Don District Scouts

Don District launch their Jamboree selection process announcing an information evening to be held at 14th Grenoside HQ 29th November at 7pm. All eligible to go welcome with their parents with information on the selection weekend to be held early in the New Yew, more details later. DESC Kit Levesley & DC Designate Steve Clayton will be visiting all Troops & Units with a brief Roadshow.

Don District Scout Fellowship Member recently received his 50 Year's of Scouting Award from District Commissioner Jim Carroll. Here's to the next 50 years Howard

Once again it was a lovely Autumn morning in Longley Park for the setting of the Don District Soap Box Derby with 15 teams from 6 Troops battling it out to be Don Districts Jensen Button. Safety scrutineering took place and one or two adjustments to braking or sharp edges were made to allow all teams to compete.  Many new Soap Boxes had been designed this year most with a lower centre of gravity and fixed steering, but the most unusual being the two seater for a disabled Scout. After plenty of practice runs the races started first on the straight course finishing with the slalom run. A very early retrement in the competition for the3 2nd's 'Big Cheese' and an eventual and sensible withdrawal of the 33rd's 'PC Extra Wood' after several spectacular barrel roles. After some interesting and enthralling racing with only a few bumps and bruises to show for the efforts 32nd were announced victors for the second year running with the '4 Wheel Wonder' although rumour has it that had the crew of the 32nd's 'Torpedo' informed the Judges of their scores as requested they would have been the victors instead. 231st took both 2nd and 3rd spots with 'Killer' and 'Be Reight' and and 1st & 2nd year winner of the event 'Panda Blue' only managing 9th. Trophies were presented by ADC Peter Blakemore. Once again tihs event proved to be one of the most popular Scout events of the year, so much so County has taken note and is looking to run a County Soap Box Derby in 2010, watch this space................

Results;
1st     50pts     4 Wheel Wonder   32nd
2nd     44pts     Killer   231st
3rd     42pts     Be Reight   231st
4th     41pts     Bat Bird   82nd 
5th     38pts     Torpedo   32nd
6th     37pts     Crash Test Dummies   32nd
7th     36pts     Tandam   82nd
8th     27pts     Shire Tots   231st
9th     24pts     Panda Blue   33rd
10th   22pts     Enviro 231   231st
11th    20pts   Almighty   82nd
12th    19pts     00 Duck   33rd
13th    15pts     Winco Flyer   61st
14th   Retired    PC Extra Wood   33rd
15th   Retired   Big Cheese   32nd   

 

Stewart Butler will be holding a validation day at Hesley Wood on the 24th of October between 10-00am and 4-00pm. To validate any completed Training Module please visit Stewart on this day.



Date of the next Beaver Leaders Meeting is Monday 9th November 2009.  8pm at Trippet Lane.

Don District Beaver Scout Carol Service this year to be held at St. Marks Church Grenoside. 6.30pm start.  This is a carol service for the Beaver Scouts and their parents and  any other family members. 
 

Beavers Experiment Badge

On Saturday 26th September the Beavers held a Fun Day at Grenoside Scout HQ.
The theme of the day was experimenting, and aim was for the Beavers to gain their Experimental Badge.  There were 58 Beavers from 5 Colonies took part.
Over 12 different experiments for them to have a go at, from lava lamps to batteries and much more.  As the weather was very good to us and we made good use of the outdoors with a picnic, followed by a campfire.  A good day for all who attended with all 58 gaining their Experimental badge.  Well done to the Beavers and well done to the leaders for coming up with some different experiments.

Sylvia, ADC Beavers
Scouts Expedition Challenge to York

On Saturday 26th September 2009 39 Scouts from Don District took part in the Expedition Challenge. There were Scouts from the 25th, the 32nd, 33rd, the 82nd, the 93rd, the 105th and the 231st.
They were tasked a few weeks earlier with a project to study in York. The challenge started in Sheffield and the patrols had to find their own way to York by train. The sense of excitement and relief that they had arrived was beaming from their faces.
Once in York they all got on with going to their selected area and completing the study. The attractions visited included the National Rail Museum, York Minster, The Yorkshire Museum, York Castle Museum, Jorvik Viking Centre and Dig. Also one group rode around on the site seeing open top bus and boat and their study area was York itself. Once they had done the study and made appropriate notes all 8 teams made their way to the Snowball Plantation Scout Campsite in Stockton-on-the-forest by bus.
At the campsite the Scouts had to pitch their tents and cook their own evening meal and breakfast. Again they got on with the task and various versions of Spaghetti Bolognese were created.
The leaders ran a campfire on Saturday night with involvement from some of the Scouts.
On the Sunday the Scouts had some time to prepare a presentation to the rest of us about their selected attraction. There were video and slide shows on mobile phones and one group took pictures on a digital camera and had the forethought to have them developed while in York, so these were passed round as well. There were 8 presentations and every Scout took a part in it. These presentations showed to the leaders that the Scouts had done what was requested of them on the Saturday. All 39 Scouts were presented with the Expedition Challenge award prior to leaving the campsite.
All the leaders commented on the success of the event and the Scouts demonstrated that they could be responsible and trusted to work on their own complete the challenge and represent the district and Scouting in a good light to members of the public. 
The camp was closed and the Scouts got the bus back into York then the train back to Sheffield when the challenge officially ended.

Dan Wilson (SL)