Wood Badge
Awarded to Members on completion of their leadership training
Congratulations to Rob Wayman on receiving his wood badge.
Chief Scout’s 20 Years Service Award
Congratulations to Darren Russell
Chief Scout’s 10 Years Service Award
Congratulations to Iain Redmill
Explorer Belt
Well done to Heather Porter, Josh Smith and Alex Manning on completing their Explorer Belt.
The Triumph of the Few
In January 12 explorers said they wanted to go and the Site was booked. Various reminders were sent out and deadlines were set, but with weeks to go there was little response. It seemed that late booked holidays and other organised activities had scuppered us. To go or not to go – well, we had paid a deposit which we would lose – and the few still wanted to go.
In the event: 4 explorers; Rozy, Kieran, Faye and Joe; Jake, just about to become a trainee Leader at Ferny Crofts and Amanda, Matt, Geoff and Lin together with Corbin a Beaver Scout, were the ten that went along to Bowling Green Wood in Dorset from the 9th to the 16th August.
The Saturday load up needed some changes in our equipment as we had just heard that the fringes of hurricane Bertha would hit the South Coast that night. The heavy mess tent was preferred.
Lin and I had been there before but everyone else was impressed by the fact that this great campsite would be ours for a week. Thought was given to the layout of the tents given the high westerly winds that were forecast. The site is bounded by woodland which would give shelter but there was evidence that the trees could be blown down in the wind.
Sitting round the fire after a good supper the wind picked up as forecast and we went off to our Tents. It was a wet and windy night but we had good tents well pitched and we didn’t lose any sleep.
The morning was windy and rainy but a visit from the resident peacock put us in a good mood. We decided immediately to put the bad weather fall back into action and went to Splashdown at Poole, “fluming” marvellous for the young, but two hours sipping indifferent coffee for the old and responsible. On the way back over Whiteway Hill we stopped at the high view point and saw the Jurassic coast spread before us all the way to Portland Bill. Amanda and Rozy did aerobics on stumps and Joe sat and contemplated.
Monday was better. Lin and Corbin were arriving and we arranged to meet them at Worth Matravers. I hadn’t said much about where we were going but the reaction when the others saw the big quarry caves cut into the cliff face was amazing. It was a time and a place to explore and they all did. Sitting above a sea still under the influence of hurricane Bertha was awesome. The hunt for ammonite fossils as big as car tyres was great as they clambered over the cliffs and rocky shelves.
Tuesday we split: The Macho Brigade went to the Tank Museum while the Primeval went to Monkey World. Both Parties enjoyed their days but it was good to get back to our home at Bowling Green and compare notes whilst we prepared Dinner.
On Wednesday it was time to hit the beach at Lulworth Cove where most went swimming and all sunbathed. To live up to the English tradition the clouds came over, it started to rain and we became part of the mass exodus from the beach. After lunch some of us returned to visit the Fossil Forest to the east of the Cove.
That evening we cooked Pizzas on our own recently invented Camp Pizza Oven.
Thursday and Climbing was on the bill: We chose Hedbury Quarry as it was above the sea which was still a bit frisky. All the climbs there are bolted and most of a high grade but luckily our spot was available right on the edge overlooking the sea and the right grade for our novices. Matt and Jake have recently passed their Walls and Towers and this was a chance for them to extend their experience under my M form. Everyone had a go and some good climbing was done. It was good weather and a good place to be. After the long uphill path back to the Cars we decided everyone needed a treat and headed off to Swanage for a group meal in a Fish and Chip Restaurant.
Friday, our last full day and it had to be done – Durdle D’or and the swim through the Arch:
With Kieran our lifeguard in attendance the unit made a Unit swim through and around the arch and then enjoyed a laze and mud bath! on the beach. Meanwhile Joe made friends with a homing pigeon and gave it something to eat and drink.
That night Jake suggested we cook Hobo style – We prepared our own mix of meat and chopped vegetables seasoned and sauced, wrapped in foil and cooked in the embers. It was delicious.
The next morning we broke Camp and loaded the cars and trailer. Tidied the site and at a final parade were presented with the Campsite badge by the Warden, our flags were lowered and we left. What a memory!
From the Four: Rozi, Faye, Kieran and Joe: also Jake, Amanda, Matt, Geoff, Lin and “I just can’t wait to be an Explorer” Corbin.
One of the successes of the Camp were the Swedish Candles which Amanda had brought along as prepared logs with slots cut down into them. With a few embers dropped on the top they caught light and burnt down into the log for an hour or two. We cooked on them and also boiled a few Kettles. Thanks to Scouting Magazines Get Active Booklet.
Pro-badge training weekends for cubs and scouts are run at Lyons Copse (where we had District Camp this year) throughout the winter. You might like to take a group of cubs or scouts there for a weekend to cover some of the badge work that can’t be done so easily at the usual meetings. Here are all the details: http://www.pro-badge.org.uk/.
First of all, we have a “thank you and goodbye” to share. We are very grateful to Mike Johnson who has been our Web Manager for the last year and has done a huge amount of work revamping our website and raising the standards of our media and communications. Mike has been given the chance to run a pub in London and has already made the move. Do drop in to The Gazebo at Kingston-upon-Thames if you are passing! We wish Mike all the best and no doubt we will see him around in the scouting world.
We are also grateful to Ollie Bills (ABSL at the 29th) who has stepped up to become our new Web Master. Ollie brings a wealth of IT and communication skills and will continue the great work that Mike has been doing. Feel free to send kind comments and suggestions to sotoncityscouts@yahoo.com.
You should regularly visit our website southamptoncityscouts.co.uk to check the latest news and events information. We also send out an email newsletter “Left Handshake” on the 1st of each month with a short summary of each article and links to the website. All leaders and helpers in the District are welcome to submit articles by sending them to sotoncityscouts@yahoo.com for consideration. Everyone likes to see information about forthcoming events and pictures/reports of recent events. It is also okay to send us links to items on your own group websites that might be of wider interest around the District.
On the eve of our very successful District Camp in May I received the news that Fred had died. I was able to say a few words in his memory at the Campfire. Some of the older members of the District would have known him and many of his old scouts and scouting friends were at the funeral. I should, before now, have put something in the Left Handshake. Some of you might have seen the two items in the Echo: one about his Scouting career and the other about his extraordinary wartime experience when his minesweeper was sandwiched between the British invasion fleet and the German defences on D Day. All these things are in the past like the” 8th” and “West District” but we do need to remember them as they have influenced our lives.
In 1970 I moved into my present house and so into West District. Meeting a fellow Scouter at work I revealed that I had no post in Scouting at that time. He must have put the word around because several days later there was a knock on my door. The guy standing there was middle aged, my height and quite a stocky build, he was wearing a khaki shirt, navy blue breeches and a silly grin. “You Geoff Johnson?” he said, “I hears you’ve been in Scouting and you aren’t doing anything moment at.”
10 years later I certainly knew that I’d been in Scouting, Fred was a human dynamo and made sure that the 8th Scouts did everything they possibly could. I became Scout Leader while Fred was GSL. Fred worked in British Telecom and I don’t know if he had a special concession but my phone never stopped ringing. Ideas and schemes came shooting down the Line. The 8th prospered building up to 40 scouts at one time and with two Cub Packs.
He promoted Canoeing in the Troop also Climbing, Mountaineering and Caving. From his enthusiasm came the District Canoe Club and Summit Weekends.
One year three scouts from the 8th were chosen to represent Hampshire in the National Scout Regatta. They had never been in racing canoes before and for the two weeks beforehand Fred took them canoeing every night until they learnt to handle them. They didn’t win but they did well in the heats and got through to the finals where they competed with the National Youth Champions.
The 8th owned a wartime building on the old Beaulieu Airfield known as “Chorley Lodge” which at that time was one of the few places where Scouts could stay in the Forest. Fred’s wife Dorrie controlled the bookings and, as GSL Fred, made sure the hut was maintained and improved. It was a great venue and used by Groups from far and wide.
Throughout this time the 8th was his real love and he and Dorrie nursed it through so many years. Came the time when he had to stand down. Fred was made an Honorary Scouter in 1986. After that the 8th unfortunately went downhill. The hut was set on fire by vandals and while it was under repair they struck again and it was burnt to the ground. It must have hurt them both when this happened
Chorley Lodge was on the edge of what is now the Round Hill Campsite which the Council wanted to develop and it was in the way. When the Hampshire Scouting managed to acquire Fern Crofts and, at the same time, West District took Wilverley something had to go. It was Chorley Lodge and the old hut was removed.
Dorrie and Fred carried on in the Scout Fellowship for many years until Life and their age caught up with them. What they gave still lives on in many good things in our District and they should not be forgotten.
Memories from Geoff Johnson, May 2014
You can find a copy of the Daily Echo cover on this story at www.dailyecho.co.uk
Applying for university, taking a gap year, looking for your first job or changing career? Becoming a Scout volunteer can boost your CV, your UCAS statement, your prospects and give you the edge at job interviews.
In a recent independent study, 41% of employers said that if an applicant was a Scout volunteer it would positively influence a decision to employ them.
The job market is competitive. Latest figures show that 2.51 million people in the UK are currently unemployed; while the number of 16 to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training (known as ‘Neets’) is approaching 1 million.
Scout volunteers can work towards nationally-recognised qualifications that employers value – like first aid and health and hygiene. You can also be trained to deliver adventurous activities like archery, climbing, caving and abseiling – or become a qualified mountain leader.
The training modules the Scouts offer can get you qualifications that are recognised by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) and the Institute of Training and Occupational Learning (ITOL).
Volunteering with Scouts can also give you lots of transferable skills. Here are just a few:
Find out more about the transferable skills of Scout volunteers by downloading our free Get Ahead resources, which have been produced to help adult volunteers (18+) or Explorers and Network members (aged 14 to 25).
How to volunteer
Volunteering with us is easy, fun and flexible – how much time you give is up to you. Whether you help out once a fortnight, month or term or just at special events, there is bound to be a role you can play, and no matter how you get involved, you’ll be trained and supported.
Many different volunteer roles are available too – you don’t have to work with young people and for instance, could take up a finance, media or management role. Search for your scouting role on our Voulnteer page
We welcome our first Southampton City Scout ambassador, Jo Ash, Chief Executive of Southampton Voluntary Services
Jo has been chief executive of Southampton Voluntary Services (SVS) since 1992. SVS supports the local voluntary sector as well as directly supporting local people through its Shopmobility service, Young Carers project, Safe in Sound substance misuse and safety awareness work, as well as MORPH, an ex-drug users self-help project.
Jo has been a senior manager and consultant in the voluntary sector for over 30 years. She has worked on issues including housing and homelessness, advice services for disabled people, poverty, women and health.
We are recruiting for our first ever UK Youth Commissioner. Working as part of UKHQ’s core leadership team, the UK Youth Commissioner will ensure that young people are at the heart of every decision that shapes their Scouting experience.
They will have the passion and drive to champion youth-shaped Scouting, empowering young people to share their ideas and make an impact.
The UK Youth Commissioner will work closely with the UK Chief Commissioner, Chief Executive and Chairman to achieve our ambition for Scouting to be truly youth-led. They will be responsible for helping us launch a range of exciting projects, including our first ever National Youth Council.
Representing the views of young Scout members across the UK, they will work with young people, volunteers and staff to ensure Scouting answers the views, wishes and needs of its youth members.
It’s a fantastic opportunity for an individual aged 18-25 to gain valuable work experience and play a crucial role as we begin an exciting chapter in Scouting’s history. Having a Movement that is shaped by young people in partnership with adults is a key strand of our vision and our new strategy.
By 2018, we want 80% of young people to be able to say they shape Scouting, feel listened to and are taken seriously. The UK Youth Commissioner will play an essential part in helping us to achieve this.
Find out more and apply for this volunteer role.
Read about our new strategy, Scouting for All.
National Express is delighted to be working in partnership with The Scout Association to support the Cub Scout Outdoor Plus Badge.
As part of their new Youth Promise, National Express is promoting active lifestyles and adventure as a way of enjoying life. Through sponsorship of the badge and the accompanying activity pack, their aim is to widen young people’s scope for travel, adventure and mobility. This includes a 10% travel discount on standard fares booked through the Scouts Association web site. Travel is a great way of having new experiences, gaining confidence and growing independence. As the UK’s largest scheduled coach operator, National Express is seeking to promote this important life skill.
Discounted coach fares for Scout members
National Express is pleased to offer Scouts Association members a 10% discount off standard fares – click here to plan your journey and buy your tickets!
Discount on coach hire for Scout Groups
If you’re planning a day trip or something longer for your pack, view our handy hints and tips on booking the right coach (or minibus) for your journey.
Get three free, no obligation quotes here.
7 June 2014—Hampshire Scouts Annual Training Day. We are pleased to advise that we will again be running a special training day for Hampshire Scouts onboard the pre-served historic steam ship Shieldhall located in South-ampton Docks. The day is open to all Scouts and Ex-plorers irrespective of whether or not their Group normally involves itself in water based activities.
The day will start at 10.00 with “colours” on the boat deck followed by the Cap-tain’s welcome and safety and organizational briefs. Thereafter, during the day there will be six instruc-tional sessions (three be-fore and three after a lunch break) which will provide theoretical and practical training for groups of up to eight scouts. The level of instruction will be adjusted in accordance with the age and experience of the group. The day is planned to finish at 16.00 or shortly thereafter.
On 5 July 2014 there will be the Training Cruise day. The day is principally designed to give young people and especially those who have already undertaken one of the Shieldhall Training Days (but not restricted to), the opportunity of undertaking a short sea voyage on a large ocean going ship and learning just a little bit more about the many special skills and disciplines necessary to safely operate and navigate such a vessel. The day will also have the guest speaker of Captain Colin Darch who had his ship captured by armed pirates.
11 October 2014—Another opportunity to take part in Training Day alongside. Same format at June day.
Cost is £30 per person to participant in both the Training Cruise & one of the Training Days alongside. No charge to leaders based on a 1:6 ratio.
For full details and booking, please visit www.ss-shieldhall.co.uk