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WEST
SOMERSET
SCOUT FELLOWSHIP
Newsletter
24 –March
2009
Hi
This is the first
newsletter for 2009 and I will be reluctantly continuing as your Chairman for
another year or until someone stands for this position at our 2009
AGM.
The reasons for my
reluctance are three fold and these related issues are as
follows:
1.
The ongoing problem of
capitation costs &
2.
The understandable
reluctance or inability of individuals to fund the full amount of £18.60 from
their own resources &
3.
My reluctance to seek a
subsidy from District funds.
4.
SF Program planning
issues – requirement for new ideas and burden sharing.
Having consulted you all
on your wishes the census return for 2009 has been submitted and is 26 members.
The minimum annual payment will be £10/head. However this leaves a difference of
£8.60/head to be found by our Fellowship and this problem was briefly discussed
at our Annual Dinner.
I am glad to say that some members have
already taken the initiative on this issue and have decided to pay the
full amount themselves namely £18.60/head in order to save the
time and effort of fund raising or seeking a subsidy from local scouting
funds.
Thus as I said at the
dinner the problem “hangs in the air” pending your solution by April 2009. In the mean time can you please ensure that you pay at
least £10/head for 2009 and please any overdue from
2008.
Program
planning meeting for 2009/10
Whilst I have been
negligent in not calling a meeting of the committee I am now requesting that the
following members arrange a meeting (date time & venue) on my behalf which I
will chair to discuss these issues further and plan the rest of the years
program.
Jean Mote
John McGuire N/A away in
NZ
Peter Curtis
John Burt
Jane Butland
Other members would be most
welcome
George’s scouting collection.
I am pleased to be able to report that a large part of the
collection has now been taken to Scout HQ at Taunton and is available to see by appointment. It is stored in a
display case and a 2 drawer cabinet under the safe keeping of Peter Bourner.
These items together with storage bins for the uniform items, albums, folders
and a “West
Somerset” rubber stamp cost
approx. £100 which was paid for by a loan from District Funds. Again I am
pleased to report this loan has now been repaid in full after I circulated a
“begging letter” to ex-scouts who knew George.
Mike Ireland and I spent a day at Tangier trying to
identify faces on photos, after a full day we estimated we had completed about
5% of the task – “many hands make light work” are not just the words of a lazy
electrician but springs to mind if it is ever to be
completed.
You may recall the collection included an ex-district badge
secretaries stock of obsolete badges and after consultation it was decided to
try to sell the duplicates on Ebay. I have started this time consuming task and
to date have raised just over £150. However it is difficult to project what may
be raised in total as the buyers are quite fickle!
NB District Cub Flag
Competition 22 March
ADC
Cubs (Estella Segar) has requested the SF help with this event – copy of email
below:
The flag competition will now be held at Dunster Gallox bridge near the green.
We will now be running an orienteering course instead it will be the same route we have used in the past.
The date will be the same Sunday March 22nd
Time 1.30 pm for 2.00pm start
Finish time approx 4.00pm
Teams of six
Each team to bring a whistle with them on the day
5 Manned stations with kite markers showing the way
Water station half way round the course for those in need
Explorers will act as sleepers making sure no one is lost
Each group to provide 2 leaders or helpers to man a station please let me know as soon as possible
Fellowship to count the scores and judge the end results
Team members must stay together or they lose points
Each team must arrive at finish point together
Teams to leave at 5 minute intervals
Stations must be visited in the correct order on the map
Estella
Summarising District Cub Flag Competition 22 March
requirements:
3 SF members
are required for about 3 hours meeting at Pack Horse Bridge Dunster at 1.30 for
2.00 PM start.
NB. Unfortunately Sandy, Jean, Terry, Ron, Ross and John
are on holiday and out of the Country. Other members are ill and consequently
unavailable, so please those of you who are not otherwise committed would you
please volunteer to me as soon as possible and I will give you more details or
Estella’s telephone number.
District Cub craft competition - 10th
May
Two
judges required please.
The Scout Fellowship program for
2009 so far is shown below:
|
Visit to Price Western Leather
Minehead |
? |
PWL
Minehead |
Awaiting date from
PWL. |
|
District Cub Flag
Competition |
22nd
March |
Dunster |
3 SF
members required.
See
above for details |
|
SF
AGM |
2nd
April |
Methodist Church Porlock
7.30 |
Followed by Fish & Chip supper
+ desert.
Approx
£6.00/head |
|
St
Georges Day Parade |
26th
April |
Dunster |
SF
required as usual |
|
Assistance at 1st Watchet Admiralty Inspection at
Watchet harbour. |
Tuesday
28th
April 18.30
|
Watchet Harbour |
Requested by Simon Bale
See
below for details |
|
District Cub craft
competition |
10th
May |
Watchet Scout HQ |
Two SF judges required
please. |
|
Knockout |
21st
June |
Horner |
Usual arrangements |
|
District Cub Quiz |
Oct
? |
Exmoor
HQ |
Awaiting more details |
|
County Cub Quiz hosted by West Somerset |
21st
Nov |
? |
Awaiting more
details |
Copy of Email from Simon Bale requesting
assistance
"Are the fellowship
able to assist with our next admiralty inspection which is on the evening
of Tuesday 28th April
2009 at 1830
hours.
We will be in need
of some assistance with the monitoring of our two mess tents on the esplanade at
Watchet (where we plan to undertake the physical inspection before getting into
the water) ( Scouts will change in the tents) and then have some of the
fellowship watching over the boats and equipment whilst the leaders and
instructors are on parade.
(boats will be on
trailers on slipways ready to launch !)
If this can be put in
the events diary it would be appreciated.
Thanks
Simon"
Annual
Dinner
I hope
that those of you who attended our Dinner enjoyed what I thought was an
excellent meal in good company. Once again thank you Jean for taking on the
organisation of this event.
I am sorry
if there is a feeling that we don’t do much as a Fellowship but for this
Newsletter I have taken as the theme a paraphrase of part of a famous Americans
speech
namely
“And
so, my fellow members : ask not what your Fellowship can do for you - ask what
you can do for your Fellowship”
Best regards for the remainder
of 2009 and– may your pension pots prosper, your investments remain solvent and
please give a little time to think of others who may be even less fortunate in
life’s lottery.
Summary of action points
1.
Ron to finalise visit date for PWL
visit and advise all members by phone.
2.
Committee
members to
arrange a meeting and advise Ron of venue, time &
date.
3.
All members. At least three volunteers
required for District Cub Flag competition and let Ron know by 10/3/09.
4.
All members SF AGM 2nd April –
volunteers please to bring deserts to supplement Fish & Chip supper. This is
a uniform event.
5.
All members to let Ron know their
availability for St Georges Day parade (Car Parking marshals & Church ushers
required)
6.
All members to let Ron know of their
availability to help at 1st Watchet Admiralty inspection
28th April. This is a uniform event.
7.
All members Two volunteers please for
District Cub Craft Competition on 10th May at Watchet
HQ.
Ron
Blundell
Chairman
25/2/09