Welcome to 1st Egham

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Welcome to the web site for the 1st Egham (United Church of Egham) Scout Group.

This site will be developed in the coming weeks for parents to keep abreast of planned 1st Egham Scout Group activities, download documents, sign-up for events (coming soon) and keep up to date with our latest news.

Please feel free to add comments to the site, or Contact Us if there’s anything you’d like to see or if you have any questions we’ve not answered here!

Skips Christmas Present List

Our Scout Leader Skip has compiled the following list of items that we think any Beaver, Cub or Scout would love to see in their stocking this festive season.

Pen knife

A really useful piece of kit that we teach the Scouts and older Cubs to use legally and safely (and how to deal with the inevitable nicks!).  Please make a judgement as to the maturity of your child before buying.  There are lots available, personally I like the classic Victorinox Fieldmaster and Huntsman knives (with posidrive screwdriver / corkscrew respectively).  They come in a range of colours and can be engraved when you buy them.  Keep an eye out for the first time buyer discount. For any older children (including Mums and Dads), I have used Leatherman and Gerber multitools for many years and highly recommend.

Fire lighting kit

We teach the Beavers, Cubs and Scouts to light fires without matches.  There are lots of options for fire lighting kits, but a couple that you might want to look at are this one which includes a tin for making char cloth.  Or this one that comes with a blow tube

First aid kit

Lots of these available, but these are the ones that the leaders carry for Scouts when we are away from the hall and are the ones recommended for Duke of Edinburgh expeditions [Link].  We also add in a survival blanket (bought separately).

Compass

Lots of choices for lots of different budgets and I suggest you think about how likely your Scout is to lose them before spending out on an expensive one. 

The Chinese imports [Link] have very mixed reviews and the bevels are reportedly often off by 3 degrees or so, but they will suffice for much of what we do and are about a third of the price of the Silva compass.  The Silva Expedition compass is great for beginners with a gauge to help with grid references and a magnifying glass.

The Silva classic is smaller, lighter and cheaper, but slightly less user friendly – I have used one for many years, but may not be best suited to those who are developing their map reading and navigation skills.

Knot tying kit

Great for any Scout with an interest in pioneering, climbing, sailing etc, this kit comes with waterproof instruction cards a carabiner and two cords [link].  The Scout shop also does this one [link] which teaches slightly fewer knots.

Shelter making kits

  • Poncho – Coupled with paracord, pegs and bungees, these are great for making sleeping shelters with.  They are also a lightweight waterproof that will also cover your rucksack and are fantastic for helping stay dry on theme park water rides.  Lots available, but I would recommend this one.
  • Para cord – Really useful and I still carry and use the length of paracord that I got when I was a Scout.  Lots available like this.
  • Bungee cords – They are really helpful for taking the strain off the pegs when making shelters, but I suggest you avoid e bungee cords with hooks in them, they cause a lot of eye injuries. There are loads available like these.

Bivi bag

Great for keeping you dry when you are sleeping outside without a tent.  The price goes up and down (they are often on sale for £20), but this is the one I bought for my kids [link]

Cutlery

Traditional camp cutlery, such as this [link] is great, but I am a fan of sporks that are a bit easier to use one handed.  They are available in plastic [link], but the metal ones are much more durable [link] and I would recommend would last longer.

Mess tins

Make a great alternative to plate and bowel, are more durable and you can cook in them! [Link]

Blanket

Fleece blankets are great for those chilly evenings around the fire and keeping warm in the tent.  They are also great to sow all your old badges on.  The Scout shop sells this one [link] and if you order through Shere Khan, our Group gets a rebate.

Woolly Hat

It is a myth that you loose 90% of your body heat through your head, but a good hat definitely helps keep you warm in the winter. The Scout shop does these ones [link] which look awesome and will sure keep Scout ears nice and warm.

Books – There are loads of great books available for people who love the outdoors and/or have an adventurous spirit, but these ones are good:

  • Dangerous book for boys – A classic for boys and girls from 8 upwards [link].  Lots of fun projects and interesting information
  • Lost book of adventure – One of the Scouts has this and it looks a great book [link]
  • Bear Grylls  – Firecraft & Campfire Cooking [link] – Good for Cubs and younger Scouts
  • Lonely planet kid survival guide [link] – Good for Cubs and younger Scouts
  • Food for free – A great pocket sized guide to what you can forage [link]
  • Collins Gen – Survival Guide – A much older version of this little book has sat in my rucksack on many adventures since I was a Scout.

Stocking fillers

  • Paracord bracelets [link]
  • Red light led torch – While sailing at night, we have a ‘no white light rule’ so that we don’t lose our night vision.  I use a red light torch similar to this [link], clipped to a lanyard, for when I need to see something a bit more clearly
  • First aid mask and gloves – One of our Scouts, on her way home from school last year, had to deal with an elderly lady with a badly cut leg. While we always teach that you need to use gloves when dealing with a first aid casualty, it is not something that we all carry with us.  These key rings [link] contain a CPR mask and gloves and are handy to have in school bags/rucksacks if the need should ever arise. 

1st Egham Christmas 2021 festivities

In December 1st Egham rounded off the year with a number of festive activities. From Fundraising, to Food Bank Shopping and treading the boards in the annual outdoor Nativity to Backwoods cooking for Scouts and Cubs, below are some images! Wishing all sections, our Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Leaders, parents and helpers a wonderful Christmas and happy and healthy 2022!

Science night for the Beaver Scouts

Over the autumn term our Beaver colony have been fortunate to have the support of students from The Magna Carta School who are volunteering to support the group as part of their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. At the start of December the Beavers enjoyed a fantastic evening of science experiments devised and lead by one of our volunteer helpers John (who is a former 1st Egham Scout having recently moved on to Explorers). Thanks to John (aka Dyson) and fellow DofE volunteer Krish for their support over the last term.

1st Egham Scout Group host the Scout district night hike – November 2021

On a chilly Friday night in November, 1st Egham hosted the annual Runnymede District Scout night hike under the expert planning of Bagheera and Shere Khan. Scout groups from across the area converged on Coopers Hill for a 5 mile hike taking them down to the River Thames across Runnymede and through Englefield Green, with a few surprise activities on route. On completion everyone was treated to a well deserved hot chocolate / hot dog combo! Well done to everyone who took part and thank you to all of the leaders and volunteer helpers who made it a memorable evening for Runnymede district scouts.

What a phenomenally good  District Scout Night Hike we’ve put on tonight – a most enormous thank you to Jenny Chapman & Dave, John & Connor, Mark Griffiths, Gavin McNair, Chris Boston (& Josh) Alan Robson, Charley & Andy W, Andy Sainsbury-Brown, Val Monk, Ron Allen, Tom Blackman, Alistair McCuaig, the Commander and Jon Young for your absolutely amazing help in making it all happen.

Also a very special mention and thank you to our younger helpers – Millie for assistance with the catering and our amazing casualties at the incident station – William W and Matthew R – you were all superstars.

We must also say an enormous thank you to our hosts, the fabulous people at Manorcroft United Junior Football Club.

And lastly, a very special call out to Phil Robson on devising and plotting a great route, getting all the materials prepared and ensuring it all went smoothly.

I hope that you’re all warmed up and on behalf of 1st Egham and all the Scouts who have participated (and hopefully  enjoyed tonight) – THANK YOU

Shere Khan, 1st Egham Group Scout Leader

Remembrance Sunday 2021

1st Egham Scout Group were proud to have all sections participate in the Remembrance Sunday parade and service at St John’s Church in Egham in November 2021.

Excellent parading by 1st Egham for Remembrance Sunday. Well done to all of the Beavers, Scouts, and the Leaders for their role in this fantastic community event.

Mark Griffiths, Group Chairman

1st Egham Beaver’s 2021 Group Camp experience

Following the postponement of our 2020 group camp, in September 2021 it was great to get all of the 1st Egham Scout Group sections back to Walton Fir’s Camp Site. Below is an account of the activities our Beaver section enjoyed during camp, as shared with parents by our Beaver leaders.

Image showing 1st Egham Beaver's section taking part in the Night Ropes challenge.  A blindfolded obstacle course of ropes and tires to negotiate.

Dear Parents

Firstly, apologies for the long mail and we hope that you managed to get all your Beaver Scouts up for school this morning, I know our start was a little slower than usual!


I just wanted to drop a little note to say what the Beavers got up to during camp as from experience with my own sometimes information can be difficult to get.


After a very excitable Friday evening mixed with a tinge of nerves, they made pitta bread pizzas and had them cooked on an open fire topped off with smores for pudding. A bit of a late night with lots of excitable voices pretending to be quiet in the tents although still talking at normal volume 🙂, they eventual all drifted off to sleep.


A nice early start with both tents waking around 6.30 but not leaving the tents till 7.00, they had cereal followed by cooked sausages with beans and toast to set them up for an action-packed day.


With the Scouts and Cubs off on their activities we utilised the fire pit and did some more fire building but this time using a flint and steel to light the fire, each one of them managed to create the sparks needed to start the fires. We also did some slack lining in camp which was well utilised over the duration of the weekend.


We moved on to our next activity, which was Night Ropes. This is where you hold and follow a rope around a set course with obstacles in the way blindfolded, listening only to your leader or fellow Beaver to guide you around the course. Each Beaver took their turn to lead their group so they could communicate what was coming next. After completing this they all did it without the blindfold so they could see the difference between having sight and no sight. We then did it in a time trial format setting them off at intervals to try and catch the person in front of them. This was then followed by lunch.


After lunch, the Beavers moved on to Archery where they had an instructed course in how to use a bow and arrow, all the Beavers did really well during this activity all hitting the targets set up. 


Next up was the Boulder Wall where the Beavers had the opportunity to test their strength and endurance by trying to complete each side of the boulder, which had various sized hand and foot holds to use.


After a short biscuit and drink stop the Beavers braved the Caving. Basically, it is a small man-made cave with lots of different passages and routes you can go through in varying sizes, using you helmet and head torch as your way through. When you all turn your torches off the cave is completely pitch black. The Beavers all really enjoyed the many games of hide and seek in here.


By this point we had one more activity to go to complete our extremely busy day. We finished off practising the Archery skills they had learnt earlier with some Bows and arrows (non-pointy ones!)!


Back at base camp the Beaver’s had free time on the slack line and general playing in the woods before tucking into to some fabulous spaghetti bolognaise whipped up by some of our committee members and parents followed by apple crumble on the campfire. I am pleased to say that all Beavers were asleep by 21.30 on Saturday (even sleeping through one of the loudest fireworks display I have heard) in preparation for another cooked breakfast and assault course in the morning before you came to collect them.


You should all be extremely proud of the Beavers who have overcome their first night nerves to hopefully have enjoyed an action-packed 1st Egham Group Camp (this is one of main reasons we Scout, for weekends like these). We were also told by our instructor for the Caving and Archery that our Beavers were some of the best-behaved groups he had taught all day.


When you unpack your Beavers bag it is highly likely that you will either be missing some items or have gained some items that may not belong to you. Could we please ask that you wash whatever it may be and bring it back to our next session so we can try and reunite them with their rightful owners!


If you check out the 1st Egham Facebook page you will see lots of picture’s from during the weekend from Leaders and Committee members.


Lastly a massive thank you to all the parents that came and helped, whether it was supporting the Leaders during the activities or helping the committee with the cooking or camp cleaning, camp cannot happen without this support.


We will see you all soon 
The 1st Egham Leaders and Committee

1st Egham Scout Group share our favourite hikes for Magna Carta Day fundraising

It was great to take part in the Magna Carta Day fair which returned on Saturday 26th June 2021. The group had our usual pitch outside Timpson’s on the High Street (our thanks as ever to the Timpson’s staff for being great ‘neighbours’ for the day). This year, rather than sell edible fare, we opted to share some of our favourite Scout hikes and walks in Runnymede. Grateful thanks to all those who donated on the day and picked up booklets.

You can find a copy below. The file is ready for double sided printing (flip on short edge) then collate and fold and the pages will ‘magically’ be in the right order with the text aligning alongside each map! Please note disclaimers, enjoy and remember, in the great words of Sir Ranulph Fiennes, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate
clothing!”

The first ever, 1st Egham Camp is coming!

I am pleased to invite all of 1st Eghams Beavers, Cubs and Scouts to our first ever Group camp.
 
All the details are in the attached document, including the sign up forms and paperwork, and we’re hoping that, with your support and assistance over that weekend, it will be a success!
 
 
We need to know by Wednesday 20th September in order to be able to purchase sufficient food, so please bring the forms and monies along to Beavers in the Hall (Tuesday from 18:00 – 19:00) or drop them off at Shere Khan’s house (details can be supplied if you email me!).
 
If you’r able to assist over the weekend, please see which shifts you could help with here.
 
If you do have any questions before signing up, as usual, please do speak to one of the section leaders or myself and we’ll be only to happy to assist.

Wishing all our Scouts a SUPER SUMMER

Yes indeed, we’ve wrapped up Scouting for 1st Egham for the Summer break, but rest assured, the Leaders are not stopping for long! During the Summer, we’ll be planning our Autumn schedules, getting the cupboard organised (long overdue!) and generally making sure we’re ready to kick off again in September.

We’re intending to start meetings again week commencing September 8th 2014.

Hoping all our Scouts and their families have a truly enjoyable Summer and we look forward to hearing all about it when we return.