Forest Lakes Woolshed Camp

A camp of highlights is the best way to describe it.  Highlights like:

Xavier's look of intense concentration while creating his toasting fork

The happiness of the patrol who created the camp kitchen and then got to use it for the rest of the weekend

Clearing the fireplace from this ...

... to this!

Nick getting to use his machete as it was intended to be used

The camp had three aims:-

• To get the scouts thinking about where, and how to put up their own tents
• To get the scouts building something useful from nothing more than logs, rope and tarpaulin
• To make a toasting fork in a real live blacksmithing forge

We managed to achieve these all on the first day.  We rounded the day off with songs and skits around the campfire, which exploded spectacularly a few times, the last being when the concrete base ruptured.  All explosions were contained and no-one was burned and all buildings were left unharmed.

The songs and skits were brilliant, if not quite traditional camp fire fare.  We had a horror story, little bunny foo-foo, and even a rendition of "Chim Chimeny"

On Sunday, the scouts took part in "The Quest", a series of challenge designed to help them to think together and solve problems.  These included:

• balancing 12 nails on a nail hammered into a log
• filling two 44 gallon drums with holes drilled into the side (Marcus and Magnus get a special mention for this one as they really put their whole bodies into the challenge - literally hugging the barrels to hold as much water in as possible)
• balancing 8 people on a sideways 44 gallon drum
• finding an old bicycle in a swamp 
• crossing a river on a tension wire; and
• reversing the order of everyone balancing on a telephone pole suspended above the lake itself.

From what I saw and heard these challenges were met with gusto and mostly finished.

On the nail challenge it took the first group about 20 minutes to work out how to balance the nails, with Dominic taking the lead and getting the main idea, then assisted by the rest of his watch to complete it.

As mentioned before, Magnus and Marcus both come out of the Holy Drum challenge very wet after getting very close to the drums in an effort to stem the flow of water.

One of the groups succeeded in balancing 8 people on a 44 gallon drum laid sideways on the grass.  Gabi and Ciara driving that one to completion by gently assisting everyone into positions.  They managed to stay on the drum for a whole 60 seconds.

Going from this ...

... to this.

The telephone pole suspended over the lake required everyone to get on and balance on the pole and then to reverse the order of the people standing on it without getting off or getting wet.  As it turns out getting wet was not an option and a lot of fun was had by all groups.

Special mentions for Daniel, Xavier and Ethan who all got more than their fair share of lake.

More photographs are available.  I will share the google photos link with everyone who went on the camp.

2019 Term 1 Roundup and look ahead

Hi all And welcome to our 2019 first term news.  Term 1 roundup Its been a pretty exciting term 1 culminating in a brilliant Cutty Sark Regatta for the small contingent that made it up their this year. Sunday Sailing Practice Many of you made an attempt at some time during the term to attend a sailing practice, some of you on a regular basis and this showed at regattas and at Thursday evening programme events when we went sailing.  Confidence grew and many scouts who had never sailed much before this summer were helming cutters and sunbursts with skill. Founders Day Mud Slide Mud and slide should be synonymous with children of scouting age.  A short write up and a few photos are on the blog site here. Great Onepoto Raft Race 2019 This one had a fair bit of build up with Thursday evenings of lashings and practice rafts being built.  There was also an unprepared lesson on when it is good to review if it is safe to go out. A short blog with lots of pictures is available here. Land Rafts Following the raft race it was decided to try making land rafts.  The results were mixed but lots of fun.  A short video of one of the Land Rafts is on Facebook here Plimmerton Regatta (by Kate) Sunday dawned bright and very very calm… after Ciara, Lauree, Adam and Hamish and their families with Grant's help got sorted bright and early, there was a looong delay on glassy water waiting for enough wind to start the first race. After a slow first race in the very light winds, which had its real challenges for both starting and finishing, Ciara and Lauree were happy to call it a day. Adam and Hamish had a fabulous start for race 2 and sailed the now-shortened course before also retiring. No places were achieved but plenty of good experience, including how to navigate into the ramp when the wind is both light and right on the nose. Well done to the scouts for signing up for this extra regatta and taking on these challenges. A huge thanks to Grant for getting the boats and gear sorted in the morning, and all parents for their help over the day and to pack up boats and gear and get it back to the den. We hope you all enjoyed the rest of the lovely last summer afternoon after the exertions! Individual achievements Investitures This term we invested a few new scouts.  The following scouts all took the promise and received our scarf and woggle to wear with pride, whenever in the company of other scouts: Daniel Woodside Calvin Dunnett Marcus Chapman-Walsh Bronze Silver and Gold Awards Some of you scouts have completed Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards over the last term.  They are: Gabriella Clements - Bronze Max Calvert - Bronze Alfie Gater - Bronze Will Scott - Bronze The Bronze award is a requirement to attend Jamboree and the leaders will make every attempt to help scouts achieve this, but you need to be aware and motivated to achieve it to. Sandford "Young Leaders" and Cossgrove "Practical Skills" courses The Cossgrove course in March was for our group a personal triumph.  When the course opened up our scouts responded so quickly that we took nearly a third of the spaces on the course.  The following scouts have successfully achieved their Cossgrove Basic Award: Alfie Gater Max Calvert Rosie Bell Calvin Dunnett Bronson Martin Will Scott Seth McGregor Daniel Woodside Xavier Braga Ohara Mundell I will send out invites to the next Sandford course as soon as I know the dates. Chief Scout Awards Congratulations to Ellen for achieving her Cheif Scout award.  We all look forward to the presentation so that we can congratulate her in person. Well done to you all. Looking ahead Swim Sports - 18th May This is the last event in the regatta season and we should give it a go to get as much from it as we can.  The event will be at Canons Creek pool on the Saturday afternoon.  Invitations will go out soon. Scout Camp - 25 & 26th May Invitations for this have already gone out and you should know that this is going to be a short but action packed weekend. Prize giving - 5th June This year the prize giving for the years events will take place in our own den.  It would be really good if as many as possible could attend to cheer and accept any prizes we may get this year. 3rd Term planned events Hike to Atiwhakatu This was the hike that was cancelled in term 1 and it will go ahead either early in Term 3 (or if we get our act together late in term 2) Group Camp - 27 to 29th September This years theme is planned to be "Wild Wild West" and will be held at Brookfield again. Contact If you have any questions of queries, feel free to contact me on 021 0292 8345, or at derrickbell@gmail.com. Yours in scouting Derrick

2019 Onepoto Raft Race

The 2019 Onepoto Great Raft Race got off to a cracker, being won in truely magnificent style by a group who have been perfecting their style of raft for a few years now.  The research and development finally paid off with a win of almost half the time of the second participant.

However, the story all starts with a group of troops with groups of scouts in crews who made bunches of rafts.

• Paekakiriki Scouts brought a crew
• Paekakiriki Venturers brought 2 crews
• St Marys Scouts (all the way from Levin - WOW what an effort) brought 2 crews
• Whitby Scouts brought a crew
• Brittania Sea Scouts brought a crew
• Titahi Bay Scouts brought a crew
• Raumatis Scouts brought 2 crews
• & Ngati Toa Scouts brought 4 crews

As you can see from the list, a great turn out.

So to the building, the briefing started things off at 9am and rafts were built at a rapid rate from then.  However the designs all differed greatly. 

Most of Ngati Toa opting to go with a standard two+two inner tube approach firmed up with spars

St Marys opting for a four in a line configuration

Whitby & Raumati doing the "lets just lash some inner tubes together" thing! This is a tried and tested technique for getting to the finish line and this design provided last years winner.

Titahi Bay put together a nice frame that looked like it would go the distance

Paekakariki putting together a superstructure of green bamboo poles that looked like it might be the raft to beat

Britannias effort looking like you could ride this ship and never get wet!

And last but not least the Paekakariki Venturers all out to build out a design 3 years in development

Yes, those are bath tubs!

AND ON TO THE START!

This unruly bunch would not make a straight line making it hard for judges and umpires to be fair about it but we came close and took this picture to indemnify ourselves against any accusations.

Once underway, it became very quickly clear whose rafts were quick and whose were happy to travel on the wind and tide alone!  There was a lot of swimming being done and some genuine fun be had!

Britannia off to a shaky start

The Paekakariki Express (the train of bath tubs) showing it's style

"Whitby Wolves" howling along!

There were plenty of leaders and parents in support

Eventually the inlet began to take its toll.  Rafts started coming apart, as did crews!

Some crews however found it easier simply to combine their rafts

Eventually, everyone made it to shore and hot chocolate was drunk and sausages were consumed.  All the equipment made it back to shore with only one or two pieces being retrieved from the water by safety boats.

Congratulations to Paekakariki Venturers for spending so long perfecting your design.  You took honours in brilliant style.

Thanks to all the parents and leaders who brought troops down to attend this event and make it what it is.  And a big thank you to the crew from Ngati Toa for providing the safety boats, changing tents, hot chocolate and sausages (You know who you are).

Mud Slide 2019

Three scouts (that I am aware of) attended the Mud Slide 2019 at Pukera Bay den on Saturday.  The grins were huge on all the faces I saw.  Seth, Rosie and Calvin all had a fantastic time.  Below are a few pictures of them (I missed Seth, so there aren't any of him).

Thursday night rowing challenge

Last Thursday evening we had an introduction to the Jamboree Fund raising efforts for all the scout parents and while we were all being regalled with ideas on how to fund raise enough for the scouts to go, they were out doing what sea scouts do best, playing on the water!

The challenge that was laid down for them was this:

• Row across to the other side of the harbour mouth in a normal rowing formation
• Once there, using the oars, a few other poles and lashings the scouts had to raise themselves out of the cutters.
• Then, provided with paddles they had to make their way back to the den - WITHOUT touching the cutter they were paddling

Below are a few pictures of their efforts at rowing.  Unfortunately I did not have my camera with me when they came back to the beach so missed the final efforts.  The good news is they all held up.

Enjoy!