February 2017
n i g n i Scout
d a e h n e k r i B
District Archery Sessions are a hit! New appointments announced in the District Curtain up for Gang Show 2017 Cubs100 celebrations
Some of the Birkenhead cast and production team pose with Cubs and Scouts from Douglas during a rehearsal in the Isle of Man
A wise man once said …
“Never doubt the power and determination of a small group of people on what they can achieve, especially when they are told they are aiming too high!” Well ….. it’s finally arrived, another show, bigger, better and braver … BIRKENHEAD GANG SHOW 2017! It’s only matter of days before it’s curtain up for us in what has proven to be the most challenging show that I’ve been producing for 20 years! The logistics for our Isle of Man adventure have certainly pushed everyone to the edge, however as with our London show in 2011 I just know we’ll pull it off … I’m sure not everything will run totally to plan, but with the team that we have I’m very confident that the show will happen successfully on both sides of the water! Now is certainly not the time for a long list of thanks, I’ll wait for the final curtain on the Isle Of Man for that, what I would hope at this stage is that every group and section have made EVERY effort to come and see this years show. We truly have a fantastic cast from Birkenhead, Bebington, Wallasey and Douglas with one of
the most energetic shows I can ever remember, you’ll be exhausted just watching it that I promise you! A show such as ours relies on our own local Scouting community to support us, tickets are available with group discounts from Yvonne on 0151 652 3737, I can’t stress enough how much we need your support. This year’s cast have stepped up the pace both from rehearsals to fund raising to make both our Port Sunlight and Douglas show the best we’ve ever produced, they deserve big audiences, they deserve the opportunity for both Scouting and the public to see just how good they really are and that their past six months of rehearsals has been worth it! The show has taken two years to plan, with the past six weeks being the most intense, the logistics of moving a show such as ours just 143 miles doesn’t sound much, but when you add there is a huge puddle of water to get over, accommodation for 150 people, transporting a full show, selling tickets, feeding every stomach for a few days oh and the tiny aspect of rehearsing with a cast on the island, you realise that all this takes a very special, talented, focussed and determined group of individuals to make it all happen! Graham Lysaght, Birkenehad Gang Show Producer
Our Gladstone Theatre show runs from Wednesday 15th - Saturday 18th in Port Sunlight and our Gaiety Theatre show in Douglas runs on Friday 24th with 2pm & 7pm performances.
#SeeYouAllThere
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Hello and thank you for reading the
February edition of
Contact. 2
Gang Show news
It’s curtain up for the 2017 Gang Show
4 Archery
Groups begin to make the most of our new district archers
5
The DC
Our new District Commissioner
6 Cubs100
The end of a fun filled year
8
Bear’s grill
Two tasty treats
9 Explorers The Wizard Unit is relaunched
10
11
District Roles
New opportunities to get involved with the District team
ADC Scouts & Group News
Scouts calendar and the 64th go hiking
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Leader Training
Contact is published by
Birkenhead District Scout Council 15 Balls Road, Oxton, Wirral CH43 5RF Compiled by : Paul Ellis Tel: 07720 555885 paul.ellis @birkenheadscouts.org.uk Please email content to : SMO-MediaTeam@ birkenheadscouts.org.uk
It feels a bit late to say Happy New Year but as this is the first edition of the Birkenhead District magazine this year, may I wish you all a great 2017! In this issue we are delighted to bring you news about our new look District team following the departure of Paul Coleman as District Commissioner. I’m sure you’ll join me in wishing them all the best in their new roles.
This issue marks the first anniversary of me taking over as editor. The move to reading online with the page turning software using issuu.com has been well received. It also allows us to monitor the circulation and readership numbers. The statistics show that nearly 400 people have read the editions each month. I’m delighted with that!
For those of you directly involved with running a section this can be a busy time with planning for the year ahead high on the agenda.
As ever I urge all leaders to send content for the magazine so that we can spread the word about some of the great Scouting that happens in our District.
From my own point of view the Explorer section are embracing the Scout Association’s #YouShape month although we are spreading it out into March as many of our Explorers and leaders are involved in this year’s Gang Show.
As this is the start of a new year of ‘Contact’ I have made some slight changes to the layout - I hope you like them. See you all at the Gang Show! Paul Ellis
Tickets are on sale now for the show and if you can support the cast by attending I know it will mean a lot to them. They have been rehearsing for months and with the added bonus of two performances in the Isle of Man the week following the Gladstone show their hard work deserves to be seen! I’m looking forward to us taking the show to the Isle of Man. It’ll be hard work but am happy to return there after our Explorers Summer Camp last year.
We all say ‘Congratulations’ to former Contact editor Mark Easdown (and Samantha of course!) on the birth of baby Olivia on January 25th
District Archers go for gold
After months of very hard work by Jane, arranging funding, sourcing equipment and organising venues, we are pleased to announce that our very first Archery Club session was held on Friday 13th January with members of the 64th Birkenhead Cubs and 21st Scout sections. I’ll admit that I got lost trying to find the Longbow Centre in Price Street Business Park in Birkenhead and then stood outside the wrong door for ten minutes trying to get in but after that shaky start, I think it all went very smoothly and that everyone had fun. The cubs came to the 6.30-8pm session and after the obligatory safety briefing, Jules put them through their paces in a vigorous warm up. This served two purposes, preventing injuries and to warm us up. We would highly recommend dressing for the occasion if you ever come and join us during a cold spell! The children were split into two groups of seven and had a couple of goes before it was time to switch around. There were enough qualified volunteers that each shooter had a coach with them at all times and it was lovely to see them all improving with each turn and the beaming faces when they hit that gold.
Before we knew it, the Scouts had arrived and it was time to do the whole thing over again. As there were some Bebington Archery Club members helping us out (thank you very much guys ) we also got to see some different type of bows being fired and it’s safe to say you would not want to get on the wrong side of one of them! Who knew that Scouts were far more competitive than Cubs by the way? Although maybe not quite as much as the leaders that came along... So, after I’d won the 21st leader competition *cough cough*, it was 9.30pm and time to start thinking about packing the equipment up and getting ready to do it all again on 10th Feb which we’re all really looking forward to. We plan to run on the second Friday of each month but this may change slightly during school holidays. We think that £50 for an hour and a half session with a large number of instructors, represents fantastic value for any age section, why not come along and find out. The first thing the Scouts asked me when we met the following week was when they could go again so a very successful evening in my book. For any queries about the Archery sessions or booking enquiries, please contact Jane at ljanerichards@aol.com but hurry up as slots are going fast. Paula
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‘Contact’ is delighted to announce that the new District Commissioners for Birkenhead are Matt Jones and Jordan Davies We’d like to say that we are extremely excited and privileged to be taking on this new role and are extremely excited to be building on the amazing work Paul Coleman has achieved over the last five and a half years. So our sincere thanks go to Paul for all his hard work. We are extremely pleased that he will continue his Scouting in the District and look forward to working with him in the future. There will be a transition period over the next couple of weeks to ensure a smooth handover. So for the future, we know that there will be some confusion as two people are performing one role, however you will soon be able to see how we have split the responsibilities between us and who you can go to for particular issues. If you’re unsure you can email either of us or the DC email address and we will always help.
The full District Commissioner team will be: Jordan Davies and Matt Jones – District Commissioners Paul Jones (PJ) – Deputy District Commissioner (Media and Development Vicki Coleman – Deputy District Commissioner (Adult Support) We are also aware that this leaves two new vacancies of Assistant District Commissioner (ADC) - Cubs and ADC - Scouts which we are looking to fill as quickly as possible to ensure they can receive a good handover from us. For now Matt will continue to undertake the duties of ADC Cubs and Jordan will continue the duties of ADC Scouts supported by their district leaders. In the next couple of months we will try and meet with all the other ADCs and GSLs to re-introduce ourselves and also try and get around all the groups – so we look forward to seeing you all soon. Yours in Scouting
Jordan and Matt
Contact them both : dc@birkenheadscouts.org.uk Contact Matt : Matt.jones@birkenheadscouts.org.uk Contact Jordant : Jordan.davies@birkenheadscouts.org.uk
Well… What a year 2016 was for the Cubs section! We were able to celebrate our centenary year in style! We’ve had trips to Blackpool, Wingding100, Fundays, Group camps and finally our District Birthday Party!
Even Bear Grylls got in on the fun, “I am super proud to see so many young people renewing their Cub Scout Promise to do their best and help other people. I am excited to see Scout numbers continue to rise across the UK and the big reasons for this are the adventures made possible by the amazing volunteers from Birkenhead Scout District. Whether it’s the opportunity to be involved with some incredible adventures, learn practical life, outdoor and teamwork skills, or helping to improve their local communities Scouts and Volunteers have a brilliant time!.” Steve Backshall who was our Cubs 100 ambassador and continues in an ambassador role for TSA also said, “Scouting givens so many young people the skills they need to succeed and gives them a real sense of adventure and achievement. And I’m so proud to be involved with such a fantastic cause.” It was great to be able to share our Cubs 100 successes with the Wirral Globe as we had a feature not only online but in print too!
7 Firstly as it is the first Contact of the year I would like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year! I sincerely hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed the festivities. We had another very successful Cub Leaders Meeting in January which was attended by a phenomenal amount of leaders! Next time we will put out more tables and chairs to begin with! I promise!
At our Birthday party all our Cubs had an amazing time with more than 85 of them turning up to celebrate our Birthday! And they were joined by over 20 Leaders from around the district, as well as our three Deputy County Commissioners who all joined in to renew their Cub Scout Promise! The Cubs had a DJ playing some classic party songs to help celebrate the centenary in style as well as trying to beat the leaders by dancing to songs like the YMCA, Superman and the Macarena… Surprisingly the Cubs won… But the leaders gave it a good shot! The Cub Scouts also had an amazing buffet and were able to sing Happy Birthday to our Cubs with our two massive Cubs100 Birthday Cakes! We also had an impromptu performance of one of the Gang Show sketches too!
It looks set to be a great show so be sure to get your tickets quick! Finally, I would just like to say a massive ‘THANK YOU’ to everyone who helped to make Cubs 100 year of Celebration such a success! Matthew Jones, ADC Cubs
We have some exciting plans coming up for some District Cub Events so stay tuned for updates as these progress! There is also set to be an exciting one night County Camp in September at a secret location! But it’s one that lots of people will want to go to so keep your ears open for that very special and unique date…. I will make sure I pass it on as soon as it is confirmed! Anyway! As ever… if you need and help or support please just drop me an email and I’m always happy to help and come down to visit when and where I can! We also have two exciting vacancies for District Cub Scout Leaders: DCSL – Programme DCSL – Development The role descriptions are further on in this issue. matt.jones@birkenheadscouts.org.uk
Bear’s Grill Two Kwik ‘N’ Easy recipes! Couple of quick one pan type tummy fillers for you all to enjoy: Put some Strips of ox liver in a sandwich box or plastic bag with 6Tbsp Plain flour and shake to coat the liver. Coarsely chop two onions. Fry the onions in a little Butter. Add the liver and fry the lot till it’s done to your liking then dive in and eat it all by yourself! Add some crusty bread and Lurpak for full effect!
Coarsely chop one onion, eight large mushrooms, one red chilli, 1/2 a green pepper, 1tsp Paprika, 1tsp Turmeric,& 4 thick slices of boiled ham chopped to 1/2” squares Fry in Olive Oil flavour FRY LIGHT spray till onion is soft, then break six eggs over the mixture. Shove it round the pan till the eggs are cooked then shovel into gob! Both recipes are very convenient and easy to prepare (even I can do it!) and non fattening as a bonus. And only one pan to clean afterwards! RESULT! DO NOT use the light brown very sickly sweet tamarind liquid you can buy in supermarkets. The stuff you want is a jet black paste and is beyond belief in sourness ( if you try a bit make sure it is only a bit ) and only sourced from Asian shops. 1 teaspoon added to 2 fl oz of boiling water is the right quantity for this recipe. The ones to look out for are Tamicon, Panipuri Paste, Tamarind Concentrate.
Enjoy, Will Redfearn
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The Wizard Explorer Unit will be relaunched this month with a new leader. Some of you will have heard of Paul Coleman, he recently had another role in the District! The Unit will continue to meet at the 20th Birkenhead Scout hut on Bidston Road but will be moving their meeting night to Wednesdays from March 1st. Paul wlll be asisted by Matt Cowan, Fiona Douglas, Rory Coleman and Kev Jones and they are appealing to any Scouts who are coming up to 14 to come and give them a try. New members will be very welcome!
Viking Explorers on their Christmas walk from Royden Park around the coast to Hoylake
Congratulations to Heather and Liam O’Malley on the birth of their son Conor. Heather stepped down from her role as District Explorer Scout Commissioner in December. The new DESC is Paul Ellis Explorers from both Units are being encouraged to take control of their programme in February as part of the Scout Association’s #YouShape month
Explorers from the Viking Unit during a #YouShape planning session
VACANT VOLUNTEER POSITIONS IN BIRKENHEAD DISTRICT Birkenhead Scout District, part of Merseyside County Scouts and the UK Scout Association are seeking to fill the above vacancies. Scouting exists to actively engage and support young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society. In Birkenhead we have a team of dedicated and passionate individuals who always strive to help Young People achieve their full potential and we are always looking to grow this fantastic team so this could be your chance to become part of our team! We believe every young person can achieve great things! As a Scout we are guided by these core values; Integrity, Respect, Care, Belief & Co-Operation. We want passionate people to be help us achieve these values within the Cub Scout Section for Birkenhead.
District Cub Scout Leader District Cub Scout Leader (Programme) (Development) We currently have an exciting voluntary vacancy for a District Cub Scout Leader (Programme):
The Role: To assist the Assistant District Commissioner (Cubs), other DCSLs and the District Commissioner and their deputies to provide programme support for the Cub Scout Section and District overall To assist Cub Scout Leaders with the programme planning for their packs, also assist the ADC Cubs with the district Cub programme To assist with co-ordinating new district events taking lead from the ADC (Cubs) and DCSL (Events) To assist the ADC Cubs with other tasks To deputise for the ADC Cubs at County meetings and events
We currently have an exciting voluntary vacancy for a District Cub Scout Leader (Development):
The Role: To assist the Assistant District Commissioner (Cubs), other DCSLs and the District Commissioner and their deputies to provide development support for the Cub Scout Section and District overall To assist Cub Scout Leaders with the development of their packs – mostly in relation to growth To assist with co-ordinating new district events taking lead from the ADC (Cubs) and DCSL (Events) To assist the ADC Cubs with other tasks To deputise for the ADC Cubs at County meetings and events
For both roles the successful candidate will: Have experience being a Leader in the Cub Section Willingness to undergo any relevant internal training for the role Have an adult appointment within the Scout Association or Be eligible to take an adult appointment within the Scout Association and the relevant DBS check Be competent in the use of Microsoft Office software Have good interpersonal skills and be approachable to all levels To apply for this position, please email matt.jones@birkenheadscouts.org.uk Closing date for applications is Sunday 12th February 2017.
64th Sea Scouts walking in the air
Scouts from the 64th Birkenhead took part in a day hike at Capel Curig and Llyn Crafnant in Snowdonia during a cold but sunny weekend in January.
This is my last piece as ADC Scouts, I’d like to thank all the Scout Leaders and my team of District Scout Leaders for their support and assistance over the last three years, it has been a brilliant experience and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope you will all continue to support me in my new role and offer your support to whoever the new ADC Scouts will be. I would like to congratulate the four Scouts that attended the County PL weekend you did our District proud and I hope you gained lots of experience and new skills from the weekend. Thanks again and I hope to see you all soon in my new role Jordan Davies
Here are the event dates for 2017: District Events : Challenge Camp - 19th – 21st May – Location TBC County Events : Lord Derby – 18th March – Tawd Vale Great Escape – 7th – 9th April – Tawd Vale Shelter Box – Sunday 7th May – Liverpool CC Regional Lord Derby – 11th June – Cheshire County 5-A-Side – 24th June – Location TBC Destination Dublin – 22nd July – Dublin Training: Module 18 for SLs – 30th April – See County website for more info
LEADER TRAINING I hope that you are all looking forward to an exciting scouting year. Below is the 2017 list of training courses. Just to remind our new leaders, you have to book yourself onto each training course through the Eventbrite booking system. To find courses just go to www. merseysidescouts.com Select Adult Support from the top of the page, then Select Course Information and follow the Eventbrite booking instructions. Introduction to Residential Experiences 19 February 2017 09:00 Scarisbrick Guide Campsite Southport Road Nr Ormskirk L40 9RQ Section Essentials Training (Only Explorer Leader Available) 4 March 2017 09:00 St.Margaret’s CofE Academy Aigburth Road, Liverpool L17 6AB Module 18 Basic Skills Day Beaver & Cub Leaders (New Leaders & Leaders requiring basic skills) 29 April 2017 08:30 Tawd Vale Scout Camp Ormskirk L40 5UL Module 18 Basic Skills Day Scout & Explorer Leaders (New Leaders & Leaders requiring basic skills) 30 Apr 2017 08:30 Tawd Vale Scout Camp, Ormskirk L40 5UL Getting Started Training 13 May 2017 09:00 Christ Church King’s Road Bebington CH63 8LX Can I draw all leaders attention to the two Module 18 Basic skills days. These are invaluable opportunities to learn new skills or consolidate your existing ones. If you did your training 2 years ago or 22 years ago you will still learn something new. You will also get to meet leaders from other districts and share experiences and ideas which is always valuable.
Adult Skills Training Weekend A weekend of practical and traditional camping skills and styles.
Nights Away 4th June and 23rd to 25h June Scarisbrick Guide Campsite Southport Road Scarisbrick Nr Ormskirk L40 9RQ
Based on four main bases with additional seminars in the evening.
Getting Started Training 16 September 2017 09:00 St Vincents School Yew Tree Lane Liverpool L12 9HN
Bases will vary over the two days as to cover all possible proposed skills; Bases: Axe & saw Mallet and safety Fire skills Food prep and storage Safety and hygiene Traditional camp skills and kit
Introduction to Residential Experiences 8 October 2017 09:00 Southport Road Scarisbrick Nr Ormskirk L40 9RQ Section Essentials Training 21 Oct 2017 09:00 Christ Church Community Centre King’s Road Bebington CH63 8LX
Additional Skill Activities Tarps Hammocks and shelters Knife Skills For more information please contact Ricky Brennan on 07896772904 rickybren@googlemail.com
Getting Started Training 18 Nov 2017 09:00 St. Margaret’s CE Academy Aigburth Road Liverpool
Tawd Vale Scout Camp Friday 17th to Sunday 19th March 2017 Cost of Weekend £35 inc camp fees and food These days are not to be confused with the Adult Skills Weekend where the emphasis is much more ‘backwoods’ skills. The Module 18 days are NOT compulsory for Wood Badge training. Just a remind leaders too that in order to complete your Nights away permit you need to have completed module 16 Introduction to Residential Experiences.
I know that First Aid training is still an issue and this was discussed at a recent LTM meeting. We are exploring a few different options and hope to have a definite plan very soon. Any problems don’t hesitate to contact me: vicki.coleman@merseysidescouts.com Vicki
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