Summer-Term 2010 (2nd half) - 3rd Billericay Scout Troop Orion

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Kestrels are Top Patrol, Summer 2010!!!

The Kestrel patrol have done it again, and they have won the Summer term's patrol competition. Very well done to the Patrol who have excelled themselves a second time. They have stayed at the top for two whole terms!
Can they make it three for three? Find out at the end of next term.

Kestrel: 1149
Cobra: 930
Bull: 772
Seagull: 648

9th-11th July 2010 - Thriftwood, Weekend Camp.

This week the troop had a weekend camp at the Thriftwood Campsite. The weather was glorious, and we all had a great time. The patrols each had a separate site where they cooked their own meals over open fires.

The Outdoor Challenge Well done to the 12 of our Scouts who earned their Outdoor Challenge badge:

Henry
Edward
Charlie

Joseph
Cameron
Matthew P

Jennifer
Nathan
Harry

Miles
Matthew W
Lincoln

Ben, patrol leader for the Cobras has earned his 35 nights away badge, he is the first in the troop to get this award, and holds the troop record for the most nights away.
The challenge is now out there to be the first to get the 50 Nights away badge.

Every patrol did extremely well, and the leaders and our camp guests were impressed with the standards shown. A special mention goes to the Cobra patrol, who worked with such good teamwork they demonstrated the best characteristics of a Patrol unit.

Six of our Scouts were singled out for recognition...

Tom - for leadership
Henry - for cooking for 9!
Charlie - for skills shown in the activities

Nathan - for working hard.
Cameron - for Scouting skills
Ben G - for helping younger Scouts

Click on the pictures to see more photos from our camp.

2nd July 2010 - Preparation for Camp.

Tonight we continued our preparation for camp. We packed a rucksack, built a 'tip-tap' camp gadget and practiced fire lighting.

Cobras earned bonus points tonight for Ben's firelighting skills.
The Kestrels and the Seagulls made a formidable team, and won the Ladder race with style...

This weeks challenge, for 10 points

Continuing our Global Challenge theme, this weeks challenge comes from Japan.
This type of puzzle is called 'Sudoku' and is now very popular all over the world. You have to fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 smaller square contains all the numbers from 1 to 9.

6
	7
		1

		9
		2
6

1		3
4
	5

3		5

1

4
	6
		7

		2

3		8

4
		9
5		2

		5
1
3

7
	6
		9

15 bonus points for the Kestrel patrol!
Peter was the first to solve the puzzle and wins 10 points. Luke also completed the puzzle and earns 5 points. Click here to see the solution.

27th June 2010 - Water Activities & High Ropes Day

Six of our Scouts took part in this years Water Activities day at Grangewater. They all had a great time, as can be seen from these photos.

25th June 2010 - patrol Challenges, and 4 way Football

4 way fishing

All four patrols managed to 'fish' each item, so all scored maximum points.
The blindfold attempt was also a four way tie, with all patrols running out of time!

Global Challenge - guess the country

Well done to Kestrels, for guessing the most countries.

1^st: Kestrel - 50 points
=2^nd: Seagull - 30 points
=2^nd: Cobra - 30 points

Four way football match

Seagulls, Cobras and Bulls all win 10 points for coming joint first in the 4 way football match.

Henry made such a superb effort with his tent peg whittling tonight, he earns 10 Bonus points for Bulls.

This weeks challenge, for 10 points

We had so much fun canoeing two weeks ago, that it has become very popular. So popular in fact, that there isn't much room left to paddle in the lake, and Scouts are getting blocked in!

One of the Scouts, in the green canoe (below), needs to get out in a hurry. Unfortunately his route to the exit is blocked by other canoeists.
Can you help clear a path so that he can find his way out?
The canoes move backwards and forwards only. (Use your mouse to drag them around the lake).

Luke was the first to free the green canoeist and wins 10 points for Kestrels. Peter also managed to complete the challenge and gains another 5 points for Kestrels. Well done Kestrels.

Move the canoes backwards and forwards to free the green canoe

18th June 2010 - The Chopstick Challenge

This week we begin working on the Global challenge. The Bulls and Seagulls made contact with some Brazilian Scouts over ScoutLink. Meanwhile the Kestrels and Cobras practiced their knife skills, whittling tent pegs, in preparation for camp.
Each patrol practiced using Chopsticks, and chose their Champion for the "Chopstick Challenge" Luke, Jack, Ben and Charlie bravely took up the chopsticks to see who could get the most Rainbow Drops from one bowl into another within one minute.

1^st: Kestrels - 50 points
2^nd: Bulls - 30 points
3^rd: Cobras - 10 points

This weeks challenge, for 20 points

It's a rollover week. Last weeks challenge is still open, but now worth 20 points. Nobody has managed to solve it.
Jerome earns 5 points for Kestrels, with the best attempt so far. UPDATE: puzzle now solved

Looking for the answers to the Knotting challenge? - click here

11th June 2010 - Canoeing

This months Essex Challenge task is to take part in a water activity, and the troop had a great time with the district Canoeing team. They learned some new skills, played some games on the water, and even tried to break the record for the most Scouts in a canoe. They were doing really well until it sank!

This weeks challenge, for 10 points

You find yourself back in the strange room you were in before. There are three other people here with you. One of them is a Scout, who you know is trustworthy, and never lies. The second is a second-hand car salesman, who is incapable of telling the truth, and the third person is a Gambler, a professional bluffer who could lie or tell the truth.

Person A says: "He is the gambler." (pointing to person B)
Person B says: "No, he is the gambler." (pointing to person C)
Person C says: "That's rubbish. He is definitely the gambler" (pointing to person B)

Your task is to figure out which person is the Scout, the Gambler and the Salesman.

20 bonus points for the Cobra patrol!
Ben was the first to solve the puzzle and wins 20 points. Click here to see the solution.

3rd/4th June 2010 - Expedition Challenge

Over the half term break, 4 Scouts from our troop, with two more from 6th Billericay completed the expedition for their Expedition Challenge badge, working towards their Chief Scouts Award.

They began their quest at Coalhouse fort, East Tilbury and followed the river Thames westwards to Tilbury Fort, where they had lunch, and explored the fort.
They then crossed the Thames by Ferry to Gravesend, where they used local transport to make their way to Hopehill Campsite, Meopham. There, they set up an overnight camp and cooked their meals over an open campfire.
The evening was complete with the sacrificial burning of a teddy bear, and then a wide game, 'Capture the Neckerchief'
The next day they took the reverse route back to East Tilbury, where they collapsed in a heap! Tired but happy.