With COVID19 lockdown memories fading, although still evident cautious guidance by TSA, the leaders agreed to keep this year’s summer camp close and easily manageable for all concerned. Hence when one of our local campsites Thriftwood advertised it’s set week’s summer camp with all the camping, activities plus day out to an adventure park, it seemed ideal for all concerned.
Jamboree on The Trail – 25th Anniversary
This years JoTT was special in many ways: it was the 25th anniversary of the event, it was great to have District events up and running once again and be able to meet with many Scouting friends once again, what great countryside and walks we have surrounding us, as well as the wonderful weather reaching 24’C and not a cloud in the sky.
As usual an intrepid few from 5th Dartford started from Sevenoaks train station (17m), with more members joining in the procession back to Dartford central park where the District had organise an reception area to receive their event badges and socialise whilst they enjoyed their well deserved drinks and snacks.
Congratulations to all who participated, from those Explores that ran it from Otford (start point 21m) to the Beavers that joined us at Westminster fields.
Kind regards
Paul Boreham – Group Scout Leader
2022-04-22 – St George’s Parade
After a two-year hiatus a good many of our members were able to proudly parade our colours with other groups from the district. Meeting smartly at the hall, we paraded down West Hill and through the town centre, without impaling any shop signs or pedestrians, before joining the district and taking our place by the bandstand. The weather was very kind to us and after the formalities, we joined the parade around the park, receiving the grateful applause of flag waving parents and public; something our young folk have missed out on.
2022-04-01 – Easter Camp @ Thriftwood
Having booked this camp for Easter 2020, it was a matter of changing the list of attendees and a new risk assessment. 7 leaders arrived at camp @13:00 to get set up and shop for the food, with 35 Explorers and Scouts arriving from 6pm to the first supper of 1/4lb burgers, followed later by cake and hot chocolate. Saturday morning started early with porridge, cereal and bacon sandwiches, followed with 3hours of crate stacking, leap of faith and zip wire activities before a lunch of sandwiches, soup, crisps and fruit. After lunch everyone went on a pre-planned hike in groups, which took @3hrs. Saturday’s evening meal consisted of Spaghetti Bolognaise and garlic bread. Temperatures plummeted on Saturday night, so it was good forethought that we had booked ‘The Village’ at Thriftwood, which consists of heated huts and a fully equipped tented kitchen and dining area, although 8 Explorers and 5 leaders still preferred being under canvas, but everyone arose well slept, even the explorers who had spent most of the night at around the campfire. Breakfast on Sunday was again cereals followed by a cooked breakfast of sausages, baked beans and eggy bread, which went down very well. Activities on Sunday consisted of fields games, rounders, an Easter egg hunt and the all-important trip to the providor to load upon confectionary and camp souvenirs. At the end of camp, we awarded some prizes for various activities and issued everyone with a camp badge for their camp blanket and dismissed promptly at 15:00. Despite the weather being fresh, we were lucky to escape rain and saw much blue sky; looking forward to the next camp already…..
2021-12-05 – 105th Birthday
Meeting at the hall at 10:00, 42 of our Young People and leaders paraded our colours to the Spital Street Methodist Church to attend our Group’s 105th Birthday Service. Five of our young folk did readings and others assisted with the offertory. Grou
p Scout Leader, Paul, presented some leadership awards and spoke of the troubled couple of years we’d had and thanked everyone for their efforts in keeping Scouting going. After enjoying some refreshments and biscuits with members of the church we returned to the hall and dismissed for lunch. The celebrations continued in the afternoon at Gravity, Bluewater, where we enjoyed a session of trampolining.
2021-11-14 – Remembrance
Blessed with a lovey bright morning, 15 Explorers, 7 Scouts and a selection of leaders paid their respects at the Dartford War Memorial alongside members of other youth groups, associations and veterans.
2021-08-27 – Hammock Camp
With the revision of COVID restriction and guidance on Scouting activities we managed to arrange at short notice a Hammock Camp at Thriftwood Scout Camp Site.
Friday – Setting up camp was certainly different without tents, with a shelter and parachuter camp fire area already on site it only involved rigging 20 plus hammocks and setting up the kitchen which seem to take the same time as a normal camp! With the Scouts exploring their new surroundings, collecting wood and fetching water the adventure begun with a BBQ feast of sausages, burgers and corn on the cob, it was pretty impressive how much smoke a parachute can contain, let alone Tim’s laser show to entertain us. And what do all Scouts of all ages enjoy after supper and in the dark, Wide-Games of course, with a hide and seek game as we paraded through the camp sites, along with a night time navigation snippets whilst we were in the clearings identifying: The Plough, North Star and Jupiter rising in the West. With the day finishing with Hot Chocolate and biscuits around a blazing log fire.
Saturday – Starting the day with Paul’s world-famous Porridge which always sets you up for a day at camp, even if it was made with white pepper (it looked the same as salt container!). The Scouts prepared themselves a breakfast of Bacon, Eggs and Beans before the morning activities of wood carving with a few good tent pegs being created as well as a hamster chew sticks and other creations, with the Explorers fabricating camp seating. The Kayak session was great fun, with the leaders seeming to fall in much easier and more often than any of the younger members especially when the games of had and little fishy being played. After hot showers a lunch of ham & cheese or even cheese & ham sandwiches was quickly devoured, followed by field games before the trip to the ‘Providore’ to stock on sweets and drinks. The rest of the afternoon was taken up with collecting wood and preparing the chickens for supper cooked in Dutch ovens as a one pot meal, surprisingly there was very little left overs as compared to the breakfast porridge.
Another fine evening enabled more wide games to be played, followed by the traditional Hot Chocolate around the camp fire.
Sunday – Pancakes proved to be very popular, with the predictable flipping competition. Following breakfast, the Scouts walked the camp site collecting an array of different leaves from the trees and identifying the various wildlife as well as sampling the plentiful blackberries. All participated in a Scout Own reflecting on Scout and Scouting focusing on how we as individuals can achieve so much working with other scouts. The walk ended up at the assault course where the cargo net proved the most popular obstacle. With lunch devoured the last few field games were played out, with a flag down ceremony where all Scouts were presented with a Thriftwood ‘Intents’ Camping badge to close down the camp.
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Earley-Troop During Covid19 Lockdown
Since the start of the start of the lock down we have looked to continue with virtual meetings using Zoom 40 minutes free sessions each and ever Friday. Here are the details of what we been up to…
+++19Mar2020+++
Hi All,
I hope this email finds you all safe and well.
For the first time since 5th Dartford inception in 1916, following the Government and The Scout Association guidance we are to suspend all face to face meeting until further notice. This impacts Friday evening meeting, St Georges Day Parade, Easter Camp, Family & Summer Camp.
I have suspended on line subs payments, and will look to return all camp deposits via post over the next week.
Baden-Powell original scouts in 1907 started with groups of boys buying weekly publications and trying out the activities with their family and friends. In this modern age of the internet we will look to maintain Scouting by virtual activities, where we will be sending activities that you can complete with your family.
The first one is the completion of Fire Safety activity badge that we started. I will send out information 19:30 on Friday evening.
Kind regards PB
+++++++++++++
+++20Mar2020+++
The Scout activity to be undertaken this week… Please email photos and information back of what you have managed to achieved.
Fire Safety Activity Badge
1. Talk to your family about what to do in the event of a fire at home
2. Test your smoke detectors in your home
3. Perform a risk assessment of your own home
1. Have you a smoke detector on each level?
2. Do you have a carbon monied detector where you have stoves?
3. Have you oil heaters and open solid fuel fires?
4. Have you portable electric fires?
5. Do you dry clothes over heaters?
6. Do you use extension leads, electric wiring and fuses
7. How do you use of household gas, including gas fires
8. Have you any party decorations and candles
9. What effect does closing doors and windows
10. Do you use BBQs
Personal Challenge Award
Complete two personal challenges
A few suggestions but please feel free to create your own:-
- Give up using your games console for a week !!!
- Help your younger brother or sister with their school work for a term
- Learn how to communicate in basic sign language
- Do at least an hour of physical activity every day over the summer holidays
- Do the washing up at home for two weeks
- Note in the attachment, any achievement that you have made over the next week.
++++++++++++
+++27Mar2020+++
Hi, I hope you are all keep safe and well
This week with these wonderful clear sky’s we can look revisit the Astronomer badge after our recent visit to Sutton at Hone Observatory.
In addition we can use these skills to help with our navigation to locate both north and south.
How to locate North by using your watch.
http://www.scoutsociety.org/repository/orienteering/Finding-North.html
How to locate South by the Moon
https://www.naturalnavigator.com/find-your-way-using/moon/
Astronomer Activity Badge details
Space Station – ISIS UK Fly Over Details
++++++++++++++
+++03Apr2020+++
20:00 – Open up call and get used to the app
20:10 – Virtual Scavenger Hunt
20:30 – Collect in ideas for further virtual meetings
20:35 – End of call
+++++++++++++
+++10Apr2020+++
1) Prepare and practice your jokes – First 10mins
2) Set up your virtual camp at home (a den in the back room or a tent in the back garden) – Remaining 20mins
Sean camp fire
+++++++++++++
+++17Apr2020+++
Congratulations to Maisie for completing her personal challenge award, please send in you completed sheets to complete yours.
This weeks challenge as the weather is good and many were talking of BBQ’s is to make your own burgers, send in your recipe and photos so that we can all vote for the winner next Friday.
Below is the one I am trying from Jamie Oliver…
Jamie Olivers Home Made Burger Method
- Wrap the crackers in a tea towel and smash up until fine, breaking up any big bits with your hands, then tip into a large bowl.
- Finely chop the parsley (stalks and all), then add to the bowl with the mustard (if using), and the minced beef.
- Crack the egg into the bowl, then add a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
- With clean hands, scrunch and mix everything up well. Divide into 6 and pat and mould each piece into a roundish shape, roughly 2cm thick.
- Place the burgers onto a plate, drizzle with oil, then cover and place in the fridge until needed – this will help to firm them up.
- To cook the burgers, preheat a large griddle or frying pan for 4 minutes on a high heat, then turn the heat down to medium.
- Place the burgers on the griddle or into the pan, then use a spatula to lightly press them down, making sure the burger is in full contact with the pan.
- Cook the burgers for 3 or 4 minutes on each side, depending on how you like them – you may need to work in batches.
Don’t forget the astronomy badge – you can clearly see Venus this evening
2019-09-20 – Earley-Troop Night Hike
Whilst Earely Troop converged at Ingress Abbey they completed their route card, checking the equipment they had, the weather forecast, detailing the planned route. Before setting off, time was taken to look at and review the history of the stately home which is still a family home (Lord and Lady Hailes) which was built in 1831 from stones from the old London Bridge, the follies surrounding the gardens and the curse laid on Henry VIII and all future owners of the estate from the last Abbess of Dartford! Continue reading