AGM REPORT 2007

SCOUT SECTION

We started the year 2007 with fourteen Scouts, since then three have left the troop, two lost interest and one became a Young Leader. We recruited two from Brownies, four from Cubs, one moved to area from another troop, and two transfered from another troop. Our present number is twenty five.

This was our busiest year ever in Scouting – we were celebrating 100 years of Scouting in the UK and the year was based on 100 years of Scouting. We kicked off the year with a Hobbies and Interest badge and board games followed by Indoor Patrol Cooking Competition. We were practicing for the forthcoming district event in March.

Job week at Easter was very successful and was won by Robert Scott earning £45.00 and joint second place was James Long and George Manning earning £30.00 they received a Swiss Army Pen Knife and mini Mag lights respectively.

We entered three teams into the District Indoor Cooking Competition held at 3rd Sudbury Scout Headquarters in March. Bures teams were placed in the Highly Commended positions. We took part in the St George’s Day Parade and Service held at Long Melford Church in April.

Our first camp of the year was ‘Under plastic’ this took place in our camp site and the term finished off with canoe capsize drill and swimming at Payton Hall with the help of Richard Ansell.

To celebrate our Centenary of Scouting – the district held a camp over the May bank Holiday weekend at Boxford, The Spinney - Sudboree. Cubs and Scouts attended. Scout Leaders ran and built the aerial runway, water slide and grass sledges. The weekend was filled with lots of activites including a BBQ and firework display on Saturday evening.

We had good weather Friday and Saturday – but Sunday and Monday was a wash out! The Cubs went home only two hours before the schedule on Sunday with some Scouts. staying with Leaders. It was still raining Monday morning and we decided to pack up in the pouring rain. Nigel only just managed to get his truck off site! Looking back everyone who attended enjoyed the weekend with the tents taking a week to dry out.

Bures Scouts helped out at the Suffolk Show – their jobs were relaying points given by the Stewards after judging (livestock) etc. We supplied eight Scouts and two Leaders. We were each given free entrance, food and drink during the day.

Over the summer months we did canoeing, Survival Skills badge, Pioneering badge, air rifle shooting, District 5-a-side football at Haverhill and making our Carnival float.

At the beginning of the school holidays we had our Summer Camp at Thriftwood International Scout Camp Site near Brentwood. Fifteen Scouts and two Leaders attended. We did loads of activities – the highlight of camp was a visit to London by train. We went to see Madame Tussauds and the Tower Bridge experience.

We also went fishing on site must evenings at Pickles pond. With just bread and sweet corn we managed to catch many fish including a 6lb common carp, perch and bream and saw a fox a few times – coming within a few feet of us on the bank.

On Friday, we held the usual camp olympics, patrol cooking competition and camp fire with presentations.

After a few days back after summer camp we attended the 21st World Jamboree

held at Hylands Park, Chelmsford – where we saw many Scouts from all over the world and saw the show in the main arena.

We returned in the Autumn and our programme was based on the Survival Skills Badge – we collected edible plants on a hike from Arger Fen to Bures and Nigel showed the Scouts how to skin a rabbit. We also did map reading, compass, grid references, lightweight tents and tranja stove safety ready for the DC Challenge in October.

The Arthur Haywood Endeavour Award was presented to Grant Gardham at the beginning of the autumn term.

We took part in the DC Challenge – this year being held at The Croft Camp Site. Bures entered three teams (consisting of 15 Scouts). They hiked from Stoke by Nayland to Bures visiting churches along the way for clues. They used a commando bridge to get them into the camp site from the Essex side – which was quite fun. On Sunday were challenges. One was to make a mini raft and sail it across the river – some floated and others sunk. We came in highly commended, 3rd and 2nd places with each team getting a certificate.

To finish off our requirements for the Survival Skills badge – each Scout had to do a 24hrs Survival Camp in October. The Scouts cycled up to Lamarsh Park Woods, near Daws Cross – they had to construct a shelter out of natural materials and cooking was done on an open fire using just tin foil.

We visited Nayland Fire Station on two occasions for the Fire Safety Badge – Scouts were taught about fire safety in the home, fire brigade, calling 999 with the highlight being shown around the fire station and using the fire hoses.

At the end of the term we held a Halloween evening and they had to design a pumpkin competition, we also had conker championships, wide games, swimming at Colchester Fitness pool and for our last night of the year, we visited to Rollerworld, Colchester for skating and a game of quaser.

Paul Snelling

Scout Leader