National Vision for Scouting

The national vision for scouting makes interesting reading. Please see the following link: http://scouts.org.uk/about-us/strategy/vision-for-2023/.

Cubs update

Over the last couple of months, the Cubs have learnt some new communication skills including Morse Code, semaphore and sign language.  However, now the nights are lighter (and hopefully warmer), our meetings will move outdoors.

The programme for this term includes exciting activities such as orienteering around Haw Park Wood, den building at Newmillerdam, grass sledging at Calder Drift district camp site and launching rockets at the Sidings.

We also have adventures organised like a trip on the Wakefield District Narrowboat where cubs will have chance to pilot the boat themselves and open the lock gates. 

Our final meeting before the summer holidays will be our annual water games night at the Sidings which we have with the scouts.  Everyone gets thoroughly soaked (even the leaders) but it’s great fun.

A message from the executive committee

According to the Scouts website scouting (which includes Beavers, Cubs and Scouts)  “helps children and young adults reach their full potential. Scouts develop skills including teamwork, time management, leadership, initiative, planning, communication, self-motivation, cultural awareness and commitment. Scouting helps young people to get jobs, save lives and even change the world!”

Being a parent of two children who are in scouting I can appreciate that the activities that they take part in definitely contribute towards the above points – but as they are in a fun environment the children are not aware of the life skills that they are gaining!  I would like to share with you that our Scouts in Crofton get the opportunity to take part in the most amazing experiences, these can be as diverse as kayaking, abseiling, gliding and expeditions to name but a few.  These are with their new and old friends so what is not to like?

The weekly fees and the contributions towards camps and trips that parents pay cover the normal running costs.  However we rely on fund raising for replacing and upgrading old equipment eg tents, and for purchasing those “extras” that enhance the scouting experience.  One example is the grass sledges which the children love. Just to note that all the leaders are volunteers and give their own time for the weekly meetings and trips which we all appreciate.

There are certain grants that we can apply for (on occasion),  however we also have to raise funds through other means for example bag-packing at Supermarkets or selling food at the Sidings fund day.  If anyone has any ideas about fund-raising, or can offer any help in this area we would be very grateful.  All the money goes back to the Scouts where they will gain memories from their experiences that will stay with them for a life-time.

Any ideas please contact me on the email address below.

Diane Goodfellow

Executive Member

dianegoodfellow@croftonscouts.org.uk

Happy New Year from Crofton Scouts Committee

Here are a few interesting facts about scouting

Did you know?

·         David Bowie’s first public musical performance was at a Scout camp on the Isle of Wight in 1958. David Bowie and his friend George Underwood performed three songs around the campfire whilst attending the 18th Bromley Scout Pack's annual summer camp. David played the ukulele and single-stringed bass while Underwood sang. They performed 'Gamblin' Man' and 'Putting on the Style' by Lonnie Donegan.

·         What does DYB DYB DYB, DOB DOB DOB actually mean? The Scout Leader calls, 'DYB DYB DYB,' which is an acronym for Do Your Best and the reply, 'DOB DOB DOB,' stands for Do Our Best.

·         Rolling Stones rocker Keith Richards credits Scouts with nurturing his music career. ‘I got to be patrol leader within six weeks – I just shot to the top. Once I had a bunch of guys together, it doesn't matter if it was the Scouts or a band, I could see my way clear to pull all their various talents together.’

·         Only five countries in the world do not have a scouting organisation. The countries, Andorra, Cuba, Laos and North Korea, have previously had Scouting organisations but they have since been disbanded. Vatican City is the only country/state to have never had a Scouting organisation

·         Liam Payne from world-dominating boyband One Direction is a former Scout, as is ‘reem’ ankle watch-wearing TOWIE star Joey Essex.

·         Baden-Powell's Scouting for Boys has sold 150 million copies since 1908, making it the fourth bestselling book of all time after The Bible, The Koran and Chairman Mao’s Little Red Book.

·         Singer and DJ Jarvis Cocker donated the platinum disc for Pulp’s biggest ever album, Different Class, to his old Scout Group in Sheffield.

·         Georges Remi, aka Hergé, based his legendary comic-book character Tintin on a Scout.

·         John Lennon and Paul McCartney went to Cubs together.

·         Scout Leaders contribute the equivalent of 37 million hours of voluntary work every year – worth an estimated £380 million.

·         Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, is an Eagle Scout. When he said, “The Eagle has landed, he wasn’t kidding. In 1969, Armstrong became the first Eagle Scout to be portrayed on a U.S. postage stamp— called “The Man on the Moon.”

Other famous Scouts include.

• Sir David Attenborough, David Beckham, Tony Blair, Russell Brand, Sir Richard Branson, Billy Connolly, Richard Hammond, Lucie Jones, James Martin, Andrew Murray, Barack Obama, Joe Pasquale, Jeremy Paxman, Keith Richards, Steven Spielberg, David Walliams, Jamie Oliver, Simon Pegg & our very own Bear Grylls.

Crofton Beavers, Cubs & Scouts are always looking for volunteers help out in a variety of roles. If this is something you would like to get involved with please get in touch.

info@croftonscouts.org.uk

2017 AGM Minutes

The minutes for our recent Annual General Meeting are now available here.

Invitation to our Annual General Meeting

We are holding our AGM on 

Thursday 14^th September 7pm at Shay Lane School, Crofton 

All are welcome.

The agenda for the meeting is as follows:

1.       Welcome by GSL

2.       Attendees/Apologies

3.       Minutes of previous AGM (held 24^th September 2016)

4.       Presentation of the annual report of the group executive committee including GSL report and the annual statement of accounts for the period ending 31^st March 2017

5.       Approval of the annual report of the group executive committee including GSL report and the annual statement of accounts for the period ending 31st March 2017

6.       Approval of the GSL’s nomination for the position of Group Chairperson

7.       Election of Group Secretary

8.       Election of Group Treasurer

9.       Election of up to 6 members of the executive committee including section leaders

10.   Any Other business

11.   Date and venue for 2017-2018 AGM to be confirmed

12.   Meeting  to be closed  

October exec meeting minutes

The minutes from October's exec meeting are now available to view in the Public Files > minutes section of this site.

A message from our secretary

November is an important month for everyone involved in Crofton  scouting as we paid our respects to those who have been involved in or affected by conflict or war, whether veteran  or civilian. One two of the Sunday's running up to Remembrance Day the older scout section supported the Normanton rotary  club who collect for the British Legion  by selling poppies at junction 32. The scouts helped to raise a substantial amount of money  and many shoppers commented on how much they valued our young people 'doing their bit'.

On 13th November we had a good representation from all three sections ( beavers, cubs and scouts) at the annual Crofton church service. In conjunction with parishioners and members of the general public we flew our flags high and marched from the church to the war memorial before maintaining the two minutes silence. This event and the annual St. Georges day parade are compulsory events for our members and we always hope for a good turn out. Of course we cannot force our members to attend so it is always uplifting to see so many of our members turning out on a cold and often wet ( although not this year!) November morning to demonstrate their commitment to supporting the local community. Their presence also showshow the scouting association helps our members to grow into caring, compassionate and considerate individuals.

If anyone reading this article heard the British Legion adverts this year, you will have noticed that the campaign focused on young veterans who had taken part in more recent conflicts. Their words were spoken by veterans of World War II and several of the adverts shared the effects that their experiences had had on their mental health. In the same month the results of a research study involving 10,000 adults was published,  which demonstrated that young people involved in scouting went onto maintain better mental health as adults. This was believed to be due  the resilience that the individuals developed in response to the challenges they faced and the skills they developed. In this day and age when 1 in 4 of us will experience mental health issues at some point in our lives, it is enlightening to hear of the positives that scouting can bring to our members. For as the British Legion  campaign demonstrated,  even the strongest and most fearless of us sometimes need help and support to maintain our health and wellbeing , not just on the outside but on the inside too.

Yours in scouting
Joanna
Joanna Burton
Crofton scout group secretary

Remembrance Service 13.11.16

Great turn out from Beaver's, Cubs and Scouts for today's Remembrance Service.

2016 AGM Minutes and End Of Year Accounts 2015-2016

The minutes from the recent AGM and our End Of Year Accounts (2015-2016) are now available in the Public Files section of this site.