SCOUTING EAST
No.224 The Journal of East Belfast Scouting OCTOBER 2001
From The Editor
In recent days we have all witnessed the most appalling act of terrorism ever perpetrated, the simultaneous bombing of the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, in which many thousands of innocent people lost their lives. The events of 11th September have touched us all deeply, even our youngest Beavers and Cubs have been affected by the enormity of what has happened and have been asking questions, wanting adults to help them try to make some sense of it all. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of the injured and bereaved, the families of those who were on the hijacked planes or working in the buildings which were destroyed, and with the emergency services and all those trying in some way to bring a measure of comfort to those affected most deeply by this tragedy. One of the most poignant aspects of the news coverage of this atrocity was for me the recordings of the voices of those who had telephoned home to loved ones as the last few minutes of their lives ebbed away, forced to cram into a few hurried seconds words they needed so much to express. I wondered what we would have done in that situation. So often we take others for granted, not taking time to say thank you and never quite getting around to saying sorry, to lay past grudges to rest or build bridges. Too quick to disagree and criticise others, squabbling over unimportant things. Not making the most of every day. In the hectic pace of modern living, do we ever take time out to value true friendships and tell others how much they mean to us? And yet, suddenly in an instant, we find it is too late. Maybe there is a lesson there for us all. Perhaps, having endured so much over the last 30 years, the people of Belfast sadly are more able than most to empathise with those across the Atlantic. I had not anticipated the impact the events in America have had on my own Cubs. I wondered could we as a Scouting District within the city of Belfast prepare some sort of book of condolence for the people of New York, maybe made up of a collection of letters or poems, drawings or paintings etc. written by our Beavers, Cubs and Scouts? A small gesture that would help our members to express their feelings and enable us to reach out in friendship and love to show the young people of New York, who may have lost parents or friends how much we care and are thinking about them. Just a thought,
David
From the District Commissioner
I am sure that this past few weeks like most people the world over has affected you all in some way. We have all seen the events unfold in the USA and watched with horror the situation which the USA have been coming to terms with. In some ways whilst watching these events I have been reminded of the importance of the work which we here in our little corner of the world in East Belfast are doing with the boys and girls in each of our Scout Groups and Sections. We here in Northern Ireland have experienced many tragedies over many years and we have seen a tragedy of enormous proportion in America. The training and guidance which our Groups and Leaders are giving to our young people is probably more important now than it ever has been and I want everyone connected with Scouting in East Belfast to realise the importance of your influence on these young people. Scouting in the USA has been affected in many ways by this tragedy. Names of the dead were on many television channels and I noticed quite a few described as Scouts. Our District will be showing its support for our brother Scouts and all of America.
Development work on the new 28th Group at Tamar Street continues and I thank those who are working so hard to bring Scouting to the kids of the area. We do however need support. Without more support from the District we cannot continue to develop this group. I was approached by three 12 and 13 year old boys, who although rough at the edges shook my hand and wanted to join the Scouts. I had to take their names and addresses and then turn them away! Why? No Leaders. Surely we have a young adult, Assistant Scout Leader out there in our District who would take the opportunity to lead these young lads in a Troop. My backing and that of the Deputy DC and others is assured.
By the time of print I hope that the Scout Shop will have a stock of new uniforms. Between now and next September any new recruits, boys moving sections or any new Leaders joining the Movement should purchase and wear the new style uniform. If a problem arises or has arisen in purchasing the uniform from the Scout Shop Section Leaders should encourage the person concerned to simply wear a T-shirt and the Group scarf until the uniform can be purchased. I hope to fully update the District at the Scouters’ meeting and beyond as the change-over progresses.
My thanks to all the Leaders of the various Packs and Troops who ran a summer camp or Pack Holiday. I have had one ‘glowing’ report back on the joint summer camp held by two of our Packs. Sad to say however that although a number of Troops ran a weekend camp only one Troop from the District had a full summer camp this year. My sincere congratulations to 10th Troop on their participation again this year in the Melvin Trophy held in Limerick. The 10th Patrol finished a very creditable 14th out of 60 odd teams and also won the Visitor’s Trophy. Our congratulations to the boys and Scouters of 10th. I have also on your behalf sent a letter of congratulations to our Brother Scouts from 11th Troop at St.Colmcille’s, Ballyhackamore, who finished this year’s Melvin in 2nd place representing their region in CSI. I hope that all our Group Sections will participate fully in all the District events scheduled for this year and I look forward to a successful and fun-filled year of Scouting in East,
Ian
With continuing improvement in recent years in the quality of the water in the once badly polluted river flowing through the heart of the city of Belfast, there has been a steady upsurge in the use of the river by rowing clubs and other watersports enthusiasts. So it seemed about time that 30th and 27th Packs from Gilnahirk should come together for a night’s Dragon boat racing on the River Lagan, ending with a series of hotly contested races between the rival teams with all the atmosphere of the Oxford v Cambridge boat race. Well done to 30th Leader, Stuart, who perched precariously on the bow of his boat, nonetheless managed to beat out a steady pace on the boat’s drum guiding his team to a 3-0 victory over Akela and co. in the other boat (even if at least one of the races was a photo finish!!). No one could outdo 30th Cub Jeff though. He arrived late and had to be ferried out and deposited into one of the Dragon boats by the rescue speedboat! Many thanks to Eamon and all the staff at Lagan Watersports for a super night!! 30th Pack recently visited the new Terminal at Belfast City Airport in advance of the official opening on 1st June. Many thanks to Linda and all the staff at the airport for a very informative and enjoyable tour, and especially to the airport emergency services team who gave the Cubs a guided tour of the tower and fire fighting facilities and even let them loose with the axes and fire hoses! (Yes, Liz….we DO have a contact number if you want it!!!!). Lord Mayor's Show
6 members of 30th Pack along with 12 Cubs from 99th Pack and several from South District represented Belfast County at the Lord Mayor’s Show on 26th May. Many thanks to all the Cubs and Leaders who took part. We also had the opportunity during the day to meet the Lord Mayor, riding his Harley Davidson, and local TV personality, Olivia Nash (better known as Ma from ‘Give my head peace’), as well as some members of the Forces who have invited the two Packs to Palace Barracks in the autumn to try out the army assault course.
David, CSL 30th Having dispatched an advanced party of Fiona, Carolyn and 3 of the 30th Cubs in Akela’s new car at dawn with instructions to cross the Irish Sea, secure base-camp in the Lake District, stockpile provisions and commandeer a personnel carrier (minibus) to meet the troops arriving at Heysham and convey us to our destination, two dozen Cubs and Leaders from 10th and 30th Packs eagerly descended on the Seacat terminal in Belfast at 4.30pm one Saturday in August. By 7.30pm we had consumed a mountain of complementary muffins, drank a lake of free Hot Chocolate, and were coping with the news of our delayed crossing as only Cubs can… asking Akela for the umpteenth time: ’can we go yet?’ Then came the announcement: the sailing had been cancelled altogether and the Seacat would not sail the next day either. And so our adventure was about to begin…
Our theme for the week was Survivor, complete with inter-tribe competitions and immunity challenges and the chance to vote some one off the tribe each evening at the tribal council. By Thursday only two tribesmen were left from each team and they entered the Big Brother tent for the grand finale facing an number of gruelling challenges before each eviction vote. These included messy games with syrup and jelly babies, feats of strength and of course chubby bunnies. Well done to our eventual winner, Paul from 10th.During the camp there was an opportunity for a lot of badgework with many of the boys finishing cook, home help and camper badges. We also attempted the scientist badge which necessitated the growing of coloured crystals, beans, and making electrical circuits and periscopes and demonstrating why candles need air to burn and how red cabbage goes a funny blue colour if you add washing soda crystals. Nurse Pamela also showed the Cubs how to investigate what happens to the pulse after exercise and we discovered what an unhealthy lot they all were, especially the ones who couldn’t even find a pulse to start with!!! Congratulations to Ross Clark and Paul McConnell who won the respective 30th and 10th Cub of the Camp Sheilds. Silverhelme proved to be an excellent venue for a Pack or Troop camp and we would definitely recommend it to other Groups in East (especially if you do actually manage to get on the Seacat and don’t have to journey via Scotland!!). Special thanks to the wardens, Stuart and Jean Eastwood, who did so much to make us feel welcome, especially by arranging a tuckshop and also a campfire midweek, which many of the other Leaders in Lonsdale District came to help run. David, CSL 30th East District has reinstated the Sixers’ weekend, albeit that this one happened to be just an overnight. Seventeen Cubs, from the 4th, 30th and 99th along with their respective Akelas and the 99th's Mowgli took part on Saturday 8th September at Crawfordsburn, along with those who appeared and disappeared during the event. At one point it was almost a relay with Leaders arriving just as some departed. We even had ADCs and the DC pitch up and plough in. The idea behind the event was to give those going to Scouts a final wee bit of adventure before they left Cubs, and to this end the Warden’s team laid on Archery, Climbing /bouldering and Grass Sledging. The Leaders augmented this with a Night Hike, complete with impromptu Star Gazing, Rockets, the Assault Course and a prolonged War between the 30th "Aquarius" Regiment, armed with an apparently endless supply of water bombs and water and the 4th "Individual" Heavy Artillery armed occasionally with a 40mm Fire Hose and a spartan supply of eggs! That said the artillery had the advantage of cunning, cruelty and considerable age on his side, allowing a "cease fire" while the 30th showered only to assist in their ablutions with the fire hose stuffed through the shower window! The war continued through dinner with two egg salvos on the heads of the 30th Commanders and a drenching of one of the squaddies, obviously an accident, with orange juice. Not satisfied with the carnage to date, the 30th regrouped and attacked on mass, resulting in another two eggings, several returned water bombs at exceptionally close quarters, a 2 litre water bottle emptied, 7 rucsacs "christened" and a small mishap with a large pot full of water. Meanwhile the Heavy artillery suffered continual all round bombardment from the water bombers, all except one suffering the indignity of eggy hair. By the end on the afternoon (Sunday) while the parents watched, the battle raged on. The last casualty being dribbled by the 30th Light Support Group, with the remnants of Sunday's Tomato soup. Funny how he got involved only when the odds shortened to one on one! Funnier still how I seemed to be the only Leader soaked! Perhaps the fact that "They didn't like me" explains it. Suffice to say I was not exactly heart broken by that comment, in fact I took it to be a resounding result! Joking aside, the short weekend proved a great success, and hopefully a real Sixers’ weekend will be on the cards next year. Brian, CSL 4th Commander in Chief 4th 'Heavy' Artillery, Fire-Hose Division PS.
A word of advice to Colin Jeffries from the Leaders who were at the camp… if
Suzi appears from the kitchen holding a very large potato masher….RUN!!!!!!!! East District Sixers' Weekend Camp:the official report 17 excited Sixers from 3 Cub Scout Packs descended on Crawfordsburn Scout Centre on Saturday morning. After erecting their tents the boys took part in a wide game, followed by lunch; other activities followed including Ian Diamond our D.C. demonstrating how to make a Bazooka, the evening came to a close with the usual camp fire. On Sunday after breakfast Scouts' Own Service was held. We also had more activities, one of the highlights was Peter Simpson A.C.S.L. 4th Pack showing his skill at making and firing a rocket. More will be revealed at next year's District Camp! I would like to take this opportunity to thank Alex and Brian for organising this camp, and David, Suzie, Julie, Ian and Peter, also the Assistant Cub Scout Leaders for all their help and support. Many thanks to Colin and the Warden’s Team. John Corry, ADC (Cubs) Events in October 20th: Junior Ardnavalley Walk Contact: Gary Proctor, SE Belfast District e.mail: d.bell@qub.ac.uk or eastbelfast@yahoo.com not later than 6th October for the November Issue please!
Gilnahirk Cubs take to the River
Cubs visit the new terminal at Belfast City Airport
It's a long way to Silverdale..it's a long way to go!!!
Once he got over the initial shock, Akela, who keeps his skills of tact and diplomacy well hidden, none the less managed to charm the Seacat Stewardesses and negotiate a workable solution. By 9.30pm, we had dispatched Leo and Kate (aka Jamie and Pamela) with a now unloaded 10th minibus to rendezvous with the Liverpool boat with (empty) promises of a luxury cabin and a cooked breakfast, been joined by reinforcements (Jonathan and girlfriend Sharon, who had packed at lightning speed and been deposited at the terminal by Dad, ADC John, with a screech of tyres and smell of burning rubber), had loaded all of our gear into an Ulsterbus and were on our way to Larne to connect with the 11.00pm P&O sailing to Cairnryan. 1.00am, the Cubs were to be found reclining comfortably in an air-conditioned coach which had met us on the quayside while the servants (Richard and David) stood outside in the pouring rain lugging everyone’s gear from the boat to the coach. After a brief stop at a motorway service station, we arrived in Carnforth at 4.30a.m unable to raise base camp by field radio (Carolyn and Fiona could not get signals on their mobiles). Our coach came to a halt under the cover of darkness unable to negotiate the narrowing country lanes, and we dispatched Richard (without a torch) to find the campsite. Unknown to us, Richard was forced to embark on a several mile hike but just as our driver was threatening to leave us at the roadside in the cold pre-dawn drizzle and we were debating sending out a search party, Richard returned with Fiona in our newly acquired minibus to transport us to base camp. What an adventure…inevitably the troops were up and raring to go again by 8.00am on Sunday morning which was more than could be said of the weary generals!
Activities during the week included a ‘guest appearance’ by our lot at the Southern Lakes Wild Animal Park, a trip down a very cold underground cave at White Scar in Ingleton, a stretch in the cells at Lancaster Castle Prison and the obligatory ablutions in the local swimming pools. We were particularly impressed by the pool at Salt-Ayre Leisure Centre in Lancaster which boasted a drawbridge style, electronic moving floor!! We also spent a wet night in Morecambe, seeking sanctuary in the amusement arcades and souvenir shops (some Cubs had to be dragged away from the posters on sale) before venturing out in the drizzle for the obligatory photo-call around the aptly named ‘Eric Morecambe Bring Me Sunshine’ statue. Mid-week we travelled by train to Manchester to visit Old Trafford and tour the Stadium.. unfortunately Becks, Giggsy and co. heard we were coming and legged it to Blackburn supposedly to play a match later that day! Johnny also saw quite a bit more of Lancaster Royal Infirmary than the rest of us did, having tripped on a stone and fractured two of his fingers on the second night! Well at least it didn’t happen to one of the Cubs!!
The was also an opportunity for a trip from Haverwaithe to Lakeside by steam-train, a tour of the Aquarium of the Lakes and a chance to meet the otters before cruising on our own private yacht on Lake Windermere (the public ferry was over-packed so the company chartered an extra one just for us!) to Bowness for an afternoon of canoeing and kayaking at Windermere Outdoor Adventure. Some of the seniors also tried their hand at wind-surfing for the first time. Another first for East’s Cubs was a visit to Leighton Hall to watch a flying display of birds of prey and meet the falconer. (Un)fortunately Akela, dozing in the afternoon sun in an attempt to recover from our overnight journey, wakened just before Pamela could scatter the meat filling from her sandwich on his chest to tempt the birds!! Afterwards we were taken inside for a tour of Leighton Hall.. now would you be brave enough to let two dozen Cubs loose in a stately home??? Since our return thankfully no one has lifted the ‘phone to say the family silver is missing or someone has doodled on the portrait of their Great Uncle Albert!!
Silverhelme campsite also lent itself readily to all sorts of outdoor activities. Set in woodland, the site was teeming with frogs, toads, bats and all manner of repulsive beasties intent on keeping Cubs awake at night. Undeterred, all of the Cubs spent at least one night under canvas and many managed to complete their Camper badge. We also cooked several meals outdoors including French Toast for breakfast and a backwoods lunch. Sunday dinner was a much more grand affair: a full two course dinner of mince, potatoes and carrots followed by cake and custard. Move over the Rankins, Pamela and David (complete with swimming goggles to ward off the smoke) could be the next cookery sensation to come out of Ulster, with tender mince and vegetables cooked to perfection and precision timing and served with piping hot gravy. Meanwhile in the blue kitchen Jamie (Oliver – I don’t think so) was dishing out burnt mince and crunchie carrots while Fiona in the Red kitchen was protesting that Richard had sabotaged their group by leaving an inch of water in the bottom of the oil drum that served as the altar fire and making off with all the saucepan lids. Shame!!! The seniors also had an opportunity to undertake a night-time assault course and build and sleep out in a shelter mid-week, due to ample insulation with plastic sheeting this proved to be much warmer than the icelandic tent the juniors were in that night.
Congratulations and best wishes for the future from all in East to Alan and Rachel, both Leaders in the Beaver Section of 73rd St.Donard’s Group on their forthcoming wedding later this month. 
District Sixers' Weekend (the unofficial version!)
Have you ever wondered while Beavers don’t camp?? Well, maybe it’s because their Leaders don’t know how to pitch the tents!! Reliable sources have informed SE that a certain BSL/ADC in East struggled valiantly but unsuccessfully for several hours to pitch her new tent in her back garden during the summer. The same Leader was heard to blame her apparent lack of success on the fact that the instructions were written in German!!! Just remember, ve have vays of finding out ze truth, Liz!!!
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