1st Caringbah Scouts

On the 6th to 8th June long weekend, 36 of our 1st Caringbah Scouts and leaders headed down to Camp Coutts to join over 500 scouts from all over the South Metropolitan Region to enjoy a weekend of camping, completing different tests/activities, badge activities, rockin’ the disco, watching a movie, wading around in the mud, campfire and “flame ups”, meeting other scouts and generally having an EXCELLENT time.

The leaders were very happy with the scouts who got really involved, did their best and had a stack of FUN. A number of other troop leaders told us that they were impressed with our scouts skills (especially Darcie and Vivien’s figure of 8 lashing ).

The camp awards went to:

Patrol of the Camp – Red Backs
PL of the Camp – Chris B
Best Overall Scout – Kiel R
Most positive Scout – Kara S
Most enthusiastic dancer – Leonie H

Many other scouts did well with special mentions going to (Nathan, Kara and Bridget – strong leadership). Aaron, Holly and Emilie (spelt correctly ) for great badge activity. Mitch, Nathan, Vivien and Darcie for great inter troop socialising. Robert’s Russian impressions. Kara for challenging the Venuturers for the right to stay on the dance wall .

Plus, it was great to have all the Cubs and Joey’s join us on the Sunday – we managed to get loads of photos of them too.

Lastly, thanks to all the leaders who did so much to make this camp happen. Kooka for leading the whole camp preparation, Kolo for organising the food and menu, Dingo for organising the equipment, Salty for sorting the trumpeter out, Blue Tongue for his impression of “Riff Raff” (from the Rocky Horror Picture Show), Taz for her co-ordination of the kitchen (and manning the camp fire until 230am ) Gecko for helping with camp pitch/strike and Baggy for keeping the scouts busy.

Many of us missed 5 scout characters on a green cord hike – Jess, Dunc, Kathryn, Lachy and Alex – we REALLY look forward to having you back guys.

In the words our our illustrious Dingo, “at last we beat Camp Coutts”! Until next time.

A wonderful day was enjoyed by all cubs and their families at Thirlmere Heritage Railway at Picton for Cubs Day Out! We all were able to experience a ride on a puffing billy steam train and lots of fun running amuck on all the various trains in the enormous train shed.

If you think this all the activities we offer young people looks good then why not enjoy it more by helping!
Scouts Australia is always in need of active adults who can support healthy programmes for young Australians. Even the the adult training programmes are fun as well as educational. Please click on the LEADER link http://www.nsw.scouts.com.au/leaders/ to see how you can become involved – and experience your own personal growth!

Hi Parents,

To keep all these wonderful activities happening, we need your support at the following event please:

Additional working bee, 8.00am May 31st
We even have parents from the Tai Kwon Do group joining us on this one! If you missed the May 3rd bee, come and join us on this one. Great cameraderie and a feeling of doing something really worthwhile for our Group. Please contact Laura 9531 7040

Thanks
Bob “Badger” Head

27 of 1st Caringbah Joeys, Cubs and Scouts participated in the JOTT 2009 event. Jamboree Of The Trail (JOTT) is a global event where all scout members around the world participate on the same day and simply go out on a hike.

1st Caringbah took the ferry to Bundeena and walked to Jibbon Head. It was a beautiful sunny day as we walked from the warf along Jibbon beach and then around to Jibbon Head. We observed the aboriginal carvings in the rock, as well as some locals in their natural form (Jack M could not stop laughing). The scouts and scout leaders set off to take on an additional 5km hike through loose sandy terrain (ask Kolo how her legs are) while the Joeys and Cubs took the loop track back to the beach where they took off their shoes and waded in the surf.

Everyone met back at the ferry terminal for our scheduled 5pm departure back to Cronulla.

Here are some photos of the day.

Kooka

A BIG thanks to all those parents that came and worked hard on our hall tidying, cleaning and organising. Our hall now looks prestine.

A BIG thanks goes to all the parents who helped in the working bee at the weekend. The hall now looks pristinely tidy, organised and clean. Photos to follow soon

Over 70 1st Caringbah scout and family members made the long haul down to Canberra to enjoy a weekend camping at Scout Camp Cottermouth. Oh what FUN we had. Some of the highlights included:
1. Blue Tongue explaining how he was finding it hard to find the camp in the pitch black and rain on the Friday night so he chased after a police car, flashed his lights and pulled them over for directions, and then watched them nervously step out of the Police car with hands on pistols! – hilarious.
2. Attending the thought provoking dawn service with 30,000 others at the War Memorial
3. 1st Caringbah and 1st Lilli Pilli leading and marching in the HUGE parade. What an experience of a lifetime. (see Badgers seperate post)
4. Running around at 1am re-pegging and tying down our own and group tents in 45 knot gusts and cold puring rain. It was 4oC the morning after!
5. Dropping down that Questacon slide – yeeeee haaaaa
6. Experiencing a 6.2 earthquake in Questacon.
7. Arrving home sweet home.
What a great camp – see you at the Scout Hike 2009 competition next weekend.
Baggy

All youth members and leaders from 1st Caringbah Scouts played a key role in the ACT ANZAC DAY march, when an ACT organisational problem left the parade short of sign-bearers. The bearers were needed to ‘name-plate’ each military section as it marched.

Two ACT Rover Scouts, left to cover the gap, realised that 1st Caringbah and 1st Lili Pilli could make up the serious shortfall. As a result, 1st Caringbah members were able to march past the Governor General, Quentin Bryce and many appreared on national as well ACT and regional TV stations. All members were a great credit to the march as well as to our Group and are to be congratulated for surviving the bitter wind and showers in only their uniform.
We are hopeful that the march was captured by a Lilli Pilli leader on video, who has offered to copy it and there may be many single pictures from bystanding scout parents, to be added to this website.

In addition, 1st Caringbah attended the dawn service and had breakfast that morning at Campbell High School, cooked by ACT scouts.
Extreme weather conditions caused cancellation of the campfire that night and families in tents experienced storm conditions over Saturday night.
In spite of this, spirits remained high and some very worthwhile badgework was completed.
Thanks are particularly due to Kooka for organising and oveseeing the camp, to Dingo for his work in the camp set-up and take-down and to both of them for their huge efforts in the night storm.
Badger

Photos are to come!

We are very proud to announce that both Scott “Hawk” Roberts and David “Dingo” Hughes have been recognised with “Good Service” awards at a recent region presentation at Hurstville Civic Theatre. BRAVO.

Hawk and Dingo’s Good Service being recognised