Purple Curly Wurly

... right, there, I've said it!

You can stop asking now...

...

alright then...

"There's been a murder"

....


you done laughing at my accent now? Can I get on with this?

Thanks... who would have thought, a group of Welsh people finding MY accent funny

This weekend, the circus skills went on tour. Sunday evening we were to run the circus skills for 80 (yes eight zero!) kids, half of whom were from the Czech Republic and their english wasn't fantastic. mind you a lot of people say that about me.

Unlike our usual gigs, after this one was over I didn't head home... instead I set off straight away to Youlbury, near Oxford, to meet my mates Rosie and Rich. They both live in Wales and were in Englandshire for their Explorer Scouts summer camp. Unfortunately one of the activities that they had planned suddenly canceled on them at rather short notice... hence my visit.

Can you tell they're Welsh?

FreeSpirit Explorer Scout Unit... seriously check them out

I arrived onsite shortly before midnight, just when the last of the explorers were getting the final shove into their bedrooms, which meant that, at breakfast in the morning (full greasy fry-up, a camp classic!), I got a number of odd looks from the explorers. I was, apparently, going to be a surprise for them.

I took small groups of the explorers to do circus skills with while the others did pioneering. They made a rather impressive platform (am sure that they have pictures of it covered in sproggage on their website)

That evening was to be the campsites campfire, so Rosie and Rich asked me if I wanted to hang around for it. Being the type of scout leader that is addicted to camp fires, I readily said yes! *bounces slightly with excitement*- I love going to other peoples campfires, you get to learn new songs

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed my day with Free Spirit ESU, they made me feel incrediably welcome for the day (and the food was gorgeous!). This is definately a group I would happily go and help again.

... and before I go, I just have to share this with you...

No, she is not hurt... and yes, she was laughing about it when I took the photo

Scouts out for summer...

.... Scouts out for ever (ok, not quite, but hopefully you get the song stuck in your head now... just as it is stuck in mine)

Friday marked the end of the scouting year and to celebrate we decided to have a BBQ for the entire group... and parents... and leaders, basically anyone that showed up! In all, there was about 50 odd people there.

We didn't actually plan any activities for the kids as we wanted the evening to be very laid back and relaxed, which in my opinion was achieved. I had taken along my circus equipment and I put some of the less dangerous stuff out for the little darlings to play with. What I hadn't counted on was the sprog spawn (beavers).

Never.....EVER..... underestimate the destructive powers of sprog spawn.

I actually had to spend a chunk of sunday repairing a lot of the equipment after the beavers had done playing with it. I think my circus equipment can easily relate to the catapillar room in Toy Story 3 now (and if you don't get that reference get your butt to the cinema NOW... ooo and grab a pack of hankies on the way)

Mind you, there was a couple of more formal things to get sorted out that night aswell. There were 2 investitures at the BBQ, one scout and one beaver. And if that wasn't exciting enough we also had to announce the winners of the Patrol Competitions.

Throughout the year I have been collecting points in my little black book for the patrols; from inspections, games, bonus for being particularly helpful etc. At the end of the year the winning patrol gets a decend prize... this isn't a pat on the back, bar of chocolate and a certificate job. This year the prize was:
a Lifeventure Thermal Mug
a Camping Stool
and a Survival Whistle .... and that was all for each of them

The Wolf patrol were the winners, but I have to admit that it was close between the three patrols!

We also had a secondary competition with the patrols, all the points from the market nights throughout the year. The winners for that would get a Phlatball... just something fun for that prize. And would you believe that the Wolf Patrol were, yet again, the winners!

Congratulations Wolf Patrol, and darn you sprog spawn *shakey fist*

A camp with extras

There were several reason why we went camping with the scouts at Laughterton this weekend:

• We had been asked to do circus skills workshops for a cub camp.
• Saxilby scouts (from whom we are 'borrowing' a leader) were potentially needing more leaders to meet their sprog to adult ratios.
• We wanted to do a small weekend camp before we broke up for the summer.
• please note that the weather forecast was not one of the reasons- the past so many weekends have been glorious, and we had to pick the wet one!

And I would like to say straight away... before I forget... THANK YOU to Mim (my GSL) for organising it. I was far too busy running round like the proverbial decapitated poultry getting everything sorted out for Kandersteg.

We had a total of 8 sprogs attend the camp and our program for them was simple enough.

• Friday: pitch site, wide game, supper and bed
• Saturday: route cards and plan hike (while some of the leaders ran circus skills with the cubs from another group), the actual hike in the afternoon and a campfire that night
• Sunday: some pioneering and then strike camp

Apart from that it would be free time for the sproggage to play. Simple enough you would have thought?

Friday went pretty much to plan... apart from me only having 15minutes to actually pack my own kit! mind you, I didn't actually forget anything. We thoroughly annoyed the sprogs with the Train Game at supper, it's a puzzle game where they have to figure out the rule behind what you are doing... none of them got it so I suppose it will run over to the next camp.

Saturday, well... that is where our first little extra surprise came in. I hadn't long returned to the site, from collecting the circus gear (there wasn't enough room for it and the camping equipment) when the site warden walks up to us and tells us that we have to move! Apparently the plot we were on is actually owned by a group, and they were on their way to the site for the weekend.

*argh*

With all hands to the pumps, and a bit of help from the cub camp leaders thank you! we managed to move our entire site - mess tent, tables, stoves, tents and all in 20-30mins.

Our second little surprise came when we were driving out to the checkpoint to meet the sprogs on their hike. I had noticed that a sign saying ZHP Polish Scout Centre. Turns out that there is actually another campsite, just 2minutes further down the road, that is run by the Polish Scout Association... and no body even knew it was there!

We stopped in to check the place out and the facilities looked brilliant, I currently have plans for some things to do with that site buzzing round my head at the moment. But how could this little gem of a place not be known by anyone? Laughterton was mobbed with groups this weekend, and the Polish place was deserted (purely cause no one knew about it).

... it's a strange World I tell ya

... anyway, back to the camp.

I managed to get 2 of my new starts invested at the campfire infront of all the other scouts. One of the cub leaders and myself ran the campfire... and there was only two things that I thought we wrong with it. Firstly I wanted to keep going longer (but cubilly-winks need their sleep). And secondly, I was the one doing all the running for Cecile the Caterpillar.

running.... *shudder*

Unfortunately the pioneering on Sunday didn't really happen, mainly because the sprogettes didn't finish making breakfast til 11am. (and before you say anything about me being sexist and getting the girls to do the cooking, the boys had done it the day before...*so there*)

Some funny quotes from camp:

• when heading up to the campfire: "Are they going to dim the lights when you do the fire poi?"
• Leader: "Stop being things I can't call you"
• Sprog while walking out of toilet, added humour in the fact that a boy she really fancies was within earshot: "Going to the toilet is fun"

Camps little lessons:

• How to move a site- quickly
• pretending to flick someones blister is a bad idea... you might accidentally hit it Sorry!
• Sprogs can take forever to cook or wash up at times
• Cub leaders are usually packing sweets/cake
• Coca Cola burps can be the cause of hilarity for several reasons

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*

Poi Scouts

I'm pretty sure that I have mentioned it in passing before now, but recently the leaders and I have been undergoing a little experiment to raise some money for the scout troop.

One of my hobbies happens to be circus skills (a tad strange I know... but its better than hanging around on street corners so I am sure that my parents didn't mind too much the odd bit of damage here or there!) Over the years I have collected a good sized pile of equipment, and every now and again I would take it to scouts for them to have a go.

... this is where the fundraising comes from. Basically we've said that for a donation we would go to other scout troops and run a circus skills evening for them. I wasn't even sure if people would even be interested!

So far, so good. All the groups that we've been to so far have really enjoyed it (or seamed to at least), heck some of them are even asking us to come back again for camps etc... we even have a fete on the books.

Some of the stuff that we've been doing with the sprogs:
Poi
Devil Sticks
Diabolo
Juggling (scarves, balls and clubs)
Staff Spinning
Unicycles
Plate Spinning
Bouncy Stilts!! (aka. Powerisers)

There also some other odd and sods for the kids to play with.

If I'm honest I'm rather chuffed with what we've managed to achieve, its fundraising that is a bit different, it provides a service for those we are getting money from and most importantly... it doesn't require us to stand for hours packing other peoples shopping!

Oh and by the way... if you check out the new Scout Handbook, there is a page about circus skills with a big picture of someone doing fire poi (swinging balls of fire on the ends of chains).... THAT'S ME! That's right, I am actually in the Scout Handbook!!

Infiltrating the GSL meeting

"Scotland, what are you up to tomorrow evening?"

Why is it that any time I get asked this loaded question a tiny wee alarm bell does off in my head? I can just picture the Homer Simpsons control desk type set up in my head with an alarm going off in the background... unfortunately, like Homer, the wee guy at the controls is usually either asleep or preoccupied with doughnuts (but he spells them doughnuts and not donuts because he isn't American!)

Mind you, if I am honest, I wasn't actually that bothered about being asked this by Mim this time... she has been exceptionally helpful to me recently so I owed her a favour (and if we're counting I probably owe several more- thank goodness we're not counting).

So on Wednesday I set off to take Mims place at the Group Scout Leaders meeting being held by the district. It was rather long, and I am sorry to say Mim... but I have about 6 or 7 pages of notes that I am going to have to go through with you.

The last part of the meeting had to be the most interesting, it was covering the District Camp to be held in September this year. I don't want to give too much away ahead of the game... but it sounds AWESOME!!!

I so want a go of a load of the activities!

ooo... and I forgot to say, on Monday we had a mammoth circus skills session with the Scothern Scout Group. We did their Beavers, Cubs and Scouts one right after the other! It was a long, but enjoyable 4 hours. And I have to say, they are probably the most talented (circus wise anyway) so far

Send in the Clowns

... err excuse me... your balls have dropped...

what? ewww, how could you think that, don't be so dirty minded. Here was me just innocently telling you that you dropped your juggling balls.

*mental soap*

Not that long ago I was asked if I would run a circus skills activity session for the cubs, which resulted in me heading down to the hall on a Sunday night... balls in hand. Actually I had a bit more than balls.
The skills on offer: Juggling (scarves, balls and clubs), Poi (weights on the end of chains that you swing about, or balls in long socks), Staff Spinning, Diabolo, Plate Spinning and the odd random activity from them to do themselves
I got the cubs leaders to come down early so that I could teach them the basics of how to do it, so that they would be able to show the kids some stuff... I can't be everywhere at the one time

The evening started off with their usual grand howl and inspection (turns out that the leaders have been taking some notes from my new structure in the scouts!), then we did a little warm up session. We got the group to do some group juggling. It's not a complicated as it sounds:
get them in a circle. Give the ball to one of the kids and tell them that they are only allowed to throw it to one person (who can't be right beside them) and it goes round the group until everyone has had the ball and it gets back to the first person. I usually get the kids to sit down once they have had the ball to help show who still needs to get it. Once the ball for the ball has been created, it doesn't change. Start off with just one ball and do a couple of rounds without stopping, then add more and more balls. The kids seamed to enjoy it... although some of them were a bit pants at catching!

After a safety talk; where they were warned that ANY messing around would end up with them going home early and I was asked by a sprog if the staff was for pole dancing; the group was split into two for the activities.

All in all they enjoyed the activities and the random challenges that I would set them (always handy to have when they start getting bored with the fact that they can't do any of the tricks)