During lockdown, all sections of the 1st Little Stoke Scout Group have been running exciting sessions online using the Zoom videoconferencing app. These sessions have been a brilliant way for all the members involved in Scouting to get together, share their experiences, their love of Scouting and continue to learn skills for life.
The Beaver section has said goodbye to some of their oldest members, with Chloe and Oliver achieving their Chief Scout’s Bronze Award, the highest award possible for Beavers, and moving up to the Cubs section.
During lockdown, the Beavers have been busily working away on a wide variety of activity badges, including Cook, Animal Friend, Gardener and Experiment. They have been sending their leader Gemma pictures, videos and examples of the activities they have completed for their badges. In fact, they have been so successful that across the Beaver colony over 150 badges have been awarded. Even more astonishing, the new Beavers who were invested virtually during lockdown achieved the highest number of badges, gaining eleven badges each.
Harry was awarded a special Beaver medal for showing dedication to his environment and community. While out walking in his local park, Harry was shocked and disappointed by the amount of rubbish left around the area. With the help of his mum, he put on plastic gloves and collected a bag full of rubbish. Harry, the group is extremely proud of your Scouting spirit!
The section’s young leaders, Mary and Patrick, ran one of the final Zoom meetings for the Beavers. The young leaders took over the session sharing a brilliant presentation on endangered animals, complete with questions. They then supported the Beavers in making animal masks to create an onscreen animal parade.
The Beavers are planning to continue meeting using Zoom in September and have already organised guest speakers ready for the new term. They have an astronomer, who will show the Beavers different star constellations and help them earn their Space badge and a guide dog and handler, who will help the Beavers earn their Disability Awareness badge.
The Cub section has said a sad goodbye to their Akela, Martina, who stepped down at the end of the summer term after ten years’ service. Martina has been an asset to the group, organising yearly camps for the cubs, teaching the children new skills, and inspiring a love of Scouting in hundreds of children. The group would like to send a huge ‘thank you’ to Martina and wish her the best of luck for the future.
With Akela stepping aside, the Cubs are pleased to welcome Elaine and Aimee into the section. Both ladies are full of wonderful ideas and have taken an active part in the Zoom meetings during lockdown.
The group now has an exciting website, recently updated by Beaver leader and district training adviser Gemma: 1stlittlestokescouts.org.uk
Find out more
If you would like any more information on getting involved with the 1st Little Stoke Scout Group, please fill in the forms on the website, alternatively contact Group Scout Leader Tony Edmonds by email at tonyedmonds108@yahoo.com
This article originally appeared in the September 2020 issue of the Stoke Gifford Journal magazine (on page 29). The magazine is delivered FREE, nine times a year, to over 5,000 homes in Stoke Gifford, Little Stoke and Harry Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.
