West Mercia Cubs

1,664 – that’s how many Cubs we have in the County – up on last year, which also means that we are heading the best direction – FORWARD! Thank you ever so much for your hard work in making this happen. Though wouldn’t it be great to break the 1,700 barrier?

Challenge 60 is going great – though please remember that even if you’re not going to Camp you can still join in!! had a great time at 2nd Stourbridge, who hosted the Cubs Chess Competition, they planted 60 trees for Challenge 60 – not going to camp but having a great time with it!

We have a gallery up on the West Mercia website now and we have a number of pictures up on there but we need MORE, photographic permission apply of course so get them in to Mark Bright – westmerciaadmin@redbreva.co.uk

If you do send pictures, it will work best if you arrange them into folders for each evnt etc and give the folder a suitable name, as the folder name is used to name the gallery display

Camp is nearly here!! We have 600 going which is a fantastic response – It’s going to be a great weekend. Please be aware that most of the information that you will need for the camp will be available to download online. There will not be ‘hard’ copies for you to have as the information is needed prior to May 18th. It is important that you read this information.  Being such a big camp needs teamwork from all of us that are going to be there, if it is going to be a success.

Also, The County Air Ambulance are going to be there with their ‘pod’ (a cockpit without rotor blades or tail) – we need to raise £1,000 on that weekend for them so bring those 5p’s to camp and also some money for merchandise that will be there for them to raise funds. They provide an important part of our emergency services here in West Mercia – proud to have them at camp, I will feel equally proud if we can raise this amount for them.

As 2011 draws to a close and we anticipate 2012, it’s time to look back on a productive year for West Mercia Cubs. I have meet many Cubs on camps, on visits and their pack nights.

It was great to see many Cubs achieve their Silver Chief Scouts Awards, this is great news as this put those Cubs firmly on the road to becoming Queen’s Scouts. It was an honour to not only have one but TWO Cubs achieve all 33 activity badges, get mentioned in Scouting magazine, and become part of a select ‘Club 33′

I have also witnessed activities ranging from District IN Camp to District JOTI / JOTA weekend at Patshull. It has been a pleasure to invest new Cubs into Packs, it is great to welcome new Cubs, they are going to have a great time getting involved in and being part of this fantastic Scouting family.

It has been great bringing together Cub Scout Leaders at the Drop In Surgeries that are being held at regular intervals around the County. These help us to share and get the best ideas for the end goal; providing Quality Cub Scouting in YOUR Cub Pack. Also, developing our website here, with your input we can make the West Mercia website the place to go. In addition I have seen a steady growth in girls in the section this year!! Lets build on this and hope that 2012 sees a growth in the section overall.

Challenge 60 is now well on the way and it has been great to hear stories of the Challenges that you are getting up to. That brings us to….2012.

Challenge 60 Camp is gathering pace now and although the registration is now closed (over 750 Cubs are going) you can still join in by doing the Challenges and getting the badge, look on this site for details. The camp itself is taking shape and looks to be a ‘once in a lifetime’ event! 18 – 20th May 2012, here we come!!

May I take this opportunity to say Thank You. YOU, the Cub Leaders that turn up week in, week out, organise outings, plan Pack nights and all the in between work, YOU are the ones that keep our section being the best it can be. Thank you very much for all you do, have done and will do in the future.

Nick Chadd

ACC Cub Scouts

A big THANK YOU to everyone involved and who attended the Challenge 60 Launch Event at Baggeridge Country Park on Saturday October 1st. Over 400 Cub Scouts representing all 10 districts from around the County came together from 2 – 5pm to take part in such activities as Welly Wanging, Tug of War, Obstacle Courses and many more!! Everyone had a fantastic time and it was a great way to launch the Challenge 60 project!

Now…. if you thought the Launch Event was good – well Challenge 60 Camp (C60C) will be even better!! You need to reserve your place by the 1st November by filling in the forms  and sending them (together with your £25 per pack deposit) to the address on the Challenge 60 part of this website.

So lets make a fantastic effort in bringing the Cubs Scouts of West Mercia together for a brilliant and memorable weekend. Let’s recreate that West Mercia Cub Scout family feeling again….and three days running!!

Hello Everybody!

First time that Wolverhampton South has entered anything onto this blog page and they ask me to do it!! HA!!

Well, here goes………..I am Akela for 15^th Wolverhampton Cub Pack and am here to tell you what our wonderful little Cublets have been up to over the last few months.

Experience, enthusiasm and variety are the spice of life in our group and you will see this from the wide range of activities the kids have been getting up to since April.

We kicked off our summer term with a group bonfire to celebrate St George’s, this year unfortunately we were a little late on this but the kids enjoyed good old English fare and campfire songs and stunts.

In May we renewed our knowledge of the Promise and Law along with the basic rules and expectations of Cub Scouting (for all the littl’uns joining from Beavers).

We improved our communication skills by completing the Communication Activity Badge and took the kids Slot Car Racing (check it out: http://www.wolverhamptonscalextricclub.com/) – the kids love it!

The rest of this term has been taken up by music, a visit to the Multi-cultural Temple, playing in the park and District camp prep.

This year our District camp was EPIC!!! The kids enjoyed Blackwell Court and all its activities (obstacle course, grass sledging, swimming and go karting) in celebration of our District 50^th Anniversary and Beavers 25^th Birthday, they joined out on camp for the Saturday activities day. As well as the activities Blackwell supplied the leaders created a water slide and the kids had the chance to make bottle rockets, and much, much more!! Even our fair ACC turned up for a mooch around!

Hope this has been an interesting read for you and I hope to be able to bring more highlights and updates to you all over the next term. Bring on the 5-a-side and Swimming gala – woooooooo!!

Lucy (Akela)

Dear All,

I am in the process of organising some Drop In Surgeries around the County at a district level – I have one for the City of Wolverhampton on September 15th, one for Walsall North on November 5th, and one in Stourbridge coming soon as well.
I would also urge ADC’s from the remaining Districts to get in touch to arrange a date and time for your Drop In Surgery.

There are posters available to download from the main County Website on the Cubs Resources page

The idea of a ‘Drop In Surgery’ is so that Cub Scout Leaders get to know me and also to generate sharing of good practise, create communication from a Pack / District / County level. It is not me treading on people’s toes but a way of helping me support your district to support you help deliver quality Cub Scouting  – something that I know we all want and do.

YiS

Nick Chadd – ACC Cubs

Hi Sara Cross here from 2^nd Bloxwich

Recently we had an awards night that saw all the Cubs achieve the badges they have been working towards over the past few weeks. I gave out 2 Silver Chief Scouts Awards as well as something a little special, so we invited the ADC and DC of Walsall North as well as the ACC and CC from West Mercia.

It isn’t an easy task to put on a presentation night, but for the Cubs it is more than worth it – they had a great time and much to surprise of everyone included (as well as the Leaders) they got up and sang two songs – and sang them well!

All the Cubs have completed all the activities that were put in front of them with maturity and enthusiasm beyond their years and they should each be very proud of what they have done.

The awards night was extra special because we have a Cub that has managed to gain all 33 activity badges! Which we found out on night he is only the second one in the County, the 1^st one was only a few months ago at 12^th Walsall. He has made his parents, Pack, Group, District, County, and above all himself very proud. He is always telling everyone how great Cubs is and has an enthusiasm that rubs off onto others. He also became a member of a very exclusive club and was awarded a special ‘Club 33’ scarf by the ACC. Everyone at 2^nd Bloxwich is so pleased for him.

The hardest activities to organise were the Equestrian and Water Activities badges. Sometimes there was only him that would turn up, but that is exactly what he is like when he found out he was halfway to getting all of the activity badges I asked him if he really wanted to do to the lot, his answer? ‘Let’s Go For It’

My pack have made me very proud over the last 12 months in the progress that all the Cubs have made. Although getting a Cub with all 33 activity badges is a definitely a plus last night we gave out some Badges for the first time and to see what that meant to them makes it all worth it.

Thank you

2^nd Bloxwich Cub Scouts you are a pleasure to work with

Hi All,

Great news – we have our second Cub that has achieved all 33 Activity Badges!! He has joined a very exclusive Club ‘Club 33’, look out for press releases as well as an item in the Cub Scout supliment in Scouting magazine!! I’ve asked his Cub Scout Leader Sara Cross to write an entry for the blog page here!

Also, to keep you up to date with other news – Challenge 60 is gathering pace and the launch event at Baggeridge Country Park on October 1^st between 2 – 5 is coming together – a poster will be with you shortly and avaiable as a pdf to print from the Cubs area on this website. Remember that most of what is going to happen with Challenge 60 is going to be available here so you need to keep those eyes peeled!

Also, I’m going to be holding a ‘Drop-In Surgery’ starting at Wolverhampton East and South – from then on I will be taking this over the County throughout the year. This is a fantastic opportunity for everyone invoilved in Cub Scouting to meet and discuss and swap ideas and resolve those challenges that you may come across in your Pack. It’s a great way for me to meet you and also see how your District and your County can help you provide quality Cub Scouting in West Mercia – look out here and your Emails for when the ‘DIS’ comes to your District!

Nick Chadd – ACC Cub Scouts

Hello West Mercia Cub Scouts this is the latest from Wolverhampton North.

Since January 2011 the Cubs and their leaders have taken part in District Activities such as: Our first ever district Cub Scout Leaders Meal, held at Goodyear’s Pavilion, this was an excellent meal and evening when all we had to worry about was ourselves and a good relaxing time was had by all.

The on 10^th April the District Team led by John Walters a DCSL organised an excellent District Activity Afternoon at Nortycote Farm, for all sections, with the theme of, yes you have guessed St. George. After the opening and renewal of promises the Cubs went off the do their own activities which were: Hunt the Dragon, team relay of bursting balloons, Dragon Quest, teams answered questions on Saints, flags etc for every correct answer they accumulated time to go into the tent and find jigsaw pieces of a dragon, Rescue St George, a modern day St George in a Go Kart, attach ropes by tying reef knots and then pulling St George over a track and back, untie knots and hank ropes, St George shields were finished on the last base, the shield had been their passport to go round the bases. The event ended with a a few camp fire songs, and the return of flags.

The cubs really enjoyed these activities and were all presented with a taking part certificate.

Then on the 15^th May we held a Cub Scout Community Games Day. Simon Hamilton our other DCSL had managed to get funding to buy equipment for this event and as a result, the cubs took part in: Shotput, Discus, Hammer, Javlin, 50m dash, 50m relay, sack, egg and spoon, welly wanging and long jump. We did make this a non-competitive event, so everyone received a certificate of taking part. The event started and ended like the olympics with the packs parading their flags and the leaders, helpers and parent cheering and clapping them on. A really good afternoon .

We have just returned from the Funday at Gilwell on 18^th June, 42 cub scouts and 14 adults started at 0730 and arrived at Gilwell just as the heavens opened, then at lunch time another down pour and 42 cubs in a patrol tent is not very practical but we managed. The cubs had a fantastic time, on water slides, climbing towers, grass sledging, bouncy castles, ariel runways, handicrafts etc. and they never went near the fair but no complaint, they could have done with a couple of more hours. We left Gilwell in a terrific thunderstorm and torrential rain. We thought they would sleep on the way home, no such luck. Then 16^th October plans are underway for Diwali celebration, as this is one area we have never done, and to end this year of scouting on 4^th December we are holding an Australian Party, yes, shorts, beach towels, sunglasses, fake tans and of course a BBQ.

As I am now handing over the ADC CS role to Sarah Walters, I hope that I get an invite to some of the events especially the Australian Party. Special thanks to all the leaders and parents in the District who throughout the years have supported Cub Scouting in Wolverhampton North and have never failed to come up with the goods, which includes lots of commitment, enthusiasm, friendship, tolerance, support and most of all caring about cub scouting and continuing to offer fresh and new ideas for the Cubs to take part in and also to keep the leaders fresh and ready to go. Good luck to the new team. Plans are already underway for a District Camp in 2012.

To cub scout leaders reading this or any other leaders, this is all done because leaders supported the ADC and her team, without all leaders helping to organise events not too much would happen, so please support your District and County Teams.

Christine McKechnie

Outgoing ADC Cub Scouts and Incoming ADC Development

Following the tragic earthquake in Febuary on New Zealand’s South Island, Dudley Cubs responded with enthusiasm to the appeal for blankets put out by New Zealand’s Scouts.

Several packs in the District held fundraising events, whilst others donated funds already raised for other uses. One Cub even washed dishes for the week to raise the price of a blanket just from him! As a District we were able to send enough for 53 blankets to those in need in Christchurch.

On my recent visit to the area in April, there was still no running water or sanitation to the East of the city with quakes still happening on average between 3 & 20 times a day. The biggest while we were there was 5.4 so still a scary place to be.

Dudley Cubs have now received a thank you card from New Zealand Scouts in appreciation of their kind efforts. Well done.

Ten year old Ben Johns has achieved all of the 33 activity badges available to Cubs as well as all of the Challenge badges and the highest award a Cub can wear – the Chief Scout Silver which he can wear on his scout uniform, when he goes up in a few weeks. Ben has also achieved at least the first level of all 5 staged activity badges that any of the different sections can achieve.

‘It was very difficult getting all the badges but I feel quite proud,’ said Ben, from 12^th Walsall Cub Pack, ‘I got some badges after about 90 minutes’ work but some took longer. The astronomer badge was the longest as I found it very hard to remember the different constellations it took at least a month to remember enough. The hardest activity badge was the sports enthusiast as I’m not that into sports.’

‘The challenge Badges were hard to get – but I suppose that’s why they are called challenges!’

‘I really enjoyed doing the science badge because I like seeing how different things interact together and we grew beans in jars which we were able to take home and plant in the garden. I also enjoyed doing the book reader badge as I enjoy reading.’
As well as chef, which honed his cooking skills, he is a dab hand at other traditional skills such as camping, naturalist and map reading, modern skills including local knowledge and world faiths, and sports such as water activities and skating.

Ben joined the 12^th Walsall Group nearly 5 years ago as a Beaver and is about to move up to the Scout section, he has already made some firm friends there having attended a joint Scout and older Cub Camp.

Hathi his Cub Leader said Ben has worked very hard to gain his badges, some of which we’ve done as a group but most of them he has done at home – bringing things in regularly to show me what he has made to pass his badges. It has been a real pleasure having Ben as a Cub and we will miss him when he leaves to go to Scouts.

Ben regularly added different events with the Cubs including camps, trips to RAF Cosford, ice skating, water activity days, quizzes, district wide games, sponsored events, and to celebrate achieving his chief scout Silver award Ben chose to go to the Thinktank Science museum.