1st Histon Scouts

Finally, one of the patrols has added their own home page! Alistair is busy using it to try to expand his patrol...

IVC has a small number of cases of Swine Flu - five or under, I gather. In any case, we're a much smaller group and the chances of anyone passing anything on is much smaller. We have no known cases in Scouts or friends of Scouts. So Scouts is on as usual tonight. Unless you're sick. If you're sick, or your mate is sick, stay away. We don't want you.

Greg

Cameron Packs Kerosene, Hikers Incinerate Stove. (Image shows ben, and sausage/tomato sauce at critical stage.)

Mrs Greg is a fab girl called Jenni. I sent her off on a plane on Thursday morning to California to go play with her mates. Last night, she calls me from the immigration hall in Dallas and tells me that Bear Grylls is in the line ahead of her. Does she say Hi? Does she take a photo? Does she ask him to say "Whenever I'm in Cambridge, I listen to 1st Histon" into the phone voice recorder for a web jingle? No! She lets him get away scot-free.

There's nothing to see here. Please move along.

Abi's Hiking Log

• Started Hike
• Looked at side turning, saw parents watching us from Rampton Green – Yelled to parents saying “We’re watching you too!” (Fortunately the parents didn’t hear this!)
• We found Giant’s Hill
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Histon Scouts recently decided to get serious about sending young people out on their own adventures and expeditions. There's a window of opportunity to persuade people that they can follow in Bear's footsteps. Rule number one is that, whereever you're starting, push yourself a little further than you thought you could go.

For our first team of year six Scouts—that's eleven year olds from primary school—that meant a five-mile day-hike route from Rampton back to Histon, unaccompanied, and doing all their own route-planning, navigating, and kit. Sam, Abi, Rachel and Joel steamed through the four-hour schedule in just over three hours, delayed slightly by the police...who seemed slightly stunned and impressed by the group!

Brownies go to Hogwarts - “Dear Miss Smith, I am pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School”. 16 members of 2^nd Histon Brownies were soon packing and ready to start their weekend at Hogwarts School, otherwise known as Abbots Ripton Lodge, near Huntingdon.

Okay, Scouts, I'm taking ideas on a theme for summer camp. [What you mean apart from Survival, Lord of the Flies and Iron Man Racing? - Ed]. Yes. Apart from that.

It's certainly far enough away for Hogwarts. I can sell you chocolate frogs on the Coach. (I think we're going by coach.) And Alistair and Cameron will make a great Ron and Hermione. (Guess who is who.) But we need to think for ourselves here, dammit! We can't just copy the brownies!

If you don't come up with something good, you'll be Tlingit, Yakima, Navajo and Hopi patrols, and like it. Google it, kids.

I've posted the start of a new hiking reference guide under the Troop section on the right. It focusses on one-night Expedition Challenge, youth-led hikes around Cambs, like we're working on at the moment. Check out the little screenshot graphic to see where it should be. It's not finished... but this way I can let you use it and keep working on it.

Can you see a mountain in this picture? It's an almost live webcam, and it depends a bit on the weather. Your teachers don't always tell you what you're going to learn more than a week ahead. And we don't always tell you what's in store in Scouting. But if you stick with us, you can climb this one by yourselves when you turn fourteen. Or with us even earlier :-)

Easter Camp

Another excellent issue of Trout Scoop from your troop news team, masterminded by Andrew.

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