Tag: 13th

Categories
Uncategorized

From George

Poppy Collection

Thank you to all the members of Active Support who gave up their time during the past week selling poppies for the British Legion appeal. Thanks also to members of the District Team some of whom are not members of Active Support, who helped sell poppies. They are Lyn and Geoff Johnson,Pat and Don Rea, Patsy Osborne, Paul Renouf, and Scouts from the 13th Group. Not forgetting Lesley Travis the daughter of one of our late members who sold poppies on our behalf. Please forgive me if I have missed anyone out. I am grateful to you all.I will publish the total amount collected by us when the British Legion informs me.

George Longhurst

Categories
Uncategorized

Wilverley Working Weekend

The 9th had decided to do a group ‘team building’ weekend at Wilverley and the 1st came in numbers enough to make a great team. The 9th also brought with them a giant box of brushes and rollers very kindly donated by Tool Bank. Many thanks to Neil Webb for that.

With 15 people present by 9am on Saturday morning we were good to go. With teams keen to grab the brushes and crack on we were soon getting the cottage coated in Sadolin for the winter. The fences, weather shelter and Charles Alan building all getting a coat of creosote to protect them in the coming months. A shoe shelf and some running repairs were done too. The chainsaw gang were motoring away together to get the giant hedgerow between two pitches to a reasonable height, by lunch it was down to 6 feet and 3 lovely trees were now clearly visible. 2 birch saplings were donated and planted in on Sunday.  Fallen trees were chopped up and stowed in the log store.

By the end of Saturday an amazing job had been done by all. With some taking up the offer of “free site facilities on working weekends”, there were some staying behind.

Sunday we were back into it with finishing touches the last of the fences and indeed the creosote were finished. The outside toilet painted, a few bedrooms painted and the cottage floors scrubbed till shiny clean. They are now pink, who would have known. Verges strimmed, site tidied and everyone ready for a final sit down to recover enough to leave.

The Wilverley committee would like to thank the 21 people who turned up over the weekend, giving a combination of ½, 1 and 2 days of their time.

Wilverley points scheme.

Do you feel like you have now missed out? Did you know that you can get more than just satisfaction from helping at a working weekend? Did you know we have a reward scheme?

Helping at a Working weekend means you can earn point towards camping.

How does it work?  It’s simple, for every half day you volunteer on a working weekend you earn a point. Each point is equal to 1 person’s overnight camp on the field.  So if you come with 3 others or even send a family of 4 for a day to represent your group they can earn you 8 points.
These points can be saved, added together from other working party weekends and used when wanted.
When is the next weekend you can come and join the scheme? Well there are 3 weekends next year
February 22/23   July 5/6 September 27/28 and don’t forget you can have free use of the facilities overnight on the Saturday night. And lunch is provided on both days.

Group points so far –
9th – 21 points , 13th – 16 points  , 1st – 2 points , 11th – 1 point , Network – 4 points
We will see you there.

Laura Dyer,
Wilverley Committee Chair

Categories
Uncategorized

Fly On The Wall

On the Friday evening another leader called. He wanted to talk over some concerns he had. Grey Wol and I consider it a compliment and are always willing to help. On Saturday there are always the checking up and preparations to be made but also a visit to Grey Wol’s Mum as we were totally committed on the Sunday. Late afternoon we had a phone call from Lisa. She hadn’t seen us for ages and wondered if she could call round. We have known Lisa since she was a young Cubscout at the 13th right through to her Explorer scouting. Well it was nearly midnight when Lisa left. She will be a qualified Doctor in four months time but is still involved in Scouting. We had lots to talk over.

After our late night, Sunday morning dawned grey and bleak with a chilly wind. We picked up Kane, Endeavour’s only competitor in the Cross Country and drove to the Sports Centre. Kane was pleased to see his old Troop the 9th and after helping me to give some shelter to the organisers stood talking his old friends. The numbers for the event were down this year but sometimes leaders and our young people are over committed, however there was good parent support and the event went well. The Sports Committee have lost one or two trusty members recently especially Doreen who has been at every Cross Country since it was started – she was missed and our thoughts are with her.

We dropped Kane home, he had run himself into the ground trying to keep up with the Ellis twins and needed rest and recuperation. After a spot of lunch ourselves it was off to the Theatre.

The “High Five” Concert was organised to support the Wessex Heartbeat Appeal which is our District charity this year. The performers were from local schools and dance and music groups all between five and twenty years of age. The Explorers were all there waiting for us including Ben who had been at the County Youth Conference all weekend and had had rushed back to be with us. While we were waiting in the Foyer for instructions one of our lost friends, Josh, saw us and came in to have a friendly chat he had left after an upset but he was obviously pleased to see us again.

Our duties were to give out programmes and goody bags to family groups and to rattle our buckets for donations to charity. After helping with the preparations we were taken below stage for some refreshments and then dispersed in the foyer and around the theatre to do our job. Some worked in pairs some independently. When the show started we gathered in the balcony to watch the performance. The show was to a very high standard with dancing, music and singing, the work that had been done by the young people, their teachers and trainers, was amazing and the Show was really enjoyable.

After the Show we were all in the foyer rattling our buckets until the last of the audience had left. We had been at the theatre form 3.00 o’clock until 10.30. Ben left early and also Joe who had a foreign exchange student arriving that night. The Explorers were polite happy and smart throughout. We had a nice message of thanks from the organisers and a credit in the programme. Our bucket collection raised £1,360 – Yes I think you can say a busy and worthwhile weekend.

Fly

 

Categories
Uncategorized

For Lee – a Tribute

I first met Lee about 42 years ago when as a young assistant leader of the 13th Sea Scouts he came to a Water Safety course at the Coastguard hut at Netley. Fred Heather had dragged me along as I had started helping at the 8th and had experience as a canoist. At this time fibre glass canoes were just coming into vogue and Fred organised a practical session in building these at the 8th HQ. Soon after and by then Scoutleader of the Sea Scouts, Lee decided to build some canoes for the 13th. As it was over the Christmas holiday I offered to help. It was then that the old yellow double and single canoes were built some of you will remember them. About this time Sue and Lee were married and came to live in Arliss Road a short distance from me.

I was leader of the 8th and Lee of the 13th and we had been warned that there had been bad feeling between the two Groups but with us getting together this soon ceased to exist.

The first activity we did together was a canoe trip down the river Arun finishing at Arundel. It was then we discovered that slalom canoes neeeded a special technique when going with the current. Shortly afterwards we did a BCU course at Fairthorne Manor and gained our 3 Star. That was the start of many joint activities and also a friendly rivalry between the two troops as we often competed in the Regatta.
Just after this we played quite a part in setting up the District Canoe club then at the same Coastguard hut. Lee has carried on helping with the running of the Club to this day.

Lee decided to do an autumn camp at the Scout Boating Centre at Marlow and invited the 8th along. The difference between us was very evident then as Lee did things on a grand scale having a marquee and I got by with a 14’ and a dining shelter. The second of these camps we invited the District Ventures along. Fred had told Lee of a campsite on the river Wye and after giving it a try we swapped our boating camp to Biblins on a very cold Easter holiday. This was the start of Wye Valley Camp when, the next year, as District Camp had fallen flat, we invited all the scouts in the District to take part. It has been a splendid activity over the years and Lee has worked very hard to build on it’s success.

Lee became Group Scout leader of the 13th and has developed the Group and it’s resourses. This hasn’t stopped him from having a practical involvement in all the sections and their activities. He also has increased his involvement in the District furthering boating, District Camp, the Fete, ADc activities, the Executive in fact there has been very little that has happened in recent years that hasn’t had Lee and his team behind it. Lee has lived Scouting. He had a real vision of what should happen and has had tremendous drive, enthuisiasm and commitment. I don’t think I am alone in thinking that I have never known a Scouter like him.

Lee was a bit of a traditionalist he liked things to carry on happening. The many changes we have had in Scouting didn’t always please him. I don’t think I am doing him an injustice by saying that he was a difficult man. He was never frightened of making his views known. Many times he and I have fallen out over our differing veiws but our friendship has always continued as has his love of Scouting. I am going to miss him a great deal.

I have already heard people voicing the opinion that he will be a great loss to the District. This is very true but I prefer to think now that Lee has been a great gift to Scouting and to all who have known him. I am so glad that this gift was acknowledged by him receiving the highest honour in Scouting the “Silver Wolf”.

Finally two stories:

When the 13th purchased their dear old Landrover in 1984 I drove it up to Scotland with a party of Ventures. To keep them occupied I suggested they should find a name for the new purchase. It was then cream with a pale green stripe. One Andy Taylor suggested the name “General Cucumber” and we adopted that name throughout our two week adventure. Lee met us on our return and we proudly told him our name. “I’m not having that!”, he said. We thought he was joking but whenever afterwards we mentioned the name he got angry. We never discovered why but that was Lee, he like Hamlet would go to war for a straw if he thought it was wrong.

Some years ago Lee had been sent up to Scotland on an urgent job. It was just before the Wye Valley Camp and Lee didn’t know whether he could get back in time for the camp. He had done all the preparations and he passed them onto me asking me to take over the camp if he couldn’t get there. We got up to Biblins well enough but found that an Army Cadet camp had overflowed onto our campsite. I went to protest to the Warden who apologised but asked me to make the best of things. I wasn’t happy but realised that by the time the cadets had moved their camp we wouldn’t have time to get our own camp ready. We paced out the site and by careful planning managed to get the whole camp into a smaller space. The next morning, with the camp assembled for flag break, I was about to bring them to the alert when Lee walked down the field and stood beside me. I called them to the alert, broke the flag and turned to face Lee. We shook hands and he gave a little grin which said everything. “The team have done their job and I’m happy to be here where I want to be”. I’ll always remember that little grin and the pride I felt because I hadn’t let him down.

To Sue and family we give our love and support and heartfelt thanks for being so supportive to Lee in his dedication to Scouting.

Geoff Johnson

Categories
Uncategorized

Fly goes to a Wedding

David had been a member of the Seahawk Venture Unit of the 13th Group when they were in the old West District. They were an unruly bunch, a bit wayward at times but did some really good things. Above all they had a real friendship and loyalty to one-another and loved their Scouting. 6 members of the old Unit were there, two ex-leaders and some who were in the Unit before or after David and his friends. Naomi, Jason and “Bob” were around at the changeover to Explorer Scouting.

Keiron, now leader of Network, was Best Man and Harris and James were ushers. James and Gemma, who now live in Australia, had come all this way just

for the Wedding. The old friends from the Unit stood solidly together and worked hard, determined to make the occasion a success for David and his Bride.

This Picture includes 9 Queen’s Scouts

mini-FlyPic1.jpg

If anyone doubts the good things that Scouting brings about they should have witnessed this happy reunion of a group of old friends from 15 to 20 years ago.

mini-FlyPic2.jpg

David met Lynda on a Cycling Meet and it wasn’t that long before he moved his Tree Surgeon business down to Plymouth where Lynda is a teacher. After the Wedding they mounted a tandem and cycled off to the wild blue yonder.

mini-FlyPic3.jpg

I am sure that we all wish David and Lynda every happiness in their lives together on their Bicycle built for two.

 

Categories
Uncategorized

13th Cubs travel to the Isle of Wight

First was to get wet on the water slides so we could spend the day drying out in the sun, then it was off to play on the Pirate ships. By now hunger was setting so lunch was eaten overlooking the sea. 

A show, in Cowboy City, saw all guilty suspects locked in jail and the remaining cowboys  slinging their guns around .  A game of Snakes and Ladders on the slides, fantasy in Fairy Land and a wander round the giant bugs and Dinosaur Land before heading into the maze. Fortunately all made it out of the maze and before we knew it time had come to return home.

Whilst we were there we took time to think about Heather Vaudin, who passed away recently. Heather completed 50 years of service at the 13th and was the Leader who started the link outings with the Isle of Wight.

Categories
Uncategorized

Cub Corner

We also said goodbye to Carol Gilbert, CSL at the 1st, as she was moving from Southampton to be closer to her family in Manchester.  Carol had been at the 1st for many years from the time her sons started but carrying on once they had left.  Thanks to Eve and her band of helpers for the delicious spread that was put on for Carol’s ‘leaving’ tea (thanks also for giving up your Christmas cake!)  Once settled I know Carol will again become involved in Scouting ‘up North’.    

The Cub Section held their annual Carol Service at Avenue St Andrews Church back in December which was a very lively service organised and run by Laura, Cub Leader at the 13th, together with Chris Davis, our District Chaplain, and with assistance from two Young Leaders, Aaron and Steven and four Cub Leaders (who I think in their own best interests shall remain nameless).  Instead of Packs donating food hampers for use by SCRATCH, Cubs and Leaders were requested to donate toys for the Christmas Complete appeal run by SCRATCH which means that every child in Southampton whose parents are not in a position to buy Christmas presents, would have a present to open on Christmas morning. The response was phenomenal, there was a mountain of toys around the Christmas Tree and it really made you feel quite humble but also that the spirit of Christmas was alive. The Cubs really fulfilled their ‘helping other people’ part of their Promise.  The evening was rounded off by games and food for the Cubs in the hall (okay so I’m no good at maths not knowing what number comes between 1st and 7th or maybe that Pack was so quiet I didn’t realise they were there – no I don’t think so either!)  Parents who stayed were able to have a cup of tea and biscuit by making a donation. The monies collected will go to SCRATCH as the District’s chosen charity for the year.  Definitely a successful evening and my thanks to all those who made it possible – it was nice to be able to be part of the congregation and enjoy the service.

January is generally an ‘easing back’ month so apart from meetings, no events were held but February sees us holding our annual Chess competition where two Cubs in the age groups of Under 9½ and Over 9½ compete to produce a winner in each age Group.  Usually the two winning Cubs go forward to represent the District at a County event but a County event is not being held this year.  Details of our District Chess competition will be sent to Leaders.

In March the Section will be holding their 6-a-side football competition and Ant, who has once again kindly agreed to organise this event, will be sending details to Leaders after the half term break.
 
Of course with District Camp being held in May everyone is starting to gear themselves up and start preparations for that.  Patsy and I were at a Pack presenting a Silver award where letters were being given out regarding District Camp, having previously also been sent by email.  One young Cub didn’t receive a letter – the reason?  His parent had already downloaded the form and sent it back that night with his deposit!  How’s that for keenness!

Patsy and I continue to attend Packs to present Silver Awards (I’ve just recently sent in the names to County Office of our last batch of awardees for inclusion in their next County Roll of Honour so watch that space) and are delighted to be asked to do so, so…keep the invites rolling in.

Until next time.

Pat Rea

Categories
Uncategorized

New Year Message

As a unit we participated in all of our usual things during December. We helped out in a packed St. James Church for the Beaver Christingle service and again at a packed St. Andrews Church for the Cub Carol service.  The 13th. did a great job with their Seniors party. All of our members who attended had a great time. Well done to Lee and Sue, especially as it was the day of their 40th Wedding Anniversary, and their team. There’s dedication for you!! Congratulations to you both. Finally on the 21st December, we held our own Christmas Party. It was great to see so many friends and Scouters from around the District joining us for the evening. I hope you all enjoyed it.
 
Before I close I would like to thank all of my team in The Active Support Unit for their support during the past year. No matter what I ask of them, even at short notice, they are always there. Thank you all.
 
A Happy New Year to everyone in Southampton City District. 

PS. I have just been notified by The Southampton Branch of The Royal British Legion that members of The Active Support Unit who collected at both local branches of Sainsburys,for The Poppy Appeal collected £692.36.This is a fantastic amount thank you and well done to those of my members who were involved.
 
George Longhurst.