Village Newsletter: January 2023
The Scout Group came together on 13th November to take part in Remembrance Sunday, wreaths were laid at Fressingfield, Hoxne and Laxfield with around 90 uniformed members attending four different events. 68 paraded in Fressingfield, including our Squirrel Drey. Young people read in Church, undertook the offertory and were all round amazing. Thank you to all our members for showing discipline, dignity and respect.
As the evenings are now dark most of our activities have been inside, though Pioneer Troop had a Patrol Leader Team training day where they learned about and practiced navigation and map reading, firewood preparation, fire lighting, building camp ovens from 25 litre drums, preparation of ingredients and camp cooking, use of a compass and problem solving. The day finished with a campfire with a foil cookery tea and toasted marshmallows and s’mores.
We have had two fundraising events with Pioneer Troop and Tigers Cubs having a cake stall at Weybread Church Christmas Fair and the Explorers running a very successful Fun Bingo evening to raise funds for their Kenya Expedition next Easter.
The Sections’ main focus since half term has been working on their contributions for our Gang Show in early December. Adfitionally, Pioneer Troop have returned to the Martial Arts theme with an evening of fencing. Wolves Cubs had a cooking session making Peppermint Creams, Warrior Beavers made paper wreaths for Remembrance Sunday and have made some decorations to sell at the Gang Show. Tigers Cubs had a spooky night hike near Halloween, Squirrels spent a very productive evening painting pictures of Bonfire Night scenes and both Cub Packs combined for an evening Tubing in Norwich. Many new members have been invested into the younger sections as the Scout Group continues to grow.
A couple of years ago we appealed for redundant but usable cooking equipment, pots, pans grids and tools and had a fantastic response from all around our area. Now that we are settled into the HQ site we are seeking gardening tools for the Young People to use in our new vegetable growing area. Things like spades, forks, hoes, rakes, trowels, watering cans, buckets even a wheelbarrow would be handy! Also, grounds maintenance tools such as loppers, secateurs and grass cutting equipment. If you have cooking equipment that is no longer needed, either suitable for camping or in our new kitchen where we have induction hobs we would also be grateful. Please contact Michael on 07761827053
Following some feedback from Parish Magazine readers we thought it would be good to explain about our age range and Section names.
Our youngest Section is a Squirrel Drey who are aged four and five, from age six young people move up to Beavers where we have two Beaver Colonies called Ninjas and Warriors. We have two Cub Packs which we have called Tigers and Wolves. Cubs are aged eight to ten and a half, the next step is to Scouts where we have two Troops called Adventurers and Pioneers. The final age group for young people is Explorers from fourteen until they leave at eighteen. Some of the Explorers help at other Sections and are Young Leaders. We hope that a proportion of the Explorers will remain in Scouting as Leaders or join the 18 to 25 group which is much less formal and called Network and run by the members on a District basis.
Each Section is independent with a separate Leader Team, programme, set of traditions and way of doing things though often both Sections for an age group will work together for activities. The basic structure, uniform and badges is set by The Scout Association.
Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers and Network are Scout Association titles for the age groups but the Section names are specific to Fressingfield Group and were chosen by the Section Members when the Sections were split because of large numbers.
All sections are open to everyone, there is no gender split, boys and girls have the opportunity to do exactly the same programme and activities.
