For 2017/18 report I’ll stick with last years opening line: It’s been yet another busy year for St Davids Scout Troop.
Early in the year we decided we would plan and run a summer camp on Rum, as leaders we thought this would be a great quiet escape from the noisy world of Tech…..Then 15 Scouts decided to join us. At least we can still escape the Tech while doubling the islands normal population for a week.
This year the troop has achieved its Bronze level youth approved award, this reflects the level of youth engagement we have in the running of the evenings and planning of our program. We have also seen our nos rise over the year to our current 19 Scouts.
At the Scouts request we have spent the current year building on the basic scout skills, this kicked off with the Master at Arms badge completed with the support of a leader from Cowdenbeath Scouts and has continued with more camping, navigation, first aid and knife and saw. A couple of our highlights this year have been watching the scouts preparing fresh fish to serve up Masterchef style (although perhaps not standards), competing in the district camping competition along with designing and creating their own Hoodie for the troop.
The Scouts have been looking at the local community and their opportunities to get involved, a team from the troop joined others from the group and took on the challenge of clearing snow at the local primary school during the “Beast from the East”. Our Scouts have completed a number of camps this year including; Troop camps, the Big Badge camp at Fordell, Sub zero camping in Dec and Feb, Sleepovers in a trampoline park and at an underground bunker and what is becoming a favourite – Hammocking.
Our Summer camp is fast approaching so thoughts have turned to this next adventure. While out on Rum our older Scouts will be completing their expedition challenge award bothying at Dibdril. We also have some project work planned to support the island community trust maintaining the infrastructure that gets erroded by tourism and working with SNH to support habitat management and the red deer management.
Our goal at St Davids Scout Troop continues to be to provide our Scouts with the opportunity to learn new things and skills (and put them into practice), while staying safe and having fun doing so. If we can get this right then we as leaders have done our job for the Scouts.
A great vote of thanks to all of our leaders and helpers for making sure that the Troop can continue to move forwards.
Yours in Scouting, Keith Wood, Scout Leader, St Davids Scout Troop, 48th Fife.