29 November 05 - 22:51Scouts to put their stamp on festive post.
Christmas is undoubtedly the busiest time of the year for our postmen and women. They carry thousands of cards across Bath and the surrounding towns and villages to make sure they are delivered before December 25.
But each year, they get a little help from members of the local Scout and Guide groups.
The city's youngsters sell their own stamps, costing just 15 pence each, and will then deliver any letters around the city sent with the special stamp.
The idea is that Bath residents can pay less to send their Christmas mail around the city, while helping out their local Scouts and Guides.
The scheme is sponsored by Bath Building Society, and the 9,000 stamps produced can be bought from its branches in Southgate, Charles Street, Twerton, Moorland Road, Weston, Larkhall and Combe Down.
They are also on sale at St Michael's Church in the city centre, and through the 12 Scout and Guide groups taking part.
Post for the youngsters can be left at Bath Building Society branches and from there, they will be taken to Scout headquarters in Grove Street for sorting.
Valerie Ward, secretary for the Christmas post committee, said: "We hope to raise as much as possible through the initiative this Christmas.
"We are very grateful to Bath Building Society for supporting us again this year.
"This is an important fundraiser for us, and the society's network of branches means that we can sell our stamps across the city."
Once the letters have been sorted, they will be packed up and sent out to groups hand delivering to different areas.
The first mail will be posted on Wednesday, December 7, and the special letterboxes will be emptied for the last time on Thursday, December 15.
Nikki Fletcher, branches and agencies development manager for Bath Building Society, said: "Bath Building Society is pleased to be able to support the Scouts' stamps.
"We hope that it is a huge fundraising success for them."
From each stamp sale, 2p is kept by the group that sells it, and a further 9p by the one that delivers it, and the building society will donate all its profits into a account at the society.
This money will then be divided between the groups involved.
From The Bath Chronicle, 26 November 2005.
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29 November 05 - 22:48Scouts expand by splitting
Scouting in Combe Down is so popular that leaders are starting up another group. At the moment, Combe Down Scouts Group has 40 recruits and a long waiting list.
This is too many to squeeze into its headquarters on The Avenue on Friday nights, so leaders are splitting the unit in two and running a second night on Thursdays from 7-9pm.
"There are just too many of them, it is a lot of work for the leaders," said Scout leader Adrian Plummer.
"By splitting them in two we can take people off the waiting list, and the Scouts will have more individual time with the leaders."
Scouts wanting to carry on activities after they leave at 14 are in luck as an Explorers section for 14 to 19- year-olds is also being launched in Combe Down.
Mr Plummer said he had received so many requests from his Scouts for the section that it made sense to take one to the area.
The Explorers will meet for the first time at the headquarters this Sunday from 6-8pm, and boys and girls are both welcome.
The group encourages teenagers to turn activities they learned as Scouts into hobbies.
The nearest unit currently operating is in Weston.
Mr Plummer said: "It shows that Scouting is expanding in Bath, that we are doing the right thing in Combe Down, and the children are enjoying what we offer them."
From The Bath Chronicle, 28 November 2005.
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29 November 05 - 21:52Intrepid Scouts Explore Madrid
Explorer Scouts and Leaders from the Mercury Unit based in Peasedown St John and Bath enjoyed a trip to Madrid as part of their International Award.
The 17 Scouts and Leaders stayed in a former Franco era Police Station in the Casa de Campo, Madrid’s largest park and on the edge of the city centre.
The action packed trip included four of the Explorers, formally joining the Scout Association on the aeroplane over the Bay of Biscay at 39,000 feet. A Monopoly style game across Madrid using the Underground that included visiting the Bull Ring, the Spanish Parliament and a South American market. As well enjoying the amazing views from a cable car.
The Scouts also went to Madrid’s largest Theme Park enjoying a very wet log flume ride, roller coasters and a house of horror.
Scout Leader Simon Crowden said ‘All of us enjoyed ourselves, the Scouts crammed in so much and learnt a lot about Spain’
The Explorers, all aged between 14 to 18, ‘learned a lot about the Spanish culture, enjoying the Spanish food and met Spanish Scouts.’
The trip was one of many international opportunities open to Scouts each year. Next year will see British Scouts going to Australia, Serbia and Iceland. Closer to home Explorer Scouts have the opportunity to take part in the Duke Of Edinburgh Award, go camping, climbing and caving. As well as going on visits, ice-skating and to the cinema.
Scouting is open to everyone, for more information visit their website at www.avonscouts.org.uk
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23 November 05 - 20:21Scouts find out policing is a riot
Following on from a visit to Bath Police Station by 28
th Bathampton Scouts, there was a article in the Chronicle.
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23 November 05 - 20:19Student Scouts Go Camping
Scout and Guides from the Bath Spa University Group have just returned from their Freshers Camp at Kinver Camp Site near Kidderminster.
The Scouts and Guides enjoyed archery, climbing, orienteering, and a zip wire as well as their own fireworks display and campfire last weekend.
Emma North, member and a Guide Leader at Bear Flat said "this is an annual event for new students who have joined us, despite the weather everyone had a great time"
The Group is open to all students and no previous experience is needed, Emma said "we do everything, whatever our members want to do we try, many of us are Scout and Guide Leaders supporting local Groups, recently some of us took Explorer Scouts to Spain".
The Group also has an active social side; the Group recently met up with friends from Bath and Bristol Universities for their annual bowling competition at the Hollywood Bowl.
There are Scout and Guide Groups at both Bath Universities and they welcome new members, for more information visit their websites at http://www.bathscouts.org.uk.
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