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Mark Jones, Assistant Scout Leader with 1st Marchwiel, will be honoured by HRH The Prince of Wales, and international adventurer Chief Scout Bear Grylls this Sunday for gaining his Queen's Scout Award.
This year marks a double first for both HRH The Prince of Wales, and Chief Scout Bear Grylls who will honour 350 new Queen's Scouts at Windsor Castle. This will be the first time that both of them have attended this prestigious occasion.
The Queen's Scout Award is the highest honour in Scouting and is awarded for outstanding personal achievement. This honour is achieved by young people aged between 16 and 25 who have completed a range of challenges, which includes service to their community, completing an expedition in wild country, undertaking a five-day residential project in an unfamiliar environment and learning a new skill or developing an existing talent.
Mark told us, ''Having been involved in Scouting since I was six, the thought of achieving The Queen's Scout Award has always been of great importance to me. Completing the award has been the pinnacle moment of my time in Scouting.
''The journey allowed me to experience many new and fulfilling opportunities: I volunteered with the RNLI for 5 days, covered nearly 50 miles of the Snowdonia National park in a four day expedition on foot, learnt how to drive power boats and completed my leadership training within Scouting.
''The Queens Scout Award and Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award has helped me greatly outside Scouting, my achievements set me apart from others and helped my to gain my current career position.
''I'm really excited about attending the national Queen Scout Parade in
Chief Scout Bear Grylls said ''All these young people have lived the adventure of a lifetime to achieve their Queen's Scout Awards, and I admire that spirit so much. They are huge inspirations to the other 500,000 scouts in the UK and I am so pleased that both Scouting and The Prince of Wales will be honouring them. They are amazing.''
The Windsor Castle event has been held regularly since 1934 on the Sunday nearest to St. George's Day (23rd April). St. George is the Patron Saint of Scouting. Since the Queen's Scout Award was instigated, over 100,000 of these awards have been presented to young men and women for outstanding personal achievements and service to their local communities. They have learnt new skills and taken part in many of the 200 different activities on offer by Scouting across the UK. Added on 23/04/2010
Loggerheads Country Park near Mold will be the place to be this Bank Holiday Monday, with fun for all the family including a Mayday Duck Race held by Trinity Fammau Scouts. The Group are raising much needed funds to go towards the cost of building a brand new Scout headquarters in the village of Gwernaffield.
Scout Leader Peter Jones said, ''We welcome all to come and join us in this beautiful location. There will also be lots of fun stalls and fun games. The ducks will bombing down a stretch of the River Alyn and owners will be able to cheer for their ducks from the banks of the river.''
The Scouts current building has not been used as a HQ for at least the last 10 years and up until recently was only suitable for storage. It was deemed beyond economic repair by the Local Authority and is now due for demolition.
The Group are currently meeting in Gwernaffield Church hall, together with other users, meaning organisations wishing to make use of this facility can't as it is already taken. By building a new HQ they will be providing a safe environment for the Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorer Scouts to to use, in addition the building could be used by other Scout Groups, with the activity area and kitchen facilities being available to the wider community.
Helen Lloyd, 15, said: ''To have a new Scout HQ would mean everything to us, at the moment we have no space of our own and nowhere to put all our equipment. When we make stuff we would have somewhere to show it off and be able to keep it rather than take it apart.''
The event takes place from 10am to 3pm on Monday 3rd May. Added on 22/04/2010
General Election candidates standing in Wrexham were at K2 Explorer Scout Unit last night to answer questions from the young people. Conservative, Labour, Lib Dem, Plaid Cymru and UKIP candidates all took a full part in the debate. The BNP, who are also standing, were not invited as they are a proscribed group and their aims are considered contrary to those of Scouting.
Explorer Scouts Danny, Ellen and Ben chaired the Question Time style event, getting through questions about the environment, university fees, voting age and Afghanistan, amongst others.
At the end of the evening the Explorers cast their votes with the following result: Conservatives 5 votes, Labour 5 votes, Lib Dems 13 votes, Plaid Cymru 1 vote and UKIP 1 vote.
The Scouts have recently teamed up with Oxfam to launch the Active Citizens website which encourages young people to take an interest in politics. Added on 20/04/2010
103 new members in North East Wales have helped the UK Scout Movement achieve its biggest growth spurt since 1972 according to statistics for the last year released today. Added on 19/04/2010
Beaver Scout Team minutes Added on 31/03/2010
Attending the Jamboree is an opportunity of a lifetime for Rob, Andy and the other UK adult volunteers selected. Not only will they get to meet 30,000 people from nearly every country in the world - and share their knowledge and experiences whilst working towards greater international understanding - this Jamboree offers them the chance to learn new skills that they can use in other aspects of their life.
At the event the two will be close to nature, living in wild Scandinavian grassland surrounded by trees and woodlands for the two weeks the Jamboree runs. Nature is a key theme and the Jamboree programme will use the natural environment as a learning tool, demonstrating both its vulnerability and what individuals can do to better protect the world we live in.
Rob from Hawarden said: ''It's one of the best opportunities anyone will get to meet so many people from such diverse cultures, and help them to have the best time ever. I'm looking forward to get the chance to help people to enjoy themselves and be part of a multinational team. It's not going to be a holiday, but the hard work will bring the reward of an amazing experience and smiles on participants faces.''
Chief Scout, Bear Grylls said: ''Congratulations to Rob and Andy, and all the other UK volunteers who have been selected to go on this trip of a lifetime. Whlle lots of people know that Scouting is all about adventure, they often don't realize that adult volunteers get to do just as much as our young members through their involvement. The World Scout Jamboree is a great example of this. Over the course of the Jamboree they will be able to meet people from around the world, take part in amazing adventures and experiences and be challenged to think about global issues in a new light. I wish Rob and Andy all the best and I know they are going to have an amazing time next year.'' Added on 30/03/2010
Gavin Scott, George Jones, James Cragg, Suzie Gregory and Sam Dodd, were paddling from Glasbury in Powys to Hoarwithy in Herefordshire last September when they came across a group in distress. A canoe had tipped over throwing one paddler into the river and leaving the other, a young pregnant woman, standing terrified in the sinking canoe.
Three of the quick thinking Explorer Scouts went to the aid of the party, one going after the person in the water and the others rescuing the woman from the boat.
At a presentation evening the five teenagers were presented with the award by the Chief Commissioner of Wales, Jill Gloster. Jill said, ''They have personified what Scouting means - teamwork, courage, self-respect and confidence. You can't imagine how much pleasure it gives me to present these awards.''
A letter from the Chief Scout, Bear Grylls said, ''your story is an inspiration to so many, and personifies all that is best about Scouting. You are a shining example of bravery and courage, and your contribution and devotion to Scouting is such an inspiration to me and many others. You should be rightly proud.''
Watching the Scouts receive their award was the Mayor of Llangollen, Mike Pugh. Mr Pugh said, ''I think what they did that day comes down to initiative and training. What they learned through Scouting is of benefit to them and obviously to the community worldwide. The town council rightly feel very proud that we have something like this in Llangollen.'' Added on 24/03/2010
A Sport Relief mile wasn't enough for 1st Moss Scout Group last weekend as they covered ten times the distance instead. Two Cub Scouts, seven Scouts, five Explorer Scouts, three Leaders, four parents and three dogs completed a 10 mile ramble around the Llangollen area.
The route included Valle Cruscis Abbey, Offas Dyke, Ruabon Mountain and Dinas Bran Castle to finish. It was quite a tough walk, but the going was easier in the dry sunny conditions. They were rewarded with brilliant views and a great sense of achievement, and the group estimate they will have raised about £350 for Sport Relief.
1st Rhosnesni Scouts joined in the fun at Queensway Sport Centre in Wrexham where they did their miles wearing pyjamas! Added on 23/03/2010
The Vale of Clwyd (Denbighshire) District Scouts Cooking Competition took place at the weekend.
The judges were very impressed and thought the overall standard was up on last year. In first place with a score of 41 out of 50 were 6th Prestatyn, joint second place with a score of 40.5 went to 1st Ruthin and 1st Rhuddlan, followed by 1st Carmel (39 points), then 3rd Prestayn (36 points). Added on 22/03/2010
All the members took over Rhyl Leisure Centre for the day and took part in Circus Skills, where they learned how to plate spin, unicycle and tight rope walk. They also had the inflatables in the pool. At the end of the day each member was presented with a specially designed badge, before they cut their birthday cake. Added on 21/03/2010
The event had grown so large that starting times had to be staggered to prevent us causing gridlock in the area. Once arrived, teams of Explorer Scouts - or Special Forces Units - were given a briefing, something to eat, then transported behind enemy lines (otherwise known as Overton, Bangor-on-Dee and Penley!) to spend 8 hours completing tasks before heading for their extraction point.
Some teams did the course in an amazing 4 hours, while others spent the entire night wandering lost around the North Wales countryside.
The winning Special Forces Unit were from Penycae who now gain the Clwyd Area Explorer Scout Challenge Trophy from Cross County Explorer Scouts who won the Trophy at the Area Orienteering competition last year. Added on 14/03/2010
1st Ruthin Brynbach Scout Group recently received a grant for £100 from the Woodlands Trust 'Trees for All' scheme. This allowed them to purchase two oak trees, compost, stakes and ties, and plant the trees in Cae Ddol Park in Ruthin.
Lesley Bordoli, Group Scout Leader said 'In this age of environmental awareness the Group were pleased to plant the trees so that local people, and visitors to the park, could enjoy seeing them grow for many years to come.'
Helping members of the Group plant the trees where Mike Hall from Denbighshire County Council, parents Chris Boardman and Sian Griffiths, Beaver Leader Sian Jones and Lesley Bordoli.
Lesley presented Mike Hall with a plaque to commemorate the planting which will be set between the two trees. The plaque had been kindly donated by Morris Granite and Stone, Denbigh. Mr Morris and his son Andrew both worked on the design of the granite block which incorporated the Scouting logo. They and their family were at one time involved with the Scout Group and Lesley thanked them sincerely for their generosity. Added on 11/03/2010
Network Russia will be holding an 'Open House' on Sunday the 28th March from 10am to 12noon at the Gladstone Centre where they will have various bases depicting what Scouts can do in connection with Russia and Russian Scouting including hands-on bases.
They'll have details of their winter expedition to Lake Ladoga and also news of the 2011 expedition.
There may even be some Russian soup on the go to keep everybody warm!
More details about the Network Russia Scout Fellowship Added on 10/03/2010
The Cubs and Scouts raised £878 on the day, with the Beavers making it up to £980 from their own funds as they were unable to bag pack. This means that the Group have been able to provide funds for ShelterBox to send two boxes to disaster areas, such as the earthquake hit areas of Haiti and Chile, helping two extended families of ten. Added on 08/03/2010
If you feel the need to be competitive and race a Duck follow the instructions below. Please pass on to as many people as you can.
Added on 05/03/2010
This Saturday representatives from Clwyd will travel down to Builth Wells to meet with representatives from the eleven other Areas of Wales, and with senior volunteers and staff members from Scouts Wales and UK headquarters.
There are meetings discussing Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers and Network, plus things like international Scouting, activities, special needs and training.
If you have any views on Scouting in Wales, or at a UK level, let us know, and we'll try to make sure your views are represented.
Here are the meeting agendas...
Beaver Scouts Added on 02/03/2010
Full details of the meeting are now online Added on 02/03/2010
Atlas Explorer Scout Unit, based in Coedpoeth in Wrexham, are receiving a new award from Wrexham County Borough Council at an event this Friday. The award has unlocked a grant which the group will be using to provide more activities for young people.
The Wrexham Award for Excellence is part of a trial kite-marking scheme developed by AVOW on behalf of Wrexham CYP Framework Partnership.
The scheme has been developed to ensure that youth groups are meeting required standards including safety, child protection, recognising achievement, supporting volunteers and involving young people in decision making.
Achieving the award gave the group access to a grant of £2,500 that has allowed them to buy expedition equipment, and fund leader training in first aid and mountain leadership, which will enable Explorer Scouts to undertake more adventurous activities.
Explorer Scout Elliot Jones, 15, said: ''It's going to help us a lot, and enable us to have our equipment so we don't have to rely on borrowing things from other Scout Groups. The award makes us feel really proud knowing what we're doing is right. Our Leaders are really supportive and help us getting through the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.''
The Explorer Scout Unit, which offers a huge range of activities for young men and women aged 14 to 18 years, has only been up and running for 18 months. The group started with 7 members and has gone from strength to strength with number now at 19. Added on 25/02/2010
Wrexham District's Beaver Scout Fun day was attended by 76 children from Copedpoeth, Rhosnesni, Bishops Own, Hope, Gwersyllt, 4th Wrexham and 6th Wrexham. Our new Group in Llay also attended the event for the first time. The photos show the Beavers making pancakes on our baked bean tin cookers. Added on 16/02/2010
1st Northop Hall have held a family quiz with Katie and Georgia, who will be attending the 22nd World Scout Jamboree in Sweden helping with the raffle tickets, marking and round announcements. A good night was had by all and the event raised some cash towards Sweden.
The Mad Fluffy Dragons Unit will be bag packing in Marks and Spencer in Eagles Meadow, Wrexham this Saturday from 10am until 5.30pm. Added on 16/02/2010
Added on 06/02/2010
We've been contactd by Kristina McDermot from NEW Dance, a charity funded dance company based in North East Wales. They are looking to advertise their classes held at the Stiwt Theatr Rhos, to all childrens clubs/groups within the area. They also would like to promote workshops and special projects that they can organise for groups.
Call Kristina or Angela Fessi on 01978869456, or check out their website and social networking pages too (Facebook and Twitter - NEW Dance) www.newdance.org.uk Added on 05/02/2010
2nd Rhyl Cubs recently visited Resources Recycling in Rhyl, to learn all about how things are recycled. They brought newspapers, cans, bottles and junk mail to see what happens to them after they are put out for recycling. Added on 01/02/2010
This years biggest achievement for the group was winning the swimming double, both the Cubs and the Scouts won the District swimming competitions.
Also this year, five Scouts earned the Chief Scouts Gold, PLs and APLs summited Snowdon, and they had a group camp, joined District camp, Jamboree on the Trail, and Jamboree on the Internet.
The Group has run an active programme including climbing, cycling, family BBQ, archery and loads of fab and fun activities. Added on 26/01/2010
It was all in a good cause though as they were raising money for ShelterBox, one of the charities providing much needed help to the earthquake striken country of Haiti. Money is still coming in, but the group estimate they have made over £1,300 so far.
Assistant Scout Leader Sam Roberts said, ''We're amazed by the total that has been donated. We'd aimed to raise the £490 it costs to put together and send out one ShelterBox, but we've now got enough for more than two! We'd like to thank everyone who's donated.''
The Scouts were given a big hand with their fundraising by BNI Wrexham, a business networking organisation, whose members donated almost £700 to kick start the campaign. Laura, one of the 1st Rhosnesni Scouts went along to give a presentation on what they were raising the money for.
Jason Thelwell, President of BNI Wrexham, said: ''As a group of businessmen we were only too happy to help out. So many teenagers get a bad press, but when Laura came along to say what they were doing we were very impressed.''
ShelterBox, who the Scouts are supporting, have already sent out over 1,500 boxes to the disaster hit zone. Many are being used as hospital tents with the packs of crayons, colouring books and pens helping to put a smile back on the children's faces. Added on 24/01/2010
Escape and Evasion is an activity that will challenge you and your Special Forces Unit (team of Explorer Scouts). You will be deployed in an overnight exercise, undertaking a special mission requiring you to evade capture and avoid being interrogated while navigating behind enemy lines and completing a number of special challenges. Your Special Forces Unit will consist of between 4 and 7 participants. Your base for the event will be Penycae Scout Group Headquarters where you will be required to arrive by no later than 1700 hours. After being fed, you will receive your briefing before being transported behind enemy lines. Having completed your mission you will arrive back at your base for a debrief and some breakfast before leaving at around 0900 hours.
Planning is ongoing but we need to confirm numbers as soon as possible to enable us to complete the details of the event - sorry, your mission. The mission will have a limited number of vacancies so priority will be given on a 'first come, first served' basis. The cost is £5 per person - to cover food and 'activity' transport. This should be an exciting event and one not to miss! So make sure that you will be there by completing the Booking Form below (one form for each Special Forces Unit) and returning it along with the fee of £5 asap - certainly by no later than Friday, 5 February to:
Gerry Kellett, Llangollen DESC, Dunmore, Church Street, Penycae, Wrexham LL14 2RL (Make any cheques payable to Clwyd Area Scouts)
You will receive further mission instructions nearer the time.
Added on 21/01/2010
The North Wales Jamboree Unit met for the first time at the weekend, and voted to name themselves the Mad Fluffy Dragons.
The 27 Scouts and Explorer Scouts from across North Wales met at Wrexham Scout headquarters, and as well as choosing a name they designed a logo, were introduced to media technique and enjoyed several team building and ice breaker games.
You can follow the Mad Fluffy Dragons on our Jamboree page. Added on 20/01/2010
Those who take part must be committed to
- Attend a weekend residential training session on 26th to 28th February at Margam Discovery Centre in Port Talbot
This is your chance to make a difference to local communities in Wales and represent Wales in the wider British Council network of Climate Champions. We will support you with training and guidance, as well as opportunities to meet with decision makers such as the Welsh Assembly officials, but the ideas and time will come from you.
Fill out our application form and send it back to mary.stansfeld@britishcouncil.org or sebastian.g.dasilva@britishcouncil.org at British Council Wales before the 5th February 2010. If you would like more information please contact us. For further information on the British Council's climate change work please visit http://www.britishcouncil.org/climatechange.htm
Added on 14/01/2010
The new look is currently just on the front page, but will eventually be rolled out across the site. We'd love to know what you think.
Added on 13/01/2010
''I've got two boys aged 4 and 5, so I was looking to see what was available in the area for them to do outside of school. I was very keen for them to become involved in the Scouting movement because I was a Girl Guide when I was younger and also a Sea Scout young leader, two experiences I really enjoyed.
''I felt that Scouts offers young people a different view on life than the one they get just from school or home. It gives them new opportunities to make friends, learn about the wider world, have lots of fun and take a bit of social responsibility.
''Our nearest Beaver Scouts was in Llangollen or Bala, both a little to far to travel so we decided to try to start a group up ourselves. We approached Roger Cragg who along with Jo Gregory and then Mark Winson really got us on our feet and held our hands through the early stages of set up and told us what we had to do to get a colony started.
''We're on Facebook now! search for 1st Corwen (Glyndwr) Beaver Scouts and become a fan.'' Added on 13/01/2010 |
