Summer fair

Thank you to everyone who helped us raise a fantastic total of £612 at today's summer fair.

Summer Fair

It's this Saturday, all the fun starts at midday. Bring your money and your kids and their friends, in fact bring anyone who has a pulse and a wallet or a purse :-). See you at the Scout Hut.

Scouts Geocache is live

Scouts attending the Turf N Surf weekend, hid a geocache as part of their activities.  That cache is now available to hunt and has already been found 5 times!

You can keep track of it by visiting its own webpage: http://coord.info/GC3P82B and see how many visitors we get over time.

Cathedral Sleepover - NAIF, Kit List and Sponsorship Form

Please find the Nights Away Information Form, Kit List and the Sponsorship Form for the Cathedral Sleepover on the 6th of July 2012.  Please complete these if you are attending and bring them with you on the night - please do not send them in prior to this, thank you.

NAIF and Kit List - https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B6_BzVAudyX8SjhnTFlxdjI5Wlk

Sponsorship Form - https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B6_BzVAudyX8UlQ4b3dmeTVCRms

Thanks.

Ed.

Turf N Surf Weekend - A great escape (from the weather)

10 Scouts joined in for a fun packed weekend, starting with a sleepover at the Scout Hut on Friday night, where after pitching up hike tents in the main hall, the Scouts played a Wii Bowling competition.  As usual the Scouts stayed up chatting and catching up through the night, but all were really well behaved and that did not change all weekend.

On Saturday the Scouts enjoyed various activities including hiding a geocache treasure*, making nettle tea on the trangia stove, practising their first aid skills and some of the younger Scouts were introduced to a few knots and as a result had fun building shelters and tripods.

Our newest Scouts enjoy their first Nettle Tea

Always choose the location of your shelter carefully, inside the Scout Hut gives the best protection against the elements!

Check out those lashings!

Later in the afternoon we played table tennis, pool, table football and darts and picked our time (watching the weather) to set up a gazebo under which we had placed our BBQ.   As well as doing all these activities the Scouts had already put down their tents to make space for the games in the hall and had prepared the best tasting jacket potatoes of the year that included a range of delicious fillings and had prepared a fire (for cooking the potatoes on).

When it was time for our BBQ, the weather was the best it had been all week and we enjoyed a few hours eating and experimenting with some new menu additions, our newly added Spicy Lamb Kebab went down a storm with 9 out of 10 customers!

Sitting round the camp fire with these Scouts was a really enjoyable experience, made all the better for the support of all the adults who helped on and off during the weekend, and the 2 young leaders.  Thank you to Andrea, John, Gareth, Ian, Richard, Sam and Ethan.

On Sunday after quickly packing up, and having had some tasty bacon sandwiches, we set off to Pugneys waterpark to join the rest of the district Scouts, some 120 young people, who were making their day in Canadian Canoes and Kayaks on the water.  Whilst the weather was not that of the same event last year, it did stay dry and was reasonably warm.  The Scouts as you will be able to see from the photos shown on Flickr, all had a really fun time in the end, despite some of them being a little apprehensive of going into the water at first.

Thanks to all the leaders from across the district who volunteer to set up and run these district events, they are always really well received by the Scouts.

This canoeing lark is much easier with a tow!

Developing their paddling skills, Ardsley Scouts take to the water

It's all smiles at the Turf N Surf Weekend Finale

*Details of the Ardsley Scouts Geocache hide will be appearing shortly.

Next Sleepover will be inside a Medieval Cathedral in Sheffield City Centre - here's the all important link: http://ardsleyscouts.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/cathedral-sleepover.html - replies are due in at the Scout Meeting this Wednesday.

Link to all the photos from the weekend on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30263703@N04/sets/72157630267381960

Ed.

Turf N Surf Weekend Information

For those Scouts (and their parents/carers) going on the Surf N Turf weekend, here are some information sheets for you.

First is the Nights Away Information Form (NAIF)
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B6_BzVAudyX8Z3ZSWTdjbmVJb2c

Please complete and return this by Wednesday 20th June 2012

The second information sheet is the Kit List
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B6_BzVAudyX8cXBTUF85amFfSHM

The special items to note are:

Old Trainers or similar to wear during the water activities - required as the shoreline may be rocky and unsuitable for bare feet.

An item for the Geocache - the aim is that each Scout places an item of low monetary and sentimental value to make up the treasure.  You are unlikely to see these items again as when the Geocache is found the tradition is that an item is taken and replaced by another of a similar value.

Penknife and personal first aid kits - are on the kit list as standing items, but not essential for this adventure.  If you have them already, bring them along, but don't buy anything especially for this weekend.

We have not yet got the timings from the organisers of the WaterSports Day on the Sunday, I expect that we will know this by the time that you drop the Scouts off on the Friday evening at the Scout HQ for 20:00 - Please check with one of the leaders that you know that we have sufficient transport in place for the Sunday to get to Pugneys Waterpark in Wakefield before you leave.

Any questions, please ask.  Thank you.

Ed.

Farewell

Joining in on the adventure of Summer Camp this year at Hawkhirst Scout Centre, Northumbria, will be my last activity as a Scout Leader at Ardsley. Since "just helping out" with my first ever Summer Camp at Waddecar, Lancashire back in 2006, I've "just helped out" in Beavers and Scouts, in many different settings. And whilst I've enjoyed my own adventure, I've equally enjoyed seeing the Scouts through theirs.

I'd like to thank all the leaders, parents and young people, including all the ones that have grown up to be bigger than me, (which isn't hard), whether they've moved on or are still in Scouting.  But my appreciation really does go out to my wife, Andrea, known to many as Breeze, our Beaver Leader, who I roped in a couple of years ago to "just help out" in the Beavers section, don't tell her that was 2 years ago!  Finally I have to say that I've always had a favourite Scout, even though I hid it from others well, Ethan, my little boy, who is not so little anymore, is still the best Scout that I'm going to ever know and the reason why I'm still doing Scouting today.  He is "just helping out" as a Young Leader with Beavers, who know him as Rain, and has been doing so for the last 2 years.

I'm still intending to be involved in Scouting across the Barnsley District, so I hope that this is more of a 'Au Revoir' than goodbye.

So with still 2 Scouting events and 6 troop meetings nights at Ardsley to go before Summer Camp, if someone comes up to you and asks if you can "just help out", I'd recommend grabbing the opportunity with both hands, you never know where it might lead...

Yours in Scouting,

Ed.

Expect More

Expect More, challenge your own misconceptions, and watch this video: http://youtu.be/cOM1n22XyHA

As a Scout or family member within Ardsley Scouts, you will know some of the benefits of being inivolved in Scouts:

Scouting can offer a unique and interrelated package of benefits, including:

• having fun

• having good friendships

• taking part in activities

• contributing to the community

• improving life chances in terms of education and employment

• building confidence and commitment to others.

In a 2011 independent report over a third of adult volunteers said that it was unlikely or impossible that they would have had the opportunity to gain these benefits without Scouting. 

Please watch the video, let us know what you think, and if you like it, please share it with your friends: http://youtu.be/cOM1n22XyHA.

Is Scouting on your CV? -

"Some 41 per cent of organisations reported that a job applicant’s involvement in Scouting would be a positive influence on their appointment." - http://www.scouts.org.uk/impactstudy

Ardsley Beavers Jubilee Party 2012

The Beavers section celebrated the Jubilee with a party at this weeks meeting along with new friends from Lundwood Beavers.  Twenty nine Beavers and a team of helpers and leaders along with ADC Cubs and Beavers all enjoyed making Crowns and  Beaded Bracelets before enjoying a bite to eat together . . . . .

topped off with a game of pass the parcel before we raised the rafters and waved our Union Jack Flags with our very own rendition of the National Anthem.

Thank you to everyone who attended the party and donated cakes and buns etc for us all to enjoy. Thank you also to the three Mum's who worked hard in the kitchen preparing food and the Leaders and YL's who helped deliver a super party for the Beavers to remember!

All Beavers who attended received a commemorative woggle and a special bookmark from Akela Ann to mark the occasion.

Breeze

Summer Fair - postponed to 30th June

Due to adverse weather forecast for this Saturday the 16th of June it has been decided that it would be safer all round to postpone the event until Saturday the 30th of June.

Cathedral Sleepover

The Cathedral Archer Project is hosting a SLEEPOVER in Sheffield Cathedral and we have been invited to join the Viernes Scout Troop from Penistione and possibly some Scouts from Silkstone. As well as learning about what it’s like to be homeless there’ll also be art & craft and other activities to enjoy. The Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Paul is Sheffield City Centre's only medieval building and as such some bits of it might be a little spooky in the dark!

The sleepover will take part on Friday 6th July and Scouts will need to be dropped off in Sheffield. We will meet behind the Cathedral on Church Street at 7:15pm. Scouts will need to be collected from the same place at 09:00am the following morning.

Scouts are required to arrive in full uniform. As well as this you would need to bring:

A sleeping bag

A sleeping mat – if you want to

A spare blanket – if you think it will be cold

Appropriate change of clothing and footwear - the cathedral floor can be slippery and there are various different levels, so please ensure you wear proper shoes or trainers to avoid tripping and stubbing toes. We also recommend a small torch in case you need to find your way in the dark and you don’t want to tread on anyone!

Personal belongings - Please also note that we do not have a secure room for personal belongings, there will be space for them to be stored during the activities but please help us by keeping them to a minimum. Please note that electronic games, phones, mp3/4 players etc are not allowed.

Food and drinks - You can bring snacks, drinks, etc. with you to eat during the night but you will need to be able to carry everything yourself. There will be access to drinks throughout the night. Please note that you will need to take all your rubbish away with you (so bring a plastic bag). The cost of the sleepover is £5 to cover drinks and a McDonalds Breakfast (Cheques Payable to 36th Barnsley (Ardsley) Air Scout Group).  Please print the reply slip off below and return to Ed, by Wednesday 27th June 2012.

A consent form, medical information and sponsor form will be posted on the blog in due course– please could each Scout get sponsorship to sleepover and raise funds for the Cathedral Archer Project, as a way of contributing to their charity? 

You can find more about the cathedral here: http://www.sheffieldcathedral.org/

You can find more about the Archer project here: http://archerproject.org.uk/

Any questions, please give me a call.
 
Ed.
07778 000934
 
___________________________________________________________________________
Cathedral Sleepover Reply Slip
 
I _______________________ (Scout Name) would like to join in the adventure at the Cathedral Sleepover on Friday July 6th.  I enclose my £5 payment, either Cash or Cheque, made payable to 36th Barnsley (Ardsley) Air Scout Group.  (Please pop this reply slip in with your payment into an envelope marked with your Scouts name and "Cathedral Sleepover 6th July") - return by 27th June 2012.
 
___________________________________________________________________________

Congratulations to our oldest member

John, recently celebrated reaching 70 years young over the Diamond Jubilee Weekend.

John works tirelessly in both the Cubs and Scouts sections, as well as having grandchildren in Explorers.  In addition to all this John is our resident handyman, our stores quartermaster and camp cook especially when we have open fires and BBQ's.  John loves his Scouting and we love having John at Ardsley.  Well done on reaching your 70th year, whilst still showing the rest of us how much can be done in a day if you are not afraid of some hard work.

I'm sure that all the leaders and young people wish John and his wife, Maureen all our thanks and good wishes and hope you still continue to enjoy your Scouting well into your 8th decade!!!

From all of us at Ardsley Scout Group (who had a whip round and got John a pewter tankard, emblazoned, with the Scouts logo of course, for his present).