The Jamboree unit has already enjoyed its first Unit Camp at Beaver Lodge in the Forest of Dean (inside due to the sub-zero temperatures!). This was the first overnight event as a unit, so very exciting and a great chance to meet new friends. 

29 teams of 3 took part in the first County Rifle Shooting Competition since 2002.  The event was held at the Shurdington Scout Headquarters on Saturday 13 February.  Targets used were standard Bisley and the range was at a distance of 8 meters (with 6 rifles being used).

Shooting was to a very high standard, with Haberpakka Explorer Scout Unit's A Team winning with 249 points from a possible 300, and Maggie shining out as best shot of the day with her highest card marked at 48 points out of a possible 50.

For four days during the February school holiday a group of five Scouts from Nailsworth went back packing in the Black Mountains.  They had planned and prepared their own route cards, menu and equipment and did their own shopping, then travelled by train to Abergavenny.  From there the walked over the hills to Llanthony, where they camped, and then continued on along the hills to Hay-on-Wye.  The next day they walked to Crickhowell, to their final campsite. 

They enjoyed frosty mornings, snow capped hills and cooking their food on trangia stoves. Why not consider travelling by train or local bus service to the start of your next backpacking expedition?

At the end of February nine teams from across the Stroud and Tetbury District came together for the District's Ready Steady Cook competition.  Each team chose a bag of ingredients at random and had to produce two tasty courses from the contents. 

A team made up of Scouts from Cranham and Wycliffe Scout Troops came first, while Nailsworth Scout Troop and St Rose's Scout Troop came joint second.

22 Scouts and Explorer Scouts from across Gloucestershire assembled for the IT Staged Activity Badge in February. Hard work paid off as they left the weekend with a total of 31 badges between them (stages 1, 2 or 3), and everybody getting at least one. 

Twenty five young Scouts and one Explorer spent the evening of Friday 26 February at Shurdington Community Centre with eight Leaders leaning about planning a day walk in the hills and preparing route cards for the following day. After a night spent at the centre, we left early for the Black Mountains. We arrived at Mynydd Du in good weather conditions and set off in our 5 groups around our circular route, three groups clockwise and two groups anti-clockwise. The routes took in the Chwarel-y-Fan ridge and the main ridge of the Black Mountains including the summits of Pen y Gadair Fawr and Waun Fach, the latter at 810 metres, the highest point in the Black Mountains. Weather conditions proved very variable with cold, wet sleet through to beautiful bright sunshine and conditions underfoot varied from wet bog to patchy wet snow so several of our very young party were very glad of their spare, dry clothes back at the minibuses.