Sunday, 24 June 2012

End of Term coming up

Hello all,

This week upcoming looks to be a busy and satisfying way to wrap up the term.

On Tuesday night we are hosting the annual prizegiving for water activities in the region.  Our troop has maintained our standing in the past year and there will be a lot of shiny hardware returning to it's place on our shelves. I would ask that those Scouts and Venturers who participated in regattas over the past year to please attend in uniform and show NTSS pride.  The programme begins at 7:30 but please be at the den no later than 6:45 to help set up tables, chairs, refreshments and ensure the trophies are cleaned and presentable.
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Thursday night will be our last night of the term.  The programme calls for a lamb BBQ, but stay tuned for additional details. 
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A reminder about the Mad Butcher sizzle on 30 June (next Saturday).  The roster is available online.  If for whatever reason you cannot attend your timeslot, please let me know as soon as possible.

Thanks for an excellent term!

Cheers,
R

Sunday, 3 June 2012

Jamboree fundraising

Hello all,

Looks like we've come around again to that time when we begin fundraising for Jamboree.

Ask any of the Scouts who went to Jamboree 2011 in Hamilton, or just have a spin through the photo gallery.  It is one of the single best Scouting experiences your son or daughter can have.

It's not an inexpensive venture, however.  We at Ngati Toa have been extremely fortunate in the past to have been able to have the group fund a large portion of the cost of sending nearly the entire troop, but we can only do that if we all pull together on raising those funds.  Many other troops were not so fortunate and in some cases families faced costs north of $1000 per Scout.

Therefore...

A reminder about the special foodie event we have organised in partnership with the Mediterranean Food Warehouse.  I have attached the flyer to this email, but the details are pretty simple:
7pm Tuesday 19 June at the MFW in Paraparaumu.
Tickets are $35 and you get to learn about Anitpasto, Main, Dessert.  You walk away with delicious food ideas plus a glass of wine PLUS a $5 voucher from MFW!  Can't go wrong!
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And at the other end of the scale, I have booked us a Mad Butcher sizzle for Saturday 30 June.  For those who have not helped out at one of these before, it's super easy!  Time slots are 90 minutes each; pick one that works for you, and come down to the Mad Butcher with an apron.  Everything is provided, or readily available in-store. These sizzles usually raise us over $300 on a good day, so they are one of our very effective tools.

Use the links below to send me an email to reserve your spot.  First in, first signed.
0800-0930 Pavelich
0930-1100 Bell
1100-1230 Mutton-Shaw
1230-1400 Serci
1400-1530 Rennison

Cheers,
R

Friday, 1 June 2012

Re: Overnight cycle trip reminder

Hello all,

That jacket I emailed about last night has been located, so no worries, it will get back to its shivering owner on Monday night at the beacon fire.
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It's time to begin planning for our coastal bike trip from Paekakariki to Paraparaumu on the weekend of June 9-10.

First and most importantly, this event is comparable to a Scout camp so participation is strongly expected.  This activity will be counted toward badgework and milestones.

The leaders need to plan for catering and gear transport, so we need to know how many Scouts, leaders and parent helpers will be attending.
I ask that all families please notify me by next Wednesday via email the following details:

  • whether or not their Scout(s) will be participating;
  • if so, how many in total will be coming along including any parent helpers
  • whether you can transport gear, firewood and/or food to and from the Paraparaumu Beach Scout Den
The plan for the trip is to gather in Paekakariki on Saturday 9 June at 1pm at the surf lifesaving club car park (far north end of The Parade)
The cycle group will travel along the beach and pathways north through QEII Park to Paraparaumu, ending up at the Scout Den on Te Kupe Road (see here for location). The ride should take maybe three hours if we stop for photos and snacks occasionally.

Once at the den we'll run some games and activities both indoors and at the adjacent Te Atiawa park.  If it isn't hosing down we might have a fire in the pit later on and ritually sacrifice some marshmallows.

On Sunday morning after far too little sleep we'll eat and pack up, clean the hall and have a few more activities.  At around noon we'll set out back to Paekakariki to a target arrival time of 3pm at our start point.

We did the bike safety and maintenance programme last week.  If you were not there or did not have a bike, please ensure that you have a bike in good mechanical condition.  We won't have a support vehicle following us and it's a heck of a long push through QEII park.

Your Scout will need to have ready for the trip:
  • a bike and lock
  • a helmet
  • layers of clothing appropriate to conditions (check the forecast on Friday please)
  • a small day pack with water bottle and snacks for both trips that they will carry with them
  • tyre puncture kit
  • sleeping bag, ditty bag and necessary toiletries (will be transported by helpful parents!)
I think that's all for now.  Again, all families please advise me by next Wednesday with respect to the details above so we can make this a very memorable excursion.

Cheers,
Randall