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Beavers, Cubs, Scout and Guides turned out with the community to plant the brand new woodland on New Road on Saturday. 3000 trees were planted during the day, and contractors have almost finished the balance after that amazing start. The Scout badge system includes environmental elements, and community elements and Scouts are strongly encouraged to take part in this kind of project.

In 2001, The Scout Association was losing members. And the biggest problem was Venture Scouting; something was going wrong with Scouting above the age of about fourteen. With small groups, increasing exam pressure and a disconnect when students left for University, the old formula wasn't working.

Venture Scouting was replaced with the Explorer Scout section. We've been building back up nationally since then, with a great new formula. And Explorer Scouting has now come to Histon. The new "Panther" Explorer Scout Unit, operating in conjunction with 2nd Cottenham Scouts, started on Friday, with a stunning turnout, of ex-Scouts, Guides and their mates. It was so good, there's even hope of running in exam term!

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"hfooooooooooo" (shakes head)

Histon Scouts stole a march on their peers. Monday, learning car maintenance, some handy conversation skills for use in mixed company, and how to mix some basic virgin cocktails. Obviously the girls held their own, too, in our egalitarian troop - the one difference being that the girls didn't nick themselves shaving.

Scout Camp over for another year! No more sodden boots. No more inspections. No more sideways rain on Exmoor. No more tracking leaders in the dark on forested 45-degree valley sides. No more time trials on the assault course. No more faux casualties fitting on exposed hillsides. No more dam-building, bivvy-building, kipping out with your mates, Kabaddi tourneys or water fights. And no more camp fire or flambé bananas!!

1st Histon Scouts finally invested their first two girl Scouts, on Monday, in front of proud parents. Abi and Rachel are still Guides as well, and are gamely coming to both at the moment, but the Scout troop have bagged them for the Scout side in the upcoming orienteering challenge.

We asked the girls how the two were different and what made them blaze a trail in the Scouts when they still have so many more mates in Guides. "Scouts is more organized." "We do more in Scouts." Sources indicate that this may be because boys usually need a bigger kick to stop them messing around. But it certainly seems that kids shouldn't just guess which might suit them best - they should try them both.

The ceremony that the girls took part in dates back to the 1907 start of Scouting. With their left hands on the flag and making the Scout sign with their right hands, signifying their honour, the girls promised to do their duty to God and the Queen and to keep the Scout Law, before being welcomed into the troop. The Law was updated almost fifteen years ago now along with many other little details to make it completely girl-friendly.

The Scouts and Guides get on pretty well, and half the boats the Scouts are using in the photo are borrowed from the Guide troop. Also, the Guides have accepted an invitation to come to the Scout meetings over the Summer, so maybe the girls still have the better deal and get the best of both!

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!

Bear Grylls announced as new Chief Scout - Bear Grylls will be the new Chief Scout of the UK Scout Association. The famous adventurer takes over when Peter Duncan completes his five year tenure in July. [Scout Association News]

This is such an exciting time to be a Scout. Children are bombarded in the media with questionable role models. The Scouts' answer is Bear Grylls. He joined Scouts as a Cub and is very happy to say that he may never have started as an adventurer without Scouts. He is immensely proud of The Scouts and so are we. And, like the 1st Histon, he's very keen to encourage adults to join - not as selfless volunteers (though we do have a lot of amazing people who are just that) but to have fun. Think of 1st Histon Scouts as your adventure club.

"SYDNEY -- Seven times, teenage hiker David Iredale used his cell phone to call Australia's equivalent of 911, pleading for rescue after he became lost in tough scrubland and ran out of water in 100-degree (37 C) heat."
[Miami Herald]

Our 999 service in the UK is better than this, it doesn't have this particular problem. They can locate a mobile phone. But it's good to remember that the modern technology won't always save you. And there is no substitute for training and preparation.

The Scouts have stretch marks. It's a mark of the teenage years to have growing pains on the inside too. But when the Scout Association says "Scouting is Growing", of course, it is word play. The whole operation in the UK has been growing steadily for ten years, and it's not just the Millennium Babies.