Another great year for Cub scouting For Testwood’s Discovery and Endeavour cub packs. Since the last AGM the cub packs had grown considerably and at the last census Testwood had the most Cubs in the district, a true testament of the great work and effort put in by all its leaders to ensure a fantastic fun packed program. Looking back now it’s hard to believe we had concerns regarding Endeavours numbers. Both packs are thriving. Numbers have shrunk over the year as we have said goodbye to our older Cubs who in the main have gone on to Scouts and hopefully enjoying all that part of their scouting journey has to offer.
So, what have we been up to? Last summer which now seems so long ago we went off to Bristol for summer camp A fantastic week of fun in the sun, well nearly despite an amazing summer we managed to pick the wettest week but it didn’t damping our spirits. We went into Bristol hunting for Wallace (No not Kerie) and Gromit statues which saw us taking a nice stroll around the historic docklands of the city, visiting museums and other places of interest in this fascinating city. We filled the ferry that would take us back to where our minibuses waited 2.5 times. We also went cycling in the Forest of Dean a 10-mile cycle that I’m sure Mike Symanski and Lee Trueman will not forget in a hurry! But great fun with some of the cubs trying out some of the more adventurous sections of the ride as we went. At one point we had a cub try to ride up a lamppost. Well I think that was the aim! The sun did come out for Hawaii day that saw us all in board shorts and loud shirts, making ice cream, BBQing and the campfire.
Parent and Cub camp took on a very magical feeling after receiving owls and letters on their doormats cubs and parents came out to fernycrofts for camp, where we played quidditch, rafted on the black lake, made and duelled with wands, and took part in a potions class. Where the spell to set off the crofts fire alarm worked a treat.
Last camp of the year was the ever-popular Christmas sleepover, where all but a few cubs attended meaning a very packed hall, but amazing fun was had and of course another fantastic christmas dinner and for the first time this was all cooked on site thanks to our amazing new kitchen.
Our programme has been jammed packed with some awesome activities that have seen the cubs earn lots of badges, highlights include Spy Night, helping 007 stop the bomb! The pancake restaurant which saw us hand over several large crates of food to the local food bank. We redesigned coffee tables which I’m sure are pride of place in the houses they now reside, we also have had Nerf wars, tomahawk throwing, backwoods cooking and fun visits to rock up in whitely and the Lymington lido.
In May this year a small contingent went to Cubjam. Once again this proved a massive hit with the cubs who went. The days were filled to the brim with exciting activities and evenings filled with laughter at the Nightly discos. We represented Nepal at this world themed camp and our Yetis looked amazing.
We are looking forward to even more fun in the year ahead starting next week with a sleepover at Chessington world of Adventures alongside other groups in the district. We are off to panto this Christmas, then in March we have Parent and Child camp this time the theme is a Galaxy Far Far Away…. Wolf camp is back which will see cubs camp under tarp shelters. Summer camp is also booked and sees us return to Walton firs a section favourite, for another exciting week of Olympic themed fun.