First Term Update from Scouts

By Phil Smith

ike previous years, 2023 began again with more disruptions for Coatesville Scout Group, with the cancellation of the Founders Day Raft Race and other beach activities. This year’s cancellation was due to storm damage that caused wastewater contamination and made it unsafe for us to be on the beach. The three weeks of raft building practice was once again not put to the challenge.

Luckily, we have all survived the extreme weather events and the Keas, Cubs, Scouts and Venturers have been enjoying the summer term's activities. Everyone has had at least one session in the pool and a great evening was had at the Paremoremo Creek waterhole with many enjoying this for the first time (photos right).

In mid-March, a group of two venturers and four scouts spent a weekend camping at Wenderholm. We left the hall at 5.30pm on Friday and picked up fish and chips for dinner before setting up camp.

On Saturday morning the scouts built a gateway and flagpole and had some kayaking practice in the estuary and among the mangroves and in the afternoon, they went on a 2-hour orienteering challenge.

The highlight of the camp was on Sunday with everyone kayaking from Puhoi down the Puhoi River and back to camp. We unloaded kayaks at Puhoi and set off at 11.30 am just as the tide was turning, making the trip back to camp on the outgoing tide. The first part of the trip, where the river is quite narrow, showed lots of signs of previous storm damage with debris and unusual items in strange places, including two large metal soccer nets about 800m away from the park they would have been on. One would have gone even further had it not ended up bent around a large tree.

We stopped just over halfway down river for a snack and a few “bombs” into the water from an old wharf, below the northern end of the motorway tunnel. A very refreshing break before continuing on our way. As the river opened out into the upper estuary we caught a bit of wind so stuck to the right-hand side and were soon back at camp. The trip had taken just on two hours and left enough time for lunch before breaking camp and heading back to Coatesville.

So far this term we have invested one new Scout and five new Keas and one new Kea Leader with several new Cubs still to be invested. In March, the Scout Group was finally back in action again parking cars for the Coatesville Market for a Gold Coin Donation. This is our primary fundraising source and we have been unable to do this for so long due to bad weather and Covid before that. The washout to the reserve driveway causeway has meant we had to adapt our parking plan to accommodate other areas and we thank the Pony Club for their cooperation and helping this to work as well as it did. Coming up soon the Venturers are heading to Tiritiri Matangi for a day hike. Early next term it will be ANZAC Day, where we hope for a large group turnout and mid next term our Keas will hold their first sleepover. We still have places for Scouts, (boys or girls) aged 10 ½ to 14 years, so if you fancy some great outdoor fun and awesome camps, please contact Phil coatesville@group. scouts.nz

We are also always looking for parents and adults keen to help out as leaders too so please get in touch if you wish to volunteer your time.