Sue Baker, a Beaver Scout leader and Michele Grattidge, Scout and Explorer Scout leader were presented with awards in December for their dedication and support to scouting in Stoke Gifford.
Michele started as a parent helper at 1 st Stoke Gifford Beavers in 1997, when her son Chris joined the colony.
She soon went into uniform as an Assistant Beaver Leader and from there has been a Cub Leader and then on to be a Scout Leader with the 1 st Stoke Gifford School Scouts, based at St Michaels Primary School.
In addition, she was a founding member of the Solar Explorer unit in 2007 and was an Assistant Explorer Leader until 2020.
She is a trained Duke of Edinburgh assessor and played a leading role in many Solar D of E expeditions and camps as well as supporting other groups with their assessments. She has been on more camps than she can remember and played a part in the growth and development of so many young people over the years.
She is the first person to be a leader at all our units, i.e. Beavers, Cubs, Scout and Explorers. Chris has gone on to be a Scout and Explorer Scout Leader himself, keeping up the family tradition.
Michele was given an ‘Award for Merit’. This award is given for outstanding service of not less than 12 years. It rewards keen, conscientious, imaginative and dedicated service over a sustained period.

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.