beavers – Page 2 – 5th Beckenham South Scout Group

We’ve not been able to do bag packing for the 5th this year and that normally brings in over Â£1,000 so this is very important for us. We don’t get money from the borough, from the government or anywhere else… we have to raise every penny that we spend and we either spend that money on boring stuff like utilities and insurance or cool stuff like go karts, archery kit etc! Nothing is wasted.

Term draws to a close

By Chris Elmer

On July 20, 2012

In Beavers, Cubs, Explorers, Group, Scouts

Let’s keep the last post of the year simple.

Thank you to everybody who ran everyday adventure for our young people.
The leaders who turn out each week, who plan and who train to earn qualifications.

The people in the background who build, paint, drill, saw and help us grow.

The paperworkers who let the leaders do the fun stuff while the subs are collected, gift aid completed, accounts audited, finances recorded, waiting lists managed etc.

Thanks to the parents who trust us with their kids and who budget and save to send their kids away with us.

Finally a thank you to our beavers, cubs, scouts and explorers who make The Fifth one of the best groups in the district.

We are careful with your money

By Chris Elmer

On July 6, 2012

In Beavers, Cubs, Explorers, Group, Scouts

The Fifth has doubled in size in 10 years and, to match the growth, we have had to buy an awful lot of kit. We welcomed girls in 2007 and that meant we needed more new tents, toilets and changing areas. We are careful with your money and we shop around for months to find the best deals for The Fifth. How about some examples?

We hate waiting lists

By Chris Elmer

On June 25, 2012

In Group

Do you know what the worst job for a leader is? It’s telling kids that they can’t join the group.

Click the image to see our growth since 2002

We refuse a couple of kids per week and we hate it. Our waiting list is not something to be proud of. It doesn’t show how succesful we are, it just shows that there are dozens of kids who don’t have the benefit of all the fun, friendship and adventure that they deserve.

We know this. We do our best to get as many kids in as possible. Â We’ve nearly doubled in size in ten years.

We could open a new beaver colony, cub pack and scout troop tomorrow with the numbers on the list. Isn’t that awful? we have just taken 8 kids from the list into cubs and that gives us 165 youth members but we have another 96 kids aged from 6 to 14 who want to get in.

Have you seen this? It’s rather good
[youtube clip_id=”cOM1n22XyHA” height=”” width=”640″]

We’ll keep trying to grow. We’ll keep recruiting adults and we’ll keep offering everyday adventure to as many kids as possible. Â For now, click on the tab marked links at the top of the page and you can choose to see the waiting list policy on there.

Seven years under canvas with The Fifth

By Chris Elmer

On June 22, 2012

In Beavers, Cubs, Explorers, Group, Scouts

How about some facts and figures? Camping is the best thing that we do in scouts and we recognise that with badges for the young people as they move through the sections.

2,464 nights away among our 155Â under 18s

That’s nearly 7 years away.

Between the cubs scouts and explorers:

only 5 young people have not been on a residential experience with us (and of those 5, 3 joined this term)
all the explorers have been on a residential.
I don’t include the beavers in this bit because they have 12 who do not have nights away badges but Badger and Squirrel have a sleepover planned next month