North Face Explorers - some of our past activities

Thursday 10th January 2008 : New Year resolutions

The meeting started with District Commissioner May Burrows awarding some Scouting Centenary badges for those who had taken part in Centenary camps and the Scouting Sunrise ceremony. We then divided into four groups, each of which was commissioned to design the Scouting logo to be in use at the time of the Bicentenary celebrations in 2107. The undeserved winners then received their prizes!

Then it was time to make New Year resolutions, whether we liked it or not… and some did not! We started by sitting in a circle and each person had to give their resolution and also remember what everyone else in the circle before them had said. We then swapped seats and volunteers attempted to go through the list without being prompted by who sat where.

Then Lettie got us all to write down a resolution unseen by others and we had to guess whose was whose. The leaders joined in as well. Whose was whose then?

to have more fun
to cycle more often
to go to more maths lectures
to find a resolution
to stop writing rubbish

to roll my sea kayak in cold water
to lose weight and work on my handwriting
to get up early to cycle before school
to spend more time sleeping
not to make any pointless resolutions

Thursday 17th January 2008 : Skiing at Hillend

Three Explorers and three leaders went skiing at Hillend. There were no severe injuries though at least one Explorer was seen to fall over. The main damage was to the fashion-sense of the Explorers who had wear helmets on the slope. Some of the leaders were glad to be able to improve their skiing and manage to stay on the ski tow.

Thursday 24th January 2008 : First Aid

The Explorer Scouts were split into three groups, in turn visiting three bases. The first with Lettie, involved resuscitating a scary-looking young lady by the name of Annie. The second had us bandaging each other and curing hicoughs. And in the third, we killed off Alan, who had electrocuted himself with an electrically-charged kneckerchief.

Thurs 31st January 2008: First Aid take-two

We started off by an investiture in which Lewis and Euan became the latest Explorers to join the North Face Unit. We then divided into two groups, one of which continued with first aid training and assessment for the Emergency Aid badges. The other comprised two Explorers who were going to camp the following weekend and three helpers. It could be said that three helpers was a little excessive but this, and the fact that the room in which we were practising pitching the Vango Delta was a little small, added to the hilarity. Those working on first aid completed Stage 3 of the Emergency Aid badge.

1st - 3rd February 2008: District Explorers Camp

Two Explorers and two leaders from the North Face Unit joined in with a host of Explorers and leaders from SMESU to celebrate Up Helly Aa.

Thursday 7th February 2008: Chinese New Year

Alan had a selection of Chinese Lai See packets, each containing good fortune (or not). We divided into two teams and each in turn picked a packet which contained a challenge. The winners of each challenge got to pick the next packet. Challenges included performing a tap dance duet or singing a song as a choir, giving a one-minute lecture on Chinese medicine or the Great Wall of China, writing and performing a limerick on a Chinese theme, and transporting a member of the team from one end of the hall to the other in an original manner. A team that had collected five packets got to choose one of two packets with money inside. It was a dead heat and both teams ended up with money, with which they could buy snack bars.

Mop and David then brought in the Chinese food (prawn crackers and Chinese pancake rolls) — but luckily we were not forced to drink chrysanthemum tea!

Thursday 21st February 2008: Housekeeping

We arrived and Alan explained that we had some housekeeping to do! First, we sat and did his job, filling in the activities that we have done this month so that he could put it on the new website [and here it is!]. We then played a few very rough games and it was a miracle that everyone left the hall under their own steam and no-one had to be stretchered away!

Thursday 28th February 2008: Micronavigation

We arrived (mostly) ready for the outdoors and set off in two teams towards Blackford Hill, stopping en route at Nile Grove to practice counting our steps. We then proceeded to the main entrance to Blackford Hill and, using compass bearings and pacing, wound our way up to the aerial compound. The team with Alan and Jenna became slightly disorientated towards the end, while the team with David and Lettie, despite going off in the wrong direction, ended up at the right place... but then David knew where the right place was!

Thursday 6th March 2008: Climbing at Ratho

A small group of Explorers met at Ratho and had some fun on the climbing walls and in the new scramble room. Several Explorers and leaders now have permits allowing them to supervise two others climbing and belaying on top-roped climbs, which should mean that we can do more of this in the future.

Thursday 13th March 2008: Expedition plans

We started off with David showing some slides of the Kandersteg Iinternational Scouting Centre and the activities that can be done there. Bill Reid, our church contact for Morningside Parish Church came along and watched what we were doing, speaking with some of the Explorers and leaders. There followed some discussion on what activities we would like to do when we go to Kandersteg in the summer. The most popular ideas were an overnight expedition to snow and ice climbing and a day of Alpine climbing — and David went away to book these. Alan then showed the slides of the Italian expedition in 2006, which brought back some happy memories for some.

Thursday 20th March 2008: Easter egg hunt

We met in the Hall, though didn't set off quite as quickly as we might as we had to wait for one further Explorer who was 'on his way'! We then set off to the Hermitage and walked along the track before being led up into the woods by Alan. After being given the boundaries of the 'nest' we set off on an Easter egg hunt, though in this case we were collecting CDs which were to be used as 'egg tokens'. Once everyone was exhausted from the activity, though only a fraction of the CDs had been found, we set off back to the hall. Alan then auctioned off his tub of Easter eggs, one, two, three or four at a time, for CDs... and then for other Easter eggs. Everyone ended up with enough chocolate to keep them going till next Easter!

David closed the meeting, mentioning that it was Alan's last meeting as Explorer Scout Leader. n a few words, he promised that he would come back and see us on a regular basis... and, of course, he is going to Kandersteg as well!