30 members of Surrey Heath's Scouts and Guides got together over the weekend (4 and 5 March) to put on a Gangshow in just 14 hours! Starting at 9.00am with no script, props or costumes on the Saturday, this workshop aimed to teach the youngsters singing, acting, directing and script-writing skills with results presented to friends and parents in a 1 hour show at 3.00pm on the Sunday.

10 Scouts and 20 Guides turned up at the Generation Centre in Goldsworth Park, Woking for the first of these events. They are run by Neil Braybrook-Tidy and Nicky Fleming, co-directors of the main Surrey Heath Scout & Camberley Division Guide Gangshow which was presented in 2004 and 2005 at Camberley Theatre. Neil said: "The next main Gangshow for the District will take place in 2007 so we are keeping the interest and building the skills during our 'year off' with this workshop. Auditions for the main show however will start this summer."

The Scouts and Guides were given total freedom with the content to give them an idea of what the production team have to consider when putting on the main show in Camberley. The final content of the show was not decided until 4.45pm on Saturday evening and the kids left at 5pm, giving them just a few hours on Sunday to learn new songs and practise sketches.

The hour-long show was performed to an audience of over 60 family and friends at the Generation Centre as planned and consisted of a series of song-and-dance numbers, fast paced sketches and musical interludes. The audience thproughly enjoyed themselves and included the District Commissioner for Surrey Heath Scouts, David Hawkins, the Camberley District Commissioner for Guides, Marlyne Swift and Assistant County Commissioner for Surrey, Mike Szewciw.

Please note that these are compressed jpeg files and higher definition files may be obtained on contact with the Surrey Heath Media Development Officer as below.

The attached photographs show:

Photo 3a shows 4 of the cast performing a sketch in which they are lost on a car journey

Photo 9a shows 5 cast in a Latin American song and dance number

Photo 12a shows the troupe in the finale of 'We're riding along on the crest of a wave'

Notes
Scouts are aged from 10.5 yrs to 14 and are the most senior of the sections within a Scout Group. Patrol Leaders are expected to have reached specific levels of competence in skills with include first aid and outdoor survival. Surrey Heath Scout District is one of 19 Districts within the Surrey Scout County and covers Bagshot, Bisley, Camberley, Chobham, Frimley, Lightwater, West End and Windlesham. There are 15 Scout Groups across the District, most of which have sections for Beavers, aged 6-8, Cubs aged 8-10.5 and Scouts. Older Scouts between the ages of 14 and 18 join the Explorer section which is organised at District level.

Gangshows
Gang Shows started in London in 1932 under the direction of professional dance director and performer, Ralph Reader. The format of catchy songs and witty sketches was instantly popular and seats were invariably sold out with people turned away. In 1937, the London Gang Show achieved the honour of being the first amateur company to appear in a Royal Command Performance, a feat which was repeated in 1957 and 1964. The success continued until 1974 when, with the retirement of the man who started it all, and in the face of mounting costs, the curtain came down in London for the last time. However, in all major towns and cities of the UK, Scouts produced their own versions with local talent, frequently achieving the professional standards of the original shows. Up and down the country, Gang Shows are now enjoying a revival. Until 2004 that list had not included our local Scouts who, for the first time, joined forces with Camberley Division Guides to put on their first show. A sell-out success, a second production was staged in March 2005.

For further information or enquiries about joining the Scouts, please contact Peter Walmsley as below.
Guide enquiries will also be forwarded.

Peter Walmsley
Media Development Manager
Surrey Heath District Scout Council
Tel. 0774 806 8952

e-mail peterwalmsley@surreyheathscouts.org.uk

Surrey Heath Cubs 4th annual cooking competition took place on Saturday 11 February in which each team prepares a full 3-course meal using only a 2-burner camping stove. This year, judging was carried out by chef, Max Pettini of Frimley Hall Hotel.

Named 'Ready Steady Grub', the competition was entered by 7 teams of 4 with 26 boys and 2 girls. The teams were judged on their teamwork, preparation, presentation of each course, taste of the food, and the final clearing up. Main dishes included Meatballs in Rich Red Tomato Sauce; Stir fried Pork with Pineapple; Pasta Bolognese with Parmesan Cheese; Spaghetti Bolognese; Arroz Con Pollo and Chicken Casserole. There was also one dessert that we would all have died for, called Eton Mess. It was a mixture of red fruits, cream and meringue. "Really Yummy" said Sheila Thomson, District Cub Scout Leader and organiser of the event.

Max Pettini appeared to have difficulty making up his mind with the high standards but eventually declared the winners as West End (Jamboree) cubs scoring 88 points out of 90, with “A Special Pre-Valentine Meal” of Hearty Mushroom Soup with Crispy Croutons, Meatballs in Rich Red Tomato Sauce with Hot and Spicy Couscous and Delicate Mixed Salad, followed by Jewelled Strawberry and Cream Love Nests. The professional table setting was all red and white, finished off with a red rose in a vase.

Second were 1st Frimley Green and Mytchett (Columbia) cubs scoring 84 points and in third place were 1st Lightwater (Seeonee) cubs scoring 82 points out of 90. All the entrants were awarded their Chef’s badge and congratulated by Max.

Please note that these are compressed jpeg files and higher definition files may be obtained on contact with the Surrey Heath Media Development Officer as below.

The attached photographs show:

1. Max Pettini judging one of the main courses whilst 2 of the cooks look on in anticipation

2. Max with the winning team from West End holding their certificates and the winner's shield.

Notes
Cubs are the second youngest section of the Scout movement. Surrey Heath Scout District is one of 19 Districts within the Surrey Scout County and covers Bagshot, Bisley, Camberley, Chobham, Frimley, Lightwater, West End and Windlesham. There are 15 Scout Groups across the District, most of which have sections for Beavers, aged 6-8, Cubs aged 8-10.5 and Scouts aged 10.5-14. Scouts between the ages of 14 and 18 join the Explorer section which is organised at District level.

In Surrey County, there are 11,300 youth members across 195 Scout Groups, plus 2,800 adult volunteers. Girls' membership has increased by 25% over 2004. For further information or enquiries about joining, please contact Peter Walmsley as below.


Peter Walmsley
Media Development Manager
Surrey Heath District Scout Council
Tel. 0774 806 8952

e-mail peterwalmsley@surreyheathscouts.org.uk

1st Windlesham Cub Scouts showed their support for the Premature Baby Unit at St. Peter's Hospital in Chertsey by taking up knitting! Staff Nurse, June Graham visited the Cub Pack to explain how the Baby Unit operates. As the Cubs noted the importance of keeping the babies warm, they each decided to knit a square of material which were all sewn together to make blankets.

June used to be a Cub Leader so she knew how to get the boys interested. When she visited the 1st Windlesham group on 13 December she showed the Cubs some of the tiny equipment needed for the Baby Unit including feeding tubes, thermometers, miniscule nappies and baby clothes. June is Scottish and had all the cubs laughing as she showed them a tiny U-Bag and told them: "We put his wee willy through the wee hole and collect a wee bit of wee in the wee bag"!

The Cubs started their knitting during their weekly meetings but took their squares home to finish. They were told that grandmothers would be a good source of help and one granny did make a lot of squares but nearly all the Cubs managed to produce a piece of knitting to include in the blankets. James, one of the Senior Sixers, wrote “At first I thought it was going to be boring, but then (once I’d done a few rows) I began to get the hang of it. My great grandma heard I was knitting and asked if I could make a few vase mats!”

On 13th December, June came back to visit the Cub Pack and they presented their blankets to her. We all hope that some tiny, premature babies will benefit from the Cubs hard work.

Please note that these are compressed jpeg files and higher definition files may be obtained on contact with the Surrey Heath Media Development Officer as below.

The attached photograph shows the Cubs
presenting June with their blankets.

Notes
Cubs are the second youngest section of the Scout movement. Surrey Heath Scout District is one of 19 Districts within the Surrey Scout County and covers Bagshot, Bisley, Camberley, Chobham, Frimley, Lightwater, West End and Windlesham. There are 15 Scout Groups across the District, most of which have sections for Beavers, aged 6-8, Cubs aged 8-10.5 and Scouts aged 10.5-14. Scouts between the ages of 14 and 18 join the Explorer section which is organised at District level.

In Surrey County, there are 11,300 youth members across 195 Scout Groups, plus 2,800 adult volunteers. Girls' membership has increased by 25% over 2004. For further information or enquiries about joining, please contact Peter Walmsley as below.


Peter Walmsley
Media Development Manager
Surrey Heath District Scout Council
Tel. 0774 806 8952

e-mail peterwalmsley@surreyheathscouts.org.uk

47 Cub Scouts were sent up a climbing wall as part of the adventure programme run by Surrey Heath District Scouts. For these 9 and 10 year olds, it was their first time to try the extreme sport and the largest group the District has trained for several years.

The popularity of the activity has meant that the girls and boys had to be split into groups over 4 sessions with 2 instructors per group. Each group started with a full briefing from the instructors and learned to move around the ledges at the bottom of the wall. After a few more exercises to get their balance, they picked their way gingerly up the 5m 'rock' face. Joan Heath, Assistant District Commissioner for Cubs and organiser of the event commented: "Just because it's turning to winter doesn't stop the fun. We just move indoors more often!"

Surrey Heath Scouts runs a very full activity programme for all groups in the District and climbing is arranged once a year. This year, it was held at Charterhouse School in Godalming and numbers have doubled over the previous year. Other activities over the year have included canoeing, archery, sports competitions as well as camps in the summer.

Please note that these are compressed jpeg files and higher definition files may be obtained on contact with the Surrey Heath Media Development Officer as below.

The attached photographs show:

1. Tilly, contemplating the wall before donning her equipment.

3. 4 cubs practice manoevering around the lower ledges

4. Nearly at the top - what do I do now?

Notes
Cubs are the second youngest section of the Scout movement. Surrey Heath Scout District is one of 19 Districts within the Surrey Scout County and covers Bagshot, Bisley, Camberley, Chobham, Frimley, Lightwater, West End and Windlesham. There are 15 Scout Groups across the District, most of which have sections for Beavers, aged 6-8, Cubs aged 8-10.5 and Scouts aged 10.5-14. Scouts between the ages of 14 and 18 join the Explorer section which is organised at District level.

In Surrey County, there are 11,300 youth members across 195 Scout Groups, plus 2,800 adult volunteers. Girls' membership has increased by 25% over 2004. For further information or enquiries about joining, please contact Peter Walmsley as below.


Peter Walmsley
Media Development Manager
Surrey Heath District Scout Council
Tel. 0774 806 8952

e-mail peterwalmsley@surreyheathscouts.org.uk

As the hike took place on the main fundraising evening for Children in Need, the Beaver Scouts decided that their entry fees should be donated to Pudsey Bear. Being a busy night for Pudsey however, Billy Beaver, the local Beaver mascot collected the money.

The attached photograph shows several of the Beaver Scouts with Billy Beaver, having retuned from their night hike

The Beavers, who came from Scout Groups in Camberley, Windlesham, Bagshot, West End and Frimley set out at 6.00pm for the 2 mile trek. Along the way, they had to find and count CDs which had been hung from trees. Tired but happy, they were rewarded with sausages, bacon and beefburgers when they returned at 7.30pm. Said Neil, aged 7 " It was a brilliant!"

Notes
Beaver Scouts are the youngest section of the Scout Group, aged 6 - 8 . Surrey Heath Scout District is one of 19 Districts within the Surrey Scout County and covers Bagshot, Bisley, Camberley, Chobham, Frimley, Lightwater, West End and Windlesham. There are 15 Scout Groups across the District, most of which have sections for Beavers, aged 6-8, Cubs aged 8-10.5 and Scouts aged 10.5-14. Scouts between the ages of 14 and 18 join the Explorer section which is organised at District level.

In Surrey County, there are 11,300 youth members across 195 Scout Groups, plus 2,800 adult volunteers. Girls' membership has increased by 25% over 2004.

For further information or enquiries about joining, please contact Peter Walmsley as below.

Peter Walmsley
Media Development Manager
Surrey Heath District Scout Council
Tel. 0774 806 8952

e-mail peterwalmsley@surreyheathscouts.org.uk

On Saturday night/Sunday morning (8/9 October) Scouts from across the Surrey Heath District were roaming Chobham Common on their 'Nightmare' activity. Each year, the Scouts stay out all night from 8.00pm to 5.30am navigating a pre-set route with the aid of maps and compass. Every mile or so, they locate a new 'base' where they carry out a set activity such as pitching a tent (in the dark), cooking a meal or creating a structure from poles and rope. Points are awarded for the skill with which the activity is carried out and deducted for misdemeanours such as poor timekeeping, cheating and use of mobile phones. There are 10 bases in all.

This year, 8 Scout Groups took part from Camberley, Chobham, West End, Frimley and Lightwater, making up 12 teams with 50 Scouts in total. Each team with 4 or 5 Scouts per team is thoroughly briefed and carries a pre-defined kit list including reflective clothing, first aid kits, survival bags, torches and whistles. There are 2 stops for hot soup along the route which totals about 8 miles. On return back to Chobham Scout HQ, all are rewarded with a hot bacon roll.

Quite often at this time of year, there has been heavy rain but this year the weather stayed relatively kind. Said Mike Szewciw, District Commissioner, "This is a great opportunity for all Scouts to put practical skills like map reading into practice and for the older children to learn team leadership. The youngsters take on great responsibility with this event and if I stopped to think, it would worry me too!"

This year, the winners were 1st Lightwater (Endeavour) Scout Troop.

The attached photographs show the teams preparing their routes from clues given from grid references. (NB These are low resolution versions. Please contact Peter Walmsley as below for full resolution copies.)

Notes
Scouts are aged from 10.5 yrs to 14 and are the most senior of the sections within a Scout Group. Patrol Leaders are expected to have reached specific levels of competence in skills with include first aid and outdoor survival. Surrey Heath Scout District is one of 19 Districts within the Surrey Scout County and covers Bagshot, Bisley, Camberley, Chobham, Frimley, Lightwater, West End and Windlesham. There are 15 Scout Groups across the District, most of which have sections for Beavers, aged 6-8, Cubs aged 8-10.5 and Scouts. Older Scouts between the ages of 14 and 18 join the Explorer section which is organised at District level.


For further information or enquiries about joining, please contact Peter Walmsley as below.

Peter Walmsley
Media Development Manager
Surrey Heath District Scout Council
Tel. 0774 806 8952

e-mail peterwalmsley@surreyheathscouts.org.uk

10 local Cub packs took part in a District-wide swimming and water activity competition on Saturday night, 15 October at Farnborough Recreation Centre. 89 Cubs made up 11 teams from Camberley, Lightwater, West End, Chobham and Frimley in a 2½ hour session from 6.45 - 9.15pm. The evening consisted of both team activities and individual and team races. Many of the parents stayed to watch.

The team activities included:

"Keep Him Dry" in which a Cub is passed across the width of the pool by his team without getting wet
"Balloon on a String" in which balloons are passed across the pool width
"Football Team Relay" in which the fastest team with the ball across 4 widths of the pool wins
The races included breast stoke, backstroke, freestyle and team relay.

The individual winners were:Breaststroke: Oliver Leavers, 1st Lightwater Scout Group
Backstroke: Alastair Bradley, 8th Camberley Scout Group
Freestyle: Eddie Young, Chobham Scout Group
Joan Heath, Assistant District Commissioner for Cubs in Surrey Heath and organiser of the event "This really is a fun activity for the Cubs and it is nice to see the support of the parents" an opinion echoed by William from 7th Camberley Scout Group who added "yes, definitely fun, and its my 3rd year too"!

The attached photographs show the winning team, 8th Camberley Scout Group collecting their trophy (Splasherama 14) and the 'Keep him dry' activity (Splasherama 2). These are low resolution photos and full size versions can be obtained from Peter Walmsley as below.

Notes
Cub Scouts are the second youngest section of the Scout Group, aged 8-10.5. Surrey Heath Scout District is one of 19 Districts within the Surrey Scout County and covers Bagshot, Bisley, Camberley, Chobham, Frimley, Lightwater, West End and Windlesham. There are 15 Scout Groups across the District, most of which have sections for Beavers, aged 6-8, Cubs aged 8-10.5 and Scouts aged 10.5-14. Scouts between the ages of 14 and 18 join the Explorer section which is organised at District level.


For further information or enquiries about joining, please contact Peter Walmsley as below.

Peter Walmsley
Media Development Manager
Surrey Heath District Scout Council
Tel. 0774 806 8952

e-mail peterwalmsley@surreyheathscouts.org.uk

Surrey Heath Scouts held their biennial chess competition for Cub Scouts across the District on Saturday 24 September at the 1st Lightwater Scout HQ. The winner
was Jake Dunne of 1st Lightwater Group with 20 points, followed by Sam Hopkins from West End Group with 18 points and Sam Bannister from 1st Windlesham Group taking 3rd place with 17 points.

30 cubs, including 29 boys and 1 girl competed from across the District, playing 7 games to win points. The competition started at 10.30 and the winner was awarded the District Shield by Jan Jobson, the Assistant County Commissioner for Cubs.

The winner of the last competition in 2002 was Stefan Curtress who played chess for Surrey County.


The attached photographs show:
chess2005winner1: the winner Jake Dunne, being presented with the shield by Jan Jobson
chess2005group1: back row - Ken Coates from Surrey/Hants/Berks Borders Chess Organisation (adjudicator), Jan Jobson, Ray Ryan - Surrey Junior Chess Team Leader (main adjudicator).
Front Row - San Bannister - 3rd, Jake Dunne - 1st, Sam Hopkins - 2nd.

Notes
Cub Scouts are the second youngest section of the Scout Group, aged 8-10.5. Surrey Heath Scout District is one of 19 Districts within the Surrey Scout County and covers Bagshot, Bisley, Camberley, Chobham, Frimley, Lightwater, West End and Windlesham. There are 15 Scout Groups across the District, most of which have sections for Beavers, aged 6-8, Cubs aged 8-10.5 and Scouts aged 10.5-14. Scouts between the ages of 14 and 18 join the Explorer section which is organised at District level.


For further information or enquiries about joining, please contact Peter Walmsley as below.

Peter Walmsley
Media Development Manager
Surrey Heath District Scout Council
Tel. 0774 806 8952

e-mail peterwalmsley@surreyheathscouts.org.uk

On Saturday 17th September, 56 Beaver Scouts spent an afternoon of fun in the sun at Frimley Lodge Park where the Surrey Heath Scouts organised the first District-wide event for many years.

Activities included:
throwing the wellie
beat the goalie
team skiing
boomerangs
walk the pole
Said Dee Szewciw, Assistant District Commissioner for Beaver Scouts and organiser of the event, "this is what Scouting is all about: to give the boys and girls new experiences, to mix with other Groups in the District and to have fun in a safe, friendly environment. We've had great help from the parents and the weather has been kind too."

The event took place between 2pm and 5pm and had the support of leaders from Surrey County Scouts. Beavers from most of the Surrey Heath Scout District Groups attended.

Photographs:
please click on image for larger versions

Notes
Beaver Scouts are the youngest section of the Scout Group, aged 6-8. Surrey Heath Scout District is one of 19 Districts within the Surrey Scout County and covers Bagshot, Bisley, Camberley, Chobham, Frimley, Lightwater, West End and Windlesham. There are 15 Scout Groups across the District, most of which have sections for Beavers, aged 6-8, Cubs aged 8-10.5 and Scouts aged 10.5-14. Scouts between the ages of 14 and 18 join the Explorer section which is organised at District level.


For further information or enquiries about joining, please contact Peter Walmsley as below.

Peter Walmsley
Media Development Manager
Surrey Heath District Scout Council
Tel. 0774 806 8952

e-mail peterwalmsley@surreyheathscouts.org.uk