Scouts is the third section in the scouting family and is for boys and girls aged 10-14. It comes after cubs and before Explorers.
Our scouts meet as two separate troops at the Group HQ. Both troops meet between 7:30 and 9. “Wildcat” troop meet on a Wednesday, “Raptor” troop on a Thursday.
Plus of course both troops have plenty of weekend camps and trips out mostly together. Recent trips have included white water canoeing, a weekend climbing in the Peak District and mountain biking in Thetford Forest.
A typical evening could include anything from wide games to cook offs to falconry to first aid training. Having once even run a fashion show there’s not much we won’t have a try at!
Here are some of the things we’ve done recently:
Day 3
This was a chance to relax and have fun with our host families. Archery, walking and experiencing the local sights & sounds all featured.
We will give updates here as we receive them!
Day 2
After a warm welcome from our Canadian hosts and an early night, we’re straight into a trip to Niagara falls on our big yellow bus.
Donning some rather fetching red ponchos is the way to keep dry, apparently.
Day 1
After 2 years of planning, the big day has arrived!
15 Scouts & Explorers and 5 Leaders set off from Cambridge to…..Cambridge, Ontario, Canada.
“We were sailing, we were sailing, home again, ‘cross the sea” (apologies to Rod Stewart!)
Day 1
Assembling early morning for a briefing and issuing of waterproofs & life-jackets, 20 scouts and leaders headed out from Ipswich Haven on a pair of 49-foot Oyster yachts. Passing through the lock, they were soon under the Orwell Bridge and powering down the river towards the North Sea at 6 to 7 knots. The crews were put through their paces by the skippers, raising & lowering sail, helming and sail-trimming.
Lunch, cooked by the scouts in the galley below decks, was served in shifts whilst underway. As the boats steered home towards Shotley Point Marina, there was still time for some play – hanging from the halyards over the water always puts smiles on faces!
Day 2
Sunday saw a fresh pair of crews arrive at Shotley. Perfect sailing conditions were provided – plenty of sunshine and a Force 3-4 breeze. Locking out from the marina, the scouts got their first taste of freedom, with a fast sail up and down the River Stour. A little later, they ventured out past Harwich and the cranes of Felixstowe docks, where the open sea provided slightly bumpier water.
Returning to the Orwell and heading for home, the boats found themselves in a photo-shoot (the strange chap taking photos from another boat turned out to be the GSL’s father). The appearance of the Orwell Bridge signalled the approach of Ipswich and the end of the voyage.
A huge thank you to the skippers and mates of Adventures Offshore for this fantastic introduction to ‘big-boat’ sailing for our novice sea-farers!