Term 4 2019 - Round up & Look ahead to 2020

Term 4 roundup Fern Class Cutter Before the start of the term, we were offered an opportunity to try out the new plastic molded Cutter.  The boat was unique and offers something different to Sea Scouts than what we are traditionally used.  Some fortunate scouts came down that weekend and got to sail it and had favourable reviews. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Regattas This term saw us compete in several regattas, including our own Onepoto Regatta.  We had a reasonable showing with a couple of firsts and a result in almost every event.  Write up on the web site is here. The Petone Regatta was a couple of weeks later, but the weather did not favour us.  We got a few events done in the morning but the wind got up and never really let off again.  St James made a clean sweep of the few events that were run, but we still managed some good results otherwise.  Write up on the web site is here. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pauahatanui Cleanup As a civic duty in November we got together with the Guardians of the Inlet and went around the inlet picking up rubbish for a morning.  A good piece of community service by Scouts, Cubs and Keas. Otaki Forks Chill Out Christmas camp What a long name for what was an incredible camp.  Lots of chill out time, no really challenging activities.  The river made an brilliant swimming hole and the weather was at it's best for all bar one gust of wind which lifted the Gazebos and caused a few minor injuries.  Full story as usual on the web site here. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jamboree 2019 I won't say much about Jamboree, other than with the six activity days, came lots of wild stories and happy tired faces at the end. Adventure Zone - climbing walls, abseiling, digger driving, flying foxes, and of course "Challenge Valley" (known at this Jamboree as "The land of the lost scout", but we will always know this activity as Challenge Valley) Home Zone - a feast of creative offerings, including making you own Jamboree t-shirt design, making your own woggle, army dog tags, painting your rock, and many others Fast & Furious -  a day of speed and precision - dirt bikes, archery, bicycles & scooters, cars and for some, cards! Wet & Wild - The lake at Kerepiro was a wonderland with paddle boards, kayaks, mud slide, sailing and a jet boat ride. The Mystery Tours - luck of the draw visits to a Lumber Museum, where you saw all the old machinery, made a branding, built a bivouac and watched cheese being made before your eyes (along with some really bad jokes) followed by a walk next to the Blue Spring, an idyllic river with very blue colouration originating (as the name implies) from a spring; or you got to go Laser Tag, Leap Trampoline Park and orienteering in Hamilton park. The 6th day was your duty for the troop, starting with washing up dinner plates and pots, continuing through the next days breakfast, cleaning up for inspection, doing the laundry, lunch, doing the community service (building pest traps for DOC), and making dinner. Some of the older scouts still had energy at the end of the evenings and managed to do some of the extra evening activities. No scout that went to Jamboree does not have a story to tell about each and every one of these days.  Simply ask them. A couple have responded to a request to tell a short story and they are included here. Individual Achievements Bronze Silver and Gold Awards Some of you scouts have completed Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards over the last term.  They are: Bronze Ruby Ohara Jesse Daniel Bronson Seth Calvin Amelia Zac Marcus Matthew Penny All our scouts that went to Jamboree have achieved at least their Bronze award now.  This is a fantastic achievement as a troop. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cossgrove Gold Cossgrove Gold is an evaluation as well as a training camp designed to test serious scouting skills.  Our scouts achieved good results and all achieved theirs. Adam Liam Harry Alfie Hamish Gabriella Term 1 2020 - Calendar Scout programme evenings The new term will begin on the 13th February 2020 (2nd week of term). Evenings will start from 18h30 and run to 21h00. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sunday Sailing Sunday Sailing starts on the 2nd of February.  Sailing will start at 13h00 and run until 16h00 although if the weather is really good we may stop for a swim after the boats are derigged. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Regattas Harbour Race When: 1 March 2020 @ 9:00 am Where: Evans Bay Worser Bay Regatta When: 15 March 2020 @ 9:00 am Where: Worser Bay Hickson Regatta When: 29 March 2020 @ 9:00 am Where: Evans Bay Cutty Sark Regatta When: 10 April til 12 April 2020 Where: Napier ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Zone Events Kapiti Coast Zone Onepoto Raft Race     When: 16 February 2020 @ 9:00am Where: Onepoto Inlet Kapiti Coast Zone Mud Slide When: 22 February 2020 @ 10:00am Where: Pukera Bay Scout Den Message for parents from Kym Derigging and den cleaning The end of each scout evening is a very busy time for leaders. Please parents, can you arrive a little early and help.  This can be getting the boats out of the water and away.  Also every evening the toilets, changing rooms, shower and entrance need sweeping and mopping, sinks and toilets need cleaning and in the kitchen the dishes need doing.  If you could do those tasks while the scouts have flag break the leaders would really appreciate that help (remember they are all just volunteers, have often come straight to scouts from work without dinner and many have young scouts who need to get home to bed too). Thanks heaps.   Kym  Did you know? Ngati Toa Sea Scouts has a website with write ups of a lot of our major events?  You too can add to this site.  Let me know what you would like to write about and I will help you to post and publicise it. https://ngatitoaseascouts.blogspot.com It also contains a calendar with all the troop dates in OSM displayed on it.  You can click the "Google Calendar" button at the bottom of the page to link it to your own calendar.

Jamboree 2019

Hi all

I will not attempt to put into words the experience the scouts had on Jamboree.  This is because there are as many different experiences as there are scouts.  Each scout will have experienced the sights and sounds and feelings (both highs and lows) of the whole Jamboree in their own unique way and I could never do any of them justice.

Jamboree is billed as a once in a life time experience for all who live through it.  And for most it is.

More pictures here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/mD85S6CjwMJB34du7

Derrick

Stories

Derrick's Story

"Arriving at Karapiro for the overnight camp before the nexts days water activities, was a breath of fresh air literally.  The most outstanding experience I have had to date at Jamboree was getting out at the beautiful grassy lake onto grass, with little wind and NO dust.

That evening, while scouts were all bedding down prior to lights out, I stood outside my tent on the grass in my bare feet (don't tell any scouts) and simply enjoyed the sensation of the grass under them.

The next days sailing was a load of fun as well.  The lake was so still and flat that even when the wind got up I was able to get the cutter up to speed and run the gunwhale as close to the water line as I could. (Some of the land scouts were definitely uncomfortable with this, but most enjoyed the speed and fun). "

Nick’s story

"One of the innovations at this Jamboree was evening activities, and in particular special activities just for Senior Scouts. I joined three of our Senior Scouts for one of those activities - caving.

We lined up in the early evening for the half hour bus ride up to Karamu Caves, where we were kitted out with helmets and lights before the short walk up the hillside to the small, rocky opening which was the entrance to the cave.  We were split into groups at that point.  Liam, Adam and Hamish were selected for the fast-moving, extreme group, while old blokes like me went at a more sedate pace.

We spent more than an hour inside the cave, wading through the muddy water, slithering through holes not much bigger than we were, and climbing up and down through the rocks.  But we also stopped to look and marvel at the chambers full of ancient stalactites and stalagmites.  Or turn off all our lights and look at the walls and ceilings covered in hundreds of glow worms.  We finally emerged, tired and filthy - in a good way, back above ground, into the clear, still night, for the walk and bus ride back to camp."

Callum's Story

"My best NZ Scout Jamboree experience was The Mystery Tour.  I went to a beautiful garden and did orienteering activities, then went to Laser Tag and Trampolines.  It was very fun day.  Afterwards, we went rock climbing which is themed around different things like King Kong, Indiana Jones and more. 

Other great activities that I enjoyed was riding quad bikes, drift tricycles and archery.  I really enjoyed meeting the NZ scouts at the Porirua Pirates troop. Thank you for all leaders for look after me."

Ethan's Story

"I don’t know but if I had to choose I would probably say the Fast and Furious day because it had so many activities you never thought you would do, like drift trikes on a go kart track, pushing a car around a field and using a slingshot to fire paint balls. 

Or maybe all the free time for stuff like swapping badges and meeting friends if you have any in other troops or just sitting and thinking all I want to do is sleep because I'm soooo tired…. "

Will's Story

"The best thing at jamboree for me was hanging out after the activities. It was really good doing cards and cricket and all the other things.

The other best thing was the sleep which there definitely wasn't enough of, (just a tip for next jamboree)."

Rosie's Story

"It was all so much fun, I personally really enjoyed the evening activities. I only got to do one but I think that they were a really smart idea to add so that if you wanted to learn about space, shoot everyone you know with lasers or just backflip off a box onto a trampoline (which I’m sure would be fun if I could backflip).

When I did the evening activities I decided to do some trampolining, so I explored what I could do for a bit until I decided on dodgeball. I’m not very good at throwing so instead I collected balls and gave them to people who were good shots. (I definitely hope we have this next jamboree)"

Xavier's Story

"What I most enjoyed about the whole NZ22nd Jamboree was dinner time when we all got to share all the amazing experiences with each other (we still needed to keep some secret so we wouldn’t ruin the fun). A close second was learning how to operate a digger, it was pretty cool. I also enjoyed meeting and making new friends from all over the place in NZ and overseas."