Tonight was a creative evening for OSR troop with Alison, Jane and Janet all helping the scouts with a christmas log and decoration. There was more icing sugar and butter icing than you could shake a stick at. The scouts had great fun in bringing their own designs to fruitian and I know the parents will be happy to know that none of the food touched the floor so its all safe and edible.

This Wednesday we have invited the Black Dog students from Bristol Uni to talk with the scouts about anxiety and stress, to get rid of rumours and myths and educate the scouts to always seek help if they are feeling over whelmed. The evening was full of games and role plays and the scouts looked like they were really having fun. As a result of this session we are going to start a worry box for the scouts to fill on every troop evening.

So the OSR troop have invited the Royal British Legion into our scout nights, attended the Poppy launch, helped fundraise for the RBL at Sainsbury's and the final part of the Gloucestershire Poppy badge is to attend the Remembrance day parade.
The turn out was good this year but I hope to have a few more next year and in 2018 the one hundredth anniversary I would like the whole troop. Uniforms were pressed and badges sewn on even neckers looked freshly rolled. The scouts, cubs and beavers looked very smart. As in previous years we gathered at the Trust hall and walked the short distance to the green, the parade was very good and Mathew Amery representing the OSR troop carried the flag like an expert.
Well done to all you did the group proud, I hope everyone spends the rest of the day reflecting on the people that gave their lives so that we can live ours.

On Sunday 6th November scouts from OSR troop attended Sainsbury's to help The Royal British Legion with their Poppy appeal. I'm happy to say that all those scouts that had said they were available turned up for their one hour slot. John was most impressed by the smart turnout and how polite the scouts were with members of the public that could bye merchandise for the Poppy cause.
In total there were twenty three scouts and three leaders during the day, we will be given the amount raised at a later date but we filled all 3 of the donation boxes given.
Well done to all those scouts and todays fundraising will count towards the Poppy badge, fundraising activity badge and I'm sure OSM will find some others!

Now that the evenings are drawing in what better time to do the Astronomer activity badge at OSR. So we invited John Harris a keep astronomer and his wife Sarah in to OSR to help journey the scouts through the solar system and identify constellations and other requirements of the badge. This is the first of 2 sessions (you can never rely on the weather to be on your side). The classroom section was very interesting and then outside into the fridged temperatures to observe stars, planets and aircraft.
The second session consisted of the scouts using fruit to build a scale model of our solar system, a melon for Jupiter and a peppercorn for Mercury. Then they used the SS GB loan box about Navigation to build a Sextant and calculate some pre positioned cardboard stars on the osr ceiling. All the time answering the question from the badge requirements. Even the game tonight was about navigation (Port, Starboard, Stern & Bow).