We’ve noticed plenty of festive events going on around our district this holiday season. Here’s a taste at what’s going on…
Please get in touch if you have something to add
13th Beavers Christmas Sleepover:
Explorers’ Christmas Camp
14th Scouts (Wednesday Troop) Christmas Camp
Network Christmas Camp
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The crackers have been pulled and Christmas Dinner, with all the trimmings, is served!
Explorers’ Christmas Cracker Challenge
Cubs Carol Service
It’s been a busy Summer, with many of our young people attending various camps across the country. Here’s a round up of what happened while school was out for summer!
2nd Southampton
This year, the scout troop made their way to Chelwood near Bath for a week of activities including caving, cycling around the canels and kayaking on the river Avon – Including operating the locks
9th Scouthampton
Rather than rely on adults to get them to camp. The 9th Scouts made their own way from Southampton to Brownsea Island (Home of the first scout camp). Find out more about their adventure below:
13th Southampton Sea Scouts
The 13th Group held their Summer camp locally at our district camp site in the New Forest. There was still plenty of water, even on dry land.
14th Southampton (Wednesday Troop)
These scouts attened Jurassic International Jamboree in Purbeck. A week long camp with the chance to meet other scouts from over the world.
14th Southampton (Friday Troop)
A very adventerous week for this troop. They made it all the way to the Peak District and climbed some very impressive rock faces.
29th Immaculata Southampton
The Scouts spent their summer camp and enjoyed a swim at the pyramids, took part in archery, tunneling, climbing at Rock Up and rafting. Along with a few visits out and taking on an assault course. The usual Scouting skills and hiking were also included. Here’s a few photos for you…
SSAGO (Student Scouts and Guides)
The Southampton Student Scout and Guide Organisation take to the Lake District for their week-long summer camp!
Explorers (Apollo, Enterprise, Endeavour and Nemesis Units)
Our 4 Explorer units spent 5 days camping out at Walhampton School in the New Forest. Durin their stay they took a trip to the Isle of White for some coasteering, visited Lymington Water Park and powerboated to the Needles.
Have we missed you out? Send us an email to media@southamptoncityscouts.org.uk and we’ll add your story.
Watch this incedible birds-eye video from this year’s District Camp. Drone footage of Lyons Copse Camp Site and Kayaking.
Can you spot yourself?
Last weekend, over 40 Scouts and leaders spent the day blasting paint-balls at each other at Delta-Force in Romsey. Young people from the 2nd, 7th, 13th, 14th and 29th took part in 12 team games ranging from defending castles, protecting the president in an apocalyptic London and surviving a zombie invasion.
It was a great day of working together, meeting other people from local groups and having the opportunity to shoot paint at each other for fun. We were blessed with a sunny and dry day, although it was pretty chilly.
Well done to everyone who took part. We had some wonderful feedback from the organisers to say that the Scouts were all brilliantly behaved and got really stuck in with the games. Follow the link below to see some of the photos we took on the day.
Link: Scout Paintballing 2018 Photos
Luke
Scout Leader (2nd)
Teams from across Southampton jointed together at Testwood Lakes for the annual Scout Raft Race. Using a combination of pioneering, paddling and perseverance groups took their craft to the the water and battled against each other. Well done to everyone who took part and those who enjoyed cheering from the waterside. It was a really fun day. See you again next year.
Last weekend 8 teams of Scouts from across our district spent 2 nights away camping in the forest without any adult assistance.
Emlyn Camp takes place each year with the aim for young people aged 10.5 to 14 to survive a weekend away with their friends as a group of 4, 5 or 6.
This year we held the camp at Braggers Wood in Bransgore. On the Friday night Scouts arrived from Highfield, Milbrook, Shirley, Freemantle, Aldermoor, Portswood and Regent’s Park. Scouts had to pitch their entire site, cook for themselves and took part in some outdoor challenges to promote teamwork.
Completing Emlyn camp is a huge achievement for everyone who takes part. Not only is the camp a lot of fun, but everyone who takes part learns so much by working as a team with their peers to successfully live and cook together (and hopefully in harmony too).
Emlyn Camp also awards trophies which date back many decades. Teams were given scores throughout the weekend based on their teamwork, cooking and challenges. Well done to 29th Portswood Immaculata who took home the Overall Emlyn Trophy and well done to 1st Aldermoor who won the Scout Challenges Trophy. We also awarded a brand new Judges Choice award this year to 22nd Southamtpon for making considerable progress as a new team.
Congratulations to everyone who took part and thank you to all the adults who helped make the camp a success.
Elaine reports on the beaver scouts Loggerheads competition 2015…
The loggerheads competition was held in June at our district campsite – Wilverley – where seven colonies entered teams of up to 4 Beavers. The colonies were asked this year to provide ‘Scouting’ activities as their base.
The Beavers from each colony worked together as a team to complete the activities at each base. The day began with them decorating boxes which were later built into a totem pole.
The bases included, Pioneering, putting up a tent, knot, decorating biscuits, building a shelter, water trail and a scavenger hunt. The weather was very kind to us – with sunshine all day.
After lunch the Beavers played water games getting drenched during each game, the day ended with a wonderful water fight.
When the Beavers had changed into dry clothes we all met in the shade of Paddy’s’ Place for the presentations. Congratulations to the 7th colony who won the competition, to the 1st colony for coming second and the 13th colony coming third. Each Beaver was presented with an Adventure Challenge Badge and a certificate for taking part.
Many thanks must also go to the Beaver Leaders, the Explorer young leaders, and all the parents that helped before and during the event
Elaine (Clover)
General Cucumber or known to others as just the land rover which has been the image of sea scouting at the 13th Southampton city scout group since 1984 when it was recognised the group needed a vehicle suitable for towing then an old transit van.
General Cucumber was apart of the commonly Known series Land Rovers, to distinguish them from later models are off-road vehicles produced by the British manufacturer Land Rover that were inspired by the US-built Willys Jeep. In 1992, Land Rover claimed that 70% of all the vehicles they had built were still in use.
I, II, III Series models feature leaf-sprung suspension with selectable two or four-wheel drive (4WD); though the Stage 1 V8 version of the Series III featured permanent 4WD. All three models could be started with a front hand crank and had the option of a rear power takeoff for accessories.
General Cucumber went on the first scouting voyage under the new 13th Ventures Scout Leader Geoff Johnson who remembers “setting off for a fortnight trip to Scotland. I had driven it about 2 miles before we set off for Glencoe. The party included such important people as Ian and Anne Rutherford who were then only Ventures. We made it as far as Leyland when the radiator blew. It was Saturday evening and I managed to find a site where we could camp for the night. A few frantic phone calls from the nearby Pub (no mobiles then) located a place that sold Land Rover spares – open for one hour on the Sunday morning. We filled all the water carriers and any other receptacles we could find and with frequent stops managed to get to the warehouse some 12 miles away. We bought a new radiator and with Ian’s expertise fitted it. That evening we camped wild on Rannoch Moor and were eaten alive the next morning by hoards of midges. The Rad held and we had probably the most adventurous fortnight of my Scouting career. When I got back the Group moaned that I had spent £70 on buying a new radiator. For all I know it’s there to this day. There are many other stories to tell but I don’t think many beat that”. Geoff also adds “I don’t think that when they bought it would give them such good service and this was due greatly to Jim Rutherford’s determination to keep it running”.
It is was great sadness that’s after its 30 years of service to scouting and its 10 years service to The Dorset Health Authority prier joining the 13th scout group that the land rover has now been sold on but over all the Land rover has serviced both of owners so well through all the good times and bad And has always been there to assist at the majority of events even if it had to be towed out by a Vauxhall Kadet, which is a car the same size as a ford fiesta, due to being stuck actually in mud on a weekend away in North Wales.
So from the 13th Southampton City Scout Group and Southampton City District we shout B! R! A! V! O! BRAVO and Farwell to our trusted steed and know it will serve its new owner just as well as it has us.
CHEERS GENERAL CUCUMBER!
My fellow scouters, and scouts it is with a tinge of sadness that I announce that one of the 13th Southampton Sea Scout group will be retired from service after 30 years. She has served the group (and indeed the District) through all the good times and bad. And has always been there to assist at the majority of events. Who you might ask??? The very well-known and easily recognisable Land Rover (aka The General Cucumber) I must stress she hasn’t “GONE HOME” Just moved on bless her steel rims 😉 May she serve here new owners just as well
You can find more on General Cucumber on our sister Story CHEERS Gerneral Cucumber