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Welcome to Edition 28 of Tails of the New Forest.
Let’s not beat around the bush. This month, we’ve had our first ever District Camp as the New Forest. If you missed out on the action, you can find out about it at the dedicated article on our website. And if you were among the amazing campers, there’s loads of pictures from the weekend at that same article.
Meanwhile, this month in Tails, we have a summer of events coming up and behind us, rafting, racing, surveys and chaos! For more, continue below:
What’s coming up?
Copythorne Carnival weekend
By 2nd Copythorne (Stanley’s Own) Scouts
Copythorne Scouts’ main summer community events and fundraiser is upon us with three days of activity: a carnival day, rally day for historic vehicles and a fun run.
Details on Facebook but join them on Saturday 8th for a full-on Carnival Day with events, floats and entertainments.
Sunday 9th brings a Rally of vintage vehicles and steam crafts and generally chill gathering of classic vehicles.
Finally, Monday 10th sees the Copythorne Run around the local lanes.
Sponsored 24-hour paddle
By 4th Eling Sea Scouts
Chaos Camp
By Adam Richardson and the Hampshire Scouts Chaos Camp team
After the success of Chaos Camp 2023 for Explorers, we are happy to present Chaos Camp 24 Scout Edition! This year Chaos Camp will be bigger and better than ever before, seeing live bands, discos, adventurous activities and much more! It’s an event your troop will not want to miss out on!
What is Chaos Camp?
Chaos Camp is a youth-led event for Scouts aged 10-14 from across Hampshire to take part in a fun-filled weekend suitable for all. This year we will have 500+ Scouts at Ferny Croft taking part in over 11+ activities throughout the weekend.
We will have 3 activity zones during the day including the Chaos zone with activities like high ropes and pool noodle combat, the Creative zone with activities like battle of the bands and a Survival zone including knife work, fire lighting and much more.
Key Information
Location: Ferny Crofts Scout Activity Centre.
Date: 27 – 29th September 2024
Price: £50 (+ Any additional Unit/Group costs) – this includes: camping, our amazing daytime timetabled activities, our fantastic selection of night-time entertainment, a lanyard and a badge
Sign up: via the website here – we are allowing up to 16 places per troop initially and a deposit of 50% of the camp fee will be payable to confirm the places.
Find out more
- Visit the Chaos Camp Website and sign up your section
- Download the Leader information sheet
- Download the Parent information sheet (word or PDF)
- Watch watching last year’s video to see what chaos we got up to!
Scouts Rafting Day
By Lisa Williamson, 4th Eling Scouts team
We are planning a fun filled rafting day to get Scouts building rafts and racing. Each team will have 4 scouts to represent your group with a combined age up to 48. More than one team can be entered per group but you will need to make sure that you have the materials to build your raft. Please confirm whether you have enough materials as some troops may have surplus.
When: 22nd June, 10.30am
Location: 4th Eling Sea Scouts, Testwood Lakes, Totton
Cost: £10 per team
Leaders will be available to show the raft building , However, leaders should not build their rafts for the races, Scouts will be scored on several areas on the day and must be ready to get wet. Pleases bring pack lunches and drinks for the day. Forms must be back urgently as the deadline was this week!
Fordingbridge Summer Raffle
By 1st Fordingbridge Scouts
Soap Box Derby
Polish off your vehicles, spruce up the go-carts or rope in your competitive parents if your magnificent machine is a little sub-par.
Reminders, opportunities and notices
Explorer Scout Padlet
Keep up to date with the opportunities, events and calls for help for Explorer Scouts, Young Leaders and volunteers with the Explorer section with the Hampshire Explorers Padlet. Padlet is an online bulletin board or newsletter where everything that is happening is being posted in one place so you can find it in one place – no more digging through emails!
Find the padlet at this link: Hampshire Explorers (padlet.com)
Scout Experience Survey
Every year, the Scout Experience Survey is a chance for young people, volunteers and parents/carers to have their say and let HQ know about their experience with Scouts. This help them understand what to make better.
Getting lots of adult volunteers, young people (aged 13+) and parents to complete the survey every year is so important. We’ll be sharing it on our social media this week.
Make sure you take part before the survey closes on Tuesday 18 June.
Malawi Calls for Explorers
Do you know an Explorer Scout interested in a life-changing expedition to Malawi in August 2025?
On this four-week camping expedition, they will deliver community projects in schools alongside Malawian Scouts. Participants will also get the chance to experience safari and other adventures. It’s perfect for a residential for Gold DofE and King’s Scout Award or as an international trip for the same award.
Interested Explorers can express their interest in this online expression of interest form. Don’t miss out! Sign up to find out more because we want you to enjoy this amazing trip.
Complete your Top Awards at CarFest
Hampshire Scouts have a long history of supporting Car Fest at Laverstoke Park Farm, Overton. This year we seek top awards participants looking to complete their DofE or King Scout Award residential to join us at the UK’s largest family fundraising festival.
Who: Explorers aged 16-17 and Scout Network aged 18-24 only.
When: 22nd – 26th August
Where: Laverstoke Park Farm near Overton, Hampshire
Cost: £10 plus your food and travel costs
Sign up or email Simon Appleton if you have questions.
Take part in Pride
June is Pride Month and Hampshire are leading opportunities for Explorers, Network, and adult volunteers to take part in Pride.
Portsmouth Pride is taking place on Saturday 6th July. They’re encouraging as many people as possible to attend – family and friends are invited too. For more information and to sign up, visit this form.
Public adventure Fun Day at Ferny Crofts
Looking for something to do with the family during the summer holidays? Why not check out the Adventure Fun Day at Ferny Crofts on Monday 26th August (the bank holiday). Open to the public, this event will have a range of adventurous activities like high ropes, crossbows, and the adventure course. They are also looking for volunteers to support with the activities on the day.
For full details of this event, and to book, take a look at Ferny Crofts’ website.
What’s been happening?
OK straight up, we’ve had District Camp. There’s so many pictures and so much to cover, we’ve made our own article for them on our website.
The Donkey Derby saw 4th Eling Sea Scouts and 5th Testwood join forces for the first time to bring a bigger event than ever before. Reaction from the public has been phenomenal and media coverage has been great including on BBC Radio Solent (starting 2:21:55), Daily Echo and Lymington Times.
They’ll be back next year and keep an eye out in the coming weeks to find out exactly how much they raised. A big thank you to everyone who could volunteer to help run the event – it was close at times with numbers but we did it.
The young people of 1st Fordingbridge have been very busy this month, not just having adventures and learning skills for life but also recording them all for their Facebook page. Two of our favourites, the Scouts cleaning at Hengistbury Head…
…and the Squirrels earning their Air Activities badge. There’s more from them on their Facebook page.
Meanwhile, Copythorne’s Stanley’s Own Scout and Guide band went trainspotting!?
Network is having a bit of a relaunch and got together to do something earlier this month. More pictures when we know them, but if you want in then get in touch.
Trig Pillar Hike
By Alison McGrath, 1st Fordingbridge
As part of their Community Impact project, 1st Fordingbridge Beavers have been collecting their spare change to help others.
In a project run by Kate, our Young Leader, the Beavers created their own money saving tubes and collected coins. At Beavers, they counted the money they had raised and made a trip to the local Co-op where they selected and purchased just over £100 of food and other items to donate to the local food bank.
Amazing job Beavers!
Trig Pillar Hike
By George Davy, Scout, 3rd Ringwood
On Friday 24th of May 3rd Ringwood Scouts went on a trig pillar hike. We started near Frogham in the New Forest. We saw 2 trig pillars, the first at Hampton Ridge and the second at Whitefield plantation. Before arriving at the 2nd pillar we visited the ruins of a World War 2 Air observation unit.
It was a beautiful night out in the New forest and we were treated by a field full of dear very close by. The hike finished at Mockbeggar. It was approximately 7 kilometres long in total.
Remember you can stay up to date with what’s going on on our Facebook page (/newforestscouts) or Instagram (@newforestscouts). Plus if you’re a volunteer you can be part of the Facebook group for members too.
Do remember to share your stories with us throughout the month so we can share them directly and keep having great Scouting adventures.
Lynn, Robin and Kevin.