After last month’s quite short report from a short month with a half term mopping out a week of it – well, please buckle in for a long report for a lot has been happening with the Group in March:
- our Beaver Colony started the month with a visit to the Kettering Parish Church, where Jo Pearce showed the Beavers around, and prepared a run-around quiz for them. St Patrick’s Day was celebrated with the Beavers’ version of River Dance and making leprechauns, before another International evening where we learned nursery rhymes and made our promise in German. As part of our Global Challenge we learned about why clean Water is so important, and how so many other countries don’t have the clean water we take for granted, then the last night was spent planting bulbs in pots for a local care home. Our Colony has award oh so many badges this term and grown now to 21 Beaver Scouts, an incredible record after we have passed to our Cub Pack around 8 members since we came out of Lockdown last year.
- our Cub Pack ran a brilliant Cooks Badge Weekend Sleepover at the John Lowther County Scout Centre, with the lead up meetings preparing for this by the Cubs writing their menus. Not only did the Cubs each prepare and cook their own meals, they competed for the Best Trifle Award – as well as managing to fit in tomahawk throwing, climbing and a camp fire as well. On the Thursday nights following the Pack learned about Money Skills to qualify for the new badge, then wound down for the Easter break with a riotous night of new games. Our Pack too has grown, with the Pack approaching 30 again – a great effort from the Cub Pack Leadership Team.
- as part of our ongoing World Challenge, the Scout Troop ran two evenings this month: we had quite a challenging night thinking about refugees – so pertinent with the events of Eastern Europe, and trying to place the Scouts in other’s shoes – then later in the month were made welcome to the Wellingborough Hindu Temple where they showed us around and explained their beliefs, before we caught the train back to Kettering. We fitted in Tuesday evenings doing pioneering to make and race Pharaoh’s Chairs, as well as running the Easter Eggstravaganza Evening. And yes, whilst the Cub Pack was living the high life on camp, the Scout Troop ran a night hike sleepover at Ise Valley Scout Group’s Hut before going along to Church Parade – and it was great being able to welcome back home Old Nick that evening, to help run one of the teams out that night;
- members of our Kracken Explorer Unit are currently on the Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Expedition Practice – which is why I have been unable to get their update!
You will have seen the range and depth of what the Group has been running, not only this month but over the last twenty years or so – and the number of adult leaders is only finite. Our Young Leaders, now supported in full with the Kracken Explorer Unit Members, have always been an essential part of how we can run such a busy Group. With Ben, Milly, Lily and Luke starting their Young Leadership with us this term, with Bailey, Kyle, and Victor starting their second year as YLs, with Alfie and Joe coming towards 18 and the end of their YL time and are about to be asked to continue as adult leaders, with Alex, Tommy, Dan and Dom recently turning 18 and starting to pick up the training courses to learn new skills …. Yes, we are confident that we can map out our future with these wonderful young people willing to be involved and to take the helm.
