Avon Scout County AGM 2013

On Tuesday 9th July I went to the Avon County Scout AGM at the Bath Racecourse. Amongst other things, I did some archery, blindfold cake decorating and met Amy Williams for the second time! Details of the event from the press release are shown below.

Winter Olympics gold medalist Amy Williams has become an official Scouting ambassador and her first engagement was at Avon Scouts County AGM held recently at Bath Racecourse.
Amy was hosted by Simon and Tracey from Avon Scout Network and invited to a race up a climbing wall against Alex from Bathampton Young Leaders and she also tried her hand at archery with the County team.
Williams hopes to inspire Olympians of the future  with young people often getting their first taste of sporting pursuits and adventure as Scouts. Polar adventurer Dr Ed Coats has also been appointed as a county ambassador and met young members in Bath.
County commissioner Dan Wood said: “Amy Williams and Ed Coats are incredible role models for young people, like so many of our adult volunteers. We hope many more volunteers will follow their lead and join us in the adventure.”

Centurion Challenge 2013

Between the 5th and 7th of July, I helped run the Centurion Challenge, which I successfully completed last year. My principle role was cycling up and down, making sure all the walkers were okay which was approximately a 200 mile cycle as I was going repeatedly from the back to the front and back again along the line of walkers. I also helped set up the route and campsite before the event, and helped with the monitoring of the walkers.

Below is the full write up from the event from the school newsletter:


THE CENTURION 2013 CHALLENGE 100 MILES IN 48 HOURS
……..started in front the main doors of the School at 4 o‟clock on a warm sunny Friday afternoon. The centurions, coated in sun cream and clad this in their crimson imperial purple shirts embroidered in gold, made their way down to the Kennet and Avon canal to complete the first 22 mile leg of their journey that would take them to the overnight camp at Lower Fox Hangers, our new camp on the outskirts of Devizes. By 9pm most had arrived and feasted on the barbecue prepared by our catering team of Emma Brewer, Olivia Angwin and Paul Floyd. Our cycle pursuit team of JJ, Ethan Rose and ex Beechen Cliff pupil Eliot Farmer monitored their progress under the watchful eye of Dave Brewer and Tom Moat our principle cyclists. Jack Torrance this year combined the role of Medical Assistance, health checks and the emergency collection of any of the brave 75 Challengers that had set out, but even he could not save our men from falling in unprecedented numbers by the end on the second day. By nightfall we had already lost our first
challenger to heat exhaustion. From now on our challengers were forced to constantly hydrate at every checkpoint and carry extra water supplies.

The bright dawn of the Saturday greeted our eager challengers, all keen to make haste and cover as much ground as possible before the sun was too high in the sky. Most had risen by 5 am and all were ready by 6 o‟clock for the next installment of the challenge and for over half this would be the end of the challenge. It was 28 miles to Hungerford. The first 20 flew by with such speed that some marshals were caught unawares with challengers bearing down on them out on the ever-increasing heat of the day. Jamie Forrest and Andy Seal had walked with our challengers on the first day but were now deployed in strategic locations to monitor and encourage our quick footed legion. The final 8 miles was walked in the open. The tree lined canal with its overhanging branches that had shielded our men from the full intense glare of the sun became open country side. The cool breeze of the canal became still stifling air. But our challengers marched on, sometimes losing their way in the unbearable heat, with several reporting the false dawn of church spires, willing the halfway point to be in sight but most made it. Exhausted but they had made it.

At the church of St Lawrence carnage followed . . . . refreshed our half centurions attempted to stand and restart. Moving out of the cool shade of the church yard they were brutally cut down by the intense sun light. We lost 17 within hour. Unable to make it back to the tow path they retreated to our new fleet of mini buses to lick their wounds and rest their aching bodies. They would play no further part in what was becoming a battle against the heat.

Challengers began falling at every checkpoint. Some slowed down to encourage their fellow walkers but to no avail and they too fell victim to the heat. In the next 10 hours were lost another 30. This was unprecedented in the history of The Centurion Challenge - never have so many valiant men been so brutally slain - injuries to hips, knees, and, worst of all, feet. The hard ground destroyed the skin no matter how well protected. Blisters burst through socks, bandages and even blisters plasters. Blisters formed on blisters, sweaty feet become bloodied but still a small band carried on. Some had resorted to the tactic of strapping their socks to their feet with tape to stop any rubbing. Some just toughed it out ignoring the pain until they reached camp and medical assistance. By 11:00 all had returned to camp. Some would restart from where they hand been force to stop and some had been forcibly retired.

That night a fleet of vehicles carried away the stricken back to safety of their homes. The camp was still. The laughter of the previous night had gone. Peoples talked in hushed tones. The enormity of the challenge had now sunk. To be a centurion takes courage, lots of it. That‟s why all are not Centurions.. The honour to be called a Centurion is paid for not with gold but through sacrifice. It‟s the eternal challenge of will over pain. It tests each challenger to their very limit.

Sunday morning arrived far too early for everyone. The staff were up again at 4:30am to prepare the final breakfast, bandage our band of survivors and bid them farewell on the last leg of the journey. Statistically if you have survived the first two days then you will make it home to Beechen Cliff and the glory that waits. However that does not detract from the pain that will be endured within the next 10 hours if you are to be a Centurion. One minute after the 4pm deadline counts for nothing. The coolness of the morning air lifted the spirits of our challengers and a small miracle unfolded. Some challengers started to run. Others picked up their pace too. The marshals had been briefed about the possibility but to see it unfold was inspiring. How could it be? After 78 miles our challengers could not only walk but some could run! and my how they could run. Marshals claimed new records for the passage of challengers past them. Energy bars were devoured on the move and water replenished at lightning speed. Dominic James this year arrived at school first at 10:12am. Mateo Russo followed some 40 minutes later, with Ethan Foster less than a minute behind.

Richard Stewart, Centurion Organiser said, This year was an amazing achievement. In spite of the horrendous heat all weekend that roasted our boys, they kept their spirits high and kept going. The staff, pupils and parents who help make this such a special event and next year we have plans for 100 Centurion Challengers!

Boys who participated in the Centurion Challenge:

Harry Ames, Conor McDonald, William Edwards, Elliot Norbury, Ben Black, Thomas Payne, Harvey Ellis, Patrick Osborne, Aaron Boehm, Ben Pearce, Henry Ellis, Akhilesh Pai, George Cave, Oliver Pimbblet, Conrad Hendy, Jasper Perry, Dylan Charles, Elliot Press, Louis Howell, Ross Plain, Owen Daykin-Pont, Anders Rees, Henry Hyde, Harry Potter, Ethan Foster, Charlie Ricketts, Frederick Isaksen, Henry Rawlinson, Edward Fraser, Matteo Russo, Thomas Johnson, Jordan Ricketts, Joseph Grosvenor, Samuel Watkins, Joseph Sargeant, Harry Room, James Head, Matthew Wedding, Hamish Kale, Jamie Singleton, Hugh Hegarty, Ala'a Al-Rawi, Edward Kamal, Ewan Tabram, Samuel Holburn, Jesse Armstrong, Max Kombert, Daniel Templer, Jack Holman, Nathan Bagby, Matthew Le Butt, Harry Turner, Dominic James, Edward Barby, Jack Lewis, Max Tyson, Archie Jelbert, George Bowen, Matthew Marchant, Elliot Warwick, Tom Leslie, Sam Brake, Finlay Mist, Jack Whitmore, Miles Lloyd, Milo Brosnan, Max Murray, George Wynne-Griffiths, Mark Lynch, Matthew Childs, Nicholas Natrella.

Monies raised will go to Well boring for their work with supplying water to those who need it.

Many thanks to all helpers as well because without these people who freely give up their time we would not be able to run this and other events:

Andrew Davies, Dave Brewer, Olivia Angwin, Emma Brewer, Paul Floyd, Adrienne Baker, Jamie Forrest, Andy Seal, Andy Mason, Amanda Denning, Giles Denning and Edward Kirk

Parents:
Pam Norbury, Miranda Kombert, Mary Wayne Griffiths, Matt Grosvenor, Graham Holbourn, Alison Murray Bevan , Annie Daykin, Simon Marchant, Philip Lloyd, Daryl Payne, Catherine Wedding, Helen / Neil Foster, Ruth / Mark Turner,

Present and past Beechen Cliff Students:

Eliot Farmer, Jack Torrance, Rob Sayers James Taylor, Jayakrishna Jagadees, Ethan Rose, Jack Holmes

And last but not Mr and Mrs Fletcher for the use of their campsite facilities.

Richard Stewart
Centurion Walk Organiser

NEX 2013

On 15th June 2013, Simon, some of the Scouts from Bathampton who had recently moved up to Explorers and I, attended the NEX 13 Explorer and Network event at Uphill near Weston Super Mere. 

*** Below is the district's press release from the event ***

Explorer Scouts from Inferno based on the East side of Bath attended NEX13 an annual event for the 14-25 year olds. Joining 120 other young people from across Avon County, the team enjoyed a day on the beach at Uphill near Weston Super Mere.

With lots of free candy floss, a BBQ, ‘Mocktails’, a comedy act and several live bands, the team all ex-Scouts from the 28th and under artistic direction from Simon their former Scout Leader they entered the sand castle building competition and built a stunning skull and cross bones complete with studded treasure chest filled with uncut stones.

The judges commended them for their unique style and themed entry. The winning sand sculptors still had time to enter the tug of war competition, along with members of Bath

Dragnet Camp 2013

Over the weekend, 19th - 21st April 2013, the Scouts had their annual Dragnet camp. This is where they spend a weekend camping, with the focus being on a all day hike on the Saturday, during which the Scouts are tasked with 'Operation Dragnet' and are hunted by the hunter patrol which varies from year to year, sometimes including PL's or occasionally APL's, but always, and this year exclusively Young Leaders and Leaders.

For the first year since Dragnet started, I was unable to attend the entire camp, due to the fact that I now work all weekend, however I was able to get someone to cover my shift on the Saturday, meaning I could attend the main activity.

I arrived at about 9am, just as the patrols were preparing to leave and after the patrols had headed off, we quickly followed, ambushing the last patrol almost immediately as we left the campsite.
We then drove into Marshfield and had some drinks (and the leaders had breakfast) at the tea shop where James' fiances (now wife), Hannah, worked as she was helping on camp.

Throughout the course of the day, the Scout attempted to hike from our campsite at Rock East Woodlands, to the other side of the M4, and back again without being intercepted. For the most part, they managed this despite some navigation errors and our success as a hunter patrol to intercept them.
We managed to intercept all of the patrol numerous times, with one particularly good site, at the top of a hill just below Cold Ashton.

After the Scouts had completed the hike, we returned to Rock East Woodlands for fish and chips before I had to leave for work the next morning.

Geography AS Residential

As part of my AS level Geography trip, I took part in a field trip to the south Devon coast where I took part in several investigations and collections of field work data which will help in my end of year AS Geography exam.

Below is the article Mr Moat wrote for the school newsletter which probably sums up the trip a lot better than I can:

GEOGRAPHERS LEARN MOOR IN THE FIELD
Geography AS Residential Fieldtrip to Colehayes Field Centre, Dartmoor 14th - 16th November

Last week a group of 48 AS geographers, 5 staff and one student who had flown in from Italy went down to Dartmoor to get their hands dirty (and feet wet) to put much of their learning this term into practice in the field, and test whether what Mr Brewer claimed rivers did was actually true.

The first day was spent above the honeypot site of Shipley Bridge by the Avon Dam carrying out river experiments on one of the rivers which supplies Exeter with its water. All students got to grips with a range of techniques including field sketching, velocity measuring, cross sectional analysis and presenting their findings to camera. Many students also attempted rock hopping and a few were forced to master unplanned swimming. The second day we journeyed to a small beach called Elbury Cove just outside of Exeter to examine the beach profile of this pebble beach, putting the coastal theory Mr Brewer had explained the evening before to the test. In the afternoon, we studied counter-urbanisation by examining how peoples’ desire to live in the rural idyll manifested itself in the leafy villages surrounding Exeter, with many students getting fully involved with interviewing the locals in the local cafes and pubs. That evening the students produced presentations detailing their days work which were put under the intense scrutiny of ‘The A*
Factor’ judging panel with the teachers taking on the roles of X Factor judges to provide ‘in character’ feedback to students. Special mention must be given to Yvans’ rapping skills, Mr Anstey’s knowledge of Take That song titles and to Sophie, Natalie, Poppy and Lauren for winning the hotly contested and highly prestigious ‘A* Factor’ title. On the final day, we travelled to Dawlish Warren examining coastal defences and processes at this unique and highly vulnerable location, with several students getting their feet wet in the name of geographical research. The geography staff would like to say a big ‘well done’ to all the students who put in long hours during the day and evening sessions to maximise their learning, their fine conduct as ambassadors for Beechen Cliff School, for getting stuck in to the geography at each of the different locations, and for some excellent karaoke in the buses on the return journey. A big thanks to Ms A Milland and Mr A Mason for supporting us and making the trip possible.

Mr T Moat
Geography Department

Bathampton Scouts Night Hike 2012

On the night of 12th October, the Scouts took part in the, now annual, sponsored night hike, which once again would be 3 laps of the Bath skyline walk. For the first time, Simon invited another group to take part in the event: 23rd Bath (Avonvale), from across the valley.

For the first time, the Osprey patrol (new scouts that have just joined in September) were allowed to walk by themselves which meant that the Young Leader patrol (Alex, Tom and I) where allowed to go off by ourselves and act as moving marshals.

We started by heading up, passed the back of the HQ and to the left, through Bathampton wood and alongside the university, right round until we reached the playing fields for Prior Park. We stayed there for sometime and then went back, staying at some checkpoints for a while. We were then asked to meet the leaders on the Bathampton Downs and headed there. Tom and I were asked to escort one member of one of 23rd patrols back down to the scout HQ, while Alex joined their patrol to try and get them to hurry up. After we had dropped of the patrol member, we stayed at the HQ for a few minutes until the leaders came back and drove us to the university where we got out and walked across to the bottom of the Downs where we met Alex's patrol (the last patrol left) and helped them get back to the HQ.

The event finished at about 3am and we all left the next morning at about 9am.

Bathampton Scouts Overnight Poncho Camp

On Friday 28th September, the Scouts met at Rock East Woodlands, for an overnight poncho camp. The arrived early afternoon and began by putting up one of our patrol tents as a backup in case the weather meant the Scouts couldn't stay in the ponchos.
The Scouts then went off and set up their poncho shelters, with two shelters per patrol, while the other leaders and myself set up our tents.
When everyone was done, we had a campfire for a while before in started raining, very heavily on and off. This basically put an end to the campfire, and everyone went to bed soon after.
The next morning I missed because I had to get up and leave early as I had been offered an interview at Waitrose.