SHEAF
DISTRICT
NEWSLETTER
April 2009
The birds are nesting, the frogs are hopping, the
trees are budding and everything is alive with energy.
Do some of the above apply to scouting? YES, they do
Scouting is bursting with energy and vigour from
what I see, hear and receive from troops.
See inside for what’s happened, going to happen
soon and plans for the future.
Sounds, Smells and Smoke
Thursday the 12th
of March saw myself, with David and Angela Wood,
judging the cooking competition being held at
There was a very good turnout of unit members and it was a night of chatter, laughter, good cooking, mediocre cooking and not quite bad cooking but it was all edible, apart from that is the last item done by Dominic Sharpe and his team which we saw being put together so declined to try. It was hot, hot, hot with lots of chilli.
After turning the smoke alarm off once the stoves had heated up, the evening commenced with plenty of enthusiasm, lovely smells floating around and appetising looking food being cooked.
There were quite a few pasta dishes by different teams who all used slightly different ingredients, which was good, and all were tasty.
We had traditional burgers, sausages, bacon and potatoes. Oriental style food, Mexican flavours with chicken, mixed sweet peppers in tortilla wraps, including a lovely starter, one or two omelettes, a vegetarian stir fry and other bits and bobs.
On the pudding front there were amongst other items, iced, decorated biscuits, fried bananas, a nice sponge cake with filling and icing, ice cream with fresh orange slices on top (a bit messy but tasty), tangy lemon cheese cake with a gingery biscuit base, (a lovely combination of flavours).
Marks were given for good teamwork, ongoing tidiness, and healthiness of ingredients used, presentation and planning.
On the planning issue, some were scroungers, others excellent planners and some not so good planners but with plenty of initiative.
Overall it was an excellent evening. We tried all the dishes except the hot chilli, none were horrible, all the food was edible, non-needed to be forced down. So, well done to all the teams who took part.
The winning teams out of a total of six were –
Runner Up – Team: It’s Edible. The Vegetarian Menu
Joint First – Team: Interpretive Dance – not sure that’s correct
Oriental Menu
Team: Heinz Beans Beans Mexican Menu
Sky Diving
Late February, ten members of Woodseats Scout Unit jumped from a height of 13,000 feet to raise money for the unit, and other charities of the jumpers’ choice.
Photos and video of the occasion is to be put on Flickr and
YouTube sites so keep your eyes peeled if you want to view them.
For Climbers and the Like
Woodseats
Scouts most Wednesday evenings are from
Swimming Gala Report 2009
After an interval of several years, the swimming gala was resurrected for the evening of Saturday February 28th. Once again, Heeley Pool was the venue, having the advantages of being within reasonable travelling distance for all groups, good parking, and offering a viewing gallery for those adults who wanted to stay and watch. The pool was ours between 17:00hrs and 19:00hrs.
The evening was to consist of different relays involving teams of four: this would allow every scout who turned up the chance to compete. Six of the eight groups had advised that they would be sending at least one team, but on the night only four groups turned up, with Bradway bringing eleven scouts. Heeley Pool has five lanes, so the race card featured heats of each event, with the possibility of finals if time allowed. The reduced number of entrants left us with five teams, so the need for heats evaporated (not in the heat ☺).
The competitors were (in numerical sequence) Mosborough, Beauchief Baptists, Greenhill Anglicans and the two teams from Bradway. Since only three scouts had turned out for Mosborough, Laura from Bradway in the true spirit of scouting made up their fourth. That still left Bradway with two reserves/substitutes.
Each relay demanded an ability to swim, but beyond that bore little resemblance to any Olympic event. There were foam rafts, floating rings, submerged rings, balls, devices to be held between the knees, and ropes involved in various combinations across eight different events.
The ropes were a particular nod towards scouting skills, in that they were to be coiled and thrown to a swimmer on a raft. However, this is obviously one skill that needs to be practised intensively on Troop nights.
Points were awarded on the basis of 5 for the winning team down to 1 for those coming 5th. At the end of the night, Bradway had unsurprisingly accumulated most points (43) across their two teams, but the individual Troop with the highest score was Greenhill with a remarkable 38. Young Ria from Greenhill is probably really a mermaid.
The evening seemed to be enjoyed by all those who were there – even by the leaders who helped with the organisation. At least one of these came from each participating group, plus Alan Watson from District.
.
As well as helping with the organisation,
Frank Richardson
Neigh, Neigh, what
a good idea
Richard Corcoran, 181st St Chads Cub Scout Leader, reports that on the weekend of 27th Feb-1st March, his Cubs attended camp at Glenbrook Activity Centre in the Hope Valley where the main activity was horse riding at the Lady Booth Equestrian Centre near Edale. On this occasion seventeen cubs took part and they have all received their Equestrian Badge as a result.
He comments this was a great activity that was enjoyed by all leaders and cubs alike, and he can heartily recommend it to other groups to try.
He also states that the management and staff at the centre were very friendly and totally professional.
Richard can be contacted on –
0114 231 4986 or 0789 1628512
DRUM HILL District
Camp
Promises to be one of the best camps yet. There will be many newly introduced and exciting activities for all to have a go at, challenges to overcome and ingenuity to be tested. Will they come up to the mark?
Lets hope so.
Leaders and helpers have looked into the past to find scouting skills not been done for awhile and hope to see the interest of the campers being enthused and kindled to edge them on to even greater things in the future.
The way forward in life is through scouting and I believe skills learnt in childhood such as sharing, caring, being practical, problem solving, decision-making and seeing the whole picture would see anyone into a good life style.
Things to note are –
A Golf Day will be held on the Friday for those interested, the course, Breadsall Priory, is adjacent to the site. Entries must be pre-booked, contact Peter Stevenson if you wish to play.
Friday night may include a Wide Game.
Saturday will be spent doing Drum Hill activities such as High Ropes, Low Ropes, Assault Course, Climbing Wall, Bouldering etc.,
Saturday night will be an indoor Disco Night. Sunday, after ‘Scouts Own’, all campers will go onto passport activities, which will include scouting and craft skills. There will be no time for either leaders or scouts to cook Sunday lunch, so if you want to eat you will have to arrange for parents and supporters to come out to prepare it.
Sunday evening will be a mega barbeque for all, campers and visitors alike to be followed by a campfire, led by Campfire Dave.
Beavers will arrive around lunchtime and stay for the campfire.
Monday will be a mixture of outdoor activities, such as tug o war, welly throwing, relay races etc.,
Sheffield Sheaf District Scout Council
The Brian Sellars Fund
c/o
S8 0PH
Tel 0114 2204657
Email: postmaster@mgcarr.plus.com
The Fund is slowly but surely helping youth within the community to better their life skills with differing training and challenges.
April 2nd sees Charlotte Newton giving a
presentation at
There are other ongoing applications for challenging activities in the pipeline at the moment, which will be reported on as the year progresses.
Application forms are online at Woodseats unit for members wishing to take up a challenge but please talk to John Hall first to see if you are worthy of being supported by the fund.
Other interested bodies should seek an application form from the above address.
STOP PRESS
Unfortunately, the Beavers IT Event was
not able to go ahead. It will be put
back into the programme sometime in the future and notice will be given in due
course
Time moves on….
Further
to the January article about the Classic Car Show, can I re-iterate that help will be needed
on the day? At this stage Malcolm has
had 40 replies from persons showing an interest in exhibiting. If you are willing to help and have not yet
shown your interest can you please contact Malcolm Garrett on malcolm.garrett@tiscali.co.uk, so planning can be done, and
to ease his mind. Or telephone 01246 419520.
Winter/Valentine Runaround
The day had finally come, the day that numerous Explorer and Network scout teams had been waiting for; The Valentine Winter Run Around.
This event saw over twenty five teams from over
eighteen Explorer/Network groups competing to grab the various prizes that were
on offer. Including some well-known trophies, one that was
re-instated for the competition by Woodseats Explorer Unit from last year: The
Bone Of Contention.
At 0900 the event officially began, and not before
long; teams set off from their home base, catching trams, buses and trains
across
Teams were heading off to the various bases
located across
These bases saw the energetic, enthusiastic
Explorers and Network climbing, map reading, clambering over obstacle courses,
darts, completing knots and much more.
Teams had to report to the finishing point at
Hesley Wood Scout Campsite for
After waiting for a couple teams that couldn't
find the well signed campsite and for a couple of leaders who forgot to phone
their bases scores in, it was decided that the scores would be calculated in
the following days preceding the event in order to let the teams depart home.
A fantastic day was had by all who took part, and
as all the 'Woodseats Explorer Unit' teams travelled home together; the train
conversation consisted of only two items: how each of our teams had got on and
secondly; how long until Bed!
Richard
Hollingworth
Woodseats
Scout Unit
Scout Fellowship
If
you have not attended the fellowship meetings but wish to attend the quiz night
to be held at Hazel Grove on the 16th May, please contact Pam Powell
ASAP as forms have to be sent in and teams made up.
Numbers
are also required for catering purposes.
Thank
you
New appointment cards
The
above cards will be sent out attached to April Scouting Magazine, please check
your card carefully and if you do not receive a new one or it incorrect please
email Peter Stevenson at peter.stevenson38@blueyonder.co.uk
With the details.
The Beer And Balls Festival is getting nearer.
Have you declared your interest to Rose. This promises to be a cracking event.
How are your ball skills and beer drinking abilities? Not too much on the beer though.
An evening of the two B’s is to be held on Friday April 24th from 17.00hrs – 22.00hrs and again on Saturday 25th from 10.00hrs – 22.00hrs.
This event will take place at Moor View Golf Centre Ltd S17 4QU
Admission is £5.00 Adults (includes glass)
£2.00 CAMRA members
Hot and Cold Food will be available all day
Soft Drinks available
Assistance Dogs only are allowed
The Venue is on bus route 25 with the stop only 2 minutes walk away
And bus number 76 stops right outside.
Contact: Rose Francis
Tel: 237 7765
Email: rose@prfrancis.plus.com
GSL’S Day
Most of our GSL’s
attended the special day at
Thanks to Phil Eastburn
for chairing the debriefing session.
Peter Stevenson DC
First Response
County are organising two 1st Response Courses for leaders –
Sunday July 5th and Sunday November 1st. Details will be advertised in the next edition of ROSY’s.
Invitation
Fulwood
Scouts are inviting any past members and leaders to attend their 60 years of
continuous scouting anniversary evening.
No date or time is given so please contact Mike Halliwell, SL 142nd
(Fulwood)
Scout Troop at: -
www.142group.net
Nights Away Certificates
I
suspect that many of you will have nights away
certificates due to expire, unfortunately, I have no record of who has
what. Please check your certificate and
if it due or has expired please get in touch with me.
Peter
Stevenson DC
Scouting magazine - important delivery information On 31
March, a Royal Mail
lorry containing 15,000 Scouting
magazines caught fire on the M20. All 15,000 copies were destroyed or damaged
beyond repair, along with the respective inserts, supplements,
If you have not received your magazine by Monday 6 April it is likely that you
have been affected by this incident. Your magazine and
>Please be
aware this is not an April Fools Day Trick The note will appear on www.scouts.org.uk this afternoon
> Many thanks
>
> Chris James
> Head of Corporate
Communications
> The Scout Association
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 2009
Apr
02 Thursday Kenyan Talk by
Apr
03 Friday Patrol Leaders Training Hesley Wood
Apr
03 Friday Fellowship Weekend
Apr
09 Thursday Woodseats Easter Trip to Skye
to Tuesday 14th
Apr
18 Saturday Apex Overnight Challenge to Sunday April 19th
Apr
24 Friday 265th Beer &
April
24 Friday Friends of Woodseats
April
24 Friday Last Day for Drumhill Camping Attendance
Numbers
May
01 Friday District Golf Day Breadsall Priory,
Details TBA
May
01 Friday District Camp Drumhill, Little Eaton
to Monday May 4th
May 10 Sunday Gliding Sutton Bank. See last months item.
May
16 Saturday Fellowship Quiz Hazel Grove,
May
18 Monday District Executive Committee Bradway
May
29 Friday Nights Away Module 16 to Sunday 31st Hesley Wood
June
05 Friday Crewboree Activity Camp Weekend
to Sunday June 7th
Oct
24 Saturday Spooktacular at Hesley
Dec
05 Saturday Winter Wonderland Weekend at Hesley
to Sunday Dec 6th
Would all leaders
please inform Maureen of any dates or articles for inclusion in the newsletter?
I can be contacted
at
113 Woodseats Road , Sheffield S8 OPH
Tel: 0114 220 4657
The
report on the 2009 census produced by the Regional Development
Service,
shows strong growth in two Sheffield Districts, Sheaf and