The whole community has the chance to take part in these celebrations, thanks to 31st Bath Scouts. On Monday 4th June, they will be continuing a tradition that is hundreds of years old by lighting a Beacon on Southdown Roundhill.

A beacon chain, once used as a tool for communication, has now become a symbol of unity across towns, borders, countries and continents and is often the central point of focus for any outdoor gathering or celebration.

In 1897 beacons were lit nationally to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. In 1977 and 2002 beacons were lit to celebrate The Queen's Silver and Golden Jubilees. This year there will be around 4,000 beacons around the world.

This will be more than just a bonfire. The group have planned games, entertainment and a ‘bring and share’ picnic in the Roundhill park. The event will kick off at 8pm leading up to the beacon lighting later in the evening. It promises to be a great event for people from all areas of the city to come and enjoy an evening to remember.

31st St. Barnabas Scout Group is an energetic and growing group for boys and girls from 6-14. The group has the capacity to expand further, and provide fun and adventure to even more young people. But to do this, they need more enthusiastic adult volunteers to help deliver the programme. For more information on the Jubilee Beacon, or on joining the Scout Group as either a young person or an adult volunteer, please visit www.31stbathscouts.org.uk, email scouts@31stbathscouts.org.uk ]]> default 2012-05-12T09:46:00+01:00 http://www.bathscouts.org.uk/news/pivot/entry.php?id=75 http://www.bathscouts.org.uk/news/pivot/entry.php?id=75#comm There is nothing quite so rewarding as seeing 42 young people getting muddy and enjoying themselves. The recent bank holiday weekend saw volunteer leaders giving up their time to let young people from three of Bath's Scout groups enjoy a weekend camping near Bristol, packed with outdoor activities. The three groups meet weekly in Southdown, Weston and Larkhall, so the Scouts, aged between 10 and 14, have now had the chance to make new friends with people from other parts of the city. There was a busy programme of activities throughout the weekend, mostly based at the Scout Association's campsite near Almondsbury, Bristol. Scouts got to have a go at archery, air rifle shooting, climbing, an assault course, campfire and a lot of running around. They all walked to the Severn Bridge on the Sunday, where six Scouts were invested - the process of formally joining Scouting. Bath, along with the rest of the UK, has seen rapid growth in Scouting in recent years. More and more people are recognising the wide range of transferable skills that Scouts can teach a young person, as well as the enjoyment that they right now. Many Scout groups in Bath currently have the capacity to grow further, and introduce yet more young people to the joys of Scouting. A growing number of adults are also realising that leading or helping at a Scout group is an excellent way of giving something back to the community, whilst having a great time in the process. There are over half a million Scouts in the UK already - our aim is to grow that further, and to let even more young people join in with the activities that are already taking place. 75@http://www.bathscouts.org.uk/news/

The recent bank holiday weekend saw volunteer leaders giving up their time to let young people from three of Bath's Scout groups enjoy a weekend camping near Bristol, packed with outdoor activities. The three groups meet weekly in Southdown, Weston and Larkhall, so the Scouts, aged between 10 and 14, have now had the chance to make new friends with people from other parts of the city.

There was a busy programme of activities throughout the weekend, mostly based at the Scout Association's campsite near Almondsbury, Bristol. Scouts got to have a go at archery, air rifle shooting, climbing, an assault course, campfire and a lot of running around. They all walked to the Severn Bridge on the Sunday, where six Scouts were invested - the process of formally joining Scouting.

Bath, along with the rest of the UK, has seen rapid growth in Scouting in recent years. More and more people are recognising the wide range of transferable skills that Scouts can teach a young person, as well as the enjoyment that they right now.

Many Scout groups in Bath currently have the capacity to grow further, and introduce yet more young people to the joys of Scouting. A growing number of adults are also realising that leading or helping at a Scout group is an excellent way of giving something back to the community, whilst having a great time in the process. There are over half a million Scouts in the UK already - our aim is to grow that further, and to let even more young people join in with the activities that are already taking place. ]]> default 2012-05-12T09:44:00+01:00 http://www.bathscouts.org.uk/news/pivot/entry.php?id=74 http://www.bathscouts.org.uk/news/pivot/entry.php?id=74#comm 21 Scouts, all aged between 10 – 14, from Bathampton enjoyed a fun packed though muddy adventure in Dorset over the May bank holiday. Despite their first campsite being flooded and their Land Rover – with all the Scouts’ belongings on board - getting stuck in the mud, they all had a brilliant time! James Hull, Scout Leader, said “I have never turned up to a camp before and found it was unusable and, with getting stuck to in mud, I was beginning to have some concerns. But thanks to good old fashioned Scouting teamwork we formed a plan B, pitched our tents elsewhere and eventually got the Land Rover moving again. The Scouts who all camped under canvas and cooked on wood fires took part in shelter building with ponchos, walked 11 miles from Corfe to Swanage and then enjoyed chips on the sea front, made their own low ropes course, did archery, passed several badges including the Outdoor Challenge, had a camp fire and took part in wide games in the pine forests. 74@http://www.bathscouts.org.uk/news/ muddy adventure in Dorset over the May bank holiday. Despite their first campsite
being flooded and their Land Rover – with all the Scouts’ belongings on board -
getting stuck in the mud, they all had a brilliant time!

James Hull, Scout Leader, said “I have never turned up to a camp before and found
it was unusable and, with getting stuck to in mud, I was beginning to have some
concerns. But thanks to good old fashioned Scouting teamwork we formed a plan B,
pitched our tents elsewhere and eventually got the Land Rover moving again.

The Scouts who all camped under canvas and cooked on wood fires took part in
shelter building with ponchos, walked 11 miles from Corfe to Swanage and then
enjoyed chips on the sea front, made their own low ropes course, did archery,
passed several badges including the Outdoor Challenge, had a camp fire and took
part in wide games in the pine forests. ]]> default 2012-05-12T09:42:00+01:00 http://www.bathscouts.org.uk/news/pivot/entry.php?id=73 http://www.bathscouts.org.uk/news/pivot/entry.php?id=73#comm In the early hours of a cold March morning, a group of Scouts from Bath Explorer Scout Unit ‘Blaze’ returned triumphantly after competing for the prestigious Rickard Shield. The county wide event which takes place annually is an over-night hiking challenge comprising of 6 legs covering 12 miles, complete with challenges, observational and cryptic questions to challenge participants both physically and mentally. It was created as a memorial to Mark Rickard who was a lifelong scout from Backwell who died from a brain tumour at the age of 40 in May 2003. The team representing Bath were all from the Blaze Unit. Explorers enables young people above the age of 14 to continue the adventure of scouting whilst giving them more opportunities to be independent. The unit has only been running for two years, however it has over 25 regular members from all over Bath who meet weekly in many locations around the area. Seven members of the unit braved the fog and cold to trek through the night across the country side around Chelwood. They were the only group to attempt all of the challenges, and reach the checkpoints in the allotted time. Their efforts paid off and they came 1st out of over 35 teams. To find out more about joining these intrepid Explorers visit www.bathscouts.org 73@http://www.bathscouts.org.uk/news/ The county wide event which takes place annually is an over-night hiking challenge comprising of 6 legs covering 12 miles, complete with challenges, observational and cryptic questions to challenge participants both physically and mentally. It was created as a memorial to Mark Rickard who was a lifelong scout from Backwell who died from a brain tumour at the age of 40 in May 2003.

The team representing Bath were all from the Blaze Unit. Explorers enables young people above the age of 14 to continue the adventure of scouting whilst giving them more opportunities to be independent. The unit has only been running for two years, however it has over 25 regular members from all over Bath who meet weekly in many locations around the area. Seven members of the unit braved the fog and cold to trek through the night across the country side around Chelwood. They were the only group to attempt all of the challenges, and reach the checkpoints in the allotted time. Their efforts paid off and they came 1st out of over 35 teams. To find out more about joining these intrepid Explorers visit www.bathscouts.org ]]> default 2012-03-14T18:48:00+01:00 http://www.bathscouts.org.uk/news/pivot/entry.php?id=72 http://www.bathscouts.org.uk/news/pivot/entry.php?id=72#comm Scouts from Bath found themselves with an added dimension to their annual camp at the PGL Adventure Centre in Liddington. The heavy snow coated the site creating an amazing winter look for the weekend. The weather did not stop the hardy Scouts who enjoyed climbing, abseiling, quad bikes, fencing, wide games, a quiz and the crate challenge. The crate challenge was voted the favorite activity with the Scouts attached to safety ropes as they built a tower, while standing on it, with the milk crates. David (11) said, “This was an amazing camp, I have never climbed in the snow”. The exciting weather also provided a memorable backdrop for 5 Scouts who were formally enrolled into the Troop at the base of a 40” climbing tower. New Scout Kira (13) said ‘my younger brother Will joined before me and when I saw what a great time he has on Scout camp, I wanted to join too and I am loving everyone minute”. The Scouts all from the 28th Bathampton Scout Group and aged 11-15 stayed in bunkrooms and were fed by the centre. With the PGL staff leading the Scouts on the activities and the Scout Leaders joining in too. 72@http://www.bathscouts.org.uk/news/

The crate challenge was voted the favorite activity with the Scouts attached to safety ropes as they built a tower, while standing on it, with the milk crates. David (11) said, “This was an amazing camp, I have never climbed in the snow”.

The exciting weather also provided a memorable backdrop for 5 Scouts who were formally enrolled into the Troop at the base of a 40” climbing tower. New Scout Kira (13) said ‘my younger brother Will joined before me and when I saw what a great time he has on Scout camp, I wanted to join too and I am loving everyone minute”.

The Scouts all from the 28th Bathampton Scout Group and aged 11-15 stayed in bunkrooms and were fed by the centre. With the PGL staff leading the Scouts on the activities and the Scout Leaders joining in too. ]]> default 2012-03-14T18:46:00+01:00 http://www.bathscouts.org.uk/news/pivot/entry.php?id=71 http://www.bathscouts.org.uk/news/pivot/entry.php?id=71#comm The annual Avon Scout County Shooting Competition was held at Chelwood on 25th September. Sixty-six Scouts from across North Somerset, Bath, Bristol, and South Gloucestershire took part on the day, including local Scouts from Bathampton and Combe Down. The event was organised by the Avon Scout Rifle Club and supervised by qualified instructors. The competitive activities included archery, field targets, precision shooting, three-position shooting and clay pigeon shooting. Ashley (13) from Bathampton Scouts who took part said: “I had a great time. I have enjoyed the competition both years.” For the second year in a row Ashley won the age 12-14 Scout trophy, coming first overall. In the individual competitions he came 1st in Field Targets, 1st in the 10m competition, 3rd in archery and 3rd in three-position shooting . For more information on the club and photos of the event visit the Avon Scouts Rifle Club website at www.avonscouts.org.uk/rifleclub 71@http://www.bathscouts.org.uk/news/

Ashley (13) from Bathampton Scouts who took part said: “I had a great time. I have enjoyed the competition both years.” For the second year in a row Ashley won the age 12-14 Scout trophy, coming first overall. In the individual competitions he came 1st in Field Targets, 1st in the 10m competition, 3rd in archery and 3rd in three-position shooting . For more information on the club and photos of the event visit the Avon Scouts Rifle Club website at www.avonscouts.org.uk/rifleclub ]]> default 2012-03-14T18:43:00+01:00 http://www.bathscouts.org.uk/news/pivot/entry.php?id=70 http://www.bathscouts.org.uk/news/pivot/entry.php?id=70#comm Young people from Bath Beaver Colonies and Cub Packs recently enjoyed a day out to Legoland Windsor.The youngsters joined over three hundred and fifty other young people and their leaders from all over Bath for the trip to the theme park. During their trip the Beavers got to ride the dragon rollercoaster and the jolly rocker pirate ship as well as taking part in the fire academy team challenge – driving a mini fire engine and pumping water to put out a fire.The Cubs enjoyed the dragon apprentice ride, the driving academy, where they earned their own driving licences and tried the new Atlantis submarine voyage, an underwater ride complete with amazing, real sea creatures and Lego models. “It was a great day out that everyone enjoyed, from the youngest Beaver to the oldest adult. The young people had a wonderful time and everyone tried something new,” said Group Scout Leader Louise Madden. ”It’s thanks to the leaders, and especially the parents, who gave up their time that we were able to run the trip. I think they had as much fun as the kids!” The trip, organised by Bath District Scouts, was partly sponsored by National Express who provided the transport for the day. A similar event three years ago saw more than five hundred local members travel on a chartered high speed train to a theme park in Devon. 70@http://www.bathscouts.org.uk/news/

During their trip the Beavers got to ride the dragon rollercoaster and the jolly rocker pirate ship as well as taking part in the fire academy team challenge – driving a mini fire engine and pumping water to put out a fire.The Cubs enjoyed the dragon apprentice ride, the driving academy, where they earned their own driving licences and tried the new Atlantis submarine voyage, an underwater ride complete with amazing, real sea creatures and Lego models.

“It was a great day out that everyone enjoyed, from the youngest Beaver to the oldest adult. The young people had a wonderful time and everyone tried something new,” said Group Scout Leader Louise Madden. ”It’s thanks to the leaders, and especially the parents, who gave up their time that we were able to run the trip. I think they had as much fun as the kids!”

The trip, organised by Bath District Scouts, was partly sponsored by National Express who provided the transport for the day. A similar event three years ago saw more than five hundred local members travel on a chartered high speed train to a theme park in Devon. ]]> default 2012-03-14T18:42:00+01:00 http://www.bathscouts.org.uk/news/pivot/entry.php?id=69 http://www.bathscouts.org.uk/news/pivot/entry.php?id=69#comm Ethan, Tom, Josh and Simon all from Bathampton Scouts, have just returned from an action packed trip to the 22nd World Jamboree in Sweden. The three Scouts were part of Avonsaurus Contingent made up of 36 Scouts from across Bristol and Bath. Simon was a member of the International Staff team which helps run the camp. All of them had been selected 18 months ago and then trained for this prestigious event that is only held every four years. They joined 4,000 other Scouts from across the UK and 34,000 others from nearly every country in the world for two weeks of activities, fun and making new friends, camping on a former airbase just outside the village of Rinkaby in South Sweden. The UK Scouts flew first to Denmark for three days in Copenhagen for sightseeing and a massive party with live bands. From there they went onto Sweden for a week of activities including a mini camp with Swedish Scouts, events based around global development, quests, people and the environment. The Scouts saw adventurer Bear Grylls – the UK’s Chief Scout – abseiling onto a stage during the opening ceremony to present the World Scout Flag to the Swedish Scouts. The King of Sweden also attended speaking to many of the Scouts and camped one night with them. The Jamboree ended with a large concert and the band – Europe playing ‘The Final Countdown’. The Scouts then flew on to Lisbon in Portugal for a few days staying in a Scout HQ, exploring and resting on the beach. Ethan said of the Jamboree ‘ This was a once in a lifetime’s experience, there were more countries represented here than at the Olympics’, everyday I met someone new and tried a new activity, one day I made nettle string and another day I tried the Finnish Sauna.’ 69@http://www.bathscouts.org.uk/news/

They joined 4,000 other Scouts from across the UK and 34,000 others from nearly every country in the world for two weeks of activities, fun and making new friends, camping on a former airbase just outside the village of Rinkaby in South Sweden.

The UK Scouts flew first to Denmark for three days in Copenhagen for sightseeing and a massive party with live bands. From there they went onto Sweden for a week of activities including a mini camp with Swedish Scouts, events based around global development, quests, people and the environment. The Scouts saw adventurer Bear Grylls – the UK’s Chief Scout – abseiling onto a stage during the opening ceremony to present the World Scout Flag to the Swedish Scouts. The King of Sweden also attended speaking to many of the Scouts and camped one night with them.

The Jamboree ended with a large concert and the band – Europe playing ‘The Final Countdown’. The Scouts then flew on to Lisbon in Portugal for a few days staying in a Scout HQ, exploring and resting on the beach. Ethan said of the Jamboree ‘ This was a once in a lifetime’s experience, there were more countries represented here than at the Olympics’, everyday I met someone new and tried a new activity, one day I made nettle string and another day I tried the Finnish Sauna.’ ]]> default 2012-03-14T18:39:00+01:00