SCOUT UTSomerset Scout Newsletter

November 2010Issue 5

PLUS...

discover

Sweden calling

celebrating the world’s largest

gathering of scouts in badge

This is Somerset: over

Somerset’s part in the 53rd

annual Jamboree On The Air

The big trigger success

Explorers bring back eight

shooting trophies in one go

Fossiling around

Meet some famous Somerset

scouts and their adventure to

Lyme Regis with the tele people!

The ScoutOut production office recently relocated to a brand new location.

It’s all change and it took us a minute or two to get settled in. We had to find new places for the pen pots, piles of interview notes, envelopes, important looking staplers and hole-punches to live. We had a new desk, a new chair and a new proof reader but it’s by sheer coincidence that our move should coincide with the publication of issue five of ScoutOut that covers the first months of a brand new scouting year –a time for you, the young people and leaders of our association, to discover something new. A time to welcome new members, plan new programmes and discover some place or something new. If you’ve not been to all of the nine scout campsites here in Somerset, turn to page 4, find out where they are and maybe make plans to discover them for yourself. If you’ve never taken part in a Jamboree On The Air, alongside roughly half

a million scouts worldwide that take part in JOTA, go to page 6 and read about Somerset’s small part in this international extravaganza of communication. Or if you’ve never heard of, taken part in or been to the National Scout Rifle Shooting Championships there is a whole world of discovery on page 7 this month. However, our last story on page 8 isn’t about new things at all. In fact it’s about really old stuff, fossils actually. They were new once I suppose, everything was, at some point, very new but the scouts that spent the day at Lyme Regis fossil hunting were definitely looking for things that were not, in any way, new. Oddly though you could make a discovery of something old, that was in itself new? No matter how long you’ve enjoyed being a part of scouting in Somerset, perhaps now is the time to discover it anew. A new term, a new adventure to try, a new challenge to take on, a new you. Try something you’ve never tried before...

this month...

The Editor

We feature nine cracking Somerset

scouting spots for you and your

group to seek out and explore...

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Mells Cubs enjoyed an evening learning some basic dance moves from the

Bathampton Morris Dancers in October. Cubs learned that Morris Dancing is thought to have been derived from the exploits of Moorish Raiders. The Moors are people of Berber, Black African and Arab descent from Northern Africa apparently and they used to dance around a lot. “The Cubs all seemed to enjoy themselves.” said Peter Lugg, cub leader at 1st Mells. A display by the Morris Men kicked the dancing off. Following this the cubs learned a couple of dances in their sixes and one as a whole pack. The cubs are pictured with sticks the morris men dance with as they hit each other’s sticks in time to music to make lots of noise. When parents arrived to collect, they were treated to a dance spectacular!

Cubs from across Taunton Deane took to the waters of Taunton Prep’s school

pool in October. Forty youngsters enjoyed their competitive district swimming gala. The range of strokes seen demonstrated in the races was quite dazzling: back stroke, breast stroke, relay and gliding. Swimmers feeling the need to swim creatively were even invited to swim the ‘free style’ race. Cubs swam in these race categories racking up points during each race for their team depending on their position on the finish line. After this, a final was held involving the teams with most points. The team that won the gala over all are Staple Grove Cubs. Other cub packs actually had to graciously lend Staple Grove some cubs so they could swim with a full team, which is jolly decent don’t you think?!

FROME & DISTRICT

TAUNTON DEANE

STRICTLY MORRIS

SWIM LIKE A FISH

Young people are the future. However you scout in Somerset, it’s likely that you will have come across a young leader helping out. Recently, twenty five explorer young leaders from across the county experienced

an active, practical and ‘skills based’ weekend at Huish Woods. During the camp, two training modules were completed, covering programme planning and playing games. A multitude of basic scouting activities were also explored helping to transfer scouting skills onto the next generation of scout leaders. The explorers also spent time reflecting and discussing leadership to develop their leadership styles and strategies.

The young leaders’ Scheme helps explorers to develop and grow as individuals. It allows them to make a valuable contribution to their scouting community now and introduce them to the possibility of taking on a leadership role in the future. The Somerset County Explorer team recognises this enormous potential and is undertaking to support and develop young leaders, and their leaders, across Somerset.

Our weekend at Huish Woods was an outstanding success and we are now planning a similar event for next year as well as considering a young leader support strategy. We need to harness our young leader’s talent and give them knowledge and tools that will not only prepare them for a future role in scouting, but also provide them with valuable skills for life.

Who’s next?

AGMs -a time to celebrate with refreshments...

Raiding the biscuit tin and sipping tea in your scout uniform is a must at any AGM and since the last issue of ScoutOut, Somerset has been part of not one AGM but two! In September our fabulous DCC Colina Hine

and equally as fabulous CC Shaun Dale popped up to Gilwell Park for the national Scout Association AGM. They sipped plenty of tea but also came back to Somerset having learned that 3.6% more young people and adults are benefitting from Scouting in the UK than last year and that nationally we’ve seen our biggest growth for 40 years. They also learned that there are 60,000 girls in scouting in Britain and that scouting remains one of the most affordable extracurricular activities for young people today.

Here in Somerset we also held our own AGM at which many awards were presented and thanks given to those who volunteer so enthusiastically for scouting in Somerset. We were joined by supporters from the community at the Standerwick Centre in Frome including the Mayor of Frome, who promised to take out a leaders warrant when she finishes being the mayor! There was also quite a lot of tea drinking, dunking of biscuits and the thought to make sure we have as much, if not more, scouting fun to celebrate in another year’s time. We’ve no doubt you will make sure of that…

Check out these great badges! They are Somerset’s very own WSJ contingent badges and will be on uniforms the county over from now until Sweden 2011 celebrating

Somerset’s part in the next biggest international gathering of scouts. But that’s not to say you have to be going to the WSJ

in order to wear one, in fact anyone can buy and wear one of these badges and/or stick it on your bedroom wall, sew it to a blanket or perhaps put one on your hat. Every badge purchase helps the unit’s young people achieve their fund-raising goals and you can get one by emailing their unit leaders. For the Apple badges you need Sue:

wsj2011sue@yahoo.co.uk and for Cheddar Cheese badges contact Stuart on: sandc.talbott@btinternet.com

Deliciously we just have to tell you about Becky Altria from the Cheddar Cheese unit who, for her fund-raising, has opened a bakery. With over £2000 to raise, Becky has to sell a lot of cakes: “I have spent hours flying around the kitchen, some nights making six or seven cake orders! The Bakery combines something I enjoy and am passionate about making my fund-raising more enjoyable.”

Sweden calling Badges and baking helping Somerset’s young

people to the 22nd World Scout Jamboree

Tea & biscuitsElizabeth Henderson ACC (ES)

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Cubs, scouts and beavers found out that sometimes the simplest things can be

the most pleasing at their Camelot District camp in September. They were asked to collect firewood and the foragers enjoyed it so much they were seen dragging whole dead trees out of the woods. The campfire, as a result, was enormous. As well as huddling around the huge camp fire, the young people played aboard a monkey bridge, learned some backwoods cooking and basic scouting skills, played wide games, embarked on a night hike, completed their Cub Communicator and Scout Emergency Aid badges, experienced orienteering alongside learning map and compass skills and ate cake. “Lots of cakes!” said organiser Liz Henderson adding: “Everyone had a brilliant time.”

Donyatt, near Ilminster, was the setting for cubs and beavers out on a group

camp in September. It was was the first group camp that 1st Ilton and Broadway have ever had and was organised by ASL Karen Carter. Not only was it the group’s first camp but Karen’s chance to prove her camp-organising skills and obtain her leader’s nights away permit. Flagpoles went up, wide games were played and everyone was extremely well fed. Karen planned a weekend menu of shepherd’s pie, apple crumble, hot chocolate, biscuits, cooked breakfasts, doughnuts, sausage surprises, pancakes, more hot chocolate and all this on an alter fire! The scouts enjoyed a scavenger hunt in the woods, making ballistas, making camp badges and a camp fire led by Lucy.

Sixteen cubs from Wedmore have been getting to grips with cycling this

term. But it wasn’t just about the riding. The cubs have been learning about bike maintenance and cycling safety as well. The youngsters spent a couple of weeks learning to change their bike’s wheels, checking the bike’s breaks and learning to stay safe on the road. Having been through the theory, the cyclists headed out for a cycling adventure on the road. Their cycle took the cub’s around the droves at Westhay Nature Reserve near Wedmore on an evening in September. The youngsters, five of their parents and two leaders covered just over 3 miles during their cycling adventure and at the end of the ride all sixteen of the cubs gained their Cyclist Activity badge.

Sea scouts in Watchet were visited by a Royal Naval Lieutenant Commander

in September. The visit was part of the group’s annual admiralty inspection carried out by the Lieutenant Commander D T Griffiths. Everyone lined up with their uniforms presented immaculately and all sorts of dignitaries including our own CC Shaun Dale were there to see the inspection. But it wasn’t all standing to attention and saluting. The youngsters at 1st Watchet had the chance to show off their skills in the harbour as well. There was sailing, kayaking, a spot of power-boating and even a simulated dinghy rescue where the sea scouts worked with the local RNLI lifeboat to save the craft from a capsize. Mr Griffiths observed that everyone had a great time!

Somerset’s network held a camp at Huish Woods in October dissaffected

by the cancelled Explorer 24 24 at which they were due to help out. They stayed in their palatial new tents, erecting Wing A, rooms 1 – 4 of the structure was job one. Friday, everyone enjoyed a meal out then Saturday morning came around and there was a game of cricket. After helping out at the Wiveliscombe scout group jumble sale they enjoyed bowling in Taunton’s alley which is handily next door to a Chinese all you can eat restaurant. On Sunday the likely lot helped out at Huish Woods by removing some brambles and cutting back hedges at the top of the Beacon field. Lunch followed and the so nicknamed ‘Pilton Hilton’ camping facilities were packed away for another day.

CAMELOT SOUTH SOMERSET SEDGEMOOR

WEST SOMERSET YEOVIL & DISTRICT SOMERSET NETWORK

THE SIMPLE THINGS DONYATT CAMP OUT A RIDE TO REMEMBER

SEA SIDE INSPECTION ODD JOBS AT HUISH

3

Cubs and scouts in South Petherton have been getting into the swing of carnival

season recently. Having performed on thier ‘ska’ themed musical float, the youngsters went home from the South Petherton carnival laden with awards. The scout group’s float picked up awards for best costume, best music, best local float, best comic entry, best children’s entry and were even crowned overall champions at the town’s carnival procession. It seems the group’s ‘ska’ themed carnival float won over the judges with it’s energetic dancing, catchy tunes and smart looking design. The cubs and scouts stood for the whole procession dancing along to the tunes and waving inflatable musical instruments around. The group have since been invited to other carnivals in the county.

CARNIVAL SUCCESS

Discover some place newcamp sitesin Somerset

Bishops Lydeard Campsite - 3rd Taunton, Bishops Lydeard HQ

Huish Woods- Taunton

Tedbury Campsite - Frome

Chelwood Campsite - The Chew Valley

Glenny Wood- Portishead

Horner Woods- Porlock, Exmoor

The Campbell Rooms - Aley nr Bridgewater

Castle Hall - 1st Wellington Scout Group HQ

Cleeve Hill - Bath

Scout sites, some Somerset owned others are run by different counties

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First lets discover something old, very old. Oddly enough though, this discovery of something old that you are

about to make might just be the thing you, and the young people you support, have been looking to discover anew this term. We’re talking about the Romans.

The Romans knew a thing or two about camping. You could argue they were some of the finest campers the world ever saw – until scouts came along of course! The Roman empire, with its centurions and chariots, spread itself around the Mediterranean from Rome invading and conquering wherever they went. In AD 43, the Roman Empire, under the rule of a chap called Emporer Claudius, set about conquering Britain. They camped all over the place, every camp exactly the same as the last to include the soldier’s tents, officers tents, tents for the horses, a camp HQ and even a ditch and palisade around the outside. The Romans certainly knew how to camp and one place they pitched tents and stayed the night was at our very own Tedbury campsite near Frome.

It’s near a river for a start – ideal for keeping your soldiers washed and your horses watered. Secondly it’s high up, 400ft above sea level, so you can see your friends coming from over the hills long before you need to put the kettle onto boil. And thirdly there was an Iron Age Hill Fort at Tedbury before even the Romans got there so Tedbury has long been an excellent place to camp and it still is.

The Romans and Iron age folks of Britain

have all gone now of course, except for their legacy that is Tedbury campsite which has now become a place for Somerset scouts to explore. Perhaps, as did happen in 1691, you will find a pot of Roman coins buried on the campsite but failing an archaeological treasure hunt, modern day Tedbury offers

you a great camping adventure and a whole woodland to explore. See if you can find Europe’s largest exposed wave cut platform – a curious geological feature hidden in the trees. Tedbury’s pioneering equipment might be inspiration to build a Romanesque watch tower or the woodland cause to construct shelters out of natural materials, as seen at Tedbury when Iron Age men and women lived there. “There’s plenty of woodland to run around in. Ferns and brackens mean there are lots of places to hide out. The young people using Tedbury play a lot of hide-and-seek and go off to build dens.”

“The young people using

Tedbury play a lot of hide-and-seek and go off to build dens.”

Tedbury Campsite, two miles from Frome. A Somersite site that could be host your next adventure...

Check out these scout camp sitesin

How many

have you explored? Log onto

ScoutBase to get all the booking details

for these locations and go discover them for yourself.

Somerset.

The Campbell Room’s New RoomTwo years of planning, fund-raising and construction by volunteers sees the Campbell Rooms’ new multi-purpose cabin opened in October. The cabin is 3.5m x 5m (11’ 6’’ x 16’ 5’’) and is hoped will provide mixed sex groups greater flexibility in sleeping arrangements. The cabin is kind to the environment as it was built with low carbon emissions in mind. It is a very well insulated log cabin, complete with double glazing and weather sealed windows and doors. The cabin is also fitted with a high-efficiency heat-recovery ventilator that captures up to 84% of the heat from the expelled stale air, using it to warm the incoming fresh air, while using just 2 Watts of electricity. The Campbell Rooms is open to all and caters for 24 people. It’s nine miles from Bridgwater in a rural position near Nether Stowey. Great for getting out into the country. See www.campbellroom.org.uk for more info…

Discover some place new A new term, a new place to explore.

Says David Dunn, ADC Cubs in Frome.Onsite there is running water, all

the necessary sanitation, a modern cabin (with fitted kitchen) for shelter and alter fire places on all five of Tedbury’s camping grounds. Chantry, Babbington, Wheatley, Elm and The Cub Field can camp around 150 people. Tedbury has no showers but, as we’ve been talking about the Romans, you can visit the Roman baths in Bath to at least imagine what it would be like to freshen up in the natural 46 degree spring water that rises there. Longleat isn’t so far away either for a quick safari or walk through the mazes and if you’re up for more of a walking challenge than getting disorientated by box hedges the Macmillan way runs close to Tedbury.

So load up your chariots, let Claudious know where you’re going and get over to Tedbury this year. Discover the woodland site for yourself, two miles from Frome on the Mells road. And if you’d like confirmation that all this talk of Romans is true you should get yourself a Tedbury Campsite badge. They call it the ‘Tedbury Centurion’ and maybe if you get one and spend some time at Tedbury you’ll find a real centurion in the woods, or at perhaps just some of his coins buried beneath the surface…

What’s in the pictures?

Tedbury Campsite, two miles from Frome. A Somersite site that could be host your next adventure...

Camelot beavers, cubs and scouts exploring Tedbury campsite on their Camelot District Camp in September. Images curtesy of the fabulous David Dunn and Liz Henderson. Thank you.

JOTAjamboree on the airGB2TWH

At midnight, GMT, across the world on Friday

the 15th of October scout’s voices began to penetrate the still darkness. Is there anybody out there? A message heard

by and responded to by other scouts across planet earth during the 53rd annual Jamboree On The Air.

Something a bit like bats, around half a million scouts and their leaders worldwide were sending out messages

to anyone the sounds cared to bounce off of. All the while relying only on what they could hear but not see. Nine scouts from West Hatch scout group and eight scouts from 1st Filton and Bristol scouts met at Huish Woods to be part of this year’s JOTA. With help from the Taunton Amateur Radio Club the scouts set up their radio station in the Tone Cabin and took it in turns trying to find other scouts listening in on the airwaves.

From those eerie and silent beginnings just before midnight on the 15th of October the radio waves burst into life with the sounds of scouts all over the world. Organiser of Somerset’s part in the international Jamboree On The Air, Duncan Biddulph, explains how it works: “GB2TWH. Is there anybody out there? Over. That’s the call sign followed by your message and then ‘over’. Then you wait to see if anyone will come back to you.” Once you’ve found someone who’s listening, and can come back to you with a response, you can start a conversation. Make a new friend, find out what scouting is like elsewhere in Britain and indeed elsewhere in the world.

The young broadcasters, some of whom have never spoken on the radio some of whom have done it loads of times before and love it, are asked to spell their names phonetically to begin with. “This is just in

case they aren’t receiving you very clearly the other end” continues Duncan. “Then we talk about what we’re doing, what the weather is like, where we are, who we are and what activities we’ve been doing on camp.” There are groups everywhere trying to link up with each other on the airwaves.

Up in the woods, our Somerset broadcasters managed to speak with scouts in South Wales, Norwich, Derby and even as far afield as Holland. “Depending on the weather and atmospheric conditions we can, some years, get over and talk to Taunton in Massachusetts. That’s the big one: talking to America.”

Besides joining in with and filling our atmosphere with the happy chatter of half a million scouts taking part in JOTA worldwide during the weekend, our nineteen Somerset scouts also spent their weekend at Huish Woods enjoying some of the site’s activities. Archery, shooting, climbing and the zip wire were all on offer to the youngsters, in between nattering to friends in far off places. The JOTA weekend at Huish Woods, in association with the Taunton Amateur Radio Club, is part of the worldwide event run by Radio Scouting UK. If you would like to be part of next year’s JOTA by attending Somerset’s weekend camp please contact Colin Clarke, scout leader at West Hatch scout group in Taunton district. Colin Clarke wishes to thank the Taunton Amateur Radio Club for their support which makes this scouting event possible.

Is there anybody out there?...

JOTASomerset came home from the national

scout rifle shooting competition this October laden with awards. Scouts

and explorers from 4th Glastonbury, Frome District and Sedgemoor District attended the 34th National Scout Rifle Championships, held at Bisley in Surrey, and won, between them, five medals. At an event organised by the Hampshire Scout Rifle Club at which there were a record 782 competitors taking part, Somerset’s share of the leader-board is impressive: “We had a good weekend for the County with Frome District winning a gold and two bronze, 4th Glastonbury winning a gold and a silver and an Explorer from Sedgemoor District winning a gold, this is the first time since I have been attending that the County has won a medal let alone this many.” said County Shooting Advisor David Frowde.

In total 23 scouts and explorers attended the National Championships having all shot at the Inter County Scout Rifle Championships earlier this year. Somerset also boasts the fact ten of it’s scouts,

Samantha Slade, Michael Dyer, Toby Beard, Joe Thomas, Russell Ford, Amelia Dyer, Charlotte Peat, Ciaron Powis, Natalie Ashford and David Ashford, are now on the National Scout Rifle Squad as well. Samantha Slade, Michael Dyer, Toby Beard and Ciaron Powis are also members of the Great Britain Junior Rifle Squad.

Competitors at the national scout championships shoot in various air rifle and air pistol competitions right up to shooting full-bore rifles over 300yrds. It was the first time that Frome District had won medals at the event with Michael Dyer winning Gold in the 10m Sporter Air Rifle, Bronze in the Field Target and David Ashford winning Bronze in 6yrd Rifle. This was the second time that 4th Glastonbury had won something at the Nationals with Bartholomew Snell winning the trophy for the most improved shooter and Thomas Taylor collecting the Bronze for the “B Class” Small-bore. Toby Beard an Explorer from Sedgemoor also collected gold in the “X Class” of the Small-bore winning by an impressive 6 point lead.

It all gets pretty competitive says David Frowde: “The young people work all year to attend these championships, if they don’t win anything they can get quite upset.”

Understandably, however, hearteningly here in Somerset the young people, whilst being competitive, do work together to improve each other’s shooting: “They help each other learn to shoot, to work it out.” continues David. Apart from teaching the

young people safety and technique you simply need to have an eye for shooting and practice as much as you can.

The County Team which was selected at this year’s Somerset Scout Shoot will start its training in November in preparation for next year’s Inter County Scout Competition where it hopes to improve on the 5th place it came this year.

Winners. From left, Michael Dyer, Bartholomew Snell, David Ashford, Thomas Taylor & Toby

“This is the first time, since I have been

attending, that the County has won a

medal, let alone this many.”

Beard.

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County celebrates medals won atnational championships

County Shooting Advisor David Frowde

THE COUNTY DIARY

SAT13/11

SAT20/11

WED24/11

SAT27/11

SAT8/1/11

SAT29/1/11

FRI11/2/11toSUN 13/2/11

48scoutout@somersetscouts.org.uk

Written and Produced by

Richard Shepherd for the

Somerset Scout Council.

Images reproduced with the

permission of the owners. Copyright

Somerset Scout Council September

2010.

Check it out... www.somersetscoutsinfo.org.uk

for the online County Diary,

downloadable event application

forms, health forms and kit lists.

Our deadline for content is

Wednesday 24/12/10. Issue six

will be published

January 1st, 2011. ScoutOut

FAME FILM AND FOSSIL HUNTING

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Scouts Becky, Jack, Kieran, Mellisa, Billy and Ryan let us in on a few

essential fossil hunting tips so you can go find one of your own

County ChallengeHuish Woods. Are you feeling challange worthy? If so book now.

County Cub QuizShepton Mallet Scout HQ. Fingers on buzzers please cubs with your thinking caps on.

Billy Dampierfrom Staplegrove scouts checks out a 200 million year old Ammonite fossil on the beach at Lyme Regis.

Cast your mind back 200 million years and try to imagine Lyme Regis in Dorset submerged in water. Not only

would all the shops be really wet but the many sea creatures that now make up Lyme’s extraordinary collection of fossils would have been swimming around eating each other. Today, of course, the water is much shallower and the beach at Lyme is crammed full with the fossilised remains of the sea creatures that once swam there.

Six scouts from Staplegrove scout group spent a day at Lyme in September digging around the rocks and finding fossils of their own with fossil expert Richard Edmunds. Those of you that regularly tune into CBBC of a Saturday morning, I know I do, may

have even seen this frantic fossil hunt featured on the television as part of CBBC’s Live n Deadly programme. Our six budding stars were asked to head to Lyme by the people at television centre to try a new kind of game: fossilteering. Fossilteering is a curious mix of fossil hunting and orienteering put together as a treasure hunt. The scouts ran about the beach looking at ammonites, breaking open rocks, making dinosaur jigsaws, identifying 200 million year old dinosaur poo and talking to Mary Anning who found the first ever recorded ichthyosaur fossil in the cliffs. After eighteen hours of filming our scout’s adventures were squeezed into just six action-packed minutes of television.

Fetch yourself a fossil

Wait for a storm to brew up and unleash its fury on the coast before organising to go fossil

hunting. This way the sea will have done much of the rock breaking work for you! Take a keen

eye, a hammer, a chisel , glasses, a camera and a rucksack.

2Walk around on the shoreline and look out for small round ammonites or bullet shaped

belemnites. Wait for something to catch your eye. Find them best just under the crumbly cliffs.

If something is too big to carry snap a picture, otherwise pop it in your pocket/rucksack. Fossil

hunting after a storm and in the winter when erosion has turned up lots of new fossilised

material is the best time to go hunting.

3You can use your hammer and chisel to break into larger flat shards

of rock. Be careful to try and prize the rock apart in half and if you

are very lucky there may be an ammonite inside.

You don’t need telling but be careful! Cliff climbing here is not

sensible; they crumble away when you touch them. Watch out

for the tide and wear glasses if you’re hitting rocks with your

hammer…obviously!

Jamboree MeetingThe Shrubbery Hotel, Ilminster, 7.30pm.

Regional Development Meeting DayThe Aztec Hotel, Bristol.

County Network AGM and Masquarade BallBring a friend, wear a mask and come in your dancing shoes.

County Cooking CompetitionWinners of the district heats compete for the regionals.County event at Shepton Mallet.

Snowdon ScramblingSomerset’s Network embark on a winter mountain scramble up Snowdon in Wales. Walking expert Tony Dyson is going wtih them to make sure they only throw snowballs if they have reached the top already and, of course, to keep them safe.

We want your stories please...