The Water Rat The Newsletter of Leander Sea Scouts December 2012

editor – Nigel Duffin – [email protected]

Pack Pack Pack! Explorers

And so here we are. As we close Some of us then went home and down the Pack for the Christmas did the Chefs Badge, Martial Arts and New Year Hols, we can Badge and Musicians Badges. reflect on an Autumn term of…. We then made puppets and re- Well not much….. wrote a story and acted it and performed it and had judges We got busy welcoming eight – judge it and the Jack In The yes 8 – new Cubs, learning about Beanstalk performers won it; planets and constellations, then our Sixers led a meeting of making planets out of balloons, their own together with their learning what a ‘Skit’ is, Seconders and they did it so well rehearsing Skits, getting up on the leaders drank tea in the stage and performing Skits IN galley all evening; finally, we had FRONT OF PEOPLE and MAKING a bit of a party and mostly THEM LAUGH OUT LOUD; we played games but also gave out It seems that the Explorers went swimming and found some Entertainer and Astrology can only be photographed of it was easier than expected Badges and we said goodbye to eating! Not content with (and some harder). our friends who are leaving. looking forward to Christmas, they found an excuse to We listened to our leaders go on- That’s all. celebrate Diwali, in mid and-on-and-on-and-on about fire November, with a meal. safety and camp layouts but Fond Farewells then actually seemed to understand some of it and drew The Press Gang have nabbed up some pretty cool camp five Cubs this term. layouts of our own. We could not ‘All Seeing’ – Alice Paterson light fires of course ’cos it was ‘Do A Turn’ – Ollie Bennett far, far too wet, so instead we ‘Loyal and Questioning’ – went out on a clear night to Georgie Yelland Richmond Park and looked at the ‘Solid As A Rock’ – Hannah Moon and stars and learned a bit more about Astrology and Rean discovered how to find the North ‘If You Are Going To Commit – Star and then we hiked through Commit Fully’ – Max some woods and then the Biddulph following week WE LIT FIRES ... RBK Grant lots of fires. BIG Fires. And we New Year Welcomes Courtesy of a generous grant cooked s’mores and bread and from Kingston Council, we pancakes and eggs in potatoes Next term we welcome two have just received some brand and eggs in oranges and trout in Beavers into the Pack – Conor new kayaking, canoeing and newspaper and, of course, Strickland and Joel Esser. safety equipment. We look marshmallows. forward to using it on the river Simon Biddulph, CSL when the weather gets a bit better.

Leander (Kingston) Sea Scout Group Headquarters: 92 Lower Ham Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 5BB www.leanderseascouts.co.uk Fifty years ago – 1962 (from the Water Rat) Editorial experience in the gig as possible Coming home from Cowes on and also to take advantage of one trip took only 40 minutes, Since the last edition, the Group the use of Sandling. The gig was sailing all the way on a broad has added four new* Coypu well used, and we co-opted Troop reach at an average speed that sailing dinghies and an additional PLs into our crew. Cruises were was estimated to be 10 knots, fibre-glass gig to its Boat Deck. most eventful because of the much to our surprise. Sandling The four venerable old twelve good wind, no doubt. When was accompanied by the gig to foot dinghies have been retired coming out of Wootton Creek Gosport and then back to the after many years of steadfast once the gig almost capsized, Hamble, the gig going a little service. [*the old Coypus] but by reefing the mainsail down further by rounding the to the gaff we were able to get Chichester Bar buoy. back without further mishap. We Troop Summer Camp intended to go to Yarmouth, but Noggin, Brian and Keith rowed our centre-plate unfortunately up to Longridge (Marlow) in the Summer Camp was held this broke, off Calshot Spit. The Sea Rangers’ skiff taking only 13 year at Hook Park, at Warsash, mainsail was quickly dropped hours for the journey; this was Hampshire. This year we were and we were able to return because some of the Troop had lucky enough to have the use of under the foresail. said that we were ‘past it’. Sandling, and each Patrol had a day out in her. Beavers

A few of the younger members of the Troop couldn’t get used to Beavers with their better friend pledges and anti-bullying avatars the constant heeling and were glad to get back on dry land After saying goodbye to many Other topics covered this term again. Apart from a few days familiar faces in July, the include a special feature on when a gale was blowing, the Autumn term saw a major bravery and why people are weather was ideal for sailing. change to the Colony with eight awarded medals just after new Beavers starting. The term Remembrance Day. We also The Patrols went on day trips to has been focussed around the spent a couple sessions working Southampton, and its surround- air activities badge and global through material as part of Anti- ing districts, and it was on one challenge badge. bullying week in November. such outing that Clive terminated his Summer Camp after only a The global challenge badge We held two swimming sessions few days, by breaking his arm. gave us the opportunity to visit at Teddington pool. Both sessions Some Patrols rowed up the River Holly Lodge in Richmond Park. were very well attended and Hamble to Bursledon. Here the Beavers were able to many Beavers have been able to learn about the countryside successfully complete their stage code, range of wildlife living in 1 and stage 2 swimming activity Senior Troop Activities the park and closing the gate. badges. We have also learnt Beaver [Senior Troop was aged 15-18] Scout promises and greetings in If you would like to help This year the Senior Summer different languages. delivering the Beaver pro- Camp was held in the same loc- gramme in any capacity please ation as that of the Scout Troop, Air Activities is always popular feel free to discuss this with me near to the River Hamble. as the Beavers learn about any time. different types of aircraft and During the two weeks it was in- we held a paper dart olympics. Richard – Beaver Scout Leader tended to obtain as much 2 A Competitive Season

entered, divided between everyone agrees, leaving time to between three teams for the run around in the woods the next annual hike, this time based in day. Birchmere – snuggled in a (not so It’s been a competitive season quiet) corner between the M25 this term down at the Scouts, and A3. Everyone had a great starting off with the Great River time, with Leander grabbing 2nd Race on the 15th of September. (Leander Mutineers) 4th (Leander Privateers) and – ahem – un- ranked, after the Buccaneers got ahead of themselves and headed back to base camp before getting to the 5th check point.

The night didn’t end there; whilst the other Scout Troops went home to their warm, cosy houses, Leander braved the cold to test out the new tents and stayed the night. A good idea

The competition has been inter- Luckily the weather held up for Patrol as well, with a pioneering six of the Scouts to complete the challenge to make a catapult marathon from Greenwich to launcher and a good old fitness Ham. Most, if not all, hadn’t challenge. Leander’s new craze – taken part in the race before, paracord, has also featured in the and I think it’s safe to say that program, as well as an old classic everyone found it harder then Scout craze – FIRE! – when they they expected. However, the had to light a fire and learned Scouts stayed resilient, with how to light a Tilley for their fire- everyone still wanting to row works night. And all of that was until the end of the race, even topped off with a Christmas once the tide had turned and bowling trip to Charrington Bowl. bodies were aching. They did a We’ll have to wait and see who fantastic job, and I hope they was the top tenpin tippler at the enjoyed the great experience. brilliant bowling bonanza. We hope you have all enjoyed a fant- We also had an impressive astic Christmas and will see you turnout at the District night in all again in the New Year! December! Almost half the Troop Aidan

The Night Hike teams Design for a ‘Leander-burger’ 3