Another great night at 1st Stoke Gifford Cubs. 

Both packs went on a joint ice skating adventure at Cribbs Causeway Winter Wonderland.  There was some wobbly legs, squealing, slips & trips and that was just the leaders! Well, Raksha!

All the cubs had a fabulous time and were once again so wonderfully behaved.
Next week we are at our separate bases.  Old School Room Cubs are covering Banksy & St Michaels Cubs (AKA Wolf Pack) will be covering country code & Banksy – Recommend the cubs wear an old t-shirt under their uniforms next week.

These evening both packs were lucky enough to have a visit from Carol and Wilson.  Wilson is her 4th dog - but first male dog she has had.Carol is an ambassador for the National Institute for the Blind.  Carol talked to cubs about the training a guide dog needs to go through before they live with blind person.
 
When puppies are ready to leave their mothers they go and live with a puppy walker.  Puppy walkers help house train the puppy’s teach them obedience and socialise them.  They take the puppies onto trains, buses, into supermarkets and some even get to attend parties.
 
They stay with their puppy walkers until they are about a year old.  It is at this point they attend Guide Dog School for about 15 months.  They learn how to guide a person outdoors, cope with traffic and watch for obstacles.  Wilson was a gold star pupil.
 
Once training is completed, puppies are matched with their new owners.  A further 10 days’ worth of training is then undertaken with their new owners so they can get used to one another.
 
The cubs also asked some very interesting questions:-

• How do you tell the time?
• Do you drive?
• Does Wilson get stressed?
• How long have you been blind for?
• Can you use the oven?
• Can you read Braille?
• Do you play with Wilson?

The cubs then got an opportunity to pet Wilson – much enjoyed by everyone.
 
It must be noted that the cubs were exceptionally well behaved tonight – Well Done Cubs.
 
Next week both packs will be ice skating at Cribbs Causeway – please check your emails for your OSM invite – more information will be sent out this week.

OSR Scout Troop having spent a couple of weeks writing prayers and choosing hymns with Karen put it all together today at St. Michaels Church for all the other uniform groups from Stoke Gifford. Scouts read, sang, collected donations, flags, helped people to their seats, gave out harvest bread and much more.
The service was fab with lots of food donations collected for Filton Food Bank with cheerful harvest hymns, thought provoking readings and thoughtful prayers. Thank you for all putting in so much effort, proud of you all.

So 0600 on Saturday 21/07/18 was time for the cubs and scouts of Stoke Gifford to form up and travel to Browsea Island the site of the first scout camp.
We took the coach to Poole Quay and then ferry across to the island, followed by a short hike and then set up camp, evening meal and then bed everyone shattered.

The next day started with breakfast then red squirrel watching and conservation. Our meals were prepared by the 23 adult leaders for the 56 young people. An evening of crabbing and then bed.
The island has a no fire policy and so to challenge the scouts and cubs a mission to build a raft to float in the sea and make a fire big enough to roast a marshmallow.
The final full day was occupied with visits to the reserve and orienteering with sleeping out under the stars in bivouacs then the last morning was decamp to start the return journey home.

What a great camp.

Fish and chips on the quay and then on to the coach.
Many thanks to all involved in the organisation and running of this special camp which all the children thoroughly enjoyed.

weekend group camp to Botany Bay Scouts from both troops and cubs attended Friday and (beavers arrived on Saturday) whilst the scouts and cubs were hiking and kyacking along the river wye from Monmouth to Redbrook and second leg to Whitebrook.
Rained a bit on Friday evening but the rest of the weekend was glorious and scouts joined in at a campfire and tried firelighting with just a flint and steel.

Big well done to the 17 scouts from OSR troop for attending the Remembrance Day parade in Stoke Gifford this morning, it was a great gathering and all the scouts looked very smart with ironed neckers and shirts plus school trousers and shoes. Well done all. I know several of our scouts were at sporting events and so would have remembered the fallen before the games started. By attending this counts towards the Poppy badge which we all wear with pride

This weekend was a group camp to Woodhouse Park. The camp started for the leaders on the Friday evening where there was a chance to meet old and new faces then a peaceful night. The rest of the group arrived on the Saturday morning and after putting up their tents and sorting their kit the scouts then spent 2 days shooting, crate stacking, tomahawk throwing, axe/ knife & saw training, shelter building, a camp fire and sleeping rough under their shelters in the woods as well as gadgets, trails and general exploration of the campsite. Of course they were all fed and watered and most got some sleep.

We will be holding our AGM at 20:30 in the Old School Rooms Coffee Shop on Monday the 10th of July.
Any parents wishing to attend are more than welcome.

We were lucky to get some great weather for our Canoeing, Kayaking and Cycling camp this May.
It was a very busy weekend and the Cubs had a great time learning new skills and earning their Paddle Power beginner certificates!
An extra well done to those Cubs who did the capsize drill in the Kayaks.
Thanks to all the staff at Lee Valley Canoe Cycle (https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/directory/117-lee-valley-canoe-cycle) for putting on such a great weekend and providing the coaches.
Thanks also to Tesco for providing the fish for us to prepare and cook and for the marshmallows that we all cooked over the fire afterwards!

Wishing all the young people, their parents and siblings a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
See everyone next year.
The Leaders