February 2010

Dear Parents

Weybridge 1^st (Brooklands Own) Beavers Scouts Newsletter

Please find below some information regarding our Beaver Colony as we settle into 2010.

Oatlands Fair/Tug of War

The Oatlands Fair is on May 8^th this year and our tombola stall is a big fundraising event for our Group.  We will ask for help on the day nearer the time but, for now, please put the date in your diary and keep bringing in empty, clean jars and ‘bits’ to fill them.

In case you were not already aware, at the Fair the Beaver Colonies in Weybridge compete in a Tug of War competition.  In the weeks leading up the competition, we take the boys to the park to get some practise.  Last year it really helped when some of the Fathers came along to help teach the boys Tug of War.  If you, or someone you know, would like to be involved in one or more of the practise sessions, PLEASE step forward.  Despite our best efforts in last year’s competition, we were thrashed!

Thank you for the helpers’ support

Thank you for all of the support I have been given in keeping the colony going.  The parents who have stepped forward to help plan and run a session have been fantastic!  I’m sure the boys have been coming back fired with enthusiasm.

Many thanks too to our 3 young leaders, Andy, Matt and Helena, who come most weeks to help out with the sessions.  We are most grateful also to Meriel, who has volunteered to help this term, after seeing our local advert for help.  We hope the boys have charmed her enough to keep her coming back!

We have all of the sessions planned up until Easter but, if you feel you have a ‘session’ in you, PLEASE step forward.  Also, if you or someone you know has a connection with an organisation that would interest the boys, please let me know (police, St John’s Ambulance, Brooklands Museum, etc, etc).

Uniform

After the half term holiday, Richard Wilson, our Group Chairman, will be conducting a uniform inspection.  Just to remind you, the boys should wear navy blue trousers, their blue sweatshirt, the group scarf and woggle to the meetings.  As the boys move on to Cubs and Scouts, pride in their uniform becomes more important and we would like to start them off from a young age.

If you have any uniform you no longer want, we would gratefully receive it to start a second hand uniform facility to raise funds for the Group whilst embracing the ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ ethos.

Milk bottle tops

A Scout Group in Surrey has put out an appeal to collect plastic, milk bottle tops to help raise £10,000.  The money is being raised to fund a communication device for a young girl with Cerebral Palsy who is unable to speak.  The device will enable her to ‘have a voice’.  We have decided to help her by collecting the tops too.  There is a poster up in the Scout Hut explaining more and, should you wish to help, please bring in any clean, plastic milk bottle tops and we will arrange them to get to her.

Sainsburys / Active Kids vouchers

On February 17^th, Sainsburys will be issuing their Active Kids vouchers once again which enables organisations to buy equipment to encourage physical activity amongst children.  Needless to say, our boys are already fairly active (!!) but we would love to get them more equipment… free of charge!  There will be a prize for the Beavers in the lodge that brings in the most vouchers by July.

Thank you for your fundraising last year

With the money you all raised last year, we are pleased to say we have now been able to fund some much needed repairs to the Scout Hut.  These will take place over the next few weeks and include replacing a roof over the ladies toilets, repairing leaking down pipes and replacing the floor in the Hut entrance which had become unsafe due to broken tiles.  Without your help, we would not have been able to fund this, so thank you.

Recycling

We are still collecting old phones, printer cartridges, electrical gadgets etc and this month the donations amounted to almost £70 for the group.  Not bad for waste!  Please keep bringing them in.

Beaver sessions start at 5.45

Finally, just to let you know, I usually arrive at the Beaver Hut at 5.30 to prepare for the week’s session, get resources ready, write up notices and meet with the other adult helpers.  The actual Beaver  session doesn’t start (and we are not insured in the Hut) until 5.45.  It would be greatly appreciated if the boys did not arrive until 5.45 to enable myself and the other adult helpers to do this uninterrupted.

With kind regards

Becky Lewis

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