March Jamboree Training

Not long to go now!

The Jamboree is getting ever closer and it is about time that I gave you all an update on it all. A lot has happened Jamboree wise recently, and I mean a LOT. So much so that I haven't had the time to write it all up for you all... hence this out of time post.

Firstly we've had two lots of training with the Unit. I was prepping the second one, which was just this weekend, when I realised that I hadn't even blogged the first one yet... and it was in March! So here it is...

March Training Day

We had a single days training with the sprogs in March held at a scout hall in Lincoln. Due to the fact that I had been away on holiday (woo hoo, Africa!) until the week before the prep for this one was way behind.

Cue sleep deprivation due to late nights prepping and early mornings getting into work.

Logo from Channel4's gameshow Shattered

How I managed to stay awake I don't know!


But everything came together and the kids really enjoyed it. We covered some information on the Jamboree, Home Hospitality, Media Training (done by the sprogs that went on the course run by UK Contingent) and a quiz with random facts about Lithuania.

Facts like how animals are believed to talk on Christmas Eve in Lithuania, The old currency was ground up and recycled into toilet paper when they switched and that Stalin World is a tourist attraction!

See... it exists, honest!

We also got the county Trek Carting team to bring them along for a bit of trek cart racing in the afternoon.

Look, it's vintage scouting!

The racing involved pushing them up to a barrier, taking them apart, getting over a barrier, putting them back together, pushing it round a post and back to the barrier, taking it apart again, getting it under the barrier, putting it back together again and pushing it back to its original position. Try saying that really fast 3 times.

We also got them to do some mini-pioneering so that we could get some ideas for the gateway.

This one had rope bridges up the sides and a swing in the middle

Going with a castle theme, this one has the iron gateway painted on fabric which could be raised during the day.

This one included a platform at the top and a number of posters about Lincolnshire

General concensus went with a platform above the gateway, so that they would be able to climb all over it. Us leaders also managed to brainstorm a couple of ideas while they were building. I don't want to reveal the ideas just yet, but if we can get it to work it will be brilliant and should help get people from other units over to our site.

CLEAR!

CODE BLUE!!!

*rushing of nurses and other people with odd bits of beeping machinery*

...

we're loosing him...

...

*overly shiney doctor with sparkly glint in teeth stares into camera* "Not on my watch"

*pounds chest*

... *blog splutters back into life*

No I haven't been in hospital and I haven't fallen off the face of the planet. Infact I've been to Africa for my first non scout related holiday in over 12 years (which for a 25year old is a rather sad fact).

Given that it was a non scouting trip I won't be covering it in any detail on here: altho being surrounded by elephants and chased by rhinos (I kid you not) was exciting and I thoughly enjoyed myself.

Rest assured that normal coverage of my scouting adventures will resume as soon as I figure out what normal is.

Cancellation Station

Well... one of the things that I've learned in Scouting is that things rarely go to plan.

Sometimes it's you being ill.

Other times it one of the sprogs chugging up his dinner just as you're about to start the activity.

But the past 3 weeks things have had to be changed at the last moment and each week having to cancel all or part of it (and I apologise that I haven't blogged the past three weeks, bad Scotland! I must do better in the New Year).

Three weeks ago then... cancellation 1.

It was thankfully a very easy week for us leaders. We had asked the kids what they had wanted included in the program and they had said that they wanted to go swimming. So we arranged to meet at the swimming pool in town; where the sprogs would have some fun in the pool, the leaders would hang out in the viewing gallery and then we would all walk back to the hall... potentially stopping off at McDonalds on the way back as a little treat.

... cause you know, us leaders can be nice like that

...

... yes we can be nice... shut up

That was the plan anyway, and we would have got away with it if it wasn't for those meddling kids.

 

One in particular really. He'd got into into his head that he was getting picked up from the pool (which some of the others were), but from what we knew he was getting picked up at the hall. Well, we couldn't exactly leave for the walk to the hall until we had things straightened out.... time to phone his mum. No answer (like sods law would ever let things be that easy), by this point time was ticking away to when we had said that we would be back at the hall.

It was getting so close now that us leaders had to do a bit of jiggery pokery to get cars in the right place so we could drive the kids down to the hall and still maintain the child protection rules.

Turns out his mum had told him he was to walk home from the hall himself... he wasn't even getting picked up! Argh sprogs!

As for two weeks ago (and cancellation 2), well, for those of you that don't live in the UK we've had a bit of snow recently here. Ok, it might not be a lot by your standards, but we're not exactly used to snow here in the UK (at least not at any significant volume) so we don't have the infrastructure to deal with it. Given the highly unusual 8-10inches of snow that blanketed the UK and the Governments advice not to travel unless absolutely necessary, we decided that scouts wasn't 'absolutely' necessary.... so our night of baking was canceled entirely!

Which brings us to this Friday past.... and cancellation 3!

The plan had been to have a sleepover for the scouts, all very relaxed. Have some films on a projector, a couple of games consoles, let them bring some of their own games and toys and run a couple of games/activities to mix everything up a bit. We don't set a bedtime or lights out... just let them crash when they feel like it; tho if someone is trying to sleep then they have to respect that and keep the volume down. We do this instead of a Christmas party. They get so many Christmas parties everywhere else... and we like to be a bit different.

Shame that the overnight part of the evening had to be canceled!

We didn't have enough sprogs confirmed for the evening, so instead we put on a cinema night using the projector and screen that I had already arranged to get. We also treated them to some takeaway pizza and some other treats from proceedings from our bagpacking efforts.

It wasn't quite what we had in mind, but it was still a good night. Which brings an end to this term with the scouts!

Merry Christmas Sproggage 

Horror Filled Silence

Okay.... so let me explain why things have been so quiet here recently.



Tumbleweed...

Put simply, it's because I havn't been at scouts for AGES.
My last post said that I was missing one week so that I could go visit my newly born niece.

But the two weeks after that I was ill with Gastroenteritis (believe me when I say that it's really not fun!) What the scouts actually got up to while I was curled up in my bed I'm not entirely sure.

At the tail end of my illness there was a Jamboree Unit training camp, which of course I missed the vast majority of. I had decided that I would be sensible and stay at home that weekend to make sure that I recovered, but I did pop out to visit the happy campers.

Which, if you have been clever and worked out the dates, brings us up to this last Friday. At which I was also not at scouts. I know, totally slacking huh. But I had a good reason, honest. One of my best mates was throwing a surprise party in order to pop the question to his girlfriend.

No, not "will you pass the salt?"

...

You know, that one that involves expensive rings... and ball and chains?

Yeah that's the one.

Thank goodness she said yes, cause I was under instruction to wrestle the sharp knifes away from the mother-in-law-to-be if she had said no, and I really didn't want to have to take her on.

At least this time I actually knew what the scouts were up to, in fact even tho I wasn't there I had provided a load of equipment for it. We sent an email out a couple of days before our Friday meeting saying that each patrol was going to be making a horror movie and they could bring whatever they wanted in the way of props/costumes etc.

From what I hear they did a really good job (I've yet to see the films... I'm looking forward to that, especially given that some of them involve singing and dancing to Thriller!)

The storylines were: A schoolgirl visiting a Transylvanian castle and getting turned into a vampire and one that I think is particularly inventive... a statue outside a house that would kill trick or treaters as they waited for their sweets (until it gets slain of course, but the hero does die in the process of killing the monster).

That's basically how we are marking Halloween this year, next week is half term so we aren't meeting up (yes, yet another week of no scouts for me!)

Of course, the images belong to whoever they belong to and arn't mine!

Given up the ghost

I feel that I must apologise for the fact that I have been rather quiet since returning from Kandersteg and the fact that I havn't even started writing up the Kandersteg posts. (they are on the way I promise!)

... but frankly I needed a bit of a break from everything

Well, I say everything, but I will put my hands up and admit that there was sleeping, the odd evening round at mates, sleeping, a couple of meals thrown in, some catching up with work (of the paid kind),sleeping did I mention that?, a visit home to see my family in Glasgow and a bit of mourning.

Yup I'm in mourning, it is a sad sad day.

I don't know if I can bring myself to actually confirm it, it just sounds so final...

My boots are dead... and no they are not just resting

Ok, so this may seam like a tad bit of an over-reaction, but I am actually gutted that they are dead. I've had them for about 5 years or so (I can't actually remember when it was I got them), and they have done a lot of work in those 5 years. My Queen Scout Award, Duke of Edinburgh Gold, Explorer Belt,  3Nations trip to Mongolia and China, the World Scout Jamboree 2007, several Blair Atholl Patrol Jamborettes, Eurojam 2005 and innumerable weekend camps, cub trips, scout nights and network events.

Lovely plumage...

These boots have got me through a lot of good times... and always with warm, dry feet.

I noticed the first signs that they were dieing last summer, when I saw that the middle of the sole was degrading. I have since found out that Raichle is Swiss and they had a problem with the acid in the British soil dissolving the sole... apparantly it has been fixed. I was willing to over look my boots dissolving soles, hey it would just be getting as evil as myself, given that they were incredibly comfortable and still waterproof.

But it was this summer that I noticed the fatal wound... a crack in the fabric of the boot. This couldn't really be ignored or fixed*. So while I was in Glasgow I decided to do a bit of boot shopping.

Just like normal shoes, every brand makes them differently, and it is generally sound advice (for boots anyway) that once you've found the brand for you that you don't stray. Raichle is definately my brand, they fit my feet like a glove... well not like a glove, like a sock, a really good fitting sock... oh sod it they fit like the proverbial glove.

But when I looked in Lincoln I couldn't find any Raichle... and even more worryingly I couldn't find them ONLINE! (well in my quick 5min search anyway). So, full of hope, I went to the shops in Glasgow, where I was dutifully informed that Raichle had been bought over by Mammut.

*villagers rejoicing*

*trumpets sounding*

*holds back from kissing the sales assistant out of sheer joy*

So... would you like to meet my new boots?

tough luck, its my blog and I am going to show you them anyway! so there!

all shiney and new!

...and what is more the soles are intact

And to compare old and new... a preview of what will probably happen to my shiny, new, clean boots....

Fairwell my Raichles, you have served me well. You've deserved your well earned retirement at the back of my wardrobe (I don't think I could face throwing them out)

*yes I do realise that duct-tape can fix ANYTHING... but it's not exactly ideal for what I put my boots through and what I rely on them for

Fun days and not-so-fun days

I recently said that we had a fete coming up on the circus skills circuit. It was infact the Fun Day for a local football team.

The Fun Day itself looked as if it was a big success, there was loads of people there (I would say about 300 people easily) and I know that things like the BBQ and bar were selling out of some things nearer the end of the day. This was probably helped by the fact that the weather was so glorious.

Circus skills wise... the day was a flop! We had hardly anyone come to take part in the circus skills (even after me walking around in the bouncy stilts). Turns out that most people, were expecting it to be free and were turned off when we asked for 50p for about 10-15minutes. Its not as if anything else there was free... or that we were being particularly strict with the times! Frankly I'll be surprised if we raised anything above £5!!

There is always that consolaton prize of "well you promoted scouting to the public"...

... not that that helps us get to Kandersteg!

Talking of Kandersteg, I've been buzzing around like the proverbial blue bummed fly getting stuff organised for it. I do believe that some stuff is now late... so I will be throwing myself at the mercy of one or two individuals in scouting that I need the signatures of. I can see myself driving round the place to get paperwork to people.

On the plus side the program is now completely confirmed by KISC. woo hoo!

*villagers rejoicing*

Previously on...

Ok,

I apologise! I have been incredibly lax with the posting of scouting events... so consider this a little round up session (actually it might be rather long so bare with me!)

Well I suppose the first bit of big news is that I have been successful in my application to become an Assistant Unit Leader for Lincolnshire to the next World Scout Jamboree in Sweden (yeah baby!). The selection process involved a day at the RAF base in Wittering where the applicants were put through there paces.... interviews, presentations, team building games... and scones!!
Have since had a meeting with the unit leader team, and I think that it is going to be a good jamboree by the sounds of it (mind you I still have to work my way through the huge ring binder of information that I was given). I will post updates on here... but obviously I won't be able to publish everything straight away, somethings have got to be left as a surprise.

Second big bit of news is that Stacey has decided to leave the 9th Lincoln =(
Yes, I know, it is a sad day for everyone... but she had her reasons (which isn't my place to blab about on the internet, so I ain't talking). Hopefully she will stay in scouting and she will be happier where-ever she ends up. This, of course, means that there is a vacancy in the SL role... one which the Group Scout Leader, in a moment of insanity, has appointed some Scottish weirdo.

What do you mean "what Scottish weirdo?"

No... not Minty...

... *penny drops*....

Yup it's me!
Am taking on the challenge of running the Scout section (God help me!) I'm actually rather excited about it, am just hoping now that the parents and the sprogs are going to accept the change.

Normal sevice should return shortly