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En Nyhed: Term 1 - 2006

GROUP LEADER

 Having being invested as GL on 25th October I certainly hit the ground running. This report will highlight just a few of the things our group has been involved in since the last newsletter.

Cubs and Joeys appeared in the Messenger Newspaper for a promotional article on the Southern Community Christmas Pageant, Leaders and two Joeys attended the City of Onkaparinga Christmas Party which was organised for children in the care of the minister, the Cubs gave a report on the flooding of the Onkaparinga River on the ABC 891 Peter Goers radio show, we have had great attendance at the OACNET meetings and training courses, we had a fun sailing day at West Lakes, a Cuboree and also the presentation of awards to Kookaburra, Kangaroo and Akela. The PNSS 2005 calendar ended with a very enjoyable Pageant and fun day BBQ (a very wet one thanks to the Rovers) back at the hall.

It was my privilege to attend a dinner at the Arkaba Hotel on Saturday 29th October to celebrate the attainment of the Queen’s Scout Award by Chris Gariyasa. Chris gave a speech to 60 people including some of the top brass of Scouting about what the award means to him, what he had to do to achieve it and what he will do in the future. Well done Chris, it was wonderful to see our Group represented as well as your personal achievement. Congratulations also to all those who helped Chris along the way, parents, friends, Leaders in Scouting. Chris was also recently nominated for an Onkaparinga Young Citizen of the Year award another feather to his cap.

I was also pleased to attend Government House the following morning to witness Chris receiving his award from the Governor of South Australia. Another proud moment for Chris, his family, friends and PNSS.

We also had chance to catch up with Akela, Alan Baker and his proud family. Alan was awarded the Silver Arrowhead Award for outstanding service.

Gillian Gariyasa, Assistant Joey Scout Leader also received her certificate of Merit award. Well done everyone.

I would also like to congratulate Pete Beaumont, Dingo, on being awarded The Diploma of Leadership and of Business, being one of two of the first to receive the award in South Australia.

Between Christmas and New Year many people were involved in the Beach Ramp roster and I would like to thank everyone for their assistance with this fundraiser, it made the co-ordination a breeze. I don’t think anyone will mind me giving special thanks to Koala, Lesley Burge who attended a massive 18 sessions on behalf of the Rovers and the Group. The committee agreed that the Rovers would be financially rewarded for their efforts in this fundraiser on account of their huge contribution which amounted to 25 out of a possible 55 sessions, thanks to all those who participated.

2006 has got off to a flying start with great representation of Leaders, Parents, Committee at the Australia Day Breakfast at Ramsey Place, it was my first one, once again the Rovers managed to get everyone wet with what appears to be the obligatory bottle of water down the back (and front) of the shirt. Given the weather that day it was most welcome. Not only did we get to work alongside Rotary we had fun and earnt some funds too. Thanks also to Rovers for selling raffle tickets on the day.

LEADER UPDATE

The Group is very lucky to have such an exceptional leader team. This year the PNSS leader team will be complimented by some additions.

I am pleased to say that Chris Gariyasa, Kangaroo, will become an Assistant Joey Scout leader. Amelia Pickard, Possum, will become a Part-time Activity Leader (PAL) in the Joey Section.

Lesley Burge, Koala, will become an Assistant Cub Scout Leader and she will continue to help in Joeys.

John Kalaitzis will become an Assistant Cub Scout Leader. Bill Murray will continue in the cub section this term but will become a scout leader in term 2 where he will be joined by Kerry Green and David Wisecamp who are Rovers.

All the leaders have a heavy training calendar this year, with basic skills, campcraft, first aid and basic training to mention just a few. Don’t mention the workbooks!

Given the commitment of the leader team to undertake this training in their own time, often on weekends, it is imperative that families get involved in the valuable work of the committee and fundraising.

NEW NOTICEBOARD

You will see a notice board in the foyer area of our hall, this will be used by the Committee, Group Leader and Section Leaders. Members and their families can also use the board but before doing so can you please give the notice to the Group Leader. Thanks to Emma (Rover) John Eldridge (Committee) Frank Wendland for the wonderful paint job and getting it up on the wall.

NEW MEMBERS and LEADERS

Our Joey Section is thriving in member numbers, leaders and helpers, well done team, keep up the good work. This term the section will say goodbye to 4 members who will go to Cubs.

It has been a turbulent time for the Cub section in the last few months with leaders leaving. Akela, Alan Baker, was thrown in at the deep end and has kept his head above water. However he has been thrown a line, in addition to the new leaders he will also be assisted by 2 adult helpers, Danni and Brian Nansen. The Cub section did a wonderful job of decorating our patrol boats for the pageant last term.
This term the section has an interesting program and they will be working hard on badge work. Go the Cubs. Or Scout section has been put into recess again this term due to a number of factors. With only 5 registered members in term 3 last year and only 2 regular attendees, it was felt this term should be used to focus on how we will get our scout section back on track next term. There will be a series of meetings over the coming weeks to plan link work for cubs going up to scouts next term and a recruitment drive for new members. As said above the leader team is already focused and raring to go.

Of course there is always room for new members and leaders so if you know anyone who may be interested please take one of our flyers and ask them to contact the Section Leader and/or Group Leader. If you are able to put a flyer in your car window or on a notice board at work or your local post office then please let me know so that we can co-ordinate our publicity. If you have any thoughts on how we can promote our group to encourage new members or leaders please speak to me.

We have a lot to do as a group. We need to deliver great programs, promote our group, serve the community, develop our members and have fun doing it all. We can all play in part in doing this.

Tracey Kalaitzis Group Leader

How to support your section leaders

WANTED

Committee members to help with group planning, finances, decision making, publicity, fundraising, once per month for approx 2 hours, come on give it a whirl, interested person please contact GL or Chair. Put a note in their wardroom trays or give them a call.

Hall Hire

Please note our hall is still available for hire to members please contact Sam Bickley for enquiries.

Uniform pool co-ordinator

For a number of years Melanie has co-ordinated the uniform pool, she is looking for someone to take over this role this year. We need someone to be able to open up the cupboard (at times to suit by appointment) to assist families with second hand uniform, to keep a inventory, balance the books and make requests for items. If you would like to volunteer for this job please let Tracey know.

Communications

Please keep looking in the window and also the new notice-board for updates, calendar, newsletters and committee minutes.

Are you getting enough information? Is there anything you need to know more about? Please let Tracey know, a note in her wardroom tray, an email jewts@bigpond.com or a telephone call 8327 2836.

Joey Section Report

I'm afraid that nobody took up the offer to write a few words for the newsletter so we have no report this term - perhaps next time? Our program is on the notice board if you're interested. Dingo.

The members of the Joey Section would like to thank David and Kerry Mableson of Australian Discount Trophies for their support of our section (“Joey of the Term” Name Plates) .

CUB REPORT

Last term the cubs worked on earning their Arts & Craft badge. In earning this badge they painted decorations which were then strung together. They also painted some canvas murals. There was a lot of creative input for the decorations, such as Mickey Mouse and Santa surfing, a giant octopus, a yellow submarine (a bit of Beatles’ influence there?) and many other different items. These decorations along with the murals were then suspended from the sides of the boats when we took part in the Beach Road Christmas parade, sitting in the boats with the Joeys.

We also took a hike to Pingle farm, one of the original settlements of the area, and found out a bit of the early European settlement history of the area.

The last night saw a combined meeting with the Hackham Cub pack, starting off with activities at Port Noarlunga Beach, a short hike to the Jubilee Playground and then supper there.

In this term as well was the Cuboree, the theme being different worlds. Lots of activities were attended and lots of fun was had by all, with possibly the Jelly wrestling being the most enjoyable of the lot.

We welcomed five Joeys to the pack, to do their link work, and will be investing them this term.

Akela

ROVERS

Rovers currently have 11 registered members, with 2 more filling in the correct paperwork and one more linking. We still have very little money to talk of but our fun keeps on going.

We started October with a 4WD weekend over the long weekend. Where we travelled to the South Australian/Victorian Border and attacked the Sand Dunes out there. This was the first trip that the 4WD’s have gone on and came home cleaner than when they left. Once entering the national park we saw very few toilets and definitely no flushing ones. We spent two days out of signal for the mobile phone and no sign of a main road either. Every one had a great time, but where also happy to see civilisation again once we started heading home. We had no major hick ups, the only thing that really went wrong was one of the 4WD had a flat tyre but we got it changed and then got on the road again.

The following weekend eight of us went up to the Armstrong Airfield, where we got to fly a plane. We had to avoid the weather most of the weekend as it the weather man thought about raining for most of the weekend but thankfully very little fell through the day. We spent Saturday sitting around a bon fire and then Colin (one of the instructors) informed us of the wombats that were in the area, so off we went in to cars to see how many wombats we could spot. We discovered that wombats go plod plod over the hill plod plod plod (joke that the rovers will understand). Seven out of the eight of us went up for a fly were we got to actually fly the plane, and half way through Colin turned off the engine and then we got to glider and sore like the eagles. Those of us that we lucky enough actually got to see some eagles while we were in the air.

We started November with a day at the Slot Car tracks a Ridgehaven, this time most of the crew attended. We ended up with some very good drivers and then some who just liked to go really fast and see how long they could stay on the tracks at full speed. Those of us that hadn’t been before learned that there is a lot more to Slot Cars than just pushing a trigger and watching the cars go round and round in circles.

A few weekends later we had the crew go in two different directions, some attend mini golf and same attended the Rat Island Sailing race. Let’s start with the mini golfers, who went down to West Beach again and had a good old time, with pot luck holes in one and some very near misses. The sailors had a great time, they completed the race and were all sunburnt when we all met up for tea at Pizza Hut for all you can eat.

At the start of December we had a day planned where we were going to take the Noarlunga district venturers to St Kilda but it wasn’t until we got no response that we realised that it clashed with a branch venturer camp. We still we though as a Crew and acted like a pack of kids for a few hours and were all tried out when it come time to leave. On departing St Kilda the boys and girls went there separate ways the boy went and played air hockey and other games at intensity and the girls went out to lunch, then onto Plaster Fun House were some very interesting characters where created.

Then we had the Christmas pageant and Funsablies. To the Christmas pageant we had Father Christmas, his favourite elf, his Christmas tree and his three Christmas puddings attend. The rovers walked up the front holding the section flags, the group flag and a group banner, while the kids rode in the two boats behind us with the leaders and parents that walked with us handing out our groups contact details. Our pudding hats were mention by the commentator as we passed him by. We spent the whole pageant mucking around with the Noarlunga theatre group who where dressed up from the Viking era. Then it was on to Funsablies at the hall, some of the Rovers melted over the BBQ cooking the meat for the families to eat. Rovers also pull out a Rover size slip and slide and all the kid both big and small had a fantastic time. I think we went though all the detergent that was in the southern suburbs.

We attended the Hackham junior Rugby quiz night, where we came last even though we were trying our hardest. But we got out of the night what we wanted, which was new ideas for our up coming quiz night (on the 08/04/2006).

Next was to bring in the new year in style, so what did we do? We had tea at Fasta Pasta, then onto the Port Noarlunga Pub and then onto the hall to sleep the night. A lot of the girls got very dressed up for dinner it was good to see them in something different to the normal jeans and t-shirt. On to the pub where we couldn’t get our hands on the pool table and the games where out of order so all we could really do is drink and play the pokies. We ended up back at the hall to bring in the New Year where we had hundreds of glow stick, party poppers and sparkles going off. We also got to see a lot of the fire works that went off in the local area. Some people were in bed not long after the New Year sound and some stayed up to welcome the first sun rise of 2006.

We have a lot of thing coming up; we are hosting a branch water activities day at West Lakes in a hope to get more crews to the Regatta. We will be attending the Compass cup (cow racing instead of horse or dog). Some of us will be attending a first aid course and some of us will also be working at the Jacobs Creek Golf Tournament. The main thing for the first term is the Regatta so we are going to be doing a lot of rowing practice to prepare.

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