DEANE DISTRICT NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY SCOUT COUNCIL WEB SITE http://www.scoutingintauntondeane.btck.co.uk

ISSUE 151 APRIL 2012 APPOINTMENTS Meeting – FEBRUARY 29th STEPHEN BARCLAY, BSL, MARK PACKER-HUGHES, PACK ASSISTANT, CENTRAL PAUL CHICK, AGSL, CENTRAL SARAH BELL, ACSL, TRINITY GRAHAM BELL moves from DSL to ADC SCOUTS APPOINTMENTS Meeting – March 12th ELIZABETH BENNETT, CSL, STOKE ST GREGORY GARY DERBIDGE, TROOP ASSISTANT, CENTRAL CHANGE OF ROLE MARK FOSTER finishes as BSL at STAPLEGROVE, 31/3/12, and becomes DBSL 1/4/12 ADRIAN WILLOUGHBY moves to SL from ASL HENLADE APPOINTMENTS Meeting – March 28th URSULA GREEN, TROOP ASSISTANT, WEST TAUNTON ADRIAN JEFFERIES, TROOP ASSISTANT, CENTRAL NICOLA TOWNSEND, PACK ASSISTANT, WEST TAUNTON SARAH BETTERIDGE, PACK ASSISTANT, HENLADE ROBIN GREEN moves from ASL to SL at WEST TAUNTON

GANG SHOW – have you got your tickets yet? If not why not? You will be missing a very good evening’s entertainment and you could support local Scouting & Guiding by your attendance.

CHANGE OF EMAIL ADDRESSES Pete Whitefield SL Central [email protected] Peter Venn CSL [email protected]

CONGRATULATIONS TO CENTRAL BEAVERS GAINING THEIR BRONZE AWARDS! Central Taunton had a presentation night with a big surprise for 6 Beavers who had completed their Bronze Award and were presented with them by ADC Beavers Jacquie Hopkins. The night also saw 4 Beavers swim up in to Cubs.

CONGRATULATIONS to Christopher Lindley and James Smyth of Bishops Lydeard Scout Group on completing their Explorer YL training and missions. Further congratulations to James Smyth for getting a highly commended at the Pride of awards, a fantastic honour.

FIELD SHOOT AND AIR RIFLE COMPETITION took place on Sunday 25th March the weather conditions were great. Disappointedly only 3 Troops took part. Field Shoot Troop 1st Wiveliscombe (ave 225.25) 2nd Staplegrove (ave 204.67) Individual 1st Ed Chaplin (Wiveliscombe) 396 2nd Sam Wellwood () 288 Leader Graham Bell 354 Air Rifle Troop 1st Wiveliscombe (ave 62.88) 2nd Staplegrove (ave 56.67) Individual 1st Harvey Fuller (Staplegrove) 95 2nd Robert Morgan (Wiveliscombe) 82 Leader Adrian Fuller 95

Three Cubs from the 1st HENLADE CUB PACK are the first in the County to achieve the Somerset Cub Scout Award. The Cubs Alicia, Lewis and Sam were presented with their awards by Claire Talbott, ACC (Cubs). The Cubs had to complete the following activities - one County event, two District events, two nights away under canvas and a 7 mile hike. Well done and congratulations for all your hard work.

The ANNUAL DISTRICT BEAVER PARTY/DISCO/GAMES was held at our usual venue Wellington Junior School on 10th March. Judging by the noise generated from the 129 Beavers attending - a good time was had by ALL?! Thank you to all the Colonies that supported this event. CONGRATULATIONS to PAM GAINES, STEVE MITCHELL, JOHN LEWIS & CLIVE WELCH on being awarded the AWARD FOR MERIT & to ROY CROCKER on the BAR to AWARD FOR MERIT. Believe there is a Wolf heading towards Taunton as well!

JAMES KNIGHT, CUB SCOUT LEADER, WEST HATCH SCOUT GROUP writes “We have spent the term undertaking the Global Challenge with help from the Shelter Box Go Global Pack, which I have to say, is really good, if you haven't registered yet, I really do recommend that you do. We also arranged for a Visit from our local PCSO to come and talk to the Cubs and he was really good and managed to keep their attention for 55 minutes of a Pack night.

We have also looked at behaviour in our Pack as it was all getting a little unruly, It has been a very interesting experience, we have all learnt a lot. We have our Sixers completing a Six register, which we then transcribe on to the Pack register, We have a "Key Worker System with each six having a leader assigned to the six (Leaders a great way to get your Parent Helpers involved) the Leader has a coloured Badge to show which six they are linked to. They assist our Sixers in undertaking Pack inspection. We wrote a Pack Contract between us all which, which has been typed up and sent home, to be signed and returned so that the Parents or Guardians know what we expect. If the rules are then subsequently broken then a Yellow or a Red Card can be utilised and this also gets sent home and read and signed. We are also rewarding good behaviour with a points system which will result in a treat at the end of term.”

Where does all that mud come from? Well, CENTRAL TAUNTON SCOUTS found that out when they joined others from around the County for the County Bike Challenge at Tedbury Campsite. It was cold and rained all day with mountains of mud! Central would like to congratulate Josh Turner for coming 1st place overall in the 11years category. Well done to all the Scouts that took part in the event!

Katherine Taylor (CSL, NORTH TAUNTON) writes – “Thanks to Wilton, who lent us two of their water zorbs, North Taunton Cub Sixers and Seconders were able to zorb on the river as part of their Sixers and Seconders Camp last weekend. The Cubs spent almost two hours mucking about on the river and the leaders had a go too!. After zorbing we walked back up to our Scout hut and changed out of our wet clothes, then the Cubs got given £5 each and we went back into town to choose our favourite take aways. We came back to the hut to eat & then watched DVD’s and ate sweets and popcorn until almost midnight! The Cubs were awake early the next morning to cook a full English breakfast which completed their Chefs Badge before they packed up their kit and camp was finished. We do a camp for the Sixers and Seconders once a year on a similar format. Totally different to a “normal” camp, it makes them feel special and a bit grown up.”

HUISH WOODS is setting up a training element as part of its activity programme this will be Axe, Knife and Saw training. It will include the safe use of the tools how to maintain them and store them. This activity is aimed at Scouts, Explorers and Adults and will add to their skill base. There will be a charge for this at £2.15 per head. This is a site activity which groups can book, subject to Simon being available. The photo shows Simon with a new sign he has made

WELLINGTON CELEBRATES! 1st Wellington Scout Group was pleased to see Becky Altria, and that it was a Scout, that won the Pride of Somerset Awards organised by Somerset County Gazette/BBC/Taunton Rotary/Avon and Somerset Police/Devon and Somerset Fire. Becky received her award at a Gala evening. BBC's Clinton Rogers was the compare. During the month 35 Scouts and Explorers attended camps on Dartmoor enjoying walks in the Princetown area before finishing off their weekend ice skating. 60 Beavers also enjoyed a pirate themed activity day at Huish Woods before returning to the Castle Hall for a sleepover and games on the Sunday. As the Huish Woods kitchen is out of action for a refit arrangements were made for the Mount Somerset Hotel to provide their dinners and sweets -are these the best fed Beavers in the District? When the Avon and Somerset Police heard there were pirates on their high seas they sent the armed area response car to investigate. Fortunately the Beavers crew were able to board the car without being shipped off to foreign parts! Not to be out done 40 Cubs and Explorers enjoyed a weekend at the Campbell Rooms on the Quantocks. The Cubs visited Kilve Beach and Great Wood for outdoor adventures and also enjoyed a night hike and a camp fire whilst the Explorers knocked off 38 miles criss crossing the Quantocks before camping outside, having to get up at 5am and cooking for themselves! Finally the Group has finished off the month by learning that they have been granted a Big Lottery Grant. Wellington have received a grant of £7866 for camping equipment which will allow it to ensure all its additional members that it has attracted can all camp together.