The summer term is a busy time for the whole group. All sections are having Nights Away experiences, the Group was well supported at the District St Georges’ Day Parade in Wilton, our AGM takes place in May, with the Annual Report and Award Ceremony, our Annual Strawberry and Cream evening, Programme selling at Thruxton, as well as, weather permitting, all sections getting out and about as much as possible. 

Beaver Colony

Since our last report 2 more beavers have joined the colony and are now nearly ready to become full members of the Colony. Before Easter the Beavers made Easter cards for the Friday Club. This is something we do each Easter and Christmas and we have forged a close link with the Club and we are hoping to visit them during the summer holidays. Our last meeting before the Easter break was a casualty of the weather, we were supposed to be visiting the park at East Gomeldon for an assault course and to invest our new recruits. However we had to settle for games in the hall and investitures up on tables instead of up the climbing frame. After Easter our new recruits have been learning ‘All About Beavers’ and the rest of the colony doing parts of the My World and My Skills Challenges. They also started on the Safety badge which they will be finishing later on in the term. On election day another attempt to do the Assault course, this time as a Fund Raiser for leader, Ash’s fundraiser for the Brain Tumour Charity, was once again thwarted by the weather! This time we had no Hall to fall back on so we changed the plan and enjoyed a hike from Gomeldon to Porton and back.  As I write the leaders are very busy planning and getting ready for the Beaver Sleepover, at the Glebe Hall, 18^th - 19^th May, you may have seen us out and about in Winterbourne.

Redwood/Pete and the Team

Cub Pack

The rain beat the cub section before Easter when we were going to meet up at Old Sarum for a wide game to end the Spring Term. However a favourite games evening in the hall was enthusiastically enjoyed by the cubs and an Easter Treat to go home with sweetened the disappointment. At pack meetings for this term we have decided to use the National Scout Initiative ‘OUTDOORIN24’ Bucket Challenge. This challenges everyone to do 24 outdoor activities in 2024. So far the cubs have identified 10 leaves, made pictures using sand and made some ‘wild art’ using natural things. As part of the Our Skills Challenge the cubs have learnt 2 new sports under the excellent of tuition of Tom, Baloo’s son in law. They learnt Kurling and Boccia, great fun was had by all! At the final pack meeting of this half term we managed to do the aborted Old Sarum visit, the hall was unavailable, so no chance of changing the plans anyway!!!

The highlight of this half term has to be the District Inflatable Funday over at Winterslow. 22 cubs from our group joined about 60 other cubs from across the district in the sunshine for a fantastic day. There were 3 inflatables, a giant event slide,(35-40ft high), a Bouncy Castle and a beat the goalie. As well as the inflatables the cubs played Hockey and Quick Cricket and did some Orienteering in the woods. It was a great day and fun was had by all. 

We are looking forward to lots more outside activities as well as our summer camp in June.

Akela and The Team

Scout – Idmiston Troop

Every year the scout troop looks forward to the clocks changing and the usual change in the weather that this heralds; “Spring forward” as the saying goes and we most certainly do.

During the Easter break, those not away on holiday met to test out their fire lighting ability and hone that age old skill of carbonising (cooking!) a sausage on the end of a stick. It is an activity that hasn’t lost any of its appeal over the <deleted> years since I first did it as a cub scout myself and proves that you don’t need wifi to have fun. After that we moved into outdoor mode with several weeks spent on the fundamentals of map reading and navigation, culminating in an evening spent on Figsbury Ring, overlooking the Bourne Valley and attempting to make sense of the picture that was the map, compared to reality. The Saturday following, the Troop donned hiking gear to take part in Trail Jam, an international event that aims to get scouts around the world all hiking on the same day. We’ve been doing this event for a few years now and have the format well practised – hike for 5 hours (about 10 miles) along local footpaths and then get stuck into takeaway pizza to aid recovery!

Saint George’s Day is a big occasion in scouting, St George being our patron saint, and this year members of scouting from across Salisbury District gathered in Wilton. It is a time to think about what it means to be a scout and to reflect on our values. The Troop were on parade and looking very smart.

Also in April we had a contingent attend the Skills Day, which offered them the opportunity to learn and practise a range of skills from tent pitching to pioneering – building using ropes and wooden spars – and finished off with a traditional campfire. 

The Troop is now preparing to tackle the Survival Skills badge before getting ready for our annual camp at the beginning of the summer holidays. We do still have spaces, for girls and boys, so if you know of anyone who enjoys the outdoor life and a bit of adventure, we meet on Fridays 7.15 – 9pm at the Memorial Hall in Porton.

Ian Jack

Group Contact

Shirley Moores Group Team Volunteer Tel No 01980 611614 

email - shirleyamoores1953@gmail.com