Rough Close 2013

Rough Close July 2013

Hi Leaders!

Some pictures from our weekend at the Rough Close Scout Campsite near Coventry have been added to the website.

Just click on the image above to view them.

All the best,
Adam (Chief)

Camp Cook Activity Badge July 2013

Scout Meeting 22nd July 2013

Hi All,

Over the last two Scout meetings before the Summer holidays, several of our Scouts started work to achieve their Camp Cook activity badges.

As you can see, some very interesting and creative dishes were attempted by the Scouts, who used a variety of cooking methods to produce some extremely appetising meals.

The Scouts will continue with this badgework when we return after the Summer.

Yours in Scouting,
The Scout Leaders

Joint Scout & Explorer Survival Camp July 2013

Joint Scout & Explorer Camp July 2013

Hi All,

During the weekend of 20th July, four of our Scouts took part in a minimalist Camp organised by Members of the SOS Explorer Unit.

During the Camp the Scouts made their own shelters to sleep in at night, learned how to build and cook on an open fire, how to use axes, saws & knives safely plus other very useful Scouting skills.

Well done to the following Scouts for taking part in the joint Scout/Explorer survival camp:

Byron, Aaron, Omar & Daniel

Laura and I also practised our Scouting skills by building a shelter and boiling water/cooking meals using natural resources from the forest.

Many thanks to the Explorers for organising and running the Camp.

Yours in Scouting,
Adam, Laura & Andy

Raft Race 2013

Raft Race 2013

Hi All,

On Sat 6th July, we took part in the Sutton Coldfield East & West District Scout raft race.

This year we changed the design of our raft in an attempt to regain the title we were robbed of last year. Needless to say we did not succeed!

Although we did not finish, the Scouts put the raft together well and had an hilarious time reaching the first marker.

They also entertained the crowd for a good part of the race and got a ride in the power boat at the end!

Well done to the following Scouts for taking part in this year's race:

Byron KJ
Daniel P
Cameron D
Simon U
Lawrence P

Many thanks also to Nigel for his part in the adventure.

We will be posting some amazing 'head-cam' footage onto the website in due course.

We would also like to thank the handful of parents who turned up to support us.

Yours in Scouting,
The Scout Leaders

Chief Scout Gold Award Presentations April 2013

Scout Meeting 22nd April 2013

Hi All,

During the month of April Dave Phillips, our GSL, presented several of our Scouts with their Chief Scout Gold Awards, the highest award a Scout can achieve.

Well done to: Lauren A, Jacob H, Lawrence P, Kelsey J, Nicola P, Josie P & Pia KJ

This follows on from Vincent P who achieved the award in 2012.

Pia will be presented were her award in Sept, along with Jenny C who also gained her award in June.

Their names will be added to the honours board for all to see.

Yours in Scouting,

Adam (Chief)

Scout Meeting 15/04/2013

Scout Meeting 15th April 2013

Hi All,

On Monday 15th April 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.

Best regards,
The Scout Leaders

Cosford Air Show 2013

Cosford Air Show 2013

Hi All,

On Sunday 9th 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 11th. The weather was perfect!

We then headed onto the motorway network before joining a massive queue into Cosford.
By around 12.30pm we reached our destination and were directed onto the car park reserved for air cadets and other youth groups such as the Scouts.
Whilst waiting in another queue, we watched a very noisy RAF Typhoon roar through the clouds and do some very interesting manouevres.

After we had parked up, the first stop was the toilets and then choose a spot where we could all meet up over the day.
After we had chosen an easily recognisable meeting point, we split the group up and allowed the Scouts some free time to explore the airfield.
Kelly and a parent took charge of the Cubs and asked them what they would like to do. First stop, the market!

We then did some further exploration of the airfield before we all met up for lunch at approx 2pm. During lunch we watched one of my favourites, the battle of Britain memorial flight. This is always a favourite of the crowd and the sound of those Rolls Royce engines is amazing.
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.

At approx 3pm we watched the brilliant Red Arrows and got some amazing footage of the display. After the Red Arrows, we watched an Apache gunship be put through it's paces. We later found out that the pilot was none other than HRH Prince Harry!

At approx 4pm, all the Cubs & Scouts came back to watch the grand finale. They were treated to a flyover by a Vulcan bomber, the only one in the world still flying. This was a piece of real history roaring through the clouds and one that we may never see again.

At approx 4.30pm, we got back into the minibus and headed home. The Scouts and Cubs had a great day out and the weather stayed perfect.

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,
Adam, Andy & Kelly

Brick BBQ Building May 2013

Brick BBQ Building May 2013

Hi All,

We now have a lovely new brick BBQ situated in our HQ grounds.
The BBQ was built by the lads at H2O and assisted by the following Scouts:

James D, Byron KJ, Alex A, Bradley R, Ryan J & Daniel P

The above Scouts will soon receive the DIY activity badge.

Many thanks to Mike and all the builders at H2O for giving up their time and materials free of charge on Weds night. The BBQ looks fantastic and will be put to good use for many years to come.

The Scouts definitely enjoyed themselves and I'm sure they got some valuable experience from all the work they did.

The BBQ will be 'fired up' for the first time at the Summer BBQ party on Saturday 22nd June. Don't miss it!

All the best,
Adam (Chief)

Summer Fayre 2013

Summer Fayre 2013

Hi All,

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

Enjoy!

District Football Competition May 2013 - Winners!

District Football Competition May 2013

Hi All,

On Saturday 11th May we took part in this year’s District football competition, 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 1 sub so that we could rotate our players in each match.
Each team played each other twice in a league based system and points were awarded for a win and a draw.

I am pleased to say that this year’s winners who finished top of the league with 8 points, were our very own 6th Sutton Coldfield East. This means that we will go through to the County final later on this year - brilliant result!

The trophy is now on display at our Scout HQ. Well done to Harry, Kelsey, Ben, Aaron, Omar, Niran & Matthew for taking part.

Best regards,
Adam (Chief)

District Scout Activity Camp April 2013

District Scout Activity Camp 2013

Hi All,

During the weekend of 26/27/28th April 2013, 13 of our Scouts made their way to Blackwell Court near Bromsgrove to take part in this year’s District Scout activity camp.
We arrived in decent weather on the Friday evening and pitched all of the Scout sleeping tents, 2 mess tents and set-up all of the kitchen and dining 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.
On Saturday morning we awoke to sunshine and many of the Troop were up & about very early in the morning, excited about the day ahead.
Some cereal, sausage/beans/bread & optional fried egg plus hot 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.
The activities included; zip wire, giant’s ladder, high all aboard, Jacob’s ladder, 3G swing, nightline & crate stacking.
Lunch was sandwiches with a choice of fillings, sausage rolls, hot or cold drinks plus crisps, biscuits and fruit.
The weather was a mix of sunshine & showers, but this did not prevent any of the activities from taking place.
For dinner we had a choice of sausage or fish fingers with mash and mixed veg. Pudding was sponge cake & custard!
A wide game was run for all of the Scouts to take part in following dinner, organised by our very own Leaders, Jason and Callum. The wide game was very well received. During the wide game, the rest of us Leaders got a camp fire going. 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 once again this year, just ask the Scouts! We were also joined by Laura, one of our Beaver Leaders who was doing some Leader training on-site. After the entertainment, some of the Scouts continued to roast their marshmallows on the alter fire before finally retiring to bed.
On Sunday morning we awoke to overcast but dry weather.
Good weather on the day you break camp is always number 1 on a Scout Leader’s wish list! Breakfast consisted of lashings of bacon/scrambled eggs and bread plus hot/cold drinks.
At 9.30am we had our final flag break before starting the second day of activities. Each Troop was challenged to build a trebuchet out of poles & rope and fire a water balloon from it. This was a good way to demonstrate pioneering and knotting skills to the Scouts and I would like to thank Andy for leading this activity. I assisted the Dave Evans, District training adviser, with a nights away assessment.
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.
At 3.30pm we had final flag down and parents began arriving to pick up their young ones. We also Invested our two new Leaders, Andy and Callum, officially into the Troop.
Many thanks to all those Scouts who took part and I hope you all had a good time.
I would also like to thank all those parents who gave up some of their time and assisted us with setting up & breaking camp and helped the Scouts pitch their tents. We know who you are and we are very grateful!
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, Andy, Callum, Jason & Tim

St. George's Day Service & Parade 2013

St George's Day Parade 2013

Hi All,

On Sunday 21st April several of our Scouts participated in this year’s St. George’s Day service & parade held in Sutton Coldfield town centre.

Well done to: Alex A, Ben H, James D & Byron KJ 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.

All the best,
Adam (Chief)

Chase Walk 2013

Chase Walk 2013

Hi All,

On Saturday 16th March we entered a team of 7 Scouts into this year’s Chase Walk event.
The Scouts met at Birches Valley car park at 9.30am 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 also man one of the checkpoints at Seven Springs.
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 9.56am.
The weather forecast was sunshine and showers, very similar to the prvious weekends practise hike.
The route was approximately 22.3km (~13 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.
The team reached the base at the finishing point approx 5 hours & 13 minutes later and were in very good spirits.
This is the fourth 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 Sat 9th March 2013

Practise Hike Sat 9th March 2013

Hi All,

On Saturday 9th March we took our Chase Walk team for a practise hike on Cannock Chase.
The walking conditions were favourable, although it was slightly wet underfoot due to the amount of rainfall that had fallen over the previous few days.
The Scouts walked a total distance of approximately 13 miles (22km) and they all had a go at navigating using a map and compass.
This year’s Chase Walk event would take place on Saturday March 16th, 2013.
The team performed very well and I envisaged that they should have no trouble at all walking in the national event.

Best Regards,
Adam (Chief)

In the Medals - District Air Rifle Shooting Competition 2013

District Air Rifle Shooting Competition 2013

Hi All,

On Saturday 26th January, 7 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 12 teams who took part (48 Scouts), one of our two teams came overall 3rd in the District. Not bad considering half of our Scouts who volunteered had never shot before!

Many thanks to Ben, Daniel, Ryan, Bradley, Omar, Aaron & Kelsey for putting their names forward and having a go.

I would also like to thank Dave & Tim for helping out with transportation to and from the venue. Without the help from parents many of these events would not happen.

All the best,

Adam

Scout Christmas Outing 2012

Scout Christmas Outing Dec 2012

Hi All,

On Monday 17th December 2012 we took the Scouts to Star City in Birmingham to do indoor rock climbing and laser station for their annual Christmas outing. 17 Scouts joined us for the evening and everyone seemed to have a great time by the looks of the smiles on their faces! After the activities we then gathered in front of the rock face to perform an Investiture ceremony for 2 of our new Members; Ben & Alex A. Welcome to the Troop!

Yours in Scouting,

Callum & Adam

iceSCOUT 2012

iceSCOUT 2012

Hi Scouts,

During the weekend of December 7th to 9th, two of our youngest Scouts took part in iceSCOUT 2012, a fresh approach to Winter camping. Scouts from all over the County took part in a number of activities including Archery, Grass Sledging, Go-Karts, Fencing, Radio Amateur, Arts & Crafts, Twists, and Felling Axe. Nearly 200 Scouts & Leaders took part in the camp this year and next year the organizers hope the numbers will be even higher. I was asked to set up my amateur radio station in the Ben Nevis activity zone and some of the Scouts managed to make contact with amateurs all over Europe. I was also joined by Kelly, one of our Cub Leaders, who helped look after the Scouts and also assisted in some of the activities. Next year I hope to take several more Members of our Troop but well done to Ben & Alex A for braving the cold and taking part in iceSCOUT 2012!

All the best,

Kelly & Adam

Winners - District Swimming Gala 2012

District Swimming Gala 2012

Hi there,

On Saturday 24th November our Scouts took part in the District Swimming Gala held at the Wyndley swimming baths. We put together a full team of 7 swimmers which meant that we were able to take part in all of the Scout races and some of the Cubs.
The format of the evening was as follows;

Scouts – Under 12′s Freestyle, Back Stroke & Breast Stroke
Scouts – Under 14′s Freestyle, Back Stroke & Breast Stroke
Scouts – Relay
Scouts – Diving

At the end of all of the races we managed to qualify for just about every final going! Each one of our swimmers received at least one gold, silver or bronze medal and Simon was the only Scout who did a dive from the second board in the diving competition, much to the amazement of the crowd.
I am therefore pleased to announce that the overall winners of the District swimming gala trophy 2012 for Sutton Coldfield East was our very own 6th Sutton Coldfield East Scouts. Fantastic!
I would like to thank the following Scouts who gave up their time on Saturday evening to take part:

Simon, Nicola, Alex A, Matthew, Jacob B, Daniel & Luke B

They all gave 100% and did the Group proud.
I would also like to thank the parents who watched from the spectator area, for giving up their time and supporting the team. Well done to everyone!

All the best,

Adam

3rd Place - County Football Competition 2012

County Football Competition 2012

Hi All,

On Saturday 17th November our Scouts took part in the County Football competition at the Futsal Arena in Birmingham. Scout Groups from all over the county took part, including Groups from Rae Valley, Sutton Coldfield West & Tame Valley, as well as those from our own District of Sutton Coldfield East. The teams were separated into two leagues and the teams in each league played each other once. Points were awarded as follows:

3 points for a Win
1 point for Draw
0 points for a Loss

The winners of each League then played each other in the final.
Harry once again excelled himself in goal and this year we finished up in third place overall in the whole County after a nail biting penalty shootout in the play-offs. Brilliant result!
We would therefore like to thank the following Scouts for taking part:

Jack, Ben, Patryk, Jacob B, Harry, Christian, Alex & Niran

All the best,

Adam & Callum

Remembrance Day Parade 2012

Remembrance Day Parade 2012

Hi All,

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

Laura and Adam would like to thank;

Jenny, Ryan, Alex A, James D, Byron, Lauren & Lawrence

for attending the event and for being such great ambassadors to the Scout Movement.

Yours in Scouting,

Laura & Adam

Flash 2012

Flash 2012

Hi Leaders!

During the weekend of 2nd to 4th Nov, several Leaders stayed in a farmhouse located in the village of Flash for some much deserved R&R. We went for an all day hike around an area of the White Peaks and on the night we went for an Indian meal in one of the nearby towns. Much fun was had by all and it is an excellent opportunity for the Leaders to let off steam after working so hard all year to deliver their Programmes.

Regards,

Adam

Expedition Challenge 2012

Expedition Challenge 2012

Hi All,

During the weekend of 13th & 14th October, 4 of our Scout participated in the Expedition Challenge event, which took place around the Lickey Hills in Bromsgrove.
During the expedition, our team had to;

- journey for at least 4 hours a day
- use a map to keep track of where they were
- play a full part in the team
- achieve at least one goal (cooking a hot meal)
- stay overnight in a hostel

The weather was absolutely gorgeous for hiking, if a little too hot at times!
Our team of 4 did exceptionally well and they were one of only a handful of teams who fully completed each route within the allotted time on each day.
They all received their badges at the end of the 2 day event.

Congratulations to Nicola, Lauren, Jenny & Daniel for taking part and completing the Challenge so admirably.

Our sympathy goes out to Bradley who was also part of the team but who had to pull out last minute due to illness.

All the best,

Adam

Brumventure 2012

Brumventure 2012

Hi All,

During the weekend of 5/6/7th October, 16 of our Scouts participated in Brumventure 2012, which took place at Pikes Pool, near Bromsgrove.
Once again we entered one of the largest contingent of Scouts from any one Group in the District and we took part in the Mechanic, Navigator, Camp Cook, Forester, Radio Communicator, Paddlesport & Master at Arms badges.
This year I was again badge Leader for the Radio Communicator badge in charge of 7 Scouts. We had a great time slinging up our aerials between the trees, learning how to use communication receivers properly and logging all the stations we heard. We also did several activities around Camp with some handheld radios and on the Sunday, 4 of the Scouts managed to talk to other radio amateurs in Scotland, Channel Isles, Italy and Skegness!
It was a fantastic event and all the Members from our Troop who attended the event received their badges at the end of the weekend.
Brumventure takes place every year and it is an excellent opportunity to gain an activity badge in a short space of time.
Well done to the following Scouts who took part:

Lauren, Harry, Christian, Simon, Josie, Nicola, Daniel, Vincent, Jenny, Ryan, Alex, Kelsey, Byron, Jamaal, Aaron & Omar

We also had a surprise visit from the Chief Scout himself, Bear Grylls!
Bear dropped in as part of his ‘Bear in the Air’ tour of the UK and spent 45 minutes chatting to the Scouts and taking part in some of the badge activities. He was even made to do 25 press ups after losing to one of the Scouts in an archery shoot-out! Several of our own Scouts also got to chat to him during his tour of the event.
At the end of the Camp I also took the opportunity to Invest Alex M into the Troop. The ceremony took place on the main field in the good old traditional style. Welcome to the Troop Alex!

Yours in Scouting,

Adam

Bivouac 2012

Bivouac 2012

Hi Scouts,

During the weekend of 22nd Sept, I took part in our third County Bivouac event, deep in a woodland somewhere in Gloucestershire.

Definition

Bivouac (biv-oo-ak) n. – a temporary camp without tents or other cover. – v. (bivouacked, bivouacking) to camp in a bivouac. (Source The Oxford Dictionary)

A Bivouac shelter is a simple hut, which you can make quickly. (Source Scouting for boys)

Bivouac is an activity weekend that has been specifically developed for Scouts and Explorer Scouts of Birmingham County who not only wish to achieve the Survival Skills Badge, but to develop their skills further. Furthermore each applicant is expected to build and sleep in a Bivouac, no matter what happens with the weather – there are no back up facilities!
There are 4 activities to do, taking 4 years to complete in the following order;

1. Bivouac Training Award
2. Bivouac Award – Assessment for Survival Skills Badge
3. Bivouac Junior Leader Award
4. Bivouac Junior Staff (Building a Bivouac is optional)

I helped out on one of the training sectors with a group of 6 Scouts, who will hopefully move up to assessment next year. I was also given the role of a sector leader again this year which added a little extra pressure to the weekend! Three of our Scouts and two of our Explorers also took part in the activity.
On the first day the Scouts had demonstrations on the use of a knife, shelter building, survival tin, fire lighting, cooking, gadget making, distress signals and the use of a survival bag.
The Scouts then built their own shelters, made a fire and cooked their meals on them. They slept in their shelters overnight. The weather very was kind to us on Saturday, in fact it was T-shirt friendly! However the heavens opened up on Sunday morning. Not good when you are trying to keep a fire going for cooking and warmth. This just made the whole weekend more of a challenge and the sense of achievement at the end even greater!
On the second day the Scouts had demonstrations on first aid, tree identification, edible plants, knife care, water collection and purification. Shortly after 1pm a whistle was blown to inform all the sectors to light their signal fires. I’m sure the one on our sector was the best!
At the end of the weekend the Scouts on our sector all received the coveted ‘Bivouac Training’ badges and our Explorers received their ‘Junior Staff’ awards.

Well done to Vincent, Pia & Nicola for completing the training and to Tom and Ryan U for completing their Junior Staff award.

We hope to take part in the event again next year.

All the best,

Adam

First International Camp - Italy 2012

Italy 2012

Hi All,

During the week from Friday 3rd August to Saturday 11th August, 9 of our Scouts completed their first International Camp with me in the Aosta Valley, Villeneuve, Italy.
During our stay we took part in many activities including; gorge scrambling, white water rafting, abseiling, hill walking, rock climbing, canoeing, rafting, fencing and much, much more!
We also took a day off from our activities to visit Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps.
Our Scouts behaviour was impeccable and they did the Group, themselves and me proud.
They will shortly receive their Union Flag badges to wear with pride on their uniforms.
I would therefore like to thank the following Scouts for making the trip such a memorable experience:

James D, Josie, Nicola, Daniel, Jacob H, Lauren, Jenny, Christian & Pia

Yours in Scouting,

Adam & Clare