2020 has been a difficult year for everyone and even the Scout Group has had to adapt to the ever-changing circumstances.
As 2021 approaches, we thought we’d look back over 2020 and highlight some of the activities and successes that our Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and indeed their leaders have had.
So please take a few moments to look at this newsletter and reflect on the many positives from this year, and some great memories too.
We’ve tried really hard to keep Scouting running as best we can this year – whatever the virus and Boris threw at us – because we believe that Scouting can really help our young people. Scouting helps young people build skills for life, including resilience, something that we’ve all needed this year.
I’m really proud of all our adult volunteers and our young people, who have adapted so well and kept on going though the challenges of 2020. We are also very grateful to all the parents, carers and siblings who have helped and supported their children carry on with Scouting at home in so many ways. And we hope you have managed to enjoy sharing some of the fun with them as well.
We can’t predict what 2021 will bring, but we do know that the Scout Group will keep adapting to whatever happens for the sake of our young people.
Assuming that we remain in Tier 4, we will restart in January online and then return to face-to-face meetings as soon as we are able.
We hope you have a happy and healthy new year and look forward to seeing you as soon as we’re able.
With best wishes on behalf of everyone at the Scout Group
Paul Stretch
Group Scout Leader
Our Leaders Zoom’ed into action!
When lockdown first hit, all UK Scouting was instructed to stop face to face activities.
Our adult leader team then had to adapt to running Beaver, Cubs and Scout meetings via Zoom very quickly – something that many had never done before.
By the end of the summer, they’d been running not just weekly meetings, but even sleepovers by Zoom.
Face to Face Scouting Returns
Back in August, the Leaders spent a lot of time understanding how we could run COVID-19 Secure face to face activities.
After several planning meetings (by Zoom, of course), we completed comprehensive risk assessments to show how we would comply with the Scout Association’s new rules around social distancing and infection control.
Once approved by our District Commissioner, we are able to start delivering outdoors activities once again!
Our HQ COVID-19 Secure and ready for re-opening
Remembrance Service
The Scout Group were not allowed to attend the village Remembrance Service this year due to the COVID restrictions. However, we did arrange for our wreath to be laid at the war memorial on the morning of the service and we hope to be back next year.
The Beavers, Cubs and Scouts all took part in Remembrance themed activities online with their leaders. The Beavers painted stones during their session and in the lead up to Remembrance Sunday, they came with their families to place them around the War Memorial as well.
Beavers
There were socially distanced games and activities at HQ when they could and a multitude of zoom sessions to help our girls and boys learn new skills and about the world we live in.
They even manged link-ups with Fire Station open days to learn about fire safety and Santa during their online Christmas party.
Cubs
Our Cubs took part in lots of the Scout Association’s Great Indoors activities, badges and even the the nationwide Great Indoors Weekender Camp as well as our Panther Pack’s Virtual Camp.
Scouts
Our Scouts were just getting used to being two separate Troops (Thursday and Friday) when lockdown hit. Since then the leaders have worked together to deliver the best programme they can for all of the Scouts.
Over the months they’ve enjoyed a local night hike, fire lighting, outdoor activities at HQ, learning Origami, Morse code, joining in with VE Day celebrations, taken part in online team and individual challenges and a weekend camp in their own homes.
Chief Scout’s Awards
23 young people in the Scout Group achieved their Chief Scout’s Awards this year, despite the challenges this year brought.
Aydin Cottiss, George Freestone, Charlie Robertson-Lowe, Aaran Armstrong, Mark Djemal, Daniel Locke and Anabelle Locke all achieved their Chief Scout’s Bronze Award.
Milo Rock, Jake Hall, Mikey Djemal, Finlay Killen, Freddie Johnson, Keyaan Cottiss, Bobby Moore, Jasmine Anzalone, Jodie Berryman, Charlotte Doyle, William Thompson, James Westfallen, Joshua Freestone, Hannah Bugg and Jago Speck all achieved their Chief Scout’s Silver Award.
Rhys Miles achieved his Chief Scout’s Gold Award.
The Chief Scout’s Awards are the highest award a girl or boy can achieve during their time as a Beaver – the Bronze Award, Cub – the Silver Award or Scout – the Gold Award.
To achieve an award each Beaver, Cub or Scout is required to complete a set number of challenges and activities over an extended period of time and include a Personal Challenge which they elect to undertake with the agreement of their leaders.
The girls and boys who have achieved these awards should be super proud!
Young Leader Training
Ewan Macpherson successfully completed all his Young Leader training earlier this year, gaining his Young Leader Belt.
Well done Ewan!
Adult volunteer changes
The bad news
Some of our adult volunteers decided that they wouldn’t be able to help us as the year went on. Some have chosen to leave Scouting completely, while others have chosen to just take a break until they feel able to restart.
While we’re disappointed to lose their help, we fully understand that everyone needs to do what is right for them and their family. We’d like to thank them all for their help so far and wish them well for the future.
And the good news
Having lost several adults, we needed to recruit some new adults fast if we were to continue to offer Scouting across all our six sections.
However, we launched a recruitment campaign in last October and were overwhelmed with a number of people who contacted us.
We really pleased to say that we’ve recruited three new adult volunteers, with some others still talking about their options with us.
A huge welcome to all our new adults. We’re really grateful for your help and hope you enjoy working with us over the coming months, especially once we get back to face to face activities again.
And finally… remember when everything was ‘normal’?
Scout ‘March March’ expedition across Dartmoor
The Scouts had their annual two-day expedition across Dartmoor in early March, just before lockdown hit.
They wild-camped on Dartmoor with other local Scouts after a full days hiking, waking up to a glorious sunrise.
No one knew this would be our only ‘real’ camp in 2020 – but if you have to camp only once, this was an epic place to do it!
Let’s hope we can all get back to adventures like these just as soon as possible.
