For membership details or general enquiries contact our Group Scout Leader, Simon Theobald on simontheobald@compuserve.com or telephone 07850 337903. Please forward this newsletter on to anyone you think might be interested in joining Batchworth Sea Scouts.  If  you would like to contribute to future additions of this newsletter please email your articles to batchword@yahoo.co.uk.

CUBS VISIT RICKMANSWORTH FIRE STATION

Simran Sian, Cub Scout

On November 25th Batchworth Cubs Scouts visited Ricky fire station. 15 Cubs, 2 Leaders and 1 helper walked up to the fire station on Rectory Road in Rickmansworth.

First the members of Green Watch planned to show us around the fire engine but it was called out on a real emergency. With its lights blazing and its siren's wearing it shot out of the building like a bullet. So with a slight change of plan, we went to see the chief’s room and then the dorms. It had an air hockey table, table football and speaking of football there was a game was on the TV in the room too. Then I noticed the kitchen in a real mess - half-cooked chicken and cold pasta! The firemen had been called out in the middle of cooking their evening meal. The pole room was next to it. Then we went to see the gym. The firemen work 15 hours per 3 days and then take 4 days off. Then an alarm sounded in the gym, the fire engine was back.

Finally we got to see the fire engine. We saw the huge heavy pliers, a diamond encrusted chainsaw and the thermal imaging camera used to get trapped people out of their cars. The engine can travel at 70/80 mph while carrying 1,400 litres of water at the same time. So that’s it time for our long walk back to HQ, BYE.

BACK TO BASICS CAMP

Bryony Powell, Assistant Scout Leader

A night sleeping under the stars in late October might not seem like everyone’s cup of tea, not so for the Batchworth Sea Scouts! We decided to go back to our scouting roots and hold a traditional scout camp for a long weekend.

Split into two patrols, 9 young people set about surviving with minimal resources at Harmergreen Wood campsite in Welwyn. The scout’s responsibilities included budgeting and planning a menu for their patrol, and cooking all of their meals on open ground fires that they had to build and maintain constantly.

It was a packed weekend, full of a wide range of activities including making cardboard box ovens to cook pizzas for lunch, constructing bivouacs to sleep in overnight and building a massive pioneering project. They were given one-on-one tuition on how to use saws and axes safely and gained many new badges including the Outdoor and Outdoor Plus Challenge Awards, camp cook and survival skills.

It was an excellent challenge for the scouts and they all gained valuable knowledge and skills on how to survive using what nature had to offer, we even managed a full roast dinner on the Sunday evening!

The leadership team were very proud of how well everyone buckled down and worked together, and were very impressed that every scout managed a night sleeping wild and even claiming afterwards that next time we go camping needn’t bother taking any tents because it was warmer in their shelters.

BOGRATS JOINING FORCES

Jonathan Wall, Explorer Scout Leader

In recent weeks Batchworth Explorers (aka Bograts) have seen the advantages of joining forces by enjoying joint activities with the two other Explorer units in the District; Ebury and Chorleywood.

Bograts organised the 'Common Assault' event, which saw almost 40 Explorers from the area racing across Chorleywood Common with a large sedan chair made of pioneering poles, which they built at the start. The night was finished with a bonfire and hot dogs at Chorleywood Campsite. Lovely jubbly.

The weekend of 14/15th November saw 13 of the youngest Explorers from across the District travel to the Peak District and tackle challenging hills and some thoroughly miserable weather. The trip was aimed at those who were new to serious mountaineering and all leaders were impressed that Bograts' newest recruits kept smiling all weekend and even proved that they had good navigation skills, which will ensure success on the Duke of Edinburgh expeditions that will take place over the next year.

So well done everybody, some great activities to see us into the new year. Bring on 2010!

CHRISTMAS PARTY

The Christmas Party will be held at our Headquarters on Riverside Drive on Saturday 12th December 2009 at 6:30pm.

This is a family event and is open to all members, parents and friends of the group. A festive celebration filled with food, drinks, music and top quality entertainment. There will be a Christmas Buffet Dinner with a Licensed Bar.

On the door ticket prices will be £7.50 per adult and £3.50 per child. For those arriving in uniform please bring a change of clothes as you must be out of uniform when the licensed bar is open.

For more details please contact David Thrale on Mobile: 07973 131 744 or email: disposable@thrale.com.

DO YOU KNOW ANYONE THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN JOINING?

Simon Theobald, Group Scout Leader

Batchworth Sea Scouts have sections and activities for all girls and boys from age 6 through 18, our Beavers section accommodates  6 year olds through to 8 and meets on a Thursday early evening, after beavers there is the opportunity to move on to Cubs for the 8 to 11 year olds.  Cubs takes place on Wednesday early evenings at the Batchworth HQ.   From the age 10 and half the great experience of Batchworth Sea Scout section is available for all from 11 to 14 and a half.  Scouts is on Saturday afternoons so to take advantage of the light before it gets dark in the Winter and so as not to interfere with school work during this important time for youngsters.  After 14 the exciting challenges and fun of explorers welcomes all on Thursday evenings at Batchworth HQ.

We currently have no waiting list problems and therefore, we would be grateful if you would take 2 minutes to consider if you know any young people locally that might be interested in trying out one of the Batchworth groups detailed above.  Maybe you could talk to them or simply forward this newsletter on to them.  Thank you.   If anyone is interested and would like more information they can email simontheobald@compuserve.com or give Simon a call on 07850 337903.

Keeping a constant number of members at Batchworth Sea Scouts is our key to being able to provide the fun, exciting and immensely enjoyable activities that we offer.  Your help in telling people about us is vitally important to us and we are very grateful for you taking a few minutes to see if you can think of friends, neighbours, school colleagues, work colleagues, etc that might be interested or have children that might be interested in Scouting.

SHIPSHAPE DAY

Thank you to everyone that came to the recent shipshape day.  We were able to get lots done both outside the HQ and inside.  We really appreciate everyone giving up an hour or so to help. For those that could not make it last time, we will be holding another shipshape morning on the 9th of Jan 2010.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

Everyone at Batchworth Sea Scouts would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

A big thank you to all the parents and helpers who put in the extra effort to make 2009 such a special year. Why not make a new year's resolution to take a more active role in the Scouting. There is always lots to do at Batchworth. Come along, do something different and make some new friends into bargain!

DATES FOR THE DIARY

Beaver Scouts meet every Thursday from 6:00 to 7:15

Cub Scouts meet every Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:00

Scouts meets every Saturday from 2:00 to 5:30

Bograts Explorer Scouts meet every Thursday from 7:30 to 10:00