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Regatta 2009 photos
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These are news items that have previously appeared on the homepage.
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Explorers on the Isle of
Wight |
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This summer, 1st Ruxley Explorers went to the Isle of
Wight for their summer 'camp'. Here's what they
got up to...
Isle of Wight 2008 This was our last explorer
holiday with Ray and did not disappoint. We
Booberhoffens all enjoyed our week. The Hostel was
comfortable, and the food great saving us from having to
pitch tents and get food poisoning from our poor
cooking. We took part in many fun activities that we
could not have done at home for example Sea Kayaking and
surfing as well as sailing and just chilling on the
beach. We have really enjoyed our stay in the Isle of
Wight and I would love to do a similar thing again
A aged 17
The last Scout holiday ever with Ray Ray. We got the
ferry across and went to our hostel. On the Monday we
went ice skating and Bowling. I somehow ( I have no idea
how ) managed to score 2 strikes. That is a big
achievement. On Tuesday we went to Sandown, surfing I
learnt how to lay down on the surfboard look for a wave,
paddle bounce up onto our feet in one go, no kneeling
and balance. I swallowed a lot of sea water but loved it
I almost stood up The next day we all went sea Kayaking.
The oar has to be the correct way up and dug into the
water from your toes to your bum. We all joined up made
a raft and one person either end had to swap with
another. We met a family from Epsom who may join our
group. In the afternoon we went sailing in Sea stars
specially made for the River Medina we were sailing on I
learnt about the boom ( mind your head ) and the
different ropes and the figure of 8 knot. I really
enjoyed my time on the river those 3 hours of screaming
and nearly capsizing and dodging speed boats. On
Thursday we went on a hike in Brightstone Forest in
Chessil Downs, we learnt about the mounds which have the
bodies of kings that ruled the Island in the Bronze age,
we saw a kestrel, blue Butterflys and bunnies, The views
were outstanding and I took lots of landscape pictures.
On the way home I got stuck in my seat belt and granddad
Ray Ray sacrificed his finger nail to rescue me. Thank
you granddad. we all love you .I loved my trip to the
Isle Of Wight my friends, the views, granddad were all
amazing. Thank you for having me
C aged 18
This is the last camp for me K and C as from September
we will be at at university so this was last opportunity
to join in the activities and also our last camp with
Ray Ray very year we come home with new experiences and
hundreds of stories to tell this year was no exception
We have spent two days on the water sailing Surfing and
Kayaking all of us returning home rosy cheeked and ready
to sleep. As a group we have all grown very close after
many years camping together and this year our
friendships have grown closer. We have spent time on the
Beaches and much more time in the sweet shops and
watching sweets being made. This year has been different
as we stayed in a Hostel and as we are older were able
to participate in a larger variety of activities.
Although our sailing skills are not quite up to Olympic
standards we have learnt new skills and had a fantastic
week so lots of thanks to Ray you will be very missed
next year
R aged 18
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Ruxley at the National Sea Scout Regatta |
1st Ruxley entered crews in the
Under 14 double dinghy, Under 14 Gig and Under 14 kayak
events at the National Sea Scout Regatta during the
weekend of 5/6 July at Thames Ditton. The scouts put
their training to very good effect against sea scout
groups from across the country, winning four pulling
races and gaining a hard fought second in the kayak heat
on the Saturday which meant that we had an interest in
all events right through to the end of the regatta on
Sunday evening. The Gig crew reached the quarter final,
the dinghy crew reached the Semi final and our
canoeist reached the semi final of the Kayak event.
All the Ruxley
crews performed with style and determination and were a
credit to the Group. Well done to all who took part and
and thanks also to the parents for their support during
the event.
In a rash moment someone (so far
unidentified) entered the Ruxley scout leaders in a
leaders Gig race at the end of the regatta and we were
then advised that there would actually be two races
(with no break in between !). The intrepid five
ventured onto the water to take on an impressive looking
crew from the Torbay area (Brittania). In a good race
the Ruxley power to weight ratio came into play and a
good win was achieved complete with impressive bow wave
! The final was much tighter, but the support of the
cheering crowds gave the crew an extra lift and again
victory was achieved.
We would like to express our thanks
to the 1st Cuddington (Warspite) Sea Scout Group for
their continued support in allowing 1st Ruxley to use
their boats and facilities in recent years, and for
their advice and encouragement.
Click here to see regatta photos in the gallery Note
: There are three pages of photos!
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Scoutabout - A Scout's View |
On the way to Scoutabout
it took about 1hour and ½ to get there. when we got
there the outside of our tents were already put up all
we had to do was put the groundsheet down and hook in
the sleeping compartments. When we had all finished
putting our tents together we were given our wrist bands
and were then allowed off to do the activities, 1 of the
main activities was the disco which was on from about
7o’clock until lights out at 11 o’clock.
On the Saturday all of the activities were open and
me and my friends went off to the dunk tank where a
person sat on a board and people threw tennis balls at a
small target and when a ball hit the middle of the
target the person who was sitting down on the board got
dunked into a big tank of water. After we had dried we
saw a massive mound made out of hay stacks, we went over
to investigate and read the sign that said CAVING and so
we lined up. After about 10 minutes of waiting we got to
the front and were told to take off our shoes and socks
and t-shirt in you wanted to get wet, me and my friends
went to go the dry way. When we entered the hay we were
given some helmets with lights on so we could see where
you were going, we went round the corner and saw a
ladder so we went up and saw a marshal and he said go
down so we went down a small hole near where we came up.
A while later after we had gone quite far we saw day
light so as we headed towards it there were more
marshals asking do you want dry, wet or super wet. We
went wet so we went on further with our knees in water
and water dripping on our heads and then super wet was
in front of us and we had to go all the way under water
to get out. There was a tuck shop there with lots of
drinks and sweets you could purchase.
At the closing ceremony I was lucky enough to carry
the flag for 1st Ruxley and
so I waited at the back of all of the scout troops and
guide groups until it was time for all of the flags to
walk down the middle of the groups with all of the
guides on the left and all of the scouts on the right.
At the end we were told that there were 38milloin scouts
and guides worldwide!
CP - Scout
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Voluntary Work in Malawi |
E.V., an ex Beaver, Cub,
Scout and young leader at 1st Ruxley is off to Malawi in
East Africa for 5 weeks to work at the Open Arms
orphanage. Previously this year our Beaver colony has
donated paints and crayons to a children's charity in
Cuba, but on this occasion has sent a collection of
balls and games to Malawi. We will keep you posted on
the Malawi trip.
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Beaver Football |
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On Sunday 22nd June a large number of boy and girl
beavers joined Jaqula and Keeo at HQ for football
training for the coming season. This will be a regular
event with the possibility of Beaver games being
arranged against other groups.
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Surrey Scoutabout 2008 |
Scoutabout is a major event that
takes place every three years. This year it was
held at the South of England Showground in Ardingly,
West Sussex and was attended by 5000 scouts and guides.
There were over 200 activities available including:
Caving, Canoeing, Paragliding, Archery, Rock Climbing,
Abseiling, Crafts, Shooting and Films.
Many of the 1st Ruxley scouts and
some of the older cubs had an action-packed weekend and
managed to return home with all tents dry! We hope
to have some photos available soon.
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Cub Camp 2008 |
This year 1st Ruxley cubs had their annual camp in the
New Forest. They took part in a full range of
activities, inclusing a trip to Brownsea Island to visit
the birthplace of Scouting.
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Explorers Gliding |
Gliding with the Surrey Hills Gliding Club was
exhilarating. The G force at the take off and during the
steep banks made my head spin and
the landing was quite bumpy. The views from 1000
ft in the air were spectacular and I will definitely do
it again if I get the chance
B Explorer Scout
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Flying |
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All Scouts are considered to be members of the Surrey
Scout Flying Club, so I went to Redhill Aerodrome for a
flight experience session. I went in a single engine
Archer with 4 seats. I was in the air for about 30 mins
and flew over West Ewell and Ewell Village.It was very
good and I hope to get a licence and become a pilot in
the future
BS Explorer aged 16
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Explorers on the Water |
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The Explorers can be found every Wednesday night
sculling on the Thames at Barnes. They are
enjoying themselves despite thunder, lightning, rain and
strong winds. This activity should continue
through the summer.
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St George's Day Church Parade |
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Following tradition, the group paraded from HQ to Ruxley
Church on Sunday, April 27th, to celebrate St George's
Day. As part of the service, each section took it
in turns to renew their promises. We were pleased
to be joined by the our new District Commissioner, John
Jordan, who also presented a Long Service certificate
and a Wood Badge to two of the leaders.
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Cubs Football |
On Saturday, April 26th, Ruxley entered teams in
both age groups of the District cubs football
competition as well as 1st Ruxley providing food
and drink with our outstanding catering team,
led by Skip. both team played so well and
although they did not win the overall
competition they did win some of there games.
they all showed great skill and ability and
fantastic sportsmanship and team spirit through
out. there was some out standing performance
from C. and M. N. in the older team and from L.
and A. in the younger team.
Overall there was a great day had by all. Thank
you to everybody who gave there all and offered
their assistance cubs, parents and leaders
alike.
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Scouts Challenge Hike |
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This year, the District Challenge Hike was based around
Bentley Copse scout campsite near Shere. Ruxley
entered three teams - two in the older age group and one
in the younger. Unfortunately one of the younger
team had to withdraw because of injury, but the other
two scouts took part regardless. The first
'Challenge' was getting to the start! With 3-4
inches of snow falling in the morning, and the A3 closed
by an accident, everyone did well to get to Bentley
Copse. After the initial snowfall, the day
continued fine, providing some lovely walking around the
course. Well done to the older team who won their
age group, and to the two younger scouts who would have
been placed highly with a complete team.
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District Cross Country |
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Once again the District cross country competition took
place at Horton Country Park. Although it was
warm, with glorious sunshine, the rain of the previous
few days left plenty of mud and puddles. Ruxley
entered sizeable teams of Beavers, Cubs and Scouts and
everybody managed to finish (sooner or later!).
Well done to those who took part.
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Scouts go Night-Time
Orienteering |
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On Friday, 28th March, the Scout troop met at Horton
Country Park for some night-time orienteering.
Despite a heavy shower before we started, the rain
cleared to give us a fine night. Three groups of
four scouts were set unique courses through the park
with the task of collecting information form the
orienteering posts, as well as being set an additional
challenge. Only one group managed to reach all of
their posts, but they did arrive back after the allotted
time!
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Church Parade and a Muddy
Walk! |
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On Sunday 16th the group participated in the Palm Sunday
Church Parade at Ruxley Church. After the service the
Beavers went on a very wet muddy welly hike. The walk
took about 1 hour and nearly every muddy puddle was
found and fallen into. Despite the day being wet with
rain teeming down it was a great success. The walk was
followed by hot drinks and cakes at the now muddy Scout
headquarters at Tealing Drive. Tabaqui (Riverview
Beaver Leader) has now decided that she needs boots or
wellies!
Beavers are fun and great
On Sunday we had to go to the church, we learnt about
Palm Sunday and then we went on a wet wet walk around
the school park, I enjoyed holding the flag when we
walked from the church. we all got wet and had fun going
in the mud. Then we went back to the Scout hall for hot
chocolate and cakes.
J Beaver aged 6
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Explorers Night Hike |
We entered a team in the County Explorer night hike
challenge. The weather was good not cold a bit windy but
dry. We walked for about 5 hrs but only did 1 loop. we did 3
incidents, the first was an obstacle course really severe, J
Cut himself and I had to do 1st aid. the 2nd was a
blindfolded course and the last one was making pancakes and
flipping them over a high wire for another one of the team
to catch in their pan. I enjoy the night i have been tired
all week the hardest part I think was walking on thick sandy
paths in walking boots , but I will do it again
B Explorer Scout aged 16
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Beavers have Fun at Walton
Firs |
On Tuesday 19th February, 25 Beavers plus 2 helping
Cubs, 3 Explorers and Leaders descended on Walton Firs Camp
site. They participated in Beaver size Bows and Arrows, a
very muddy Adventure assault course, orienteering and also
very very wide games. A lot of extremely sleepy, muddy
Beavers returned tired but happy!
Hello my name is L and this is my outing at Walton Firs.
We went to the Beaver hut and went into the Blue Mini-bus.On
the way we played British Airways Aeroplane. There was a 4
person Karaoke at the back of the mini bus. When we got
there me and 4 others did darts ( bows & arrows ) while the
other half played games on the field and the others had an
adventure. Then we swopped over and we played on the field.
Then we swapped over again and we went on an adventure it
included finding a Beaver camp a bridge, and lots more. then
there was something i've never been on before A ASSAULT
COURSE , we did the pole, climbed the rigging. did the hoop
jump on the wood then back to the begining again,and do the
balancing rope and did the wood that you had to balance
on,which the girls hated and then did the thing when you
hunt for the pictures( Orienteering) then we played catch
Fayo , witch game, and running,and catching the ball,and
frissbe, then we got into the mini-bus,and headed back home.
that was my day at Walton Firs
L Beaver aged 6
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Thanks from Afghanistan |
One of the 1st Ruxley leaders has a work colleague whose
husband is a serving soldier in Afghanistan. Because
of the situation there, the soldiers were told not to expect
too much at Christmas time - it was to be a day like any
other. When the folks at home learned about the
situation, they organised a collection of shoeboxes, filled
with treats and everyday essentials so that the troops did
not miss out on Christmas altogether. Cubs and Scouts
from 1st Ruxley collected a number of boxes, which were
added to the consignment to be sent to Afghanistan in time
for Christmas.
A few weeks later, the organiser received a letter from
Shane, one of the troops who received a parcel, thanking
everyone for their thoughtfulness and generosity.
Shane's letter can be seen
here.
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Explorers Visit Craggy Island |
On Monday 18th February a group of Explorers visited Craggy
Island, a prestigious indoor rock climbing centre in
Guildford.
We went for rock climbing at craggy island. Although we
have done a lot of rock climbing before this was the first
time I had been to an indoor climbing centre. We did lots of
different walls & activities and had lots of fun despite
injuries to arms and hands. We all improved a lot although J
was the best and progressed from easy to difficult walls.
Overall it was a good day despite the mini bus being slow
and not too good. [Last sentence edited for public
consumption!]
A (Explorer, aged 17 ) |
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New Flag for Latest Beaver
Colony |
On Sunday February 10th, members from Beavers, Cubs and
Scouts attended Church Parade at Ruxley Church. We
arrived to find a gas leak, but after a worrying few
minutes, the church was declared safe to use, albeit without
heating!
As usual, the Colours were presented but, this time, there
was an extra duty to perform. The recently-formed
Riverview colony paraded its new flag for the first time,
and it was formally blessed by the vicar.
Beavers took an active part in the service and were
especially appreciative of heart-shaped marshmallows!
The following is a report from the lucky Beaver who was
chosen to carry the flag for the first time:
Jaqula picked me to carry the new flag
I felt happy when he picked me
it wasn't heavy
I had to carry it to the front of the Church at the
start of the service
the new flag was blessed
After the service I had to get the flag from the front
of the Church
I carried it outside and I had my photo taken
I was really pleased I went to the Church Parade
O (Beaver, aged 7) |
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Sainsbury's Active Kids 2008 |
 Once
again the 1st Ruxley Group are collecting Sainsbury's Active
Kids vouchers. This year's scheme runs from 14th February
until 4th June, so we have plenty of time to build up our
collection.
After a late start in 2007, we collected sufficient vouchers
to buy a small amount of equipment for every section. This
year, with your support, we aim to collect enough vouchers
to make a difference to all the young people in the group.
Please bring your vouchers to any section meeting. |
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Christmas Fundraising Success |
Cubs and Scouts from 1st Ruxley gave up their time on
Saturday 22nd December to pack bags for customers at Marks &
Spencer, Tolworth. Trade was brisk on one of the busiest
shopping days of the year, and the M&S customers were
generous both in their donations and in their words of
support for scouting. One lady took the time to tell us
about her late brother, who had received a personal letter
from Baden-Powell.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to the manager,
staff and customers of Marks and Spencer for their help and
support. One day of fundraising helps to support the
activities of the group throughout the whole of the
forthcoming year. We are delighted to report that this was
one of the most successful fundraising efforts ever! |
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Christmas Message from Brian
Hilton |
Ray received the
following message from Brian Hilton
To all at Ruxley Scouting. Thank you for your
Christmas Card and copy of "Signal". I read it with
much pleasure. Scouting seems to be fit & well in
and around Tealing Drive. I have looked at your Web
site, excellent stuff. We were invited to two 100th
events one at St Georges Windsor and one at Gilwell.
nice to be so honoured. We also watched and read
about many of the other events, well done all round.
Derek Twines CBE gave special pleasure.
Regards Brian Hilton (Ruxley Cub, Scout, Senior
Scout, and Leader 1939 to 1957 and Leader elsewhere
to 1991).
In a second e-mail,
he goes on to say...
At Christmas we normally
have our nuts in a splendid wooden bowl, which
was our Wedding present from the Group, a
cherished possession because of the memories it
encapsulates. Scouting was a major influence in
my life and I still consider myself one. The
foundation was laid in the 1st Ruxley, I
remember the first "Tin Can Trophy" and of
course the building and opening of the HQ (never
called a "Hut" then, because if you did it was
the subject of a fine of a Shilling
in committee!) I mixed mortar for Stan Stevens
to lay breeze blocks and manage to get the
week-end off as a recruit to attend the opening
ceremony. The platoon Sgt was an old Scout! In
so many ways Scout training gave me an edge in
the Army where I stayed for nearly 20 years
finishing up as a Colonel. But the best command
I ever had was the Badger Patrol in 1944. Happy
Christmas, yours in Scouting Brian Hilton
It's good to know that former members keep
in touch and have such happy memories. If any other
former members would like to contact the group, please send
an email to
webmaster@1struxley.org.uk.
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Christmas Church Parade and
Beaver Party |
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Sunday 9th December saw over 50 members of
1st Ruxley at the Ruxley church for their December church
parade which included a toy service where presents were
given to the church for underprivileged children at
Christmas. Afterwards the Beavers returned to the Scout
Headquarters for a Christmas party, at which Father
Christmas appeared with a present for everyone old and
young. A great time was had by all
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Queen's Wedding Anniversary
Service |
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Sunday 18th November at Guildford
Cathedral was the setting for a special service to
commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Queen and Prince
Phillip's wedding. In the congregation were many dignities.
Four Ruxley Explorers were in attendance. A great
honour and one they will always remember.
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Centenary Church Bellringing |
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One of the final District events in the
centenary year was church bellringing at Christ Church,
Epsom. An attempt was made to ring a quarter peal, but
this sadly came to grief after 30 minutes. Ninety minutes of
open ringing followed, with 22 people either ringing or
visiting. Two leaders, four scouts and one beaver from
1st Ruxley were among the ringers. District
Commissioner, Nigel Bird, courageously picked up a bellrope
for the first time in many years, and County Commissioner,
Richard Shortman was persuaded to 'have a go'.
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Epsom and Ewell District
Centenary Dinner Dance |
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Leaders from 1st Ruxley, together with
their partners, enjoyed an excellent evening at Sandown Park
racecourse. Along with leaders and supporters from
many other groups in the district, they enjoyed a
three-course meal before dancing the night away. In
true Ruxley style, the party arrived and left in three Rolls
Royce limousines, to the surprised envy of those who pressed
their group minibuses into service. That said, a
minibus is a little more practical for camp than a Roller!
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Remembrance Sunday Parade |
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Cubs, scouts, explorers and leaders from
the 1st Ruxley group joined other local scout and guide
groups, the Territorial Army and Air Cadets at the annual
Remembrance Day Parade and Service of Remembrance. The
parade started at West Ewell station and processed through
Ewell village to St Mary's Church, where wreaths were laid
at the war memorial in the old churchyard by the Mayor, the
local MP and representatives of local services and groups.
A service of remembrance followed during which the two
minutes' silence was observed.
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Centenary Trek Cart Challenge |
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 Many
groups from the Epsom and Ewell District joined forces on
Saturday, November 10th to take part in the Trek Cart
Challenge, part of our Centenary celebrations. The
challenge was to visit every group HQ in the Borough of
Epsom and Ewell, before crossing Epsom downs on the way to
Boidierhurst Scout campsite on Box Hill - whilst hauling
traditional trek carts. Almost half of the 1st Ruxley
Scout troop joined it at some stage, and the cubs and
beavers lent their enthusiastic assistance at later stages
in the event. Obstacles such as railway bridges and
stiles presented no problems as the carts were quickly
dismantled, carried over and re-assembled. At the end
of the day we were refuelled with one of the Service Team's
legendary 'spag. bols' before rounding off with a campfire.
Those who took part were proud to walk some or all of the
16.4 miles, and there are plans afoot to make this an annual
event. More information and pictures can be found on
the
Epsom and Ewell District website. (opens in new window)
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Lazer Quest |
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The normal Friday scout troop meeting was
replaced on November 2nd by a trip to leaser Quest in
Guildford. Fourteen scouts and four leaders donned
their electronic combat equipment for two fast and furious
games, punctuated by a welcome cold drink. The final
game saw two teams of scouts battle a team of leaders.
The leaders, of course, justified their final scores by
saying they had less people on their team. Perhaps the
scouts were just better.......
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Group Day |
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Saturday, October 20 saw seventy beavers,
cubs, scouts, leaders and family join together in a day's
activities at Boidierhurst Scout Campsite for 1st Ruxley's
Group Day. Thanks to the glorious weather, all
activities took place outdoors and ranged from
simple-but-fun animal noises games through to a hard-fought
tug-o-war. The day gives family members who are
usually outside scouting to gain an insight into the type of
activities on offer, as well as getting to know the leaders
from the other sections. As is traditional, Skip
provided a hearty supper of stew and dumplings and the day
was rounded-off with a campfire led by Grey Wolf.
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London Zoo and
Changing of the Guard |
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On Saturday 22nd September Beavers, Cubs
and Leaders went to Buckingham Palace to see Changing of the
guard then onto London Zoo. We travelled by
double-decker luxury coach complete with TV, The
weather was fine, we parked near Clarence House and walked
to the Palace, the crowds were enormous but the Police let
the children sit on the kerb to watch. The mounted police
were great , explained what was happening and let the
youngsters pat and stroke their horse’s. It was a tremendous
day out thanks Mao can we do it again. The Beavers
were asked to give a report of the day and can be found
here.
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Scouting
Sunrise - August 1st 2007 |
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First Ruxley Cubs and Scouts on Glastonbury Tor |
Beavers and others joined in the ceremony on Box Hill |
On Wednesday, August 1st, First Ruxley joined with Scouts around
the country and around the world to renew their promises on the 100th anniversary
of the founding of the Scout movement.
Many cubs and scouts renewed their promises at the summit of Glastonbury Tor as part of the Summer Camp, whilst Beavers
and others not at camp joined other groups from Epsom and Ewell and Dorking at the
viewpoint on Box Hill. |
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Cubs and
Scouts Summer Camp 2007 |
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This year 1st Ruxley Cubs and
Scouts joined together for their summer camp at Huish Woods
Scout Campsite, near Taunton in Somerset. The highlight of
the week was the renewal of promises made at the top of
Glastonbury Tor. Not to be outdone, the leaders
dressed in black tie and frocks for a centenary celebration
dinner that evening.
More camp memories and photos to come. See
Activity reports.
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Explorers
Summer Camp 2007 |
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The summer camp this year was
in an activity centre at the base of the Black Mountains,
Brecon, Wales. It was an incredible week; the weather was hot
virtually all week
while on site they participated in Canoeing (achieving BCU1 Star ) Kayaking, raft building and
sailing on the local lake, climbing on high ropes,
abseiling, hill walking (GSL included), fencing, wall
climbing and various challenges. A great end to the
summer term's activity. |
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When is a Sandcastle not a Sandcastle....? |
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On 15th July Ruxley Explorers together with 2nd Cuddington descended on Camber Sands in Sussex a normally quiet beach for what will be an annual Sandcastle competition. The weather was perfect and competition fierce. A judge was found who announced that a Ruxley team was the winner special note was made of AP attempt but he was still disqualified due to the fact that a crocodile was not a sandcastle. |
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More Explorer Activities |
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1st Ruxley Explorers have been very active recently, participating in the Sun Run, climbing on high ropes and gliding. See their click on Activity Reports in the left margin for more details. |
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Explorers in Malvern Challenge |
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30th June -1st July saw a small band of younger Explorers participate
in the Malvern Challenge at Cleeve hill nr Cheltenham. This weekend was one
of the wettest, windiest periods in history, but nevertheless it was a great week
end. All took part in the varied activities on offer and cannot wait to go again
next year |
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Scouts
challenge for top place in Cooking Comp |
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On Sunday 1st July, two teams
of Scouts took part in the annual District Cooking
Competition. Each team is given a fixed set of main
ingredients, plus a selection of basic culinary items, just
like Ready Steady Cook. Unfortunately Ainsley Harriott was
not available but our top team came a close second.
Well done to both teams. |
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Malvern
Challenge |
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30th June -1st July saw a
small band of younger Explorers participate in the Malvern
Challenge at Cleeve hill nr Cheltenham. This weekend
was one of the wettest and windiest periods in History I
think, but nevertheless it was a great week end.
Everyone took part in the varied activities on offer and
cannot wait to go again
next year. |
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Explorers in
the Air (Again!) |
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On Wednesday 27th June a
group of Explorers visited High Ashurst near Box Hill for a
three hour session of teamworking high ropes activity.
They climbed 36ft poles (with safety harness) onto small
platforms, reached the high trapeze and took part in the
crate challenge. They will be returning soon for the
87ft challenge! |
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Sainsbury's
Vouchers Update |
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Active kids vouchers total
was 1118, which allowed us to purchase a set of 5 compasses
for older sections, a complete set of parachute games
available for all plus several balls designed for Beaver
type age thanks to everyone who collected. |
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Explorers in
the Air |
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On 21st June ten Explorers
visited the Kenley (Battle of Britain) airfield for their
annual evening of gliding. The excellent weather gave
them the chance of two flights each. Several parents
also participated and an excellent night was had by all.
At the end of the evening
four new members were invested into the unit. We also
met a veteran spitfire fighter pilot, a very young 87 yr
old, who had wonderful stories to tell. |
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Tons of Fun
Camp |
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Beavers, Cubs and Scouts from
1st Ruxley turned out in Force on the Bank Holiday weekend
in early May to enjoy the Tons of Fun Centenary camp at
Blacklands Farm, East Grinstead. Scouts and Cubs
arrived on Friday and camped until Sunday, whilst the
Beavers had an early start and travelled by coach on
Saturday morning. Camping with us were the
recently-reformed 2nd Epsom (Christ Church) Cubs
Everyone enjoyed the wide
range of activities on offer, ranging from canoeing,
climbing and abseiling through backwoods cooking, rabbit
trapping (not real ones!) and wood branding, to bead-badges
and inflating rubber gloves.
As one of the Join in
Centenary events, those who came along qualify for one of
the badges for the centenary scarf.
A first-hand account of one of the Beavers
can be seen here. |
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District Cubs
Football Competition |
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On Saturday, May 19th, 1st
Ruxley entered a team in each of the two age groups, and the
younger team came a magnificent third place. Well done
to all the cubs who took part. This report is from one of
the cubs:
I played in the
football team it was great fun I was
mid-field we played 5 games we won 2 drew 2 and lost 1
I scored a penalty in a 1.0 win we came third in the
competition I can't wait to do it again
Once again, 1st Ruxley also
provided the catering for the event. Plenty of energy
must have been expended as almost every scrap of food was
sold! |
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Scouts on the
Water this Summer |
For the first time in many years, the 1st
Ruxley scout troop are spending most of their Friday nights
taking part in a range of water activities on the River
Thames. In recent years only a small number of young
people at a time have been able to take part but a smaller
troop and sufficient adult support mean that everyone can
join in.
With the main objective being enjoyment, the scouts get the
chance of a range of water activities including canoeing and
pulling (rowing) in both dinghies and gigs. Whilst fun
is the main thing, the scouts also learn the importance of
water safety and the factors which might pose dangers.
We expect many of the scouts to achieve their Nautical
Skills or Basic Nautical Skills badges, as well as other
more specific badges, as well as learning new skills and
disciplines that they can use in later life. |
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Best Turn-Out
at St. George's Day Parade |
| 1st Ruxley were named as the best
turned-out group at the St George's Day parade on Sunday,
April 23. Not only did the group have the largest
number of beavers, cubs, scouts, explorers and leaders in
the parade, but we were honoured to carry the Union Flag at
the head of the parade, and one of our scouts did the Bible
reading during the service.
Congratulations to all who attended. |
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Strong Start
for New Colony |
| The new Riverview beaver colony is now up
to nineteen regular members. |
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Females
Triumph over Males in Easter Holidays |
| During the Easter break, 1st Ruxley
Explorer Scouts visited Laser Quest in Guildford for a very
competitive series of games, where the female team beat the
male team by a very convincing margin.
Planned future activities include gliding, a
high-wire activity centre, cooking and camps in Cheltenham
and Wales. Click on the Forthcoming events link for
dates. |
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1st Ruxley
Talk About Scouting Today |
A party of Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and
Explorers from the 1st Ruxley Sea Scout group visited
Hobkirk House Resource Centre in New Malden, a 44 bedded
nursing home and 35 place day centre. The age range of the
residents in the nursing home is from 43 to 103 years.
Residents had been discussing their time in the Scouts and
Guides as part of the 100 year anniversary and invited 1st
Ruxley in to talk about their experiences. The
residents and day centre attendees were extremely interested
in the 'modern uniforms' the sections wore and spoke at
length to the young people about their badges and how they
had been attained. They were also extremely interested in
the activities that the Scout Association now offers and
were comparing them to their youth - most activities they
spoke about would now be banned on Health and Safety
grounds!!There was also input from
some residents whose scouting experience was in South
Africa, a very good insight for the Scouts of today. The
visit was so popular that the group has been invited back
later in the year. |
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First Beavers
Invested in New Colony |
The first ten beavers have been invested
into new 1st Ruxley (Riverview) colony. District
Commissioner, Nigel Bird was present at the last meeting of
the term to see the investitures. Another five beavers
are due to be invested in the near future, which is
testament to the success of the new colony.
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Beavers Win
District Handicrafts Competition |
1st Ruxley beavers have been busy
painting, sticking and being generally creative, ready for
the District Beaver Handicraft Competition held at St.
Joseph's Church on Saturday, 24th March. Their efforts
were rewarded by winning the overall competition and
achieving an individual first place. Well done!
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Second Beaver Colony Open |
The 1st Ruxley (Riverview) beaver colony
is now open and already has over a dozen members.
The existing colony is now known as 1st Ruxley (Tealing). Click on the Beavers link for more details.
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District Cross Country |
Teams from Beavers, Cubs and Scouts took
part in the District cross country event at Horton Country
Park on Sunday, 11th March. Well done to all those who
took part.
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District Challenge Hike |
| Three 1st Ruxley scout teams entered the
District Challenge Hike on Sunday, 4th March. Based at
Ranmore scout campsite, the teams used their navigational
skills to locate checkpoints around Ranmore Common, a task
made even more challenging by the extremely wet weather.
Well done to the teams who came second, third and fifth in
their age groups. |
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Successes in District Swimming Gala |
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Saturday, January 24th saw cubs, scouts and explorers from
across the District gather at Cheam Baths for the annual
District Swimming Gala, held over from November, last year. This
year the scout team was organized by CP, with the help of Mum &
Dad, and we entered all of the events in both cub and scout
sections. Everyone who took part put in their best efforts,
which resulted in Ruxley coming in overall joint 3rd in the
scout competition. The highlight of the night was CP smashing
the record for his age group by 5 seconds. To put the icing on
the cake, Ruxley stepped in to run the refreshments after the
usual organisers double-booked themselves, and came away with a
tidy profit for group funds. Thanks to all the parents who
donated cakes and other goodies, and to those who manned the
refreshments table.
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Beavers Christmas Party |
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On Sunday the 14th December after a lovely Christmas service the
Beavers from both colonies came together to enjoy their
christmas party. They played games an munched their way
through a mountain of party food. They had a special visit from
Santa who gave them all a Christmas gift for being so good this
year and at the end of the party we all said goodbye to Mao and
Baloo who were presented by L and L two of the older Beavers a
fantastic present made by all the beavers. Mao and Baloo the
beavers will miss you, hope to see you soon. Jacula, Tabaqui
and Keeo.
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Snail Racing Fundraiser -
Saturday 25th October |
 Over
seventy people of all ages filled the headquarters
building on Saturday 25th October and enjoyed a fun
evening of snail racing - computer-generated, NOT the
real thing! Peedy the Parrot was the CGI compere
for the evening and participants were able to place
wagers on their favourite snails. A fish-and-chip supper
provided fuel for the eager punters and the evening was
rounded-off with a traditional raffle. Thanks to
Fiona Page for origanising one of the most enjoayble
fundraisers for some time. Same time next
year?.........
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1st Ruxley Group Day -
Saturday 20th September |
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Summer finally came and the sun shone on Boidierhurst
scout campsite where 1st Ruxley met for their annual
Group Day. Youngsters from all sections of the
group together with their families and carers enjoyed a
day packed with outdoor games and activities, rounded
off by a hearty dinner and a traditional Campfire.
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Book Sale (and CDs, DVDs and Videos!) |
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We are holding a book fair on Saturday June 27th (2pm-4pm) and
Sunday 28th June (10am-4pm) at the Scout HQ on Tealing Drive
(click on the Locations link in the left margin for a map).
As well as books, there will also be DVDs, videos and CDs for
sale. Refreshments will be on available on both days.
If you have any unwanted books, DVDs, videos or CDs, please drop
them in at a section meeting (or on one of the sale days), or
call 07980 130270 to arrange collection.
Update
We raised over £700! Many thanks to Fiona, Rik
and everyone else who helped.
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Family Portrait Day |
The group is grateful to Alison Benjamin Photography for
organising a Family Portrait Day, where you and your family will
be able to sit for a professional studio portrait photograph at
a very competitive price. The event is taking place on
Sunday 14th June at the Scout HQ, and will benefit group funds.
Further information is available on this
flyer. |
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Bank Holiday Fun Day and Car Wash |
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On Bank Holiday Monday, 4th May, we will be holding a fun day
and fund-raising car wash at the Bonesgate pub, Chessington
Road. The Bonesgate have made us their Charity of the
Month and are kindly supporting our efforts to raise funds for
much needed work on the HQ building. The event runs from
11am until 5pm and young people will be washing cars in return
for donations. To help while away the time, there is also
a bouncy castle! During the day we will be selling tickets
for a raffle, so any donations of prizes would be welcome.
Update
The carwash and related activities raised £310 for
group funds. Thanks you to all who took part, especially
the gentleman who raised a large part of the total by having his
face painted and leaving it that way for the whole day!
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Vacancies on Group Executive Committee |
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The executive committee is formed from section leaders and
parent representatives. It is responsible for managing the
buildings, finances, equipment and fundraising, giving the
section leaders the time and resources necessary to provide a
great experience for the young people whilst they are involved
in scouting. It is no coincidence that the most successful
groups have a committed exec.
We currently have three unfilled positions on our exec: two
parent representatives and a group secretary. If you think
you can spare a few hours a month to file any of these
positions, please contact the Group Chairman, John Murtagh on 07725 839036 or by email at john.murtagh@nhs.net
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What's with the graphics at the top of the page? |
To help with our fundraising efforts, we have signed-up with easyfundraising.org.uk.
They act as a shopfront for some of the largest online retailers, and pay us a commission on any business that
comes via their site. So, if you are thinking about spending £20 on a book from Amazon, do it via easyfundraising.org.uk,
and the group will get 50p. Insure your car and we can get upwards of £20. There is no cost to you - all you have to do
is register by clicking on the flashing graphic above.
And if you do a lot of web searching, consider ditching Google and use
this link, or use the search box above. Again, we get a small income for generating traffic. You
can set easysearch to be your browser's default search engine by
clicking the ' easysearch from my browser' link on the
search page.
Please give it a try - we will keep you updated on how much we
raise this way. If you have any questions, please ask Mark
Hodgson.
Update 17 April
From only five registered members and in only three weeks, we have so far raised £8.49 for
the group. 82p of this is from searches ( 1struxley.easysearch.org.uk)
and the rest is from online purchases. Although the
numbers are not huge, this is money that the group would not
otherwise have and it has cost the registered members nothing.
As time progresses, let's hope we can increase coverage - please
promote the service to family and friends. They don't need to be
involved with the group to join! |
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Sainsbury's Active Kids 09 and Tesco Schools & Clubs
Vouchers |
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Once again we are collecting Sainsbury's Active Kids and vouchers.
This year we are also collecting Tesco Schools & Clubs Vouchers. If your son or daughter's school is also collecting, please
remember that the scout group is run entirely from subscriptions
and voluntary contributions - we have no regular external
funding. The size of our membership roll also means that
we have less people to ask for their vouchers, so please ask
your friends or colleagues without children to pass on their
vouchers, too. The collection box will usually be out on
meeting nights but if it is not, please give your vouchers to
one of the leaders.
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Gift Aid Declarations |
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The government Gift Aid scheme allows the group to claim back
the basic rate tax you have already paid on donations and
subscriptions. For every £2.50 weekly subscription, we can
claim 70p back from the taxman. With a group of our size,
this amounts to a great deal of extra income that we do not want
to miss out on, but it needs parents or carers to complete a
simple declaration form. The group treasurer is
circulating forms to those who have not yet completed one.
We are eligible to claim back the tax on subs as long as you
have paid at least that amount of tax on an income. If you
are lucky enough to be a higher-rate taxpayer, you can
personally claim back the rest of the tax via your tax return
(we know a good home for it if you do!).
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Quiz Night - 28th March |
This year's annual quiz night will be held on Saturday 28th
March in the Scout Headquarters. Full details can be found
by downloading this PDF. |
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100 Club |
As part of our long-term fundraising, we are starting a 100
club. Please find full information in
this PDF. |
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Cashback at Yellow Moon |
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Help raise funds for 1st Ruxley by registering us for cash back
at YELLOW MOON art and craft supplier.
http://www.yellowmoon.org.uk/
To start you cash back fund raising, register us by using source
code SST9009 when you place your order.
We can receive up to 25% cash back on your purchase.
We recently received £10 cash back from an £85 order so it does
work!!!
Order online or by phone
0844 826 86 77
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