Category: Scouts

Half Term Update – October 2014

Posted on October 27th, 2014 by Carl Gaskell

So it’s been a busy first half to our Winter term this year, what with fire lighting, cooking on fires, a visit to Dinton Pastures, breakfast parcels, talent nights, DIY, the Golf Ball challenge and Diwali, keeping us all on our toes!

Next term doesn’t let up either, and will see us visiting RAF Benson, doing First Aid, going to Laserquest, cooking nights, Elections, and much more, culminating with our Winter Camp and Xmas party.

A quick reminder of some key dates:

Wed 29 Oct – Half Term
Fri 31 Oct – Half Term

Wed 05 Nov – RAF Benson visit – check your emails! This is a joint night with Friday Scouts
Fri 07 Nov – No Scouts

Wed 12 Nov – In the hut
Fri 14 Nov – In the hut

(Full term programme available here)

Also don’t forget that this half term is the final deadline for applications to this year’s Winter Camp. If you want to go and haven’t yet let the leader team know, please do so as a matter of urgency. Nearly all places have now been filled!

See you all in November!

>> Read "Half Term Update – October 2014"

We’re Back!! Autumn Term 2014

Posted on September 5th, 2014 by Carl Gaskell

Just as the schools have now re-opened for their new school year, so too have the 3rd Reading Scout Group!!

We’re back again for our Autumn term, which this term will see us:

Night hiking
Cooking on Fires
Laser Quest
Diwali Night
Wide Games
WW1 Remembrance
and much, much more!

And all culminating with our ever-popular Winter Camp and Christmas parties – look out for details of these events and more coming soon!

In the meantime, some keys dates to remember – and of course, the Autumn term programme is available on the website here too.

Fri 5th Sept – Informal meeting. Games, no uniform

Wed 10th Sept – Meeting at Hut
Fri 12th Sept – No Scouts, as clashes with family camp

Wed 17th Sept – Meeting at Hut
Fri 19th Sept – Meeting at Hut

See you soon!!

The Leader Team

>> Read "We’re Back!! Autumn Term 2014"

Summer Camp 2014

Posted on August 3rd, 2014 by Carl Gaskell

This evening, we all returned from our Summer Expedition to Zedelgem – just South of Bruges, in Belgium.

That’s 27 Explorers, 42 Scouts and 14 Leaders – so a big trip for the 3rd.

We all had loads of fun – check out what we got up to here.

And now for a well-earned Summer rest!

>> Read "Summer Camp 2014"

Summer Camp 2014 – Day 8

Posted on August 3rd, 2014 by Carl Gaskell

And so to Sunday, the final day of our Summer Camp 2014. We all rose bright and early, cleared up and loaded the vans, before breaking camp and setting off back for our lunchtime Channel ferry-crossing. We made good time into the port of Calais, but alas there were some delays with the boats, so we sent 3 minibuses on the first boat, while the remainder traveled on the following one. A quick lunch on-board, then back into the buses and onwards towards home.

And for the leaders… BED!!

Back to Summer Camp 2014

>> Read "Summer Camp 2014 – Day 8"

Summer Camp 2014 – Day 7

Posted on August 3rd, 2014 by Carl Gaskell

Our final full day of camp took us back into Bruges to have a final look around our local town, do some last minute souvenir shopping, and take part in some more activities from those we missed earlier in the week due to rain.

We also took the opportunity to explore a little further afield, by hiring what amounted to a “fleet” of bicycles(!) and taking them for a ride around the outskirts of town, seeing the canals, architecture and the windmills.

Back home in the evening we spent a little time packing up ready for tomorrows return trip – as it’s an early start – then we had a movie night, took some camp photos, and had a little free-time before off for a good nights rest.

Back to Summer Camp 2014

>> Read "Summer Camp 2014 – Day 7"

Summer Camp 2014 – Day 6

Posted on August 3rd, 2014 by Carl Gaskell

Another glorious day dawned this morning for our day trip out to the Netherlands. We’re all back together as one group again for activities now, and so after a short journey over the border, we all arrived at the quaint Dutch town of Sluis, with its canals, shopping streets and windmills. We spent some time looking around, ate some lunch, then popped back into Belgium to spend the afternoon at a man-made beach and lake waterside centre. Everyone donned their trunks and played on the beach and water slides while water-skiers passed by on their speedboats.

The fun didn’t stop there – Friday night is PARTY NIGHT! This years theme was the circus, with many of us bringing fancy dress or make-up. So we donned our party gear, had a BBQ and took part in the evenings activities, capped off by a great disco, before retiring to bed quite late, and quite ready for the rest!

Back to Summer Camp 2014

(more photos to come soon..)

>> Read "Summer Camp 2014 – Day 6"

Summer Camp 2014 – Day 5

Posted on August 3rd, 2014 by Carl Gaskell

And so to the second day of our Activity Centre, Land Yachting and Tyne Cot visits.

Today the weather was HOT! In fact so hot, that unfortunately there was no wind either – which meant the Land Yachting had to be cancelled. The Scouts didn’t miss out though. In fact they got to take part in an inflatable rib boat ride, and played games out in the sea between 2 boats. They thoroughly enjoyed it.

The afternoon took them back to the original plan and saw them paying their respects at Tyne Cot cemetery, as part of our “Lest We Forget” .

Meanwhile the groups from yesterday now tried their hands (and feet) at the Activity Centre activities: Climbing the high ropes and wall, Kayaking in the river, BMX riding, Zip riding down the slide, and shooting the breeze on the Archery Range.

We all met up again at the end of the day, for another of our pre-catered 3-course meals and took a little time to relax and reflect on a glorious day.

Back to Summer Camp 2014

>> Read "Summer Camp 2014 – Day 5"

Summer Camp 2014 – Day 4

Posted on July 31st, 2014 by Carl Gaskell

This morning the weather was great – in fact quite hot, so everyone donned their suncream and set off for their next day of adventure!

The plan is: over the next two days, the groups will be splitting up – going Land Yachting and visiting Tyne Cot one day, while the others spend their time at an activity centre, taking part in Archery, High Ropes, Zip Wire, Kayaking, BMX riding and Climbing. And then swapping for the second day.

By the end of the day, we were all exhausted(!) so had a well-earned a evening’s down-time, where the scouts chilled and some of them showed us their football and Frisbee skills..

Back to Summer Camp 2014

>> Read "Summer Camp 2014 – Day 4"

Summer Camp 2014 – Day 3

Posted on July 30th, 2014 by Carl Gaskell

Day 3 of our Summer Camp to Belgium took us to Molignee Valley to go Rail Biking and take a visit to a local Abbey.

It looks like we finally had the winning side of the weather – for the whole railbiking session we pedalled away in the bright sun, on the return journey the heavens opened, and then the clouds disappeared and we spent the evening in Ghent.

Back to Summer Camp 2014

>> Read "Summer Camp 2014 – Day 3"

Summer Camp 2014 – Day 2

Posted on July 29th, 2014 by Carl Gaskell

Monday morning – day 2 of Summer Camp 2014, followed a night of very heavy rain and storms – we all got up feeling somewhat battered! But after a great continental breakfast we braved the weather and set out into Bruges by train, to spend the day literally “soaking” up the sights..

On arrival, we broke up in to smaller groups and visited the Bell Tower, went for trips on the canals, visited the local shops and parks, before heading for a dip in the local pool.

In the evening we learnt about the history behind the “Lest We Forget” slogan, played a Krypton Factor quiz, and headed off to bed just as the clouds finally broke to reveal a glorious end to the day. Here’s hoping for a drier and quieter night!!

Back to Summer Camp 2014

>> Read "Summer Camp 2014 – Day 2"