Drum Corps is back........

The first Drum Corps meeting of 2014 is on Thursday January 9th - usual time, usual place!

Bowled over, blown away!

The term is over! 

Our last meeting will be on Thursday at 7:15pm at AMF Bowling Harlescott. No wind, no rain, no hills - time to chill and eat chips at Quasar and Bowling.

Please book a ticket as I need to confirm number and pay for you so they have enough lanes for us etc. Bring a few pennies for nachos and drinks... and bring your subs for this term (which were due in September!!!) if you haven't paid up yet!

We are doing quasar too as we need to be prepared for paintballing - from 1 January, we can do paintballing officially! Come with ideas for next term's prog for your prog planning sub-committee, but we do have to do an official paintball event!

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We should have a consent form for this as it is away from the hut...

... and as we are away from the hut I will have to insist on full explorer uniform so that I can spot you at a distance (although an equally recognisable silly hat would be an acceptable alternative (or flashing antlers or festive fingernails ... just so I can recognise you as one of us :D ))

Treasure under the misty moutains

Good night hike! And we found the treasure - they say you shouldn't publish pictures of where you found the cache but should walk a little way away to avoid it being a 'spoiler', but I think we'll get away with this one!

Spoiler alert!

The coin is from the US (OK you probably guessed!) and you can see where it has travelled by clicking the image

A hike.............

at night.  Wet and windy (that was Luke) but you made it. 

Nice to see AdventureTed is out of hibernation - confused as always poor bear!

Darkness - on the edge of Church Stretton

It's the night hike and logistical complexity! Book a ticket so I know who is going to be where... at least at the beginning!




We will meet at Church Stretton School at 7:30 so a bit sooner for those getting lifts, and aim to have arrived by 9:30 at the top of Jonathan's Hollow. Please contact me if you have problems getting to one of us, or the start and we will try and sort everyone out!
You also need to bring: warm clothes, full waterproofs, hike boots, compass, whistle, first aid kit, festive hat that covers the ears, emergency chocolate, A HEAD TORCH (yes - it's a night hike!), gloves, mobile phone, consent form, ... All the usual hikey stuff!

If you book a car place but need help to get to your seat, give us a call and we will sort it out...


If you get lost, we may not be able to sort it out... you may miss Christmas...

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Scouts with wind... clinging to the high ground

Wooo! Cling on to the rocks guys! Great hike last Sunday, and 'a bit breezy' says Richard!

Archery practice.......

Time for archery practice yet again!

We are at the Sundorne School http://www.sundorne-snr.shropshire.sch.uk/contact-sundorne-school.htm on Sunday 15th December between 2 and 4.  As always it is a drop in session with all equipment and instruction provided, cost is a very reasonable £2.

Call in and have a go if you have never shot before - it is great fun!

Magic (washing up dispensor) balls!

Ha! They worked! I was a bit worried when I saw all the bits of tools and electronics spread out, but explorers work much better than scouts, and I guess you were all paying attention and just teasing by pretending to be mucking about...
Magic!

hmmm... the video doesnt work quite so well - the iphone shutter speed is faster than your eye, and my night time canon shutter is slower than the eye! 

All part of my vague obsession with taking pictures in the dark...

The PIC chips are very flexible and you could use these to control xmas lights, or change the colour of the magic balls or be a mood light with a fade between colours! If you want to re-program your magicball, here's the program on the chip now - if you are interested I can email it to you and you can edit it, send to me, and I can reflash your PIC12F675 easily (or you can get a PICKIT1 programmer quite cheap). JAL is a free software language off the web to compile and create the hex files.

Magic balls!

Sciencey things with balls it says on the prog?
Please bring a packet of TicTacs, a 9v PP3 battery, a washing liquid ball dispensor, and 2 sheets of toilet paper... and we will see what we can do! (any similar clearish plastic ball will do...)

Nice!

Drum Corps cancelled!

Roger sends his apologies, but has had to cancel Drum Corp for Thursday 5th December as he has the flu.

fish face!

Remember to wear a fish that covers the ears!

The Scotland trip is ON!

If you are over 15 or have been on lots of the mountain group hikes and want to be a winter mountaineer, this is a great week away in the mountains. It is hoped that it will be winter conditions which means ice ax slides, crampons and haggis hunting!
I had a great time last time I went and it provides my fb profile pic to this day!
Let me know if you are interested and I can tell you a bit more about it! I will go if I can get time off work...!

Arenig Fawr - in search of the first snowball of winter!

It's set to get a dusting of the freezy white stuff this week so we may get to throw the first snowball of the season on Sunday 8 December! In any even this one looks like a nice short day's hike across some great high ground!
As usual we will have a slightly later start from somewhere nearer home - let me know if you are coming! (and if you are planning to come to Mongolia next summer, it would be good to see you getting prepared for our hikes in the high Altai Mountains! You really should come on the remaining hikes to get fit for the hills)

Awards

It's award night this Thurs at the Corbet, so this week we will probably be missing those that got any GCSEs.
Seems like a good opportunity to do some DofE training and put that to use in planning our night hike!

...just to make sure we...

C'mon

C'mon you lot - we need to get a load of you to go to St Briavels camp so we can have fun and experience massive spookiness!  Bring your deposits as soon as you can AND CLICK ON THE EVENT BOOKER NOW and I won't show you any more of my holiday photos!

Candles and Reindeer pooh......

If you are going to Mongolia next year why not come along to the Scout hut this Monday the 25th between 8.00 and 9.30 to make some stock for the Christmas Fayre!  I will bring the kit to make some candles and edible Reindeer pooh, but if there is anything you would like to make please feel free to bring along the materials to do it.

See you there. 

Catching up

We have fallen behind the prog recently... but at least it means that we are getting into good muddy mountain bike weather! 

There will be no meeting on Thursday 21 Nov but instead we will do the mountain biking at Llandegla Forest on Sunday 24 Nov setting off from the Llandegla Car Park at 1pm so we need to meet by about 12:30. We should be able to coordinate transport a bit so let me know if you want to bike but can't get there.
If you need to hire a bike, you can book good mountain bikes at http://www.oneplanetadventure.com/.
We will need to keep an eye on the weather too, so please let me know you are coming and then I will let you know whether the weather means we have to change plans... 
You NEED to have a decent bike with working gears and working brakes!!! And to wear a helmet!!! And to bring cold weather gear and a hot drink with you on the trails.
Weather forecast looks good at the moment - http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/forecast/treuddyn-flintshire#?tab=fiveDay&fcTime=1385164800



Uh oh! A dusting of Snow! (that was Monday so it might well be a bit chilly!)

Finally a consent form - and you will need to bring it of course.

Drum Corps at Shrewsbury

The Drum Corps will be at the front of the Christmas Lantern Parade in Shrewsbury this Wednesday (20th November).

All Drummers please meet in the Riverside shopping centre outside the old Shoe Zone unit at 5.00 - in full uniform!



 

Cold comfort from Stone Soup....

Actually it was really good!  So were the brownies.  Who would believe you could cook stuff underground or in a cardboard box (well one of them worked).  A good team effort with the seasoning!

 

Back to the mountains...

It's Moel Siabod this w/e and I think I'm going but as you know I did my back in last w/e so I need a good bunch of you along in case you have to carry me off the hill! :D
Moel Siabod is a nice mountain and the days are short so I'm sure I'll be fine...
Here's a pic from last time we did it - see! Really nice mountain!!! and always sunny!!!!


It's much nicer than the last one we did...

...brrr.... cold and foggy...

But still lots of fun! ... 

"be more dog!" Letti

Here's the info for the hike - as I'm late, just let me know and I'll sort it out with Richard and Chris...

Cold comfort, stone soup

"An explorer leader comes to a hut, carrying nothing more than an empty cooking pot. Upon his arrival, the puggles and explorers are unwilling to share any of their food stores with the hungry leader. Then the leader goes to the tap and fills the pot with water, drops a large stone in it, and place it over a fire. One of the explorers becomes curious and asks what he is doing. The leader answers that he is making 'stone soup', which tastes wonderful, although it still needs a little bit of garnish to improve the flavour..."
...maybe you could bring along some garnish for him? It is not as though you are giving him a free meal, but a little garnish, and then you too could see how wonderful Stone Soup can be?

Bring a savory thing to enhance our soup and see where we get when everyone brings their own small contribution to our cooperative soup experiment (if you were in the Robo team a few years ago you may recognise this approach from the Puzzlebox Brainstorms software development paradigm...)

It costs everyone very little and we all eat soup!
Bring a bowl and spoon, and maybe some music too!

Hogwarts!

It's just like Hogwarts... Noooo.... Hogwarts is just like this! St Briavels is a real Castle built 800 or so years ago! It's a great place to stay and we've had a number of really good camps here with loads to do. This time we thought we'd try and do a big camp and have scouts and explorers along. The cost of staying somewhere as unique as this has gone up a bit so the camp will probably end up as about £60 for the w/e but we need to pay the accommodation deposit now and the balance in a few weeks so we are asking you to sign up and pay a deposit of £35 NOW.

We have sorted activities yet, but we will be staying in a castle which is always cool. Other times we've done caving, kayaking, sculpture trail, hill walking, fish and chips eating, invading Wales, horse riding,... there's loads to do in this area. Let us know what your favourites are, but I was thinking we could have a relatively chilled camp? Let me know anyway... it'll be a great w/e!

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It's a few years since we last went... I'm still as youthful as ever and look the same, but you guys were dids last time!

Archery (try again).......

This time we have a full complement of Archery Leaders, so lets try again!!!

Archery practice with the District will be at Sundorne School   http://www.sundorne-snr.shropshire.sch.uk/contact-sundorne-school.htm  this Sunday the 17th November between 2 and 4.  As always it is a drop-in session so you don't need to be there for the full 2 hours.  All equipment is provided as is tuition if you haven't shot before or are rusty (that will be me then).  It is £2 for the session.

If anyone wants a lift I have a few seats spare, although I will be there for the full 2 hours. Give me a call  on 07733 189916.

Phil  :)

Fireworks.........

Well I am a numpty - I completely forgot to take any photos of the bagpack!  But I did take some of the bonfire night party at Als.  Thanks Phil and Al for letting us all invade......

Remembrance Parade

At this time every year Boreatton Scout Group takes part in a solemn parade to All Saints Church in Baschurch.  We then go into Church for a service of remembrance to commemorate all those who fell in war. 

This is the one activity each year that we expect you all to turn out for - put aside football and rugby matches, having a lie in or just can't be bothered - we expect you there if at all possible. There is a district parade in Shrewsbury, but we have always paraded in our own village with the scouts, cubs and beavers. As the senior section, we need to set a good example.We will meet in the Admiral Duncan car park at 10.20 this Sunday 10th November in full uniform, to include school trousers and polished shoes.  Please bring some money for the collection as well as a poppy.

The service and march back to Millington Close is usually finished by around 12.20

Drum Corps are to meet on Thursday at the hut between 6.00 and 7.00 for a practice.

The Standard Bearers and their Escorts need to meet at the Church at 12.00 on Saturday for a practice.

Sparkles

It's the season for fire and explosives - and sausages! What better way to celebrate the triumph of parliamentary democracy and the overthrow of despots and traitorous fanatics! Let's burn them in effigy!

We do this jointly with cubs at my place so we will meet at Leaton Hall at the back by the shooting barn (where we do archery and rifles) at 6:30 to 8:00 on Friday 8 November. Let me know if you need directions!



We will have (lots of!) sparklers so if any parents are concerned about these please let me know and we can arrange suitable duties and entertainment that avoids them (we allow cubs and scouts to use sparklers in a roped area with controlled numbers and a water bucket for disposal of used ones - extra parental supervisors welcome!)

Siblings and parents are welcome to stay for the evening and the cubs will provide soup/bangers/burgers (thanks cubs!)

District stuff

Ah - this is very late notice... (sorry, but it was sent to an old email :D ) bur a couple of district events coming up:

Details for the Bonfire night
EXPLORER DISTRICT BONFIRE
TO BE HELD AT 1ST SHREWSBURY HEADQUARTERS (same as last year), THE ELMS, BELVIDERE AVENUE, SY2 5PD
MONDAY 4 NOVEMBER
START TIME 7.30PM.
BRING AND SHARE SUPPER

and

To confirm details for Sunday 10^th Remembrance Day parade/service
A few groups have confirmed they are attending, could those others please let me know please.
Meet at the Castle for 8.45 am with flags, the parade moves off at 9.00 am and will proceed to St Chads Church were a service will be held from 9.45. After the Service we will parade outside by the War Memorial where the Last Post will be sounded and the laying of wreaths will take place. A march past on St Chads Terrace will then take place were the Salute will be taken.

As Boreatton sub-unit we will be doing our own fireworks on Friday with scouts and cubs, (but you could go to both Fireworks events - especially if you are involved with Sweeney Todd at the Corbet) and also I expect you all to be at the Baschurch remembrance parade on Sunday. Details soon...!

Too little too late

Finally the government builds a power station!
...but it's too late to fill the energy gap as we run out of gas, close the existing nuclear power stations as they reach the end of their lives, and shut the big coal power stations... 
Being prepared, we will be making candles to be able to see through the next decade :)

Normal place, normal time, etc

Grovel Grovel Sob Sob...........

Two apologies!

Firstly to anyone who tried to attend archery practice at Sundorne - the meeting was cancelled because of a lack of archery Leaders, but because of a bit of confusion over emails I wasn't aware of this until too late.  Sorry folks.

Secondly, St Briavels Youth Hostel camp was due to happen on the 22nd to 24th of November.  We have had difficulty in getting enough spaces for us all so have had to change the dates to 31/1/14 to 2/2/14.  We will be going in force with the Scouts so this is the first available date with room for about 40 of us (got to be our biggest camp ever!!!).  We thought about going somewhere else but decided to stick with St Briavels as this place is ace.

Phil.