Christmas in Katmandu 25th December 3.04 PM

Alan says that they are safely back in Katmandu and they have seen the childrens home.  I hope your nearest and dearest have been in touch.
Have a great Christmas.

Phil  

News from abroad.............

Thursday 22nd December 1.42 PM

Alan has just texted to say that 'All safely up to Gokyo Ri and back down to Dale now - we'll get wifi tomorrow'.  So I guess you'll be able to email/Skype your greatly missed child and catch up on all the exciting stuff from tomorrow :)

Phil

Getting close...

Its nearly end of term and nearly time for summer camp!
This week we will meet at the hut and have a games night (no-one organised the bands for our concert... :( ) and also have a final team meeting for the Nepal crew and parents - bring the final fundraising efforts and any missing photos/forms/questions!
PS the gate code is changed! Check facebook edsplorers chat to find the new code!

sitting on the wall

It's us sitting on the wall! I'd copy the videos from the fb chat but they wont share to Blogger....
Good evening guys, except they set the trampolines 0.8 bounces apart so when I try and do a bounce-bounce-bounce, I actually do a bounce-bounce-splat! Hence the damaged nose :(

Oh well - I had a good excuse to play at taking videos with my phone...

Ah! Got it!

Boing!

Its Airspace!



...very bouncy!

There was not much responce to the group chat so I didnt booked it until the really last minute -we did it over the blog by eventbrite like we used to do for scouts! Everyone signed up here has a ticket and our Unit meeting for 1 December is at Airspace. (no meeting at the hut)

See below for details and consent form!

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OK - I waited until 9:00 the night before before closing the bookings and reserving our places! Everyone booked up on the blog has a ticket now and you should have had a phone call/answerphone message from me or Phil giving details of where we will get you from to drive you there - dont forget the consent (below) and bring your bouncing hat!

If we go there will need to be a form of course... 
Here it is!

Livin in a box

Its Corbet Award evening on Thursday so our meeting this week will be at the hut on Friday 25th November 8:00pm to 9:30am on Saturday (or earlier if you've stuff to do...


It's down on our prog as Shelterbox Night, but we've done lots of fundraising for overseas charity with our Nepal expedition so it seemed like a good idea to support something closer to home...

We will raise a donation to support 'The Ark' - Shrewsbury's charity supporting homeless people in the area, particularly important as a safety net to help those finding things falling apart at this time of year. 

We will make our own makeshift shelters and sleep overnight - out in the open if its nice, but if the weather is bad, we can be indoors in the hut, and we'll cook a good full English breakfast in the morning and remember how fortunate we are!

Bring a cardboard house (I'll bring a spare box or two...) and a £10 note (or whatever you can afford...) to donate to The Ark.

We will have a speaker from The Ark to tell us about their work and receive our donation!

As an overnight thing we need a consent form...

Remembrance Sunday Parade 2016

Alan and I would like to thank everyone who was able to attend the Remembrance Sunday Parade.  We were both extremely proud of your smartness and attitude.

Thank you.

Remembrance day parade

Please wear Explorer shirt (tucked in!) and necker (Boreatton if you have it or else District), school trousers and polished school shoes.  We won't wear a coat unless the parade marshal says we can so a couple of thermal tee shirts under your shirt may be a good idea (if previous parades are anything to go by!).

We will meet at 10.10AM at the Admiral Duncan carpark in Baschurch and will finish the parade around 12.20 in Millington Close.  Please wear a poppy, left hand side of your shirt above your International Scout badge, and don't forget some change for the collection.  Mums, Dads and siblings are very welcome to attend the service.

there's been a murder!

Semyon Kamenev has been found with a bullet to the head on the train from Kathmandu to Moscow... (distressingly not so uncommon in Stalin's 1930s Soviet Russia). You are all under suspicion! Come dressed suitably as good comrades from the depths of the 1937 Siberian winter to defend yourself by uncovering the murderer! 

Bonfire Night!

It's the annual Boreatton Group Bonfire and this year they are raising funds for our expedition - hurrah!
Bring a few pounds to buy lots of burgers and hot dogs and they will give all the money back to us! Win-win!
The beavers will run around underfoot, the cubs will cook for us, the scouts will provide the fireworks, and we will set fire to things! :~)

We've invited the Rea Valley explorers too 'cos they seem OK



It's an early start so we meet at my house at 6:30 to build the bonfire - we aim to finish at 8pm (school night for cubs and beavers), but we will have a meeting for parents and explorers going to Nepal afterwards - please also bring forms, passports and money (£35) for visas so we can send everything off to the embassy... see the facebook page for the visa forms.

Tesco Bag Pack for our expedition to Nepal!

Hi - yes bag packing is on tomorrow at Tesco We plan to be there from 11am to 5pm at Tescos Harlescott on 22 October. Its a big store so we are likely to be short on numbers all the time so come for as much as you can! I plan to be there for the duration! Even if you are not joining us for our summer camp please come along and help if you can!

Send me a facebook message to let me know when you can come - you are all my friends!

Every little helps!

Chip Advisor 2016

It's Chip Advisor Night! Time to reward our favourite Chippies with the best prize of all - Glory!
We will meet in the square in Shrewsbury tomorrow at 8:00 and finish there at 9:30. Rea Valley will join us for a joint chiptravaganza!


The ratings widget is refreshed, so come with a 3g-abled smart phone and e-Rate the chips as we go!


If we make sure that the secret is not very secret, all the chippies will be nice to us and give us nice chips! :) Why not wear a lapel badge saying "Secret Chipeater - ChipAdvisor reviews" or something like that so they are clear that it is a good idea to be nice to us!

Badge night

It's vibrators and gambling night (!) - well the activity is what Scouting magazine recommended for cubs/scouts/explorer units so it must be OK?

Bring an old toothbrush tomorrow and we will transform it into something more fun! (haha)



Bring lots of low denomination cash too so you can lose it all (without too much pecuniary pain)

Tryffic!

It's the scrambliest hike of the year - I can't go as it clashes with the rifle championships but those of you that can't shoot straight can do one of the best hikes of the season! You will need to contact Chris or Richard as on the form this time to let them know and to sort out where you get picked up!

Rifle Champs

We are the Champions!

                

Here are the forms! Don't forget you also need to PAY for the camp, and have paid your subs!

We have a potential problem with the logistics this year as Pete's DBS is expired and the renewal has been held up in the system (along with several others...). This is not good news as he will not be able to attend the camp without it emerging in time which looked pretty certain back in early September, but which is looking problematic now.

This is an opportunity for parents to take advantage of the chance to join their scout at the historic centre for shooting and join the fun! You will not be able to camp with us but if you help with transport, I can provide accommodation at the NRA Lines Lodge (another historic shooting lodge at Bisley). Please let me know if you are able to help!

Meanwhile, I have persuaded Philippa to come too (promising warm balmy evenings in the late Autumn sunshine....) so all will be well, especially if we get another volunteer as the landy is poorly and our other car is tiny so we are potentially short on seats...

Bickley!

We will have our next Unit night as a BBQ at Bickley Coppice on Friday 7 October meeting at Bickley Coppice from 7:30 and then the explorers can camp independently overnight (leaders will leave them to it and call back in the morning to help clear away the heavier kit). If you want to just come for the BBQ we will aim to finish about 9:30.

Many of the explorers have commitments on a Sat so you can make arrangements with parents to be collected early so there should not be a problem getting to an early start for other activities - but bear in mind you might be sleepier than otherwise! It will be light by 7am.

The road down to Bickley is basically the edge of the field so it makes sense to get dropped off at the end of the road through the village and walk down to the woods. You do not need much kit for one night!

Here are maps for those not familiar with the site! (although I think we have all been there a few times!)

Here are the camp forms (actually - as an activity away from the hut I should have a consent form anyway even if you do not plan to camp).

swaps!

OK - so Bickley works better 7-8 Oct... We'll do Bakeoff next week with Phil, and then do Bickley...

Raising the Roof!

First meeting at the hut this week (where were you last week when we went up Earl's hill?)!

We need to plan what we do this w/e at the Baschurch Fete to raise funds for the roof of the church (which is falling off... :(  ) 

Robin will be running a stall (to get his promise challenge badge and complete his Gold Award) so come with ideas for a cheap stall (that parents will be happy to let their kids spend 20ps at)

Maybe bring some T or snacks to help lubricate the planning process! Meanwhile, here is a provisional Prog (Hurrah! Haven't one of these for a while!) lovingly crafted by the prog planning committee!

See you all 2moz! Happy Autumn!

Sunset hike

Last chance to catch some rays as our first meeting on 15 September will be a sunset hike with the Rea Valley explorers to go up Pontesbury Hill to catch the sunset at the end of summer... 
It will end as a night hike so bring usual night hike gear!
Libby and John, out DESC team are organising and give details as follows:

Hi Explorers

This week is our first meeting after the Summer break and we will be walking up Pontesbury Hill with Boreatton Explorers.

When we were on Summer Camp, Rea Valley Explorers were talking about the hill and we realised that Boreatton Explorers and Leaders had never been up it.  We have scheduled it at the beginning of term as the nights are getting darker and it will be better to at least do some of the walk in the daylight.

Meet at Pontesbury Library/Mary Webb School at 7.pm and return by 9:30

Please bring a drink and a snack.  It is going to be very hot this week so it is important to stay hydrated.

Sensible footwear please.

Monday monday, so good to you!

The rifle squad decided that Mondays were the best! So our next practice will be Monday 12 September at Leaton Hall Ranges as usual. 7-8pm scouts and 8-9pm explorers but if necessary, and you let me know, you can come to the other session. 
Apologies if you weren't at the first session and didn't get chance to tell me this doesn't work for you... just let me know and I'll sort things out for you!
I have your consent form for the practice sessions and will sort out new ones for the camp soon but all you need for tomorrow is yourself!

Rifle squad...

 
It's time to get on target and hit the centre dot... I propose that we meet at Leaton Rifle Ranges on Wednesday 7-9-16 to plan our prep... We usually max out over an hour so 8:00-9:30 or so should be approp for a first meeting of the whole squad, and then we will organise whether we need to split into more than one group for practice... 

Autumn!

Summer has gotten behind us and we are ready for a shiney new term!

There is no meeting on 8 Sept as that is the first thursday of school/college so our first meeting is at the hut on 15 September 8:05-9:35pm... however, I think we need to plan the prog better that hithertofore and so I propose to invite all interested explorers to come to Leaton Hall for a pre-plan-planning-preliminary-pre-meeting at 8pm on Thurs 8 Sept to pre plan a prog... Let me know if you want to be involved!

Caving camp!

OMG its next term already! And the first sign of Autumn is either the swallows flying south or the announcement of the caving camp! Here's the announcement and the consent form! 

nah... proceed 

(to camp! - but don't go swimming at the end of Porth yr Ogof obviously!)

Let me know if you want to go by end of Tuesday 6 Sept and I'll relay to Chris... Sorry it's late notice, but they always do it just before term starts...

So soon!

Summer camp is upon us! Here's the info I've got from the Rea Valley Peeps! I need forms and £70 by the time we leave!

It is all reassuringly vague - see how ultra organised I am compared to those laid back Rea Valley leaders! Just turn up somewhere at some time and it will all come together! :) 

It is the End... my friends

And another scouty year draws to its close... it is the end...



...and as is our wont... it's the end of term BBQ at my house on Thurs.

Usual time, I will proviode BBQ food and fuel, you will provide culinary expertise,and Parents are welcome, but given the general uncertainty in numbers etc maybe they will bring a BBQy contribution if they feel hungry!

Particularly relevant to parents of TANC to review how we are getting on etc!

See you here!

Wilson......................

I hope you all had a great camp in London!

This Thursday we will re-enact Tom Hanks' raft building in Cast Away.

Meet at 6.50 outside reception at PGL, we go off to the lake at 7.00.  Dress appropriately i.e a wet suit or something you don't mind getting wet in!  A towel and a change of clothing would be a good idea as well.  We finish raft building around 8.30 so by the time you've showered and changed you should be away for about 8.50.

See you Thursday :)

Off!

There is no meeting on Thursday this week - we are meeting to go to London on Friday instead!

Speaking of which -the info form had the wrong address on! Oops! Here is a correct version!

The Big One

Big summer camp that is - oh and the mountain!

Summer camp with Rea Valley! They have volunteered to organise our annual winter camp for us this July (well our summer camp is at Christmas so this must be our winter camp..?). It's a long weekend so will probably cost about £60 but yet to confirm. Most of us know most of them and they are all good friends when we do hikes or DofE together so should be fun. It is at the bottom of Snowdon so plans include a day hike over the top of Snowdon (and drive back), a day on the lake, and a beach day so quite chilled.


See - chilled!

Here are the forms to sign up - not sure how many spaces there are so first to sign up get the places.

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Rifle squad sign up

It's time to sign up for our 2016 rifle squad! It is always a good camp and we need to defend our trophies and win more glory (and chocolate! - I promise to bribe you with chocolate!)
  

We will be training and working towards national award badges, and this can count as a skill for DofE if you are looking for something new to try for your skills section at any award level of the DofE.

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Camp forms for the city

Here are the forms for Will's camp!
Actually, where the kit list just says change of clothes for the w/e but we may want to go places you need to be smart... so a smart option might be good and of course bring a necker so we can spot you at a distance and also claim to be in uniform for arriving at the South London Camp Centre (as we are supposed too!)