|
|
| Group Scout Leaders Report - 2003 |
GSL Report 2003
Another year passes and Scouting in Stotfold remains as strong as
ever, from this year’s census results Stotfold is the second largest
Scout Group in the Biggleswade district, second only to Biggleswade
itself. The various sections continue to surprise me with the number
and variety of the activities on offer, for which I shall pick out
but a few of the highlights.
The Beavers have been exploring both the depths of the local pond or
river life during a ramble and the reaches of outer space when they
went to the National Space centre at Leicester.
The Cub packs have joined in several district events ranging from
fishing through cross-country and tug-of –war to a 5-a –side
football competition. Last weekend there older Cubs attended the
sixers and seconders camp at Boyd field.
The Scouts have done just about everything you can imagine, Summer
camps, Winter camps, Survival camps, 14 in all, have taken over
children’s activity world, held virtual meetings over the web
(although I am told that the chocolate prizes were real), and on and
on.
The Explorers have been on several successful minimalist camps and
joined in some of the Scout camps, continue to build a canoe, shot
their own version of “Lord of the Rings” (release date to be
advised).
One event does require special note and that is the attendance of
Darren Green at the International Jamboree in Thailand over the
Christmas period. For each World Jamboree, the group has been able
to sponsor one of the elder members to this once in a lifetime
experience, and a visit to Thailand followed by a home visit to
China can only be described as a once in a lifetime experience.
Darren was part of the Bedfordshire contingent and took part in
several fund raising events and group bonding activities prior to
leaving for Thailand just before Christmas.
Darren has put together a small display to give us a flavour of the
experience.
The success and variety of events offered to the boys is due to a
most unusual set of people, the leaders and helpers.
This unique set of people always seem to be there when something
needs to be done as if by magic events and trips are organised,
busses arrive, children and parents arrive, and depart, usually on
time(ish). The children, the leaders and helpers seem to have a good
time with remarkably little drama, then everyone is packed up and a
bunch of very tired, sometimes mucky kids are reunited with their
parents.
It is a well-worn joke that the Scouts are a disorganisation more
than an organisation, but considering everything that needs to be
done to run even the simplest of events, it amazes me that it does
usually come together and work. I would like to thank all of the
leaders on behalf of the kids, their parents, and myself. You don’t
get thanked often enough so I hope that this goes someway to
redressing the balance for the times when thanks were due but non
were forthcoming. Thank you all.
The group as far as the children are concerned does continue and
they expect that someone will be there to run the sections and
adventures. Unfortunately we are desperate for more of these
someone’s, it is always nice to have more leaders to help out, but
at the moment for several sections the situation is becoming
critical. We are about to send a leaflet to each and every household
in the village appealing for new leaders and helpers; this may bring
some saviours to the fore.
Health and Safety: as dry and boring a topic as you could wish for,
and I can see people skipping this section at the very mention of
the words, but bare with it because it is your children’s health and
safety that we are talking about.
Health and safety have been bought in to focus this year, firstly by
two accidents, neither resulted in any permanent harm, but both
bring home the necessity for constant vigilance. The first occurred
at the very end of the highly successful District Camp. Whilst we
were engrossed in packing up, a fire that was thought to be out was
resurrected by several boys being helpful and tidy, to burn some
rubbish. Unfortunately the rubbish contained a pressurised can,
which exploded, fortunately only causing some minor burns and some
very concerned leaders.
Lesson 1 no more burning of rubbish and no unsupervised fires.
The second incident occurred at summer camp and involved several
boys throwing a boomerang, so it could have happened anywhere. One
boy was hit on the cheek, a small cut and a large bruise was all
that was apparent, a cold cloth, a quiet sit down for a while and he
was back in business. Fortunately he was due for an opticians check
up on the Monday after camp. On the Tuesday he was in hospital being
operated on for a tear and detachment of the retina, he has made a
full recovery, but if it were not for that chance appointment he
could have been blind in one eye.
Lesson 2 Take nothing for granted: get all injuries checked out by
the professionals.
Two scare stories that have happened to US this year, Health and
Safety IS important.
The next reason for H&S to become important is the boring bit: the
Scout HQ, and our procedures, have been inspected by the
Bedfordshire Health and Safety Inspectors.
Our procedures were thought to be covered by the general procedures
of the National Scout organisation, but this is not so, we needed
our own., Fortunately we have a Ray Kilby, (ably assisted by Clare I
suspect); he has put together a set of procedures that we have to
work to. The leaders now know all about these
The day dawned the man showed up and we were inspected, and apart
from a few minor things and one seriously major one we were give a
clean bill of Health and Safety.
Ray has now rectified all of the minor problems.
The big problem has already been identified by the chairman. The
Electrical wiring has the potential to be very expensive and if nor
successfully addressed could close down the building.
So Health and Safety may seem boring but for very real reasons it is
not and we have to take it very seriously.
Enough of the doom and gloom. We are lucky to have a thriving Scout
group, stemming from a long tradition of Scouting in the village,
it’s one of the largest and most active groups in the District and
probably the County. We could do with a few more leaders and we have
a few technical problems to overcome. Overall, another successful
year with the promise of more to come.
Peter Cheney
GSL |
| |
| |
Nick -
21 January, 2008 |
|
|
|
