Scouts Hike to History

Go scouts!

THE Leeton Scout troop has taken part in a hike to commemorate a piece of Australian aviation history.

On October 25, the troop completed a 17km hike in the rugged mountains of the northern parts of Kosciuszko National Park, commemorating the discovery of the wreckage of the Southern Cloud.

The disappearance of the airliner Southern Cloud on March 21, 1931 was Australia’s greatest air mystery.

The three-engined plane disappeared on a flight from Sydney to Melbourne and its wreck was not discovered until October 26, 1958.

Leaving Leeton on October 24, Scout leader Mark McDougal said 15 members of 1st Leeton Troop stayed at Base Cabramurra, the alpine facility of the Riverina Scouts located at Australia’s highest town.

After a Friday night hike and a good night’s sleep, the troop set off by car for the 25km trip to the vicinity of Round Mountain, where the hike commenced.

“We arrived at the wreck site and memorial, located at 1200metres, at 2pm and stayed for 20 minutes or so, contemplating Australia’s first air disaster that saw the loss of eight people, not found for nearly three decades,” Mr McDougal said.

“The photos of the cane and wicker passenger chairs of the cabin were particularly evocative.”

The Scout group chose the solitude of eve of the discovery anniversary to make the trek to avoid the commemorations that would take place the next day.

On the way back down, the group paused at the mountain hut of Bradley and O’Brien, a grazing hut built in the 1950s before the road between Cabramurra and Khancoban was built.

Travelling home on the Sunday, the Scouts stopped at the thermal pool at Yarrongobilly, which has become a firm favourite of the troops in any weather.

JOTI - This weekend!

Dear Cubs and Scouts,

Looking for a bit of scouting following the break?

The look no further than your home PC!

Over this whole weekend is the Jamboree of the Internet, which scouts of all ages worldwide participate in and you can too.

If you have access to a PC with internet access, either at home, a friends place or in a public place, you can participate and it's free!

JOTI attracts a large number of Scouts who make contact with other Scouts through safe Scout Operated Inernet chat rooms, MSN, email, webpages, blogs etc. You can even use voice communication on the Internet. You can take part in JOTI as a group or individually at home.

For more information and details on how to register please go to: http://www.jotajoti.org and click on Register for JOTA-JOTI.

Once you have completed that process click on the tab for Join in! on the JOTI page at http://www.joti.org/en/index.html

My JOTI email address for this event is: musca@2008.jotajoti.org send me a message!

And you can catch me online using IRC with the nickname musca, if you do, say hi!

Establish an account, chat to other scouts online, send them emails, prove you participated and there will be a special JOTA/JOTI badge in it for you!

All the best and have a great JOTI !

Musca.

Clean Up taps scouts to boost awareness

Organisers of the Clean Up the World campaign are tapping into the scout movement's 28 million members in 120 countries to boost their global cause.

Clean Up the World, a community-based environmental program, mobilises an estimated 35 million volunteers annually.

The program had enjoyed a strong relationship with the scouts for many years, Australian chairman Ian Kiernan said on Monday as he announced a new global alliance between the two movements.

"We recognise that with 28 million scouts worldwide, that this is an incredible potential source of volunteers.

"We are looking at seeing how many scouts we can get involved in the 120 countries we're involved in.

"We've had 35 million people last year volunteer for clean up the world, and hopefully with this strengthened relationship with scouts globally, we may see those numbers increase quite dramatically."

Volunteer participation had allowed the organisation to expand into broader environmental issues, including the Clean up the Climate strategy, Mr Kiernan said.

"We are able to do this because of the strength that's delivered to us through the volunteers."

Scouts Australia Chief Commissioner John Ravenhall said protecting the environment was a key part of the movement's ethos.

"We've been pretty strong on Clean up Australia and now this is a wider opportunity," he said.

"But it also gives us the opportunity to be an example to other national scouting organisations around the world."

Participation in clean up-programs was all locally coordinated by individual scouting groups, Mr Ravenhall said.

"We're putting water tanks in every scout group or scout hall in Australia, that wishes to have a water tank, so that's another commitment to the environment."

The Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector Ursula Stephens said the alliance was seen as an important step in fostering volunteer participation across the country and the world.

"Officially, 5.4 million Australians over the age of 18 volunteer," she said.

"That's around 34 per cent of the adult population and they give a total of about 713 million volunteer hours."

Supporting the alliance was an important part of the Rudd government's social inclusion agenda to encourage more volunteering, Senator Stephens said.

Avoca Beach Scouts have always been strong supporters of the Clean Up Australia Day campaign conducting this jointly every year with the Lions Club from our hall for the Avoca Beach area. We're in!

Musca.

Anzac peace prize for Scouts

The ANZAC Peace Prize, announced annually, is awarded by the RSL to ‘recognise any outstanding effort by an Australian citizen who has promoted the concept of international understanding and who, in so doing, has made a contribution to world peace.’

The RSL Anzac Awards Committee awarded the 2008 Anzac Peace Prize to Scouts Australia. 2008 is the Year of the Scout and marks the centenary of Scouting in Australia. The award of the ANZAC Peace Prize recognises the part that Scouting has played in the development of two million Australians over the past 100 years, both as individuals and as citizens.

Avoca Scouts Big International night

Dear scouts,

For those that came to our Darkinjung dreaming experience (I think most of you), I trust you had a good time, I did!

Although I am not so sure if I really can make a decent meal out of Termites, they didn't taste too bad though...

This week on the calendar is our International Night for this Thursday night (22nd May) at the hall.

Now for this you have a bit to do, after all we're scouts, we make an effort...

You must come and represent any country of your choosing, the only exception being Australia, we're all Australians after all.

You choose the country you like, it does not have to be based on your heritage, ethnicity or anything else, just one you like, interests you and can get information on, perhaps you have visited it before, which might make it easier.

For your country of choice, you must:

1. Dress in something appropriate or representative of that country. It does not have to be national dress or anything like that (although can be if you want..) but just something that is representative of, or worn in that country. But please do not dress in anything dereogative, poor taste or perhaps offensive to that country (wrapping yourself in bandages and saying you come from China is definitely not acceptable at this point in time! I think you get the idea...).

2. Obtain information in regards to that country, history, background, population, language, geography, sports etc. together with any other interesting facts, humorous or otherwise and be prepared to present it to the group. Hint, there's lots of stuff on the internet.

3. Be prepared to do a skit, sing a song, play music or entertain us in some way (follow on from our entertainment night...) in regards to some cultural aspect or otherwise of your country of choice.

4. Bring food to share that is representative of your country. A national dish, a taste of the country, something to eat. Please bring enough to eat that will contribute as a meal. We will sit down together to eat it as a meal, so bring enough for all to share. If you all make an effort, this is dinner.

5. Anything else you want to do for your country, remember, your country needs you!

OK again the rules are, all countries except Australia are acceptable. You must genuinely make an effort and satisfy all four topics above. Please, if you are not willing to make an effort and be prepared to have a bit of fun, then give this night a miss and do not come. Also do not come if you don't bother dressing appropriately for your country either.

The work above forms part of badgework for learning about international cultures, so bring your green books for marking off. Again, no effort, no sign off.

There will be a prize for the best effort made and you will be voting for it.

Note that cubs aged 10 or higher I will also be inviting so they can see what scouts do and do a bit of linking. You are also welcome and encouraged to bring friends along, again provided they follow the rules above and above all make an effort.

It will be a great night, if you want it to be, cya globe trotters!

Musca.

Scouts offer a National Amateur Radio School

Get your amateur radio licence and badge!

Scouts Australia is offering a school in Amateur Radio for youth and adult members of Scouting.

The school will be conducted in Melbourne over 5 days during the September school holidays, and hopes to attract Scouts from around Australia.

The school is modeled on a successful activity conducted in Perth last January, at which three Scouts earned their Foundation Amateur Radio License. Scouts of all ages who hold an Amateur Radio license may wear a special insignia on the sleeve of their Scout Uniform.

The idea of the school is to bring together Scouts from far and wide to learn new skills. The School aims to give participants a wide range of practical experience and on-air time as well as gaining the knowledge needed to pass the
exam.

One example of the practical application of theory at the January School was where each participant calculated lengths, cut and constructed a half wave dipole for 10 metres, then tested and tuned it using two methods, using a Transmitter and SWR meter, and by using an Antenna Analyser.

The course is being hosted by the Scout Radio and Electronics Service Unit in Melbourne, the same team who brought us the amazing ARISS contact during the Australian Jamboree in January 2007.

We’ve something to look forward to from the team that took Amateur Radio to the Jamboree.

We’ll keep you informed as the detail of the school is finalized.

Bob Bristow VK6POP

JOTA-JOTI Coordinator, Scouts Australia

Note, this information was provided by Bob Bristow, whom I had the pleasure to work with during the Australian Jamboree in 2007 in the internet cafe. Bob knows his radio stuff!

Musca.

Darkinjung Dreaming and Bush Tracker Experience

G'day scouts and cubs,

Here's an update and further details on this weekends Dakinjung Dreaming activity.

• Darkinjung Dreaming includes a walkabout through our natural bushland, discovering ancient Aboriginal engravings and paintings, mixing ochre into face paint and washing up with bush soap
• Bush Tracker includes catching yabbies, learning how to track kangaroos and wallabies, trying out real bush tucker, learning how to get water from trees and hearing about how the Darkinjung people used bush medicine

Provisional Plan for the Day

(This may change according to conditions at the park)

13:00 Arrive at park, get organised, toilet break, quick lunch (self-catered).

13:30 Darkinjung Dreaming program begins

15:00 Short break: toilets etc.

15:15 Bush Tracker program begins

16:45 Program ends

17:00 Leave park

No food will be provided (other than that which you catch or find yourself!) so please have lunch beforehand. Drinks (hot and cold) and ice creams are available in the shop if required at cost.

Please ensure you do arrive by 1.00pm sharp (we won't wait!) so there is plenty of time before the start. You can see that it is a packed afternoon of activities.

Uniform optional, but please wear your Avoca scarf and sensible clothing suitable for walking around the bush in. I would suggest good shoes or boots and a sun hat. Also if the weather looks a little dicey bring rain gear. The activity goes ahead rain, hail or shine (well hopefully not too much hail...). Also bring a filled water bottle.

Overall cost is $15 per person, so if you have already paid the $10 deposit at the meetings last week, then please bring the balance of the $5 with you. Note that only those who have paid can attend the activity, the numbers are fixed. As this is an external activity, please bring your signed permission note with you. Additional copies will be provided on the day.

Cya there, Musca.

The location is the:

Australia Walkabout Wildlife Park
2375 Peats Ridge Road & Darkinjung Road
Calga NSW
Australia 2250

Phone: (02) 43751100
Website: www.walkaboutpark.com.au

Here's a map: