Diary Dates

While this newsletter has been produced before the District centenary camp, most of you will not read it until after the event. I hope that the camp is everything you hoped it would be and that the hard work put in by so many pays off, and the young people have a wonderful and memorable time.

Don't forget that attendance entitles all campers to the Join-in-Centenary camp badge. These are available from Lesley at the Store for £1 each.

Warrants Sub-Committee - Joan Burgess

Congratulations to the following leaders who have now had their full warrants approved:

Suzanne Bouchard, CSL 2nd Morden 
Susan Gales, AGSL 6/12th Mitcham 
Daniel Sanders, BSL 13th Wimbledon

5 Provisional Certificates have been issued and also 13 Worker Certificates.

All Groups have been informed of warrant reviews but so far only two Groups have responded.

Training - Brian Beckley
Please note that, as it is a very busy year for Scouting, there are NO modules planned from May to September 2007.

A 'Getting Started' course is planned, Modules 1, 3/4, 6 for late May early June.  All Provisional warrant holders needing these modules will get a letter inviting them to the training.  If anyone else wishes to do this training they should contact me.

19 - 21 October, Module 16 at Frylands Wood Campsite.

First Aid Training:    Contact Janet Drinkall for information and booking.

Gilwell Park are running various training events. Full information can be found on www.scouts.org.uk/adulttraining.

Some Modules are available on DVD or CD ROM. (Module 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12.)
More Modules will be added during the year and all will be advertised here in 'LINKS'.
Anybody can do or revisit any module and is welcome to apply.

How to apply :
a)If you are revisiting the Module as 'ongoing learning', apply via GSL to Local Training Manager.
b)If you already have a 'Training Adviser' please go via that Adviser to the Local Training Manager.

If you have any questions or queries or need application forms please contact either Joan Condon or me, your Local Training Manager. 

Group AGMs
Please ensure that you notify Eric Hayward of the date of your Group AGM.

Thank you to everyone that attended St Georges Day Parade, the weather was great and so was the turn out. 

Centenary Camp - Sunday 6th May.  The coaches will be at  Morden Park Swimming Pool car park at 10.30AM - Please be on time and make sure that all Beavers bring their CONTACT SLIPS on the day, as this will act as their coach ticket.

Just a reminder - Some Groups will need to bring Two changes of clothes with them.

Next Leaders Meeting will be the 23rd May.

7 Aside Football competition - This will be held on Sunday 20th  May at Raynes Park High School, details were given to all Groups who attended St. Georges' day parade, others have been posted.
I have lost 2 of my regular referees for the event this year and so I need some replacements. If you know of anyone who would be willing to do this job, please give me a call and let me know as soon as possible. The closing date for entries is Friday May 4th (you can enter by post, e-mail or phone call). The draw will be made at the next CSL meeting on Wednesday May 9th. NO ENTRIES ACCEPTED AFTER the 4th, although entry fee can be paid at CSL meeting.

Athletes Badge Testing - Since Sutton arena still can't come up with any dates, I have managed to book an alternative venue, the playing fields in Grand Drive (opposite the demolition site of the former St Catherine's school) i.e. between the junction of Cannon Hill Lane & Southway. It has been booked for Friday June 8th from 18.00 - 21.00 and it would be helpful if you could let me know at the CSL meeting or by e-mail how many cubs may attend. I will also need leaders to volunteer to run the various bases!

Thank you to Dave Hodges for chairing the last Troop Leaders' Meeting as I was very ill in bed with Bronchitis, unfortunately no one volunteered so he had to take the minutes as well!

Since my last report a few of us had a good time at the County Night Hike at Boiderhirst which was put together in the final week by a composite team from across the county led by Ian Newbery.  Thank you to all who dropped off teams, allowed partners to stay overnight, helped to organise in advance and those who helped out on the night; all at short notice!  The competing teams thoroughly enjoyed themselves and this could not have happened without all of your help, a really big thank you.  For full results see the County website.

Our last District activity was the 5-a-side football, organised by the 23rd.  It was March 25th at Power League in Norbury (the old Nat West ground) and the weather was great!  Again out came the garage tent and the bacon and sausages and the cups of hot tea.  A huge thank you to Laura and her helpers, this kept us going from 10am until 2pm.  There were some 11-a-side adult matches being played on the grass pitches and the 23rd made a good profit from their catering.  As this event had not taken place since the merger and we thought the 16th had the trophy and did not attend we were a bit stuck for the presentation.  Power League came to the rescue and donated a trophy to the District to present.

We had 8 teams taking part and again at Les' suggestion we ran a league over 3 pitches - it was non stop especially for the referees!

In 8th place was the 8th Morden 'B' with 1 point.

7th was the 1st Morden with 4 points.

6th was the 14th Wimbledon with 5 points.

5th came the 1st Lower Morden with 7 pts.

In 4th was the 13th Wimbledon with 12 pts.

The 23rd Mitcham came 3rd with 13 points, the 6/12th came 2nd with 16 pts and the winners were the 8th Morden 'A' with 19 pts.  The full league table will be posted on the website.

Thank you so much to Dave Suckling for helping with the scoring and being the announcer yet again! 

For those who like to plan well in advance, the event went so well Gary has already booked the same venue for the 9th March 2008; this will avoid Mothers Day and the Easter Holidays, so put it in your diaries!

Preparations for the camp are still ongoing. We have approx 50 Explorer Scouts attending for the whole weekend, with several coming down for either day. We are looking forward to a great weekend.

It was a privilege to see 25 out of 32 Queen's Scouts at Windsor last Sunday. The Explorers from the Wimbledon Unit made up their own contingent at the parade. Very well done to them all and thanks to their Leaders for their support and encouragement. This is the highest training award in the movement and should be the aim of every member.

Preparations are underway for various summer expeditions: watch this space.

Thirty-four Queen's Scouts from the County were on parade at Windsor on Sunday 22 April, and were reviewed in glorious sunshine by HM The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.

Meanwhile, other Scout Network members attended the various District Parades, including Royal Kingston where the County Scout Network standard was carried by Gemma McNair and escorted by Ed Hackett and Sean Weston. Many of our Queen's Scouts (and King's Scouts) over the years will be attending the 'Muster' at KCS on Sunday 30 September.

Earlier in April a team of six successfully completed a four-day expedition in the Derbyshire Peak District as part of the Queen's Scout and Duke of Edinburgh's Gold Award. The weather was fantastic giving good visibility in what is generally very difficult and featureless terrain. The next opportunity to undertake the expedition section of the Awards is in the Lake District from August 26 until September 1.

Further information can be found on www.glswscouts.org.uk/network. There is an online booking form for registration, and the deadline for this is May 18.

Also in May a group will be heading for Poole Harbour and Brownsea Island, a trip we have done twice before, with lots of activities, a night camping on B.P's original campsite, and a special investiture ceremony for new Network members.

We shall be staying at Bethesda in Snowdonia over the weekend of 7/8 July when we spend Saturday in the mountains and the following day undertake the MS Challenge, a fundraiser for the MS Therapy Centre in Sutton. A team of twelve will carry Alan Spiller, the Manager of one of the Blacks stores and who suffers from multiple sclerosis, in a wheelchair around a 10 kilometre course in forestry near Capel Curig. If anyone would like to be part of this please contact the undersigned. Donations by way of sponsorship would also be much appreciated.

GLSW Scout Network polo shirts and scarves are available from myself - details on request. 

Thank you to all members who helped out on St George's Day, I believe it went very well.

An enjoyable, if sometimes a frustrating, evening was spent at the Beetle Drive!  Many thanks to Jean for organising.

We have a few events coming up over the next few months.  If you are interested in a Sunday walk, on 13th May, please let Rob know by Tuesday 8th May.

Keep Saturday 9th June free for our Summer Meal and on Saturday 21st July we hope to hold our annual B.B.Q.  Later in the year, Tuesday 18th September is a formal meeting when, no doubt, Bill Walden will provide us with an intriguing speaker!

David Gould is trying to arrange visits to a local Fire Station and/or the House of Commons.  When we have any definite dates and details we will let you know.