Concorde

Arrghhh! I'm way behind with everything this year... Actually, it's the same every year isn't it? This year, my excuse is a new job

- new jobs always take time and gobble it up (and spit out the undigestible minutes) - it can take hours to find where the paperclips are etc....

Anyway, I have a programme planned and will post it very soon!

Important, and imminent bits are:

We are building our bridges for cubs to cross that not-so-metaphorical river of experience (mud) to fully fledged scoutdom this friday. The scouts planned some bridges and whilst their designs are very architecturally innovative

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I recommend a change of nice warm dry clothes for the night! We meet at usual time and place, and will cook some sossies (mainly so we have a nice warm fire!)

On Thursday 12 and 19 February, we have arranged to go to scuba dive with our friends at Wrexham Seals BSAC club.

This is great fun and has become a bit of a regular feature of the spring programme. We do need medical forms to be completed for this activity. Last year it was a bit ad hoc and there were scouts turning up without proper medical clearance: whilst diving in a pool is very low risk, it isn't fair on the club Diving Officer to ask them to take us under water without the proper Health and Safety certification. The form is a Useful Form that you can download (at the bottom of the linked page). If you have asthma, you cannot sign yourself off without medical advice. Diving - even in a pool - involves breathing from cold dry air supplies and you should get clearance from an authorised diving medical referee. They will almost certainly be able to clear you for a try dive in a pool, but you do need their approval in order for the Wrexham Seals to comply with the terms of their governing body/insurance etc. In Shropshire, approved diving medical referees are:

Dr D Lowdon,
Prescott Surgery, Baschurch SY4 2DR

Tel: 01939 260210

Dr P Wilmshurst,
Department of Cardiology, Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, Mytton Oak, Shrewsbury SY3 8XQ

Tel: 01743 261108 (s)

Please let me know that you are coming and your preferred date asap so I can split the troop appropriately into two half troops. I am hoping to arrange a high ropes session for the other half troop on the Saturday after the scuba session, and then swap over the following week, so everyone gets to dive and climb over the two weeks.

Camp this term is going to be on board the HMS Belfast! We will go to London by train so long as I get numbers very soon and can book the super saver bargain discount credit crunched train tickets. We will travel down on Thursday 16 April to Saturday 18 April (one night afloat and one elseway around the capital) This is a pretty special opportunity to live aboard a battleship, and we got it cheap 'cos I promised that the scouts would swab the decks and apply spit'n'polish to all the brass, so I expect the price to be around £45 (?). Again, I need to book the trains so please book your places asap!

Finally, we are hoping we can organise a camp to France in the summer. The Baschurch -Giat twinning association are visiting Giat 3-9 August and it would be great if we can go too (and they might be able to help us with transport!) It might be a good opportunity for parents to combine a familly holiday to tag on before or after the scouty bit? It will be more expensive than our usual holidays, but way cheaper than Corbet school trips (we have two at the Corbet now.... ulp!) because we camp and look after ourselves in true scouty tradition! Let me know if you are interested asap and we can coordinate with the twinning people and apply for grants etc... In expectation that everyone will be very keen, I have planned a 'Cock-o-van' banquet evening when the scouts can do the Gordon Ramsey thing and cook a frenchy meal for parents as a fund raising event - we will change those parents brave (foolhardy?) enough to trust to their scouts culinary expertise an exorbitant price for a candlelit dinner... (Think of it as a downpayment for the holiday rather than a romantic meal out...)

OK Thats my update for now - prog to follow as soon as it does!