Wrington Guide Units

Rainbows have been very creative this term making friendly, sparkly snakes to hang in their bedrooms along with a door hanger to put on the door of their bedroom to let people know if they are in or out at the moment. In the hall they have decorated their board with an autumn hand tree with all the rich autumn colours - it's looking good, girls.

1st Brownies have been on brownie camp to Nether Stowey and the theme of the weekend was Ice Age with a trip to Tropiquaria were the brownies had a chance to have their photo taken with a snake.

Lynda Figg and Sheelagh Sale have decided to take a break from brownies after a combined 30 years of dedication to 1st Wrington Brownies. It will be hard to fill their shoes, as I know the girls always had a varied, fun packed programme with great pack holidays. However if we don't find two
adult leaders to take on the unit then sadly I will have to suspend the unit from Christmas. If you are or wish to become a leader and help and support this unit and have some fun yourself on a Wednesday evening for an hour and half then please do contact me, as it will be a real shame to tell 24 brownies that brownies on a Wednesday is no more.

2nd Brownies - have been doing their star gazing badge with a stay over at the hall followed by a trip to @Bristol, fun was had both by leaders and the brownies. With the winter nights drawing-in the girls have decorated their board in the hall, with a great display of fireworks and bonfires - it's very impressive.

Guides - it's been another jam packed term with a variety of activities for the girls, from making jewellery, team building activities in the hall, a circus themed evening that the older girls arranged and ran as part of their work towards gaining the Baden Powell Challenge Award, wide games in the Rec, to a Halloween capers with a pumpkin full of blood and guts for the guides to find a treat or two. We also have been fortunate to go to Wembley for the Big Gig, which is a national guiding event where all the girls go to a concert. This year we went to see performers such as JLS, Alexandra Burke, The Saturdays, and Scouting for Girls. It is something special to see 15,000 girls all wearing some flashing
headgear and even more to hear the screams when JLS came up on stage - my ears are still ringing!

After reading this and hearing what fun we get up to on Monday and Wednesday evenings, would you like to be part of this? Join in our fun and become a Unit Helper or Leader with one of our units in Wrington, call me on 01934 861118.

Paul Badman
862481
Group Scout Leader

for the Yeo Explorers, adventuring through the Alps - quite a challenge.

The expeditions involved the usual walking and climbing but this year also a new skill for many of us - via ferrata (a mixture of walking and climbing where you clip yourself to cables to avoid any nasty accidents).

Thirty-one of us went this year, including seven leaders, and everyone had a great time despite walking further, higher, on more difficult routes and for more days than on any previous camp.

We flew into Milan and crossed the border on foot the next day. We had two main 'base camps'; the first being a campsite in a village called Saas Grund, near the well known resort of Saas Fee, on the Swiss side of the Swiss -Italian border. The second base was an international (and slightly scary) Scout campsite in Kandersteg, a couple of hours on the train from Saas Fee and Saas Grund.

From these two campsites we made several expeditions of different styles and difficulty levels to suit the different abilities of group members.

Many of the trips involved staying overnight in mountain lodges; typically Swiss buildings which seemed very luxurious compared to our tents.

We climbed about five mountains including Aletsch Glacier, the longest glacier in Europe which a group of our older members conquered towards the end of the trip and which required a whole new set of skills and equipment, such as crampons and ice axes.

My personal highlight would have to be the via ferrata course which challenged (and at times terrified) us all, but made for some amazing memories.

All the Explorers would like to thank everyone who made Switzerland 08 such a success, and I would especially like to thank Tony Harding and Andy Hutchins.

Jess Cox                                                            ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

    Group structure & History

UNITS

Prestow Beavers (6-8 yrs) Thursdays
Mendip Beavers  (6-8 yrs) Fridays

Yeo Cub Pack     (8-10/11 yrs) Tuesdays
Wring Cub Pack (8-10/11 yrs) Thursdays

Scouts                  (10-15/16 yrs) Fridays

Rainbows             (5-7yrs) Wednesdays

1st Brownies       (7-10½ yrs) Wednesdays
2nd Brownies      (7-10½ yrs) Mondays

Guides                  (10-15 yrs) Mondays

Group Scout Leader
Andy Hutchings

Group Chairman 
Peter Endicott