So what has the Group been up to in April? For a two-meeting month, we have been really busy!
- the Squirrel Scout Drey came back from the Easter Holiday preparing for St George’s Day by making their own shields to take on passing dragons safely – and then parading with the 1st Kettering Group and the Glendon District for the first time on St G’s Day itself. The Squirrels started the Go Wild Activity Badge at the next meeting, making hedgehog homes and fat balls for their gardens, then ending the month by starting the Navigator Stage 1 badge – preparing to help King Charles navigate through London from Buck. Pal. to Westminster Abbey if needed – and eating a Coronation Tea
- Cairo and our Beaver Colony started the term by welcoming four new Beavers – some linking from our Squirrel Drey – as well as a new leader now named Astana. (In case you wondering, the Beavers chose the leader’s Colony name by selecting a city or state for them to be named after – think Wombles!) After one evening spent agreeing the Beaver Colony rules, the Beavers became pirates for the night – spending the night following clues around Woodcroft to find the hidden treasure. And in preparation for the Coronation, they made red, white and blue wavers to welcome our new King;
- our Cub Pack is going for the Athletes Cub Activity Badge this term – a combination of learning, and becoming more active. The first outdoor meeting – on a wet and wild night – became an indoor one, using our indoor pioneering equipment to make bucketball stands, and play then bucketball. The second meeting saw Haithi getting the Cubs to warm up safely, then do the Bleep Test – each run across the hall getting gradually quicker with shorter breaks – as well as learning about the benefits of becoming active. And at the St George’s Award Ceremony, we were pleased as anything to see three of our Cubs Charlie, Daniel and Leo be presented their Chief Scout Silver Awards!
- three PLs of the Scout Troop were taken on our Easter Expedition to North Yorkshire – and climbed all of the Yorkshire Three Peaks in the sun, and looked at the inside of a cloud from Malham Cove. We started to prepare for this summer’s activities teaching pioneering skills to make and use unihoc goals. Before the St George’s Day Celebration, we took to Wicksteed Lake to learn how to row their boats, before playing Whale Hunting on the water – an inflatable shark being towed by one boat, with the other eight boats trying to hunt him down with tennis balls – hunting purely for scientific research reasons, of course. After spending a quiet evening playing three Wide Games over at JLC, the next meeting was spent learning how to use axes and knives safely, and cutting up a pile of wellingtonia logs kindly provided by Rose Tree Care.
As well as what the four sections have been up to, we also have some great Scout Group news!
- over 80 of the 1st Kettering Scout Group paraded with Glendon District at our St George’s Day Celebration, and our post-Celebration Group Photo is attached. This is what your 59 Club stake supports!
- congratulations to Chris Winfield – our Group Chairman, and unpaid Assistant Beaver and Cub Leader – on the award of the Bar to the Silver Acorn, and to Chrissie Brant (formerly Group Chairman, Beaver Leader, and Group Scout Leader – and now currently Assistant Beaver / Scout Leader and Auntie Chrissie), the Medal of Merit. These two have put so many years into Scouting that these awards are a long time over-due;
- and best until last – before the Parade, at the Award Ceremony our ex-Beaver, ex-Cub, ex-Scout and current Young Leader Ben Krotowski was presented with the Andi Bull Trophy, given in memory of a fantastic young man to “A young person who brings their A game to Scouting, is a joy to be around, works hard at life is inspirational and supportive to all and who lives the Scout Promise and ethos”. Well done Ben, so well deserved – you truly are an inspiration for all of our people young and old.
So we finish this rather breathless report by saying “Thank You” again for being part of how we finance the Group, and wish you luck in next month’s draw – because yes, it could be you …
