SCOUTING EAST
No.225 The Journal of East Belfast Scouting NOVEMBER 2001
From The Editor
Many thanks to the ADCs (Cubs), 9th, 10th, 27th and 30th Beavers, 10th, 30th and 99th Cubs and 30th Scouts who contributed to the District’s Book of Condolence and also to 3rd and 24th Groups who made cards signed on behalf of all members of their Groups. The District’s Book of Condolence has now been forwarded to Dave Gibbs, District Commissioner for Manhattan, New York. Some of the words written by our members, and a letter from a brother Scout, Patrick Polasek, a Cub Scout Leader in New York, are included in this issue. Patrick’s letter brings home to us the enormity of this tragedy and how it has affected the Scouting community in New York, but also how much our American friends appreciate our gesture of sympathy and friendship as we continue to remember them in our thoughts and prayers.
It’s great to see the District Fellowship up and running again. Please note the dates of the events advertised in this month’s issue and why not think about coming along yourself. Thanks also to Pamela for updating us on the latest developments with 28th Group in Tamar Street, it is very encouraging to see the amount of progress that has been made in such a short time. Our new Badge Secretaries, Nigel and Jenny,have also sent in copy for the November issue. They are keen to revise and update the list of District Badge Examiners and also restart the District Badge Days which were very popular in the past. Perhaps now would be a good time to sound out the parents of our Cubs and Scouts, friends and neighbours, workmates and members of our congregations again about helping out in this capacity and perhaps even giving some thought as to whether we have the time and expertise to help out ourselves. Nigel and Jenny hope to meet with Leaders in the Cub and Scout Sections at the next Scouters’ Meeting at which the Deputy DC will also be bringing us up to date with preparations for the District camp next year. As Brian and Ian both note, attendance at the last District Scouters’ meeting was poor, so lets all try to make an effort to get along to the next one and play our part in shaping the direction the District is moving in. See you next month. Please keep the copy coming in,
David
From the District Commissioner
My thanks to the Groups/Sections who replied to our recent appeal for a District response to the disaster in the U. S. I was delighted with the cards, messages etc. from our young people in East District and have passed these to David to be forwarded to the Boy Scouts of America in New York.
Our last District Scouters’ meeting in September was overall badly supported by the Groups especially in the Scout section. Perhaps we will see an improvement at our next District get-together. It is important during this period of change that all Groups/Sections are represented at District meetings to take on board information necessary for passing to the boys and girls within the Groups. Groups and Sections are very quick to criticise if they do not receive the necessary information.
I attended the recent Scout section volleyball competition at Avoneil and was very impressed with a well organised event by the A.D.C.s. What impressed me even more was that the Scouts were all having "FUN". Six teams from four Troops took part and by the reaction of the Scouts themselves they are looking forward to next years competition. This is the first time we have had "Volleyball" as a District competition and it seems to have been a success. However, where were the other Troops? Your Scouts certainly lost out on an excellent evening of activity. Perhaps we will see all of the District Troops at the "Floorball " competition.
We still have a number of Groups with Leadership problems in the District and down at Tamar Street with a growing membership of 24 the 28th need help on a Wednesday evening from 6.30 to 8.00pm with Beavers and Cubs. The 64th Group have taken the decision to move away from their hall at Knock because of the continued vandalism and security problems. Negotiations are on-going to re-house the 64th but I am delighted that Paul, Robin and Sonia have taken the decision to keep the Group going and find alternative accommodation. These Leaders need all the help and support the District can provide and I would ask Groups to discuss how they can help out with the 64th and 28th for the future.
The Scout Shop is now stocking the new uniform. I would encourage Groups and Sections where boys are moving or joining to ensure parents are aware of the uniform changes and purchase the new section uniform. I would also encourage our Scouters within the District in all Groups to change to the new uniform and encourage all District members to change during this year. Don’t forget we that want to get the "buzz back into East Belfast Scouting " but to have lots of "fun " along the way.
Ian
A word from the new District Badge Secretaries
As some of you will already be aware Jenny Lamont and I will be jointly taking on the role of East District Badge Secretary. John McCay, who it seems has held the position since Baden Powell was a Beaver, has decided to hang up his woggle. It will be a tough act to follow and we wish him a long and happy retirement. Now down to business. It is our intention to try to update the old list of badge examiners. I say update the old list but I, like many others have never seen the old list. It seems to be the holy grail of badge secretaries. In order to achieve this monumental task I am asking for your help. It starts with volunteers. Volunteers like you. I am looking for people who have knowledge that can be put to use for the benefit of the District. If you in your Group know someone, either Scouter or parent, who is competent and willing to give up a little time to examine badges then we would like to hear from you. It would only involve a few hours a month at most, either weeknights or Saturday mornings. Remember we want volunteers now but it may be press gangs tomorrow. Nigel Watson
It is up to you. We are hoping to arrange a District Badge Day within the next month or two. What would be helpful is if you, as Section Leaders of Cubs and Scouts, could think of the badges that you would like to see covered. Think about it now and we will visit the District meeting and see if there is a consensus of opinion on which badges should be included. It could be a Saturday or an evening during the week. We will go with the majority preference. Do not turn up at the District meeting empty headed, as you will be interrogated.
Nigel Watson and Jenny Lamont, District Badge Secretaries
Scouting is a bit like a piggy bank - you only get out what you put in.
How often have you heard, "What did the District ever do for me?" Me? I am
sick and tired hearing it or at least something akin to this complaint from
Leaders throughout the District. I have even heard it said by other Leaders
in the County, obviously in relation to their own District. So it must be
true or at worst is a majority opinion. Maybe it is right. Maybe the District does nothing for you, but then ask the question, "What do you do for the District?" Funny enough in a lot of cases it must be the same answer. Nothing. Having just attended the first East District Leaders’ meeting I started to think more about this. Maybe I am one of those voicing the quote. Maybe not but that doesn't really matter. What does matter is that we have a "new" DC trying to revitalise the District so that hopefully it can and will do something for you, or more importantly for the young people in your care and what happens? The first meeting of the 2001 -2002 season was attended by the usual suspects. It has come to the point where I can virtually name who will be at these meetings. I can certainly name the Groups that will be represented with 100% accuracy: the Sections within those Groups at about 90% accuracy and can now name the individuals to about 75% right. Not bad given 12 Groups by on average 3 Sections with about 3 Leaders per section! Or rather it is bad that this is possible. Certainly if every Group and Section and Leader
attended then it would be easy, but they don't, just the usual suspects,
time and time again. I have written before on this matter, when folk said nothing ever happens nothing ever changes to encourage them to go and make the difference. Assume the statement is right. It is easy for the District to do nothing if no one is interested enough to come along and give off. It is the same with events. If they run them and no one supports them, then its’ simple just scrap them. If those that go think the event is useless and stop going the result is the same. The District is getting it easy as no one gives them a hard time. Me, I’m sick of giving off and I am sure most are sick listening to me but I'm still going and I intend to wear them down. It would be easier if I had a wee bit of help!! It has been said that the best committee is a committee of two with one absent! Our District meetings are a wee bit like that. The voice of the masses is so small it need not even be there. Anyway, I digress. How can we expect the District to do anything for us if we do nothing for it. Lets make their lives as difficult as our own and turn up at events and meetings and give opinions and suggestions and if you feel so inclined even give off. At least that way if nothing happens and you have been attending it would be fair for you to say, "What did the District ever do for me?" As it is at the moment most of those voicing the quote have done nothing for the District! I have stated that I do not think the District is perfect, in fact my opinion would place it far short of that mark but I am trying to make a difference, I do go to the events and I do go to the meetings. I think that gives me a right to my opinion. This having been said I feel sorry when I see someone so committed to getting our District restarted, only get half the Groups at a meeting. Anono Mouse, Cub Scout Leader, 4th Belfast ‘Dave,I received your letter yesterday and was very touched by the outpouring of friendship and love from the Scouts and their families in Belfast. Your words are very comforting to us as we try to deal with this horrific tragedy. Many of those lost were Scouting Leaders or parents of Cub and Boy Scouts. The loss of these individuals has been felt by all Scouters across the country and the world. Scouts from 26 countries have sent their condolences to the people of New York. I contacted someone from the Greater New York Councils. His name is Dave Gibbs. He is the Manhattan District Scout Executive. The World Trade Centers were located in the Borough of Manhattan. He was most comforted to hear your letter and would be very happy to receive the book of condolences that your District is preparing and present it to the Scouts and people of New York. Thank you so much for your letter. We lost a friend who worked in the World Trade Center. We are still trying to sort out why this happened. Two weeks ago I took my family to "Ground Zero", the site of the World Trade Center, so we could say our prayers to those lost and give support to the fireman, policeman and other workers who are tying to find survivors and clean what is left of the buildings. I was a very moving experience that we will never forget as we move forward with our lives. I hope that someday we can meet so I can shake your hand in brotherhood and friendship.
Yours in Scouting, Patrick Polasek, Den Leader, Cub Scout Pack 82 We are very sad and shocked as this is the worst thing we have ever seen. We hope that things get better soon in New York. We all feel your pain and agony here in Northern Ireland. We know this is a hard time for you, but we are all praying for you and hope these troubles will pass soon.
Dear God, please make the rescue workers have the power to get people out of the rubble. Help the families who have lost loved ones and make sure the rescue workers come out safe…. Please stop the terrorists from launching another attack on the world again. We are very sad about the disasters in America. We hope that you are going to recover. We are sorry about the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers. We hope that you find your families.
Dear God, could you please give those who are upset in America hope. Dear God, please help the people in America. They need your help. Dear Lord, our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come on earth as in Heaven. Please help them Father. Amen Lord Jesus, please be with the people in America and please be with the people who have lost relatives and friends. Please help them not to be sad. The world has changed since the horrendous events of September 2001, with the large loss of life, especially in New York. We pray for the people that have lost loved ones and believe that God will comfort them. Make me a channel of Your peace, where there is hatred, let me bring Your love,Where there is injury, Your pardon Lord, and where there’s doubt true faith in You.Make me a channel of Your peace, where there’s despair in life let me bring hope,Where there’s darkness, only light, and where there’s sadness ever joy. And God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain ..Rev.21 vv 3-4
The Usual Suspects!
Letter from New York
Words written by East District's Beavers, Cubs and Scouts...
30th Pack at Castlerock
The juniors in 30th spent a weekend Pack Holiday at the end of September at the Peter Thompson Hall in Castlerock. Activities over the weekend included a treasure hunt in Portrush, a spin on the waltzer and a tour of the Hall of Mirrors at the amusements followed by a trip to Waterworld. On Saturday afternoon, we went horse-riding at Hill Top Farm. Some of the Cubs completed the Cook’s badge during the weekend, and Akela was subjected to testing ‘lead-lined’ scones, ‘sugar-laden’ buns and liquefied trifle (The sooner Nigel and Jenny appoint an official Cook’s badge examiner the better!!- just make sure they take out a life insurance policy!!!) -still Akela did retaliate with his legendry French Toast and this time didn’t burn the building down. It was left to the ‘locals’ on the nearby housing estate to attempt that! On Friday evening, a firework sailed through an air vent in the kitchen, rocketed across the room and imbedded in the kitchen door with a loud whistle and a cloud of smoke, scaring the life out of AGSL Karen, who was joining us for her first (and hopefully now not her last) camp! Many thanks to Karen, her daughter Sarah and Richard (ACSL 10th) for all their help over the weekend.
David, CSL 30th
News from 28th Group
Tamar Street has been up and running since May and already we have a great bunch of kids, girls and boys, who are so keen for Scouting and have really enjoyed all the activities that they have been doing, which have included many varied games, craftwork, kite-making and cookery nights, to mention but a few.
We kept the Group going over part of the summer months and now that we have settled back into the Autumn the Group is ready to be divided into Beaver and Cub age groups, which will enable us to provide appropriate programmes for them. We also have a number of boys of Scout age waiting eagerly to join, but with the lack of Leaders we can not start the Scout Troop yet. There is a great demand for Scouting in the area and all we need are the Leaders to get the Scout section up and running, but we also need Leaders for Beaver and Cub Sections too! If anyone is interested please let us know.
We have had several outings to Crawfordsburn, where the kids thoroughly enjoyed the Beaver Trail, Scalextric Cars and Climbing Walls and they are eager to return and hopefully we will get them away to Camp there in November.
The Leaders went along to Mersey Street School Concert and enjoyed watching the girls performing their musical and dancing skills, so with this talent we hope to be able to put on a concert for their parents at some stage. We also plan to take them swimming and they are keen to start a football team!Anyone wishing to call in on a Wednesday night will be most welcome. We start at 6.00-7.00pm for Beaver age group and continuing on 7.00-8.15pm with the Cub age group - you are very welcome to call in to see what is going on or to lend a hand with a game, even for hour. Can we take this opportunity to invite along any former members of the old 28th to call in and see the blue and white scarf being worn again. We appreciated a visit from Rhoda and Ernie Sharp and hope that they will come back to see us soon.
Pamela, 28th
Many thanks to Mike Rendle, Chairman of the Northern Ireland Bat Group who came along to Gilnahirk in late September to give 30th Cubs a talk and slide show about bats as well as introducing them to a few of the little creatures in the flesh much to the horror of some of our Leaders (and also a visiting Akela from Belmont!!), before we all headed out in the dark and drizzle on a Bat Hunt along the Rocky Road. Unfortunately, the local bats must have heard us coming and taken cover (after all 30 something excited and noisy Cubs and Leaders on the move are hard to miss!!), so we failed to register a single bat. If anyone would like to invite Mike to their Pack or Colony we’d be happy to pass on his contact details.
Crawfordsburn Cub Scout Challenge
Congratulations to 30th Belfast team of Chris Cahoon, Conor Winning, Ryan Harbinson, Paul Gibson, Jordan Douglas and Ryan McKnight who fought off fierce competition from teams from across Belfast, Counties Down and Antrim to win the Autumn NI Cub Scout Challenge event held at Crawfordsburn on Saturday 13th October, despite managing to smash both of their eggs which would have been worth 5,000 bonus points each intact. Well done and thanks to Wardens Vic and Eric and their team for another super day at the Burn, and for coming up with yet more new challenges to stretch the Cubs to the limit. If YOUR Pack hasn’t entered before, why not get in contact with Crawfordsburn and book your place for April 2002.
Events in November
Tuesday 6th: East Belfast District Scout Fellowship Meeting
Contact: Pamela Skillen, Secretary
Saturday 10th: Cub Scout Alexander Swimming Competition, RBAI Pool
Contact: Steve Hoskins, ACC (Cub Scouts)
Sunday 25th: East Belfast District Scout Fellowship Ramble at Crawfordsburn
Contact: Pamela Skillen, Secretary
News & Views, Letters & Comments, Reports & Announcements to the Editor:
e.mail: d.bell@qub.ac.uk or eastbelfast@yahoo.com
not later than 6th November for the December Issue please!
