D of E News
November is always a busy month what with Halloween, Bonfires and Remembrance, but there still plenty of “scouting” time, and ROSY’s to read!
With the darker evenings, do you invite parents in to collect their offspring? If so, it is probably a good time to get to know them and get help. Why not arrange your schedule to allow time to talk to them?
The District Team met as an open meeting with all in Central invited on 22nd October. We crammed into the upper room of Guide House.
There many of us met the forthcoming DC, Bruce Meek, who takes over in January. If you couldn’t make it do ask about it.
He is currently updating his District Directory for Barnsley Central; does your GSL know your current details? If not do tell him or her!
This year’s Service of Remembrance will be held at the War Memorial in Church St, Barnsley on Sunday 8th November.
If you are not attending a service local to you, please arrange to assemble at 10.20 am in full correct uniform at the cenotaph. Scouts & Explorer Scouts are required to give out programmes.
Barnsley Central District Scout Fellowship
Numbers are slowly growing, and we are looking for opportunities to “Provide Active Support”
This is, of course, in line with the new name “Scouts Active Support” or as we now call ourselves “The SAS”.
South Yorkshire is to be the host County for this prestigious event and the venue will be the Hallam FM Arena (Sheffield); more details later.
Please take note of the link to this North East Regional Event taking place in July 2011. The web-site will be continually developed as the project progresses.
Many Leaders turned up on 7th October for a Road Show.
Robert
During 2009, ScoutBase has been working hard to get the D of E new training scheme up and running within Scouting.
There has been much discussion and speculation over the past two years about the assessment of D of E expeditions. For details of the new assessor requirements see: ScoutBase
The D o f E has also launched their new record management system. See the same website for details.
In my other “voluntary life”, I support a lady who suffers from Non Epileptic Attack Disorder.
Anyone can develop NEAD. The main reason for it maybe related to traumatic experiences in the past, which the person had previously tried to suppress. The seizures can then be triggered by stress in their current life. The symptoms are similar to epilepsy. Sufferers may be wrongly diagnosed for years & inappropriate medication given. There are 30 newly diagnosed sufferers in South Yorkshire each year and 36000 current sufferers in England and Wales. This of course does not take into account of those who are yet to be diagnosed, which on average takes 7 years.
Very little is known about the condition even by medical staff. No medication is available and at present counselling is sometimes offered as the only solution. This can help but not always. It can however make the condition a lot worse before any improvement is seen.
A website is a support group for sufferers & carers. It was set up by Michelle Read. Her journey as a sufferer can be read on the website. As it is the only website dedicated to NEAD, many sufferers & their carers are finding this a valuable source of help & advice.
Otherwise, they would be facing their illness alone & isolated. Michelle is from Sheffield and there are local events to fund raise & to raise the awareness of NEAD.
We have asked Michelle to give two talks to our Group on Thursday November 19th.
Anyone is welcome to join us on that evening. The talks are scheduled for 7 pm and 7.40 pm at St George’s Church Hall, Barnsley.
Les Roberts
St George’s Scout Group
Anti-Bullying Week - Stay Safe in Cyberspace
16/11/2009 to 20/11/2009
To help promote Anti-bullying week and raise awareness of the distress that bullying causes, why not get your section to create their own Anti-Bullying Code or include some fun activities from Programmes Online into your programme that week?
An online Information Pack containing advice for adults and young people, posters and leaflets is also available from the Anti-Bullying Alliance. The Anti-Bullying leaflet for leaders and accompanying poster - 'Let's Stamp Out Bullying Together' - can be ordered online from the Scout Information Centre Catalogue or by calling 0845 300 1818.
The activities in Programmes Online (keyword: bullying) encourage young people to talk about what bullying is, find out more about each other and help them realise they share common interests. This will also help to create a respectful and friendly environment in your section or Group where bullying isn’t welcome.
[Ed: does anyone use “Programme Online”? If so, could you let me know if they work and how good they are?]
I'm just dropping a line to check out in the first case.
I recently started working on a project that's created a free guide for community groups on sustainability.
It's got lots of different worksheets on all different aspects (not just the environment!) explaining why they're important, and simple step-by-step project guides as to things you could do in your neighbourhood.
We are actually seeking a small number of groups across the region who could really actively test the resource. I could offer some time to help train them on it, and facilitate discussion, and then it would just mean participating in a short interview in March or April.
If you think of any groups who might be keen to help, tell me.
The toolkit is online at , there are also hard copy ringbound folders available, should they be preferred.
It was initially designed for adults, I believe, but with the help of their leaders I'm sure the scouts could do all sorts of things (of course, some of them probably are already, but might still be interested in the guide?)
Best wishes,
Ben Jewell
When were you born? This may be for you, if you were born before 24th July 1993!
As well as being a fantastic opportunity for young people, the Jamboree can be a hugely rewarding opportunity for adults in Scouting too, as well as great fun! The International Service Team works directly for the Jamboree organisers, although they are part of the UK Contingent. They are the people who deliver the Jamboree on a day-to-day basis, in other words they make the Jamboree happen. IST from all over the world work in international teams to do everything on-site, from delivering programme, to serving in shops, to washing up and emptying bins. But no matter what job you are given, you can be sure of a great time, making new friends for life and experiencing the wonders of a World Scout Jamboree first hand.
Any adult member of the Scout Association or Girlguiding UK can apply, as long as they will be 18 or over on the first day of the camp. This means you have to have been born on or before the 24th July 1993.
The fee for IST will not be more than £1350 and we are working hard to reduce this further. The fee includes travel to and from the Jamboree site, your Jamboree fee, food, uniform items, badges etc.
In addition, we hope to announce details of a no travel option before applications open. This will enable you to travel to the Jamboree under your own steam at a lower cost.
Visit the How To Apply page for details of the IST registration process.
You can find out more about the International Service Team from the World Jamboree site . Join the UK Contingent Facebook Group: 22nd World Scout Jamboree - UK Contingent.
The Jamboree will be held on the fields of Rinkaby, not far from the town of Kristianstad, in the province of Skåne, southern Sweden.
We know that the camp area at Rinkaby is the right place for stimulating people to get together. In 2001, a national Jamboree took place here with no fewer than 26,500 participants. Another national Jamboree was held here from 14 - 22 July 2007, and this camp Jiingijamborii was a wonderful success.
The camp area itself lies near the coast on sandy ground surrounded by pinewoods. Sandy earth helps rainwater run off and thus there is no risk of any parts of the camp area being waterlogged.
The campsite is approx 1.5 km x 1.5 km. Small areas of forest divide the campsite into smaller fields.
The temperature is varying, average day temperature in the period is 22 Celsius, and the average night temperature is 17 Celsius.
The sun rises at 5 o'clock in the morning (05:00). Sunset is at 9 in the evening (21:00).
Drinking water is available from wells at the field. There is already an extensive water and power system in the ground, dimensioned with the World Scout Jamboree in mind.
In the southern part of the field, there is space for the arena with a natural amphitheatre. There are sandy beaches near the camp area with sand dunes formed by the wind, creating their own particular type of landscape.
[Information on the site provided by the organisers in Sweden]
Notes from Don Jennings’ Silverwood Records
More comments from Silverwood’s log Initially owned by Don Jennings and since provided to me to print these excerpts.
Note the use of cement asbestos sheets, and number of outside troops camping there.
Visited Camp Site. Soke of Peterborough Troop camping.
2 pts Lavagone in Pool
7th Holyrood Swimming Competition
E. E. Lines
Visited Camp site. Repaired road with red shale leading to Lodge. Cut grass in front of Lodge. Water in Pool looking dirty.
E. E. Lines
Working Party: - Messrs G Wilson, D Jennings, Camp Bailiff. Work on interior of new stores, asbestos sheets to inside walls, partitions in new office. Elsans emptied (3).
1st Bakewell troop in camp (22) volunteered for working party – cleaned up incinerator & partly cleaned out Suez canal.
7 of the 18th Silkstone camping in the charge of Rover Scout Peter Richardson.
8 pts Lavagone in Swimming Pool. Water dirty in Pool.
E. E. Lines
Visited Camp Site, nobody camping, Site deserted.
3 pts Lavagone in water.
2 buckets Brakol.
E. E. Lines
Visited Camp Site, nobody camping.
3 Toilets (Elsans) emptied, 1 staff Elsan emptied. Fairway grass cut. Motor mower run to cut grass round Lodge. Mower hit piece concrete & broke off cutters. 11.00 am to 2.30.
E. E. Lines
Visited camp Site 2 camping 11th Worsbrough; 2 from Pitt St using Pool.
E. E. Lines
Visited Camp Site.
Nothing to report.
E. E. Lines
A little boy came knocking at my Scout room door,
An awfully little fellow, just twelve and no more.
His eyes danced as he watched my gang at rowdy play.
“I would like to be a Scout,” he said, “I’m 12 just yesterday.”
In the weeks to come he found his place, a trim young Scout he made.
The tests he passed with eagerness, a thorough job sure paid.
The oath, the laws, the knots and flag were taken to his heart.
A better man he was sure to be tho’ he’d just begun to start.
By candle-lighted darkness I watched his round face beam
The oath and laws he pledged to keep – just like a prayer it seemed.
The years to come were happy ones as we followed the trail –
That greater men had laid for us far up where eagles sail.
I watched him grow from boy to man, the days were far too few,
To try to teach the important things that Scouting said were true.
I didn’t know so long ago our nation he would defend,
I only saw a job to do, a helping hand to lend.
Now he’s flying higher still with silver wings up there.
I pray to God the job I did was better than just fair.
He thanked me once for what I did so many years ago.
It was not his thanks that paid me because he did not know
The greater thanks he’d given me a thousand times before
By his dancing eyes and smiling face – could one ask for more?
There are other boys a-knocking, I must invite them in.
Please, God, give me strength to make them better men.
Buch Burshears, Scoutmaster Koshare Indian Dancers, La Junta, Colorado,
Found on the UMC Website.
[Note being an American site, some of the ages and titles differ slightly from ours]
