Nick's Ramblings

As many of you will know, one of the things I’m interested in is the history of my Group. So the other week this letter in the local newspaper caught my eye. It was about the filming of the then Chief Scout’s (Sir Charles Maclean) visit to Kibblestone Camp site in 1963. On the off chance it showed some of our Scouts, I contacted the chap who made it asking if he would send me a copy. And he did!

It came on DVD, which was a transfer from the original 16mm film. In 1963 the standard format of home movie film was 8mm, so to have this as a 16mm film shows that it was produced to a professional standard (the BBC often used this format for filmed TV shows and the Beatles film Let It Be was filmed on 16mm).

Watching the film there does appear to be one Scout who is highly likely to be from Porthill.

That’s him at the back in the middle.

The only down side is I have no idea who he is! It looks like he was with Scouts from Bradwell, who we have always had a close association with.

It also seems that our Cubs may have been there as well.

The Cubs on the right in the red neckerchiefs could be ours, but it’s very difficult to know where the are actually from. However there is a leader on the left wearing a light green shirt and red neckerchief who looks very much like the Cub Master of the time.

You can see the film and more information on my Group’s History site here.

It is very interesting to see all those Scouts and the campsite nearly 50 years ago. Especially as Kibblestone is my local site and I’ve been there many times. It’s also interesting to see the swimming pool and rope swings in use as the pool is now a ‘caving experience’ and the rope swings removed due to ‘safety issues’, and yes I am having a pop at the camp site here!

The original film was presented to the Stoke-on-Trent & Newcastle Boys Scouts Association (now Stoke-on-Trent & Newcastle Divisional Scout council) and to the Boy Scouts Association (now the Scout Association) at Gilwell, but has only been shown a limited number of times since it was shot. I am going to ask the chap who shot the film if he did any other for the Scouts, as this film, and possibly others, deserve to be seen as they are important parts of our local Scouting history.

One thing that doesn’t seem to change is the fact that the Chief Scout tried to speak to as many of the Scouts as possible (the commentary says he spoke to all!) and this is something the current Chief Scout, Bear Grylls, is also very keen to do when he goes on Scouting activities.

It was very sad to read today that our close neighbours, 1st Kidsgrove Scout Group, had suffered an arson attack. It seems someone had set fire to one of their outbuildings which was used to store archery and air rifle shooting equipment amongst others.

It was lucky it was just an outbuilding and not their main meeting hall. It would have been catastrophic for the Group if the main building was targeted as this is where they store all their music equipment (they have a very active Scout band) and all their camping gear, and of course they wouldn’t have anywhere to meet.

I wonder what kind of person sets fire to buildings belonging to a charity which does a lot of work and good for the young people in their community? I think my idea of enjoyment is somewhat different to these fools (I’m being VERY polite here!).

Good luck to Kidsgrove getting everything sorted out after this mindless and unprovoked attack.

A lot is said today about the need for people to do stuff for their local communities. The idea being that by doing things in the community, people are giving back.

Of course, Scouts (and other youth organisations to be fair) have been doing this for well over 100 years, from the traditional image of helping old ladies cross the road to going to help at refugee camps in Africa.

Recently, my Group planted lot of Daffodil bulbs (well over 1000 actually) in the grounds of the Church that sponsors us and at its sister Church as well. We’d also planted some bulbs and trees at the campsite the Cubs had been camping at the weekend before.

Also, we paraded from our meeting place to the Church on Remembrance Day and by doing this we commemorated those who had been killed in war (including the 13 from our own Group).

Both the bulb planting and the parade were well attended, and the planting at least, was enjoyed by all who came. However, these type of activities are not the, for want of a better word, ‘sexy’ ones! They can be most rewarding personally though.

When I was doing my Queens Scout Award, we did some work at the local convent over a couple of summers. This was a huge old house which had been donated to the Community of St. Francis by the old lady who owned it. She kept part of the house and the nuns kept an eye on her. As kids I’d been there often with my Mum and sister to visit the old lady, so when it was time to do some community work for the Queens Scout Award, the nuns knew me and gave us some jobs. We enjoyed working there as we were in and around the large gardens and it was a lovely environment to be in. We were a touch naughty by playing music somewhat loudly (including the most certainly unsuitable for a convent, Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack!), but the nuns tolerated us! I enjoyed those two summer’s work and I always think it was a shame when the nuns sold the house and left.

As Scouts we need to carry on doing work in, and for, the community, but perhaps we do need to ‘blow our own trumpets’ a bit more often, to show that our young people are putting stuff back into their communities and not just taking.

With the UK (and various parts of Europe as well, by all accounts) getting snow unseasonably early, the country is slowly grinding to a halt!

However, should this mean that Scouting activities should stop as well? No!

At the beginning of the year, it snowed quite badly, but our Scouts went ahead with the camp they’d planned. They’d hired buildings to stay in, so they were able to dry themselves out etc. at the end of activities. However, the funny thing was that the Scouts who actually camped were warmer at night than the ones who stayed indoors! The buildings hadn’t been used for a few weeks so had got cold and damp etc. The camp went very well and all who went had a brilliant time. In fact, the only issue they had, was at the end of the camp, the parents had difficulty getting onto the campsite due to the poor road conditions!

A number of years ago, I organised a hike by Errwood Reservoir in Derbyshire. It was in late February, so I’d expected rain, but not the snow we discovered when we arrived! Anyway, it was decided to proceed as it wasn’t a very long hike and it would be an experience! All was going well until it started to snow again and it was quite intense. We stopped and took the decision to come down off the hills on the prearranged escape route and make our way back to the cars. This cut the hike short but ensured that we were all safe and knew where we were. Although we did less walking that expected, there was the added bonus of the snowman making competition! Again, a good time was had by all (except when I had to reverse over half a mile on a single track road as the end was blocked!).

The point of this is that despite the fact the weather was poor, the activities were properly organised and precautions taken to ensure we were all kept safe.

Of course all that really matters is that everyone had a great time!

Not really! But if you read this article in the Sunday Telegraph, you might get that idea.

Now, I was going to write a comprehensive and witty repost, but then I noticed that Chris Hawes had already written about it on his Be Prepared blog. So there isn’t really any point for me to do so.

Instead, please go and take a look at his comments about this silly article!

Here is a short video of the campfire we had at our last Cub Camp (see here).

This one isn’t the longest one I’ve ever done, nor does it contain much singing as the camera’s batteries ran out and I was busy taking photos! Still you get the idea – it was a  very dark night!

This year for our Remembrance Day ceremony, we did something we haven’t done for quite a few years, we actually paraded from the Hall to the Church.

This was something we did regularly in the past, until we stopped parading around 15 years ago. However, we thought that this year as a mark of respect to all those who have died in wars (especially our own Scouts), we would parade through the streets again. Also, it’s a good way of reminding people that we’re around and how many kids do Scouting!

Of course a lot has changed since we last paraded through the streets, and so a risk assessment was done and the police were asked if they’d stop the traffic from running us all over! Luckily the police were able to help out and we were able to march safely. The Group’s Assistant Scout Leader borrowed a snare drum from the local Scout Band and played it to keep us (roughly) in step.

A nice touch from the Beavers was that they had made and carried poppies with the names of our Scouts who had been killed in wars on them. As we paraded to the Church, it was interesting to think that we were passing the actual houses where some of our Scouts who were killed in the First World War lived. To see that connection to the past and know about these men is quite humbling.

The Brownies and Guides joined us for the parade, but we did outnumber them somewhat!

After the service many people came to me and told me how well turned out and well behaved all the Beavers, Cubs and Scouts were. Indeed, all the Leaders were very proud of all the Scouts!

Please visit our site of Remembrance.

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

They mingle not with laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England’s foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

LAURENCE BINYON 1914

Please take a look at the on line memorial to the members of my Scout Group who have been killed in previous wars.

At a campsite, with the Cubs about to start the fire for our campfire!

I read this article in my local newspaper tonight –

SCOUTS wants to lease land where they can set up a new base after a church council kicked them out of the headquarters they have used for decades.

The 21st West Stafford Scout Group has asked Stafford Borough Council to lease them a patch of land in Western Downs in Stafford.

Pack leaders warn the group may have to fold if the request is refused.

A report to tomorrow’s borough council cabinet meeting says: "The scout group has been at its headquarters building at Lovelace Close, Highfields, for more than 40 years and the premises has been leased from the Castle Church Parochial Church Council. The group has now been given notice that they will need to vacate the site imminently."

The scout group has a membership of more than 100 children.

If the borough council approves its request, the group will seek funding to build a new scout hut at the site.

Now apart from the fact that the newspaper has managed to mangle the story as usual (talking about the Group and Pack as if they are the same), this does raise something quite worrying.

I have tried to see if there is any more information about this story ‘out there’ but can only find a Facebook page the Group has set up which mentions applying for planning permission for a new HQ, but this was last updated in May. And of course, there is no mention of a reason why the Church are evicting the Group. However, it does seem to somewhat go against the Church’s (and I mean the Church as an organisation not this specific Church) general ethos of helping young people. From the Church of England’s website –

The Church’s concern is not only for young people within it but also those in the wider community.

There is a strong commitment to support and advise those who work with young people regionally, in dioceses, and locally, in deaneries and parishes.

So it does seem rather odd that this Church is trying to get rid of what seems to a successful Group.

However, this is by no means an unusual situation. A Group in my District had their own HQ on a site rented from the local Council. However,  a new village hall is to be built on the site and the Group were evicted from their HQ and now have to meet in the local school. They will be able to use the village hall when it is built, but only at the specific times given to Group’s meeting. They also now have the problem of where to store all their equipment as they won’t be able to do so in the village hall.

I do hope the Stafford Scouts are able to get a new HQ and are not forced to close as that would be a tragedy and serious questions would have to be asked of the Church.

At the weekend, my Group’s Beavers went to Kibblestone for a sleep over (camp). The Leaders all went out the night before to get themselves settled in and everything sorted in advance of the Beavers coming out on the Saturday morning.

As I’ve mentioned before, Beavers can only be away from Mum & Dad for 24 hours, so quite a lot has to be packed into that short period of time. Also, the Beavers need to be kept busy and on the move all the time so they don’t have the chance to get home sick. This could well be the first time they’ve been away from Mum & Dad and / or close family, so if they get time to stop and think, this is when we get homesickness which can cause problems (do you ring Mum etc.). And of course keeping them busy  all the time means that there may be a small chance that they get some sleep at night!

I went out on the Saturday morning with Rachael to visit, and I have to admit it was a strange experience for me. Taking a 9 month baby with me meant that I didn’t actually do anything remotely connected with the camp. I just looked after Rachael, made sure she looked devastatingly cute (proud Daddy here!) and chatted to the Leaders and Explorers when possible. And that was it! Very odd.

Me, Rachael & a Halloween ghost!

However, we had fun and from what I saw of the Beavers and the reports I had back, the Beavers had a brilliant time. Which is of great credit to all the Leaders, Young Leaders and parents who helped out on the cooking team. A Beaver camp is hard work for Leaders due to the fact they are on the go virtually for the who camp, so I am immensely proud of the hard work they all put in!