On Wednesday 19 March 2008, Cub Scouts and Beaver Scouts from Highbury in Cheltenham went to the County Scouting Centre at Cranham to plant young trees

One of the Cub Scouts tells us more ....

"Highbury were donated five trees through the Gloucestershire 1000 Tree Project which has been working with the Woodland Trust .

So Akela, our Cub Scout Leader, told us how to plant the young trees. Akela told us to make an 'I' (slit) shape in the ground then fold back the sides dig down, put the tree into the hole then fold the sides back in upside down.

The trees we planted were Field Maple, Holm, Oak hornbeam, Sessile Oak and Wild Cherry."

Twenty three Scouts spent a great weekend at Cranham at the end of February, and took part in the Pioneer, Model Maker or Emergency Aid badge and enjoyed Cranham’s excellent indoor facilities.

The pioneers spent most of their time outdoors working with a very experience team from Middlesex who come every year.

Have you ever considered holding a joint meeting with a neighbouring group? On 29 February Scouts from Amberley, Nailsworth and Wycliffe tried this, holding a joint orienteering evening on Minchinhampton Common.

Leaders from Nailsworth planned the orienteering exercise, Amberley hosted the evening and provided hotdogs and soup for supper, while Wycliffe Leaders helped with the running of the evening.

Despite the wind and rain, over 50 Scouts turned out for the event, enjoying the chance to practise their map-reading skills and to enter a friendly competition.

From a leader's viewpoint the evening had a number of advantages:

Leaders could share ideas and pool skills and experience to benefit

more Scouts on a single occasion - and try out new ideas and suggestions together;

It was easier to run a more ambitious evening than would otherwise have been possible as, by pooling the leaders, there were more adults to make the evening run smoothly;

An evening that took lots of preparation benefited a larger number of Scouts than would have been the case if it had been run only for one group, by better use of time and resources;

It allowed Scouts to meet others from around the district.

Our experience was that the joint meeting was great fun for the Scouts

AND for the leaders working together.

If you have not yet tried a joint meeting, why not look in your district

directory to see who shares your meeting night and get together? If

you need help, support or advice on joint meetings, contact any of your District Leaders or your ADCs.

Thirty five young leaders from across the county came together at Cranham on 18 March to complete Module A of the Young Leader Training Scheme.  Just about every District in the county had young leaders attending the course.

During the evening the considered the purpose and methods of Scouting, learnt about risk assessment, were introduced to the Scout Association's Safe From Harm policy, and found out about sources of help and support.

Jack, one of the Young Leaders from Stroud and Tetbury District who was on the course, was also celebrating his birthday that day - so during the refreshment break there was also cake to enjoy!