine and the teleporter car which send people who are bad to jail and people who are good to their favourite place. Well done to all lodges for presenting their machines at the end of the night to all the other lodges and leaders 👏🏻
Next week is our end of year party and awards and group camp at the weekend 🏕️
Finally we say goodbye to one of our leaders, Ash, who will be missed by all. Enjoy your chocolates 😋
This week our young leaders were running the show. They sent through activities and risk assessments earlier in the week then took the reins tonight. We think they might appreciate the struggle of getting young people to listen now 😂😂 Some beach games and a water fight enjoyed by all. Well done guys 👏🏻
Beavers met at the Riverside park for some fun tonight. After some parachute games ran by our YLs, we had some teddy bear 1st aid to learn how to treat small cuts.
Then they all had a mini teddy bears picnic French style. They learned some French words and sampled some Brie, Camembert and Saint Agur blue cheese on crackers, followed up with some pain au chocolat. Mixed reactions to the cheeses but everyone enjoyed the pain au chocolat.
Finally, time for a nature walk around the trim trail before home time
Beavers took advantage of another beautiful evening by meeting at Downhill forest. They went for a hike identifying tree leaves and wildflowers. Then once up on the hill they practiced making sparks with fire steel before lighting 4 mini campfires to make s’mores.
Throughout May, Scout section have been helping out at Lislagan Farm, Ballymoney. Last night was the final night of clearing grass from the base of fruit trees and doing some weeding. Well done to all the scouts, young leaders and leaders who volunteered their time to help out at CAN’s farm. Thank you so much to Janet from CAN for feeding our hungry scouts on the last night. Much appreciated.
Tonight Beavers visited the East Strand (Portrush). After a grey day the sun made an appearance for the meeting. They played a sea creature themed game lead by our YL, created sculptures from sand of sea creatures and had one last game before hometime. Badge links – Adventure challenge outdoor activity and Outdoors – natural activity.
Some of our Beavers and cubs joined up for a day out at we are Vertigo, Newtownbreda. They enjoyed an hour in the inflatapark, had a picnic on the pavement 😂 followed up with some fun in the adventure centre.
Scouts had a 2 night camp at Watertop Farm this weekend. It was a very relaxed camp with lots of time socialising, drawing and playing games. Scouts also took part in the final JOTT! They walked the farm trail and part of Ballypatrick Forest (almost 5 miles). Saturday evening was supervised free time and an “Easter egg hunt”.
