CAR WASH

Pictures above.
THE Group raised over £155 washing cars in the Horse and Groom car park in Queniborough. About twenty cars came through during the event that took place on 28th April between 9am and1pm. Young members of the Group came down to help out, including 3 Beavers, 2 Cubs and 1 Scout with several leaders from each section there as well. It was a great morning and another one is planned for September.

TABLE TOP AND DISCO GOOD FUNDRAISER

THE Group again had a good Table Top Sale, raising almost £200, it was recently announced.

Sixteen tables were sold this time, with various stalls such as, woodwork, shower gels, clothing, books, and of course, plenty of Bric-a-brac. 

Event organiser Colin Graham, said: “We had plenty of people queuing up outside at the beginning, and a steady stream of people throughout the morning.”

Later on in the evening, the Group also held its annual Valentine’s Disco, where a further £240 was raised, totalling over £450.

Further fundraising events are being planned for later in the year, including a car wash and a Summer BBQ and Disco. Watch this space and read the Group Dairy for future events and information. 

DISTRICT NUMBERS CONTINUE TO RISE

THE number of young people in the Charnwood District has reached over 1,000 young scouters, the census has recently confirmed.

In the last five years, the Charnwood District has offered Scouting to over 300 more people, which is down to the hard work that all the leaders and the Group support team put in.

District Commissioner Carol Black said:

“Some will say that the numbers are not everything and they are partly true, but if you’re running an exciting programme, with enthusiastic leaders it all comes together.

“So the biggest thank you and congratulations to all.”

COUNTY STALWART HONOURED

ASSISTANT District Commissioner Anne Lewis has been awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours list.

Anne, 71, has been part of Scouting in Leicestershire for about 38 years and has taken on just about every role in the County that there is.

She was awarded the Silver Wolf award about two ago, and still remains active in the Scouts, co-ordinating the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme and Adult Leadership training.

Majority of the big honours in the list were given to many of the British Olympians from London 2012.

Cyclist and Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins was awarded a knighthood, along with Champion sailor Ben Ainslie, while Paralympic gold medallist cyclist Sarah Storey was made a dame.

CBEs were given to athlete Mo Farah, heptathlete Jessica Ennis, rower Katherine Grainger, cyclist Victoria Pendleton and paralympian David Weir.

OBEsforCyclistsLauraTrott and Jason Kenny, Wimbldon tennis champion Andy Murray and gold medallist Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds.

Olympic champion boxer Nicola Adams, triathlete Alastair Brownlee, gymnastic Louis Smith and athlete Greg Rutherford with Paralympic athlete Jonny Peacock all get MBEs in the list.

Away from the Olympics and Paralympics, veterans Quentin Blake and Margaret Beckett get knighthoods and damehoods in their fields of illustration and politics, respectively.

Lord Coe is made a Companion of Honour, as he joins an exclusive list of 65 people at any one time, a special honour of national importance.

Cherie Blair gets an CBE for her services to women’s issues, while Tracy Emin, Kate Bush and Arlene Phillips also join her for their services to the arts, musicanddance,respectively.

OBEs were given to Stella McCartney and Ewan McGregor, while cricketer Mark Ramprakash is given an MBE.

SCOUTS HAVE A FLIPPIN LOT OF FUN

ITS been a busy few months for Scouts, numbers have remained at a stable 9.

The Scouts have taken part in many activities. In January we finished a project to make light boxes out of wood. We made 6 boxes each holds a candle and has a letter cut out of the front so that when you put them together they spell out Scouts. We then had our annual trip to Lazer Force, which is probably our most popular night of the year for Scouts and the Leaders alike.

We then did the Marshmallow challenge. This is where the Scouts had to try and build the tallest structure using just spaghetti and marshmallows. For pancake day we cooked pancakes using only a tin and a candle.

At the end of February I entered a team of Scouts into the District 5 A Side Football Tournament. We played six games, our first game being a local derby against Syston which we won. We then drew our second game and won the next two after that. This put us into the semi finals which we won on penalties. Unfortunately we lost the final 2-nil to Anstey Scouts.

A big thank you to Harry Colville, Scott Kinton, Brandon Iley, Redd Oxley, Matthew Bartram and Stefan Nistor for giving up their Saturday morning to represent the Troop. We have also been air rifle shooting at Wolds HQ. The Scouts shot both air rifles and air pistols on the rifle range.

To finish the term off we will be going Kayaking at Cossington Street swimming pool. I would also like to say well done to Oliver King for taking part in Syston Scout and Guide Bands show 'Sticks and Tones'. In May 2013 we will be taking part in the Charnwood District 30 year Birthday Camp in Nottinghamshire.

BEAVERS HAVE FUN DURING SPRING

FIRSTLY, Beaver numbers are up. We started the term with 13 Beavers and we’re ending with 14; 2 have moved up to Cubs, so that’s a gain of 3 beavers. Welcome to Charlie Gadd, Ben Wood and Todd Hammersley.

We’ve had a busy programme of events working towards all of the challenge badges, Global, Fitness, Outdoor, Creative, Friendship and Promise, as well as a variety of activity badges, Faith, Creative, Experiment, Healthy Eating and Imagination.

We have taken part in a District Football event, doing lots of training before the event and actually winning 3 games at the event. We’ve learnt about the Scout promise and thought about how to keep the promise. Listening to the story of the Lion and the mouse.

We’ve learnt how to make up a prayer using our hands.

We’ve had a healthy eating night where we made a huge fruit salad and banana smoothies.

We’ve learnt about forces and experimented with Balloons, making Balloon Rockets and racing them.

We’ve visted the new temple on Gypsy Lane in Leicester, the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir and learnt about the Hindu religion and way of life. All of the beavers were quite taken with the look and size of the temple, not to mention all the lotus flowers.

We’ve made mother’s day cards and learnt about St. Patrick.

We’ve attended an Ugly Bug Ball District Jamboree, taking part in a disco, face painting and various sporting and craft activities; some beavers even feature in the latest scout promotion video filmed on the day.

We’ve also made Easter cakes and rolled some eggs. Finally over the Easter

holidays we are completing a sponsored joke snake to raise money for comic relief.

CUBS HAVE A 'BOWL' DURING SPRING TERM

THE Cubs have had a busy term, covering many badges including the Fitness Challenge and the Communicator Badge.

Firstly, the Cubs were given a ‘crash course’ in basic journalism as part of the Communicator badge, by Kaa, where they had to write an article or review on something they enjoyed about Cubs.

This was interesting, due to many of them never having done anything like that before.

Kaa got them thinking about the five W’s and the H, ‘Who, What, When, Why, Where and How’.

The Cubs took part in the District Bowling competition the following week, which unfortunately, they didn’t win this time.

They then learnt about the different DIY tools from Baloo, as part of the DIY badge, which they seemed to enjoy.

The following week we cooked Pancake for Ash Wednesday, where they were split into two teams, with Akela and Baloo guiding one team each.

After half-term we had the District Football Competition, where they almost got through to the semi-finals on goal difference.

Baloo then carried on the Communicator badge with them, where he got them to memorise facts about the Solar System, and taught them a bit about each planet.

Kaa then ran a week on the Fitness Challenge, where they tried a new sport which was tennis.

Also for the Fitness Challenge, the Cubs have been doing running, press ups, sit ups, step ups and hoops, each week where they have to improve throughout the term in order to gain the badge.

Most of them are improving week by week.

Still to come this term is the Artist badge before we break for the Easter holidays.

GREAT TURNOUT FOR ST. GEORGE

Charnwood District Scouts came out in force yesterday for their annual St. George’s Day parade.

The parade, which took place in Syston, saw around 500 young Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers plus 50 or more Leaders pay homage to their Patron Saint.

The event, that took place between 10am and 12pm, was also attended by the Mayoress of Charnwood, Diane Wise.

Groups from around 13 villages attended the parade, which started off from Wreake Valley Academy front field and paraded up to the Sports Hall for a service, led by District Beaver Leader Sandy Taylor.

The route was lined with happy relatives, including parents and grandparents, taking photos and videos of the spectacle.

The parade was also seen by people from outside their house, with people coming out to see the uniformed menagerie.

In the service, the vicar, Rev Simon Richardson also told everyone the story of St George and the Dragon, and led prayers and a blessing.

This year the district is also celebrating its 30^th anniversary, with a history of this incorporated into the service.

People were also given service awards, plus leader training certificates, in what was a celebration of one of the best districts in Leicestershire.

On the way back saw the parade salute the District dignitaries, along with the Mayoress, before being dismissed to finish the wonderful morning.

BY BEN KING