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Chatline—Issue 14
THE CHATLINE
Dec 2010/Jan2011
Editorial: The end of ovember saw the start of the big freeze and December brought the
snow which transformed the landscape into fairyland and thrilled the children and sledge makers as
every child wanted a sled to hurtle down the nearest incline. It did make life a little more tiresome for
the adults who couldn’t depend on transport to keep appointments, etc., but, by and large, everyone
survived and most events were held with reasonable participation and success.—including our
Explorer’s Winter Camp at Linnet Clough (fantastic), pantomime trips for Beavers and Cubs, our very
well attended and excellent Carol Service at St. James Church, the last of the Fellowship Christmas
Dinners, and the cheerful EC Christmas Reception (at which we were treated to an excellent slideshow
presentation from a couple of the Explorers who took part in the Kenya Expedition). Please keep
checking out our web page as their full report will be published as a supplement to this issue.
Finally the last presents were bought and wrapped; Christmas and Santa came; we all ate too much and
had barely recovered when, suddenly, it was time to celebrate again with
fireworks, friends, and family to raise a toast to the ew Year.
So may I wish each and everyone of you a very healthy and happy ew
Year full of good Scouting and with plenty of new opportunities for
_____
___________________
Other otable Forth- GEORGE CARMAN - 1919-2011
coming Events Sadly, our District President ‘went home’ on 23 Jan 2011. Always a
good Scout who will be truly missed and remembered by us all.
Gang Show rehearsal JAN 6
Gang Show Cub “ 7
WSAS 10
Beaver SC
Pack SC
12
13
DC’s BIT
Troop SC 17
EC 18 Many of you will know that our District President, George Carman, passed away on 23 January
GSL/ADC 19 2011 in the Borough General Hospital on Sunday after a short illness. Our thoughts and
District Camp Site 20 condolences go out to his wife, Dorothy, his son, Peter, and his daughter, Jennifer, together with
ESL Meeting 24 the rest of the family.
Appointment Board 26
Nat. GSL/DC Conf. 5
George was born in September 1919 and took out his first scouting appointment (Assistant Scout
FEB
Gang Show photo call 6 Master) in 1938 after his time as a Scout and Senior Scout with his first Group, the 7th
Gen Scouters Council 8 Warrington, then sponsored by St, John’s Church on Wilderspool Causeway. This was the start
DHQ Management 10 of George’s seventy two years with our movement.
Cub Craft Comp 12
WSAS 14 He held warrants as a Group Scout Leader, District Scout Leader and Assistant District
EC 15 Commissioner (Scouts). In the 1970’s he left the leadership role and joined the District
Expl Swim Gala 20 Executive Committee, which, at that time, was responsible for the whole of Warrington until the
Beaver SC 2
District split into East and West. George continued on the Warrington West Executive and held
MAR
Expl Joint meeting 3 the position of Vice Chairman and then Chairman. In 1992 he became our President, the
Troop SC 7 position he has held since then. George has also been involved with his local Group, the 4th
EC 8 Warrington, for many years and he was also their President after holding leadership roles with
CS Awards (B&S) 9 them.
Pack SC 10
Gang Show all-day R 13 In 1994 he was awarded the Silver Wolf, out highest service award. This is the unrestricted gift
Gang Show 16-19 of the Chief Scout awarded for service of the most exceptional nature.
Gang Show Party 21
ADC/Dist Team 23
Dragnet 26-27 His wife, Dorothy, and his family have asked me to pass on their thanks for all the kind
Race the Dragon 27 comments and messages of condolence they have received. We will miss his knowledge of our
ESL Meeting 28 movement, his advice and his sense of humour. Above all, George was a real ‘Gentleman’.
Tony
Chatline - Ed 14 Page 2
ew Year Resolutions!
Thought about your New Year resolutions yet. How about adding one
or two new games into the Troop meeting programme; or making sure
that each Patrol has a minimum of four weekend outdoor activities or
camps planned into the spring/summer period.
Here’s a game you may not have tried before: Cable cars
Equipment: A piece of string about twelve feet long and a table tennis ball per
Patrol.
Preparation: The piece of string should be tied to form a loop. The Patrols are
set out as for a relay race, with the exception of the Patrol Leader who should
be standing about six feet away, in front of his Patrol and facing them. The loop
of string is out from the Patrol Leader to the first Scout in his Patrol: the table
tennis ball (cable car) is placed on the cable (strings) at the Patrol Leader’s
end. By raising or lowering either ends of the strings the car’s direction and
speed can be controlled.
The car must travel from the Patrol Leader to his
assistant and back again without falling off the ca-
ble. The next Scout then takes over and repeats the
process with the Patrol Leader (the car may be held
on while the change-over is being executed). The
Patrol Leader keeps his position throughout the
game. If the ball drops off it is replaced immedi-
ately on the end from which it set off from last.
DO’T MISS OUT
Warrington Gang Show (16th to 19th March) - Booking forms are out with all Groups and Units, so make
sure your section gets their seats booked as soon as possible. This is particularly true if you wish to attend the
Saturday matinee performance. Initially you can book a block by contacting th Booking Secretary, Margaret
Goodhew. This should be confirmed and the tickets paid for as soon as the final numbers are known. Margaret
can be contacted on 01925 816032.
District Camp (8th 20th July) - Your Group or Unit has a form to register your intention to take part in this
event. Please see that you have sent this in to Tony, our D.C. Plans are well underway for exciting pro-
grammes for each Section. The first General Meeting for those attending District Camp will be on Tuesday,
29th March, but the organising committee needs the indications from attending Groups and Units to allow them
to estimate numbers. Post your form to 525 Stockport Road, Thelwall, Warrington, WA4 2TH or email to
tony@[Link]
Don’t forget Valentine’s Day, Feb 14th !!!
Chatline - Ed 14 Page 3
ANNOUNCEMENT: This is your newsletter - so please send us your latest
ote comments, information, complaints, jokes, photos, ideas, drawings, or any-
thing else you wish to share with the rest of us. So! …...what have you, or
This edition of Chatline in- your lodge, pack, troop, unit, been up to lately and what bright new events are
cludes our huge KENYA you planning for the coming year??????
Supplement. Be sure to
check it out and read all Don’t wait to be asked: write in, email, text, pick up the phone, or call round
about what our Explorers got for a cuppa with whatever items you have to go into the next issue.
up to in Africa
TRAINING: New training dates for 2011 have been issued. GSL ’ s were given training date
packages at the January ADC/GSL meeting. If you are due any ongoing training check out what ’ s
on offer and get yourself booked in while places are still available.
Calling all S.L’s and A.S.L’s : Started planning your programmes for Easter,
district and summer camp yet? How about getting a bit of rope weave pioneering training
into your Troop programme and make some unusual and aesthetically beautiful structures
and gateways. The rope weave, or to use the French name ‘paraboloide hyperbolique’, is
eye-catching, graceful and looks far more complicated than it really is. The ‘4BH-PH’ on
the next page was given as a first project to a group of six 12-14 year old scouts who
completed the whole project in under 3 hours with only minimum help from a leader.
Once Scouts grasp the basic principle of the rope weave, they can usually think of ways in
which it can be applied in Patrol and Troop camping. Flagpoles and gateways are the best
examples: a rope weave flagpole would be an attractive centrepiece for any camp site,
while nothing could be calculated to impress a camping competition judge more than a
delicate and well-made gateway to a Patrol site.
A rope weave flagpole requires only a few items of special equipment; at least 2 poles,
which must to set at an angle to each other in the finished project (some suggestions for
pole combinations are given overleaf); digging tools, a hammer, half a pound of wire fence
staples; a ball of sisal or similar string and lashing rope. An old groundsheet to pile dirt on
and a tape measure are useful but not essential.
Our six scouts were left almost entirely to their own devices se we could discover the problems involved in
erecting what is really a simple flagpole. Several points arose which would apply to any rope weave project.
Siting: the ‘transparent’ nature of the rope weave means that it will blend in with any countryside and would
not look out of place on a hilltop or against a dark hedge. Nevertheless, the site should be chosen with care to
gain best advantage from the changing shape of the parabolic curves when seen from different angles.
Digging: guy lines of any sort will ruin the effect of the rope weave project, which means a bit of spade work!
Any upright poles must be dug firmly into the ground.
Staples: by placing the staples at different distances apart on each pole, the shape of the curve can be varied.
There should be an equal number of staples on each pole. On our flagpole, the staples on the vertical pole were
six inches apart, and the staples on the other two poles were three inches apart. This is where a tape measure is
needed.
Stringing-up: the poles should be loosely strung together on the ground, using continuous lengths of string
which can be tightened once the poles are firmly in place. On our flagpole there were three parabolic curves,
each made with one continuous length of string.
Erection: can require a lot of muscle, since the poles must be held in place while the holes are refilled and the
earth tamped down
Tightening: May need to be redone, depending on the weather.
Pioneering engenders teamwork, discipline, skill with knots and lashings, a good dealk of fun and a sense of
real achievement. But, remember, it should be the Scouters who get cold from doing nothing. Adults should
only act as safety checkers, heavy lifters, fountains of knowledge and cooks—and provided the Scouts have
learned their knots and lashings in the Troop room there should be little else for the Scouter to do except
shiver!
Chatline - Ed 14 Page 4
Chatline - Ed 14 Page 5
WARRINGTON WEST SCOUTS EARN COMMUNICATOR’S BADGE AND
NOW HOLD AMATEIR RADIO LICENCE!
Three Scouts from the 28th Warrington and one from the 21st Warrington gained their amateur radio licence recently
by completing the foundation course and passing an exam in conjunction with the WARC (Warrington Amateur Radio
Club). They now have their very own call sign and are licensed to speak on their own radio. Any Scouts from other
troops who are interested, should contact P. Houghton at the 28th Warrington Scout Group for details. The Scouts
themselves found it had a degree of difficulty but very interesting:-
Editor’s note:
Congratulations to the Scouts on
their achievement.
Also glad to hear that Albert Heyes is
still helping Scouts with the Commu-
nicator badge, as I can remember in
the ‘long-ago’ when Albert and John
Hughes at the 10th Warrington were
instrumental in bringing their exper-
tise in this field to many Scouts. In-
deed, the 10th had their own ‘radio
shack’ and , even today, I think I can
remember their call sign as G3WSG.
The WSG stood for Warrington Scout
Group. Somewhere in the mists of
antiquity I still have photos some-
where of the 10th Scouts in their
‘radio shack’. Must dig ‘em out one
day.
I am sure their newly found skill
will enable these Scouts to have a
lot of fun when JOTA (Jamboree
on the Air) comes around, and
they will also make new friends in
countries around the world. How
good is that!
Well done! [Link].
Chatline - Ed 14 Page 6
A FEW PICTURES FROM 2010 x
Scouts on the go! Chain Gang—(or passing the buck(et))
Where was the RSPCA? A prize for the best caption sent in for this pic-
ture! And can you guess who it is?
OW FOR 2011 !
Easter,
District
Activi-
&
ties
Summer
Mingle
Crafts
Always knew that Explorers were really
just big Beavers!!!
Ex-
Climb- plorer
ing
Austria
Canoe-
ing
Sum-
Voices in fine fettle at a great show. OUR
GANG!
