BLACKDOWN DISTRICT NEWSLETTER
PUBLISHED BY BLACKDOWN SCOUT COUNCIL
WEB SITE http://www.blackdownscouts.org.uk/
ISSUE 6
FEBRUARY 2015
APPOINTMENTS COMMITTEE January 14th, Tangier
Becky Thomas ACSL West Hatch
Additional Role
Jacqui Hooley Pack Assistant West Taunton
Phillip Edwards CSL Taunton Prep School.
Change of Role
Shaun Hendy moves from ACSL to CSL Wellington
APPOINTMENTS COMMITTEE January 28th, Ilminster
James Gullis ASL Crewkerne
Michael Jones-Tovey Pack Assistant Manor Court, Chard
Amie Clear ABSL Crewkerne
Sean Bignell moves from ADC Scouts South Somerset to ASL Crewkerne.
DC DROP IN at TANGIER
DC Pam 7.00 – 9.00, DDC Tricia Sedgbeer 7.30 – 9.00
Pam 4th February Tricia 11th & 25th February
Info for Scout Groups wishing to book instructor-led kayaking and canoeing sessions at
Tangier for Beavers, Cubs and Scouts. The Paddling Diary for April - September 2015 (not including
bank holidays and school holidays) is open for bookings. Please contact [email protected]
if you wish to book a date for your group. Cost is £3 per young person, to be paid on the evening of the
activity. In order to ensure that we have enough instructors for each session we are limiting them to
Mondays and Tuesdays every week. All the instructors with permits are volunteers and most are already
running other groups within Scouting on the other days of the week. There is an open Explorer session
running alongside any booked group session on Mondays throughout the season. Please contact me if
your group has enough instructors with current permits supporting it and wishes to take the boats out on
another day of the week. Also, if anyone would like to become an instructor please contact Tricia
Sedgbeer at Tangier for further information at [email protected]. Many thanks, and
look forward to hearing from you Nick & Debs Westmancoat (ASLs Wilton)
NIGHTS AWAY - Before the camping season gets going in earnest, the Nights Away Advisers will be
running a refresher session at Huish Woods, on the evening of 26th March at 7:30 in the Govett Hall,
Huish Woods. The session will be informal, rather than a lecture, but we ask that you please let us know if
you are planning to be there. We'll run through the relevant sections of POR, the types of permit, NAN
forms, etc. Tea and coffee will be on hand as well. Please can you let Martin Allen know if you are
planning to attend; [email protected], or 07970 374845
DC request - Could you please ensure that everyone is now wearing the BLACKDOWN
DISTRICT & COUNTY BADGE on their uniform? The old one can go on their camp blanket!
HUISH WOODS - Please note that the barrier will be locked when the site staff leaves unless we
have people staying on site. When arriving at the site you might have to unlock the barrier the
combination number is 2821 can you please lock it up when leaving the site. This will need to be
done during the winter months.
The site can now offer a photo copy service for any Group in the District; costs are as follows
A4 Black and White per side 10p
A3 Black and White per side 20p
A4 Colour per side 20p
A3 Colour per side 40p
this is for paper card prices on request. Please email what you require to
[email protected] allow a week for collection.
If you are paying HUISH WOODS please can you post or deliver it to Huish Woods NOT
leave it at Tangier? This is because the post is not collected that often and you might get a
reminder for a bill you have paid! The address is Huish Woods Scout Campsite, West Hatch,
Taunton TA3 5RH. Thank you
May we remind EVERYONE that you should not park at TANGIER unless you are using the
building. We have regular fee paying users who are unable to park during the weekday and
weekends who are now considering changing venue due to the inability to park during the time
they hire the building. Please pass this to all your contacts who may be parking at the building.
When it is approaching your APPOINTMENT REVIEW you will need to have 4 things in place
1. CRB/DBS disclosure in date
2. Safeguarding/Child Protection in date
3. First Aid qualification in date
4. Safety training in date
So please remember this and attend any training courses well in advance of your review date.
NORTH TAUNTON CUBS were paid a visit by an adorable baby hedgehog and a
barn owl when Secret World came! They loved being up close to, and touching, these
wild animals and learnt loads.
On Saturday 24th January 2015, 24 members of 1st
TAUNTON (WILTON) SCOUT GROUP enjoyed a fantastic
day in the woods with the National Trust at Knightshayes
Court working alongside 10 Scouts from 2nd Tiverton
(Halberton. During the morning the young people were
taught how to plant a tree sapling correctly, and went on to
plant, stake and tube a whole woodland of 120 trees across
a hillside. Everyone was excited to hear that the National
Trust intended to install a plaque in the new wood so future
generations could read about the Scouts planting the trees.
The afternoon saw everyone in an overgrown part of the
woods, exploring the undergrowth, learning how to identify
different tree species and trying out techniques for how to
fell a tree safely. We even discovered a (cannibal?) den
and had a go at identifying which animal the bones we
found might have come from. The Scouts enjoyed working
in teams helping to thin out that part of the woods so that
the remaining trees would have enough light to grow well. The day was capped off
with Robert Hall, one of Wilton's newest Scouts, being invested in the woods and having the honour of
assisting Raife The Woodsman to fell one of the largest trees. All the Scouts and leaders would like to
thank the National Trust for organising such a fun and informative day out.
Jacqui Hopkins ADC Beavers Blackdown writes- - DISTRICT BEAVER PANTOMIME was held
on Saturday 24th January 2015, at Wellesley Theatre, Wellington. This was an excellent
production of “Scrooge”, one of the Wellington Pantomime Group’s best productions. Sadly
support from the District was not as in past years, but those that attended enjoyed a really good
show.The next District Beaver event will be the PARTY on 28th February. The theme for our
BEAVER CAMP/FUNDAY, this year, will be the “Movies”, plenty of scope for ideas. We will be
holding a Teddy Bear’s picnic on the Saturday lunchtime on the Beacon field, rather than a fancy
dress parade. We have held “taster” sessions for Beaver and Cub aged children, since October,
and it is looking hopeful that potential Leaders will soon be taking up positions to augment an
existing Taunton Group.
WEST TAUNTON SCOUT GROUP - Beavers started off the term with a New Year party, lots of
games and plenty of food and fun. They have completed 2 badges during January - The disability
awareness badge where they learnt how to sign their names, played games with blindfolds to
experience what it is like to be blind and also talked about various disabilities. The 2nd badge
was the Space activity badge, they now know the names of planets, have made star
constellations and coloured in space pictures.
Cubs and Scouts have both been working towards their Fitness challenge, improving fitness
levels over 4 weeks by taking part in various bases. We talked about diet and sleep. The Scouts
learnt how to make fruit smoothies and the Cubs had a food tasting session of all things good for
you and brought in and discussed their food diary. The Scouts took part in the District 10 pin
bowling and were pleased to win the trophy.
DISTRICT TROPHIES - all trophies from South Somerset and Taunton Deane need to be
handed In to the District. This is to enable District to record details of all trophies, note all the
activities for which the trophies were awarded and rename them for Blackdown District.
Please can you arrange for any trophy to be handed into Tangier or handed to the Sectional ADC
as soon as possible?
"Angela Franks, wife of North Taunton BSL Matt, has kindly offered to raise
money towards a new Monkey's Paradise for Huish Woods by doing a
PARACHUTE JUMP later in the year. You can follow her progress and offer
sponsorship with the following links:
www.facebook.com/angelasparachutejump or
www.angelasparachutejump.weebly.com "
GRAHAM BELL, ADC SCOUTS writes -SCOUT 10 PIN BOWLING What a great morning at the Hollywood Bowl in Taunton where
once again we took over the whole building. The staff were very
impressed at how well behaved everyone was. The results are with
Bumpers Team on lane 1 from Wellington with Stoke St Gregory on
lane 5 2nd and Central on lane 9 came 3rd. Individual placing was
won by Joe from Central. Results without Bumpers West Taunton on lane 13 came 1st with West Hatch
on lane 14 2nd and Stoke St Gregory on lane 6 3rd. Individual was won by Lily from Stoke St Gregory The
leader’s event was won by Andy with Kevin 2nd
BLACKDOWN DISTRICT CONNECT 4, CHESS & DRAUGHTS COMPETITION
FOR BEAVERS CUBS AND SCOUTS.
st
1 February was the first Blackdown District Connect 4 , Chess and Draughts competition it was held at
Broadway village hall. Unfortunately no Scouts attended. Attendance was low but the general feeling of
those that were there was we should try it again next year. We hope to hold it at Huish Woods on the 31st
January 2016.(I will have to check with the woods this date is available).
Beavers attending came from.
Ilton & Broadway. Reuben Bidgood and George Crioxe.
Ilminster. Harry Theobald and Aimee Pursey.
Hinton St George. Alec Thomas Rowan Hooper and Maddie Maloney.
The winner of the Beaver Scout Connect four was George Crioxe from Ilton and Broadway.
Cubs attending came from.
Ilton and Broadway. Jacob Harris, Oliver Clarke, Joe Burton,
Emily Retter and Edward Bidgood.
Staplegrove. Tyler Wyatt and Ben Bliase.
Ilminster. Sam Jaffe, Kieren Mackay and Kai Nakayama.
The winner of the Cub Chess Competition was Jacob Harris from Ilton and Broadway.
The winner of Cub Draughts Competition was Edward Bidgood from Ilton and Broadway.
Congratulations to all those Cubs that took part in the competitions. Individual Trophies were given to
the winners to keep. The main Trophies were given out but after the photographs they were collected
back in as they needed the new District name put on them. ALL the Beavers and Cubs that took part in
Connect four and Chess and Draughts will go through to the County competition.
Many thanks to the Whistlers SAS for all their help running the event and keeping us supplied with tea
coffee and biscuits. Thanks to Graham for adjudicating the event. The Whistlers kindly gave the £8
collected from donations for teas and coffees towards the cost of the hall THANK YOU GUYS. Thank you
to all the Leaders and Parents who gave up their Sunday to transport Beavers and Cubs to the event. A
very good day was had by all. Many thanks to you all for supporting this event, Clive Welch ADC Cubs.