Cosford Air Show 2012

Cosford Air Show 2012

Hi All,

On Sunday 17th June we took 13 of our Cubs & Scouts to the Cosford air show in Shropshire.

We met at HQ early on Sunday morning and boarded a minibus, which we’d hired from our colleagues at the 7th.
The weather was overcast but no rain!

We then headed onto the motorway network before joining a surprisingly short queue into Cosford.
By around mid morning we reached our destination and were directed onto the main public car park, which was filling up very quickly.

First stop was the toilets and then to choose a spot where we could all meet up over the day. There were some very large model aircraft flying around at the time.

After we had chosen an easily recognisable meeting point, we split the group up and allowed the older Scouts some free time to explore the airfield.
Maria & I took charge of the younger Scouts and asked them what they would like to do. First stop, the fair!

At approximately 12pm we watched the RAF Falcons parachute display team come down out of the sky and then waited for a very noisy RAF Typhoon to roar through the clouds and do some very interesting manouevres. We also saw one of the Black Cat helicopters doing a demonstration, which we managed to get very close up and personal with last year!

We then did some further exploration of the airfield before we all met up for lunch at approx 1.30pm. During lunch we watched one of my favourites, the battle of Britain memorial flight. This year only the Lancaster bomber and Spitfire were in formation as unfortunately the Hurricane had started to leak oil! The sound of the Lancaster and particularly the Spitfire made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and I felt very proud and patriotic.

After this exciting bit of history we let both groups of Scouts have some free time to explore the other attractions that were on offer at the air show. Maria, Simon and I visited the very busy market at Simon's request and he bought several post cards and an unbreakable flying glider!

At 3pm we watched the brilliant Red Arrows display team, a Hurricane Mk1 and a massive VC10. At appprox 3.30pm, all the Scouts came back to watch an Army Air Corps Apache attack helicopter and then a pair of Tornando's carry out a mock bombing run, which culminated in several explosions, fire & smoke!

At around 4.30pm we gathered both groups back together and headed off to find an interesting location to Invest 2 Scouts. After being denied a spot by some Jaguar fighter jets (by order of the OC!) I asked one of the pilots of an RAF Merlin HC3 helicopter if we could perform our ceremony nearby. He very kindly let us do the Investiture underneath the tail at the back end of the helicopter. How's that for an intersting location and welcome to the Troop Nicola & Daniel!

At approx 5.15pm we got back into the minibus and headed home. The Scouts and Cubs had a great day out and the weather was much kinder to us compared to last year!

Please click on the above image to see some more pictures taken over the day.

We hope to organise similar events in the future.

All the best,

Maria & Adam

Queen's Diamond Jubilee Camp 2012

Queen's Diamond Jubilee Camp 2012

Hi All,

During the bank holiday on 4th & 5th June, 8 of our Scouts and 3 Leaders took part in the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations organised at the Scout camp at Pikes Pool.

We arrived just after lunchtime on the Monday and set-up our kitchen tent, a dining shelter and several pop-up tents. We decorated our camp with bunting and Union flags galore.

Afterwards the Scouts played games, chatted and chilled and gathered wood for a campfire later on.

Each Scout Troop was also asked to bring a game for other Scout Troop also taking part to have a go at. We bought along the 'Devil amongst the Tailors' game which was last seen at the Summer fayre.

The weather was gorgeous.

For dinner we took advantage of the BBQ organised by Leaders from Rae Valley. There were hot-dogs, lamb burgers, beef burgers and chilli burgers (my favourite) plus a tuck shop, which was much appreciated by our Scouts!

At around 9.30pm we made our way up to the top field to watch the lighting of the beacon.

Birmingham County Scouts, in collaboration with Bromsgrove District and Blackwell Village, would be taking part in the historic countrywide line of 2,012 beacons being lit on the evening of Monday 4 June to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

At 10.10pm after a dramatic countdown, the beacon was lit!

From the Pikes Pool beacon (number 191 on the official list of beacons) we could also see the Malvern beacon and any others being lit in the local vicinity.

After the beacon had burned down to embers, we headed back to camp and gathered round our own campfire.

We toasted marshmallows and had bicuits and hot drinks before finally turning into bed.

Next morning we cooked a full english breakfasts for the Scouts and then soon afterwards we started to break camp. We were very lucky with the weather and by the time the rain finally arrived we had managed to pack everything into the trailer.

Well done to the following Scouts for taking part in the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations:

Lauren, Jenny, Kelsey, Jacob H, Liam W, Christian, Aaron & Omar

Three cheers for Her Majesty: hip-hip hooray, hip-hip hooray, hip-hip hooray.

Yours in Scouting,

Graham, Jason & Adam

Runners Up - District Football Competition May 2012

District Football Competition May 2012

Hi All,

On Saturday 19th May we took part in this year’s District football competition.

The weather was perfect for the event, the winner and runner up of which would go through to the County competition in the Autumn.
We managed to field the full team requirement of 6 plus 2 subs so that we could rotate our players in each match.
Each team played each other 3 times in a league based system and points were awarded for a win and a draw.
The winner and runner up position was decided on the very last game and I am pleased to say that we finished second in the league. This means that we will go through to the County final later on this year. Brilliant result!

Well done to Harry, Luke, Kelsey, Jack, Patrick, Jacob B, Christian & Alex for taking part.

All the best,

Chief

District Scout Activity Camp April 2012

District Scout Activity Camp April 2012

Hi All,

During the weekend of 27/28/29th April 2012, 19 of our Scouts, 2 Leaders & 1 parent helper made their way by minibus & car to Walesby Forest Scout Campsite near Newark, to take part in this year’s District Scout activity camp.
Jason, Tim, Debbie Y (Jason’s mum) and myself had already been up early Friday morning to pitch the marquee and mess tent and to also unload most of the camping equipment needed for the weekend that we had packed the night before.

A massive thank you to Tim & Debbie here for giving up their time to assist us with this task. Tim also offered to do the food shopping on the night before.

We then drove back to the West Midlands and had approx 1hour to get ready before picking up the Scouts from HQ to take them to the site.
We arrived in decent weather on the Friday evening and pitched all of the Scout sleeping tents and finished off organising the camping equipment.
Once again we had one of the largest numbers of Scouts on site.
In just a few hours the camp was complete and supper was soon on the go. We cooked burgers on baps and made hot drinks and biscuits available for everyone who wanted them before starting the long task of preparing for bed!
Some of the Troop also collected firewood ready for a camp fire on Saturday evening.
In between all of this, some of the Leaders were called to a meeting and briefed on the arrangements taking place over the next 2 days.
It was a cold night.
On Saturday morning we awoke to cloudy skies and many of the Troop were up & about very early in the morning, excited about the day ahead.
Some cereal, sausage or bacon baps and drinks were welcomed by all for breakfast and it was soon time to begin the programme of activities organised for the day.
At 9.30am we had our first flag break before the Scouts were let loose on the site!
Our Troop was split into 2 teams and each team took part in 6 activities on Saturday and 2 more on Sunday.
The activities included; Jacob’s ladder, leap of faith, archery, air rifles, cave maze, assault course, water zorbs, zip wire & giant crates.
Lunch was Pitta breads with a choice of fillings, savouries, hot or cold drinks plus crisps, biscuits and fruit.
The weather remained dull all day, but this did not prevent any of the activities from taking place.
At approximately 5.30pm a 6-a-side football competition was organised for those who wanted to take part. The rest of the Scouts gathered more firewood and helped to get a camp altar fire started.
For dinner we had a choice of spaghetti bolognese or bangers & mash. Pudding was bananas & custard!
At around 9pm a wide game was organised for all of the Scouts & Leaders to take part in, which involved trying to capture the opposite teams lantern located and each end of a very large field!
We had a supper of marshmallows, biscuits and hot or cold drinks and were then treated to a good old fashioned sing song around the camp fire, aided by Tim and his awesome guitar playing. I have to say that I was in particularly fine singing voice during the session, just ask the Scouts! After the entertainment, some of the Scouts continued to roast their marshmallows on the alter fire before finally retiring to bed.
It was a very wet night.
On Sunday morning we awoke to even more rain, in fact it never stopped!
Breakfast consisted of lashings of bacon, sausage, beans, egg and bread plus hot/cold drinks.
Due to the appalling weather we skipped flag break and at 10am we started the second day of activities. The Scouts to their credit did not let the weather deter them from having a good time.
At approximately 12pm we had lunch, similar to that what we had on Saturday (and anything else that was left), and then started the inaugural task of breaking camp.
It continued to rain all day as we took down the tents and loaded the equipment onto the minibus and trailer.

At this stage I would like to thank all those parents who made the long trip up to Walesby to help us break camp in the dreadful weather conditions and take groups of Scouts home. Everybody pitched in to help us pack away as quickly as possible and to free up the minibus so that we did not have to make a return trip to site.

At 3pm the camp was closed and we were soon heading back to Douay Road in the minibus to unload. I have to say it took several days for the tents to dry out before they could be packed away as they were very, very wet!

Many thanks to all those Scouts who took part and I hope you all had a good time. Extreme thanks once again to Tim P for helping us out as part of the Leadership team during the whole weekend and to Debbie Y for helping us pack the trailer and for joining us early on Friday morning to help set up camp. Without their help, Jason and I would have struggled to make the camp viable.
Also a big thank you to Emily for preparing the menu and sorting out the camp duty rota!

Going to camp is a major reason why young people join the Scouts, the fun of living in a tent can be unbeatable. You will hopefully appreciate how much effort goes into running a camp and we try to organise and attend as many as is feasibly possible, so that all Members of our Troop get the opportunity to attend at least one over the year.

Yours in Scouting,

Adam, Jason & Tim

Summer Fayre 2012

Summer Fayre 2012

Hi All,

Some pictures taken at the recent Summer Fair can be viewed by clicking on the image above.

Enjoy!

Scout Meeting 16/04/2012

Scout Meeting 16/04/2012

Hi All,

On Monday 16th April we challenged our Scouts to design and build a car that went either really fast or really far (at least four feet), had a max of 4 wheels and powered by an elastic band.

The Scouts worked in pairs or in Groups and came up with many interesting and varied designs to say the least!

At the end of the challenge we tested the cars for their speed and distance. There was a prize for the winners who’s car most impressed the judges and which managed to reach the bar set by Chief's design! There was also consolation prizes for all those who took part.

The Scouts had a lot of fun and we hope to do a similar challenge later on in the year.

All the best,

Calico & Chief

Scout Meeting 26/03/2012

Scout Meeting 26/03/2012

Hi All,

On Monday 26th March we challenged our Scouts to design and build a container that would prevent an uncooked chicken egg from breaking when dropped by a Leader from a height of approx 4m. The Scouts should also be able to remove the egg without damage.

The Scouts worked in pairs or Groups and came up with many interesting and varied designs.

At the end of the challenge we dropped each container from a height of approx 4m and recorded the results. There was a prize for the winners who's eggs survived and a consolation prize for everyone else.

We had a lot of fun and the night was a big success.

We will be running a similar event later on in the year and we will allow more elaborate designs, including parachute systems!

Enjoy the photo's,

Smee & Chief

St. George's Day Service & Parade

St Georges Day Parade 2012

Hi All,

Some pictures taken during our recent participation in this year’s St. George’s Day service & parade held in Sutton Coldfield town centre, have been added to the Red Border website.

Well done to: Aaron, Omar, Jamaal, Jenny, Pia, Jack, Vincent, Will, Luke, Bradley, Byron & James

for giving up just a few hours of their weekend by taking part in this year’s celebrations.

You did yourselves and the Group proud.

Just click on the image above to see the rest.

Yours in Scouting,

Adam (Chief)

Chase Walk 2012

Chase Walk 2012

Hi All,

On Saturday 17th March we entered a team of 5 Scouts into this year’s Chase Walk event.

We would've had 6 but unfortunately Vincent was taken ill a few days befor the event.

The Scouts met at Birches Valley car park at 8.30am for a brief equipment check and then made their way to the official starting point near the Birches Vally Forest Centre on Cannock Chase.

I had to get there earlier than the Scouts this year to assist the Scout Comms team with check-in and do various walking sweeps throughout the day picking up any strays!

After registering our team with the organisers, the Scouts then had to wait for an official equipment and safety check before finally being allowed to start the walk at around 9.00am.

The weather forecast started cloudy, but with sunny spells and scattered showers materialising later in the morning and continuing into the afternoon.

The route was approximately 22.3km (~14 miles) long and the team had to check in at 7 bases in total along the way, including one near the town of Brocton and Walton-on-the-Hill.

Our team did extremely well and made excellent time throughout the day.

All of the extra map reading sessions and practise hike had obviously paid off. We were very impressed.

Please click on the image above to see more pictures taken during the event.

The team reached the base at the finishing point at approx 2.30pm and were in very good spirits.

This is the third time we have entered a team in this event since it was opened up for the Scouts over 10 years ago.

We hope to enter another team in the Chase Walk event again next year.

Many thanks to all those parents who helped with transport, I am very grateful.

Yours in Scouting,

Adam (Chief)

Chase Walk Practise Hike 11th March 2012

Practise Hike Sun 11th March 2012

Hi All,

On Sunday 11th March we took some of our Chase Walk team for their 2nd practise hike around Maxstoke, Warwickshire.

The weather was warm and sunny all day, far too hot for trekking over fields and paths!

The Scouts walked a total distance of approximately 6.5 miles (~10km) and they all had a go at navigating using a map and compass.

This year’s Chase Walk event will take place on Saturday March 17th, 2012.

Click on the above image to see more pictures.

The team performed very well and should have no trouble at all walking in the national event.

Best regards,

Calico & Chief

Chase Walk Practise Hike 4th March 2012

Practise Hike Sun 4th March 2012

Hi All,

On Sunday 4th March we took our Chase Walk team for a practise hike on Cannock Chase.

The walking conditions were eventually favourable, after the rain and sleet had finished!

The Scouts walked a total distance of approximately 12 miles (20km) and practised their navigation skills and experience of walking long distances as a team.

This year’s Chase Walk event will take place on Saturday March 17th, 2012.

Click on the above image to see more pictures.

The team performed very well and should have no trouble at all walking in the national event.

Kind regards,

Calico, Smee & Chief

Winter Activity Camp Feb 2012

Winter Activity Camp Feb 2012

Hi All,

During the weekend of 17/18/19th February 2012, 11 of our Scouts made their way to Blackwell Adventure near Bromsgrove to take part in our first Camp of the year.

This year we took advantage of a special deal being offered by this very popular Scout campsite, to stay in one of the tented villages for a modest camping fee.

The Scouts arrived in good weather and with the help of their parents they managed to settle into the purpose built accommodation with a minimum of fuss. No having to put tents up in the dark this time round...not on this camp anyway!

In just a few short hours the camp was established and supper was soon on the go. We cooked burgers, sausages & onions in baps and made hot drinks and biscuits available for everyone who wanted them before starting the long task of preparing for bed! The Scouts played cards and chatted amongst themselves before FINALLY nodding off!

It was a relatively mild night and everyone settled into bed without any difficulties.

On Saturday morning we awoke to a grey sky which threatened rain but this did not deter the Troop from getting out of bed and preparing themselves for the day ahead.

Some cereals, bacon or sausage baps and drinks were welcomed by all for breakfast and it was soon time to begin the programme of activites organised for the day.

Jason joined us soon afterwards and at 9.15am we had our first flag break before the Scouts were let loose on the site!

Our Troop took part in 6 activities on Saturday and 2 more on Sunday. The activities included; crate stacking, pedal go-karts, dual zip wire, team challenges, obstacle course, abseiling, grass sledging & night line (actually in the dark)!

Lunch was sandwiches with a choice of fillings, sausage rolls, hot or cold drinks plus crisps, biscuits and fruit.

The temperature remained low and we had several light showers but this did not deter the Troop from having a good time.

Dinner was a choice of either spaghetti bolognese or chicken korma with rice. Pudding was a choice of fairy cakes or bananas, with custard. All Scouts had a go at preparing and cooking food at various mealtimes over the weekend.

We had a supper of marshmallows, biscuits and hot or cold drinks before finally retiring to bed. Some of the Scouts roasted their marshmallows on an amazing and much welcomed alter fire which burned long after the Scouts had gone to bed.

It was a very cold Saturday night.

On Sunday morning we awoke to a light sprinkling of snow which looked very pretty first thing in the morning as the sun rose. We could now call it a proper Winter camp!
Breakfast consisted of lashings of bacon, sausage, beans and bread plus hot/cold drinks.

At 9.30am we had our final flag break before starting the second day of activities.

At around 12pm we had lunch, similar to that what we had on Saturday (and anything else that was left), and then started to break camp in between activities.

At 2.45pm we Invested Josie into the Troop as parents began arriving to pick up their young ones.

Please click on the image above to see more pictures taken during the weekend.

Many thanks to all those Scouts who took part and we hope you all had a good time.

Jason & I were very impressed with the way they all got on with each other and with the various camp duties when asked.

The Scouts behaviour was very, very good.

I would also like to thank all those parents who assisted the Scouts in settling in on the Friday night.

Going to camp is a major reason why young people join the Scouts, the fun of living in a tent can be unbeatable. You will hopefully appreciate how much effort goes into running a camp and we try to organise and attend as many as is feasibly possible, so that all Members of our Troop get the opportunity to attend at least one over the year.

Our next camp will be in April, which will be the District Scout Activity Camp in Walesby Forest!

All the best,

Calico & Chief

Italy 2012 Sponsored Bike Ride

Italy 2012 Sponsored Bike Ride

Hi All,

During the weekend of 10th/11th February, several of our Scouts joined other Scouts from the 5th Sutton Coldfield East and Endeavour Explorer Unit in a sponsored bike ride in order to raise money for our International Camp in Italy.

Scouts and Explorers were challenged to cycle the distance between Four Oaks Methodist Church to Villeneuve in the Aosta Valley, Italy, using a selection of begged and borrowed exercise bikes!

This would normally take a total of approx 275 hours for one person to complete however, the Scouts & Explorers worked in groups and in shifts around the clock to cover the distance in a single 24 hour period.

The event was very well attended by all those concerned and the money raised will go towards ensuring that the Scouts & Explorers have an unforgettable experience of a Scouting adventure abroad.

Please click on the above image to see more pictures taken durung the event.

Yours in Scouting,

Adam

February 2012 Red Border

Here's the February 2012 issue of the Red Border

District Air rifle Shooting Competition 28/01/2012

District Shooting Competition 28/01/2012

Hi All,

On Saturday 28th January, 8 of our Scouts took part in the District Air Rifle Shooting competition held at the National Indoor Shooting Centre in Wolverhampton.
Each Scout took turns to fire at several targets some 10m away and their cards were scored accordingly.
Out of the seven teams who took part, our two teams came 5th & 7th. Not bad considering half of our Scouts who volunteered had never shot before!
Please click on the picture for further images.

Best regards,

Chief & Smee