Turner Prize here we come...

This evening scouts took inspiration from Andy Goldsworthy and their imaginations to the river to create some environmental art.

Invertrossachs Camp - Balfron, Drymen and Killearn Scouts

(click for a larger version)

A couple of weeks ago the Scouts went on a joint camp with Drymen and Killearn Scouts. It was great to meet some other Scouts in the area. We seemed to have the whole of Invertrossachs to ourselves and  made the most of the place.

Two of our leaders now have bellboat skipper permits so they took us out on the water. We also did some bivoacing, walking and of course all enjoyed the food and campfires. 

Go-Carts

Over a number of weeks we've been working on our go-carts. We've taken old wheels, bits of wood and a lot of power tools and been carefully constructing some great go-carts...there's even one made out of an old wheelie bin.

This week we finally got to test them out, down the Ballindalloch driveway. It was dark by the time we got to race, but that was even better with our head-torches on.

Scouts Christmas show

As an end to our term the Scouts entertained us with their various talents. We were treated to a show of some great musical abilities, on the bagpipes, piano, violin, guitar and tenor horn. We had a group of scouts telling jokes and another group doing a "dance" number involving tin trays and some sore heads.

Then, as a finale, and inspired by the recent panto we went to, there was a very funny version of the Twelve Days of Christmas involving cans of irn bru, lost front teeth and squirty cream.

Well done to everyone who took part or acted as helpers and the cheering audience on the night.

Bonfire night 2017

Our annual Group Bonfire night event was a great success again this year. We had around 70 Beavers, Cubs and Scouts, and even the odd Explorer came along to help out.

The bonfire was the best we've had, the guys that the Beavers had made seemed to almost explode as soon as they were put on the bonfire, the "hot dogs" were definitely the best ever after the Cub leaders decided to go for real sausages!, and the fireworks were better any previous year, mainly because it seems you get three times the fireworks if you buy them a few months before bonfire night...and we haven't even mentioned the glowing light-sabres that replaced the glowsticks this year.

All in all a great success. Thanks to all the leaders for organising and particular thanks to the Traffords for the use of their land and to the Fords for the parking area.

Visit to FADS

This week we went to visit the Fintry Amateur Dramatic Society where they are in the middle of rehearsing for this year's panto - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. David told us all about the plays the put on, the competitions they have won and showed us around the stage and beckstage areas.

Then we got to act out some of the panto scenes. The photo shows six of us being dwarfs together with Owen, who is actual is a dwarf in the panto.

We had a great time and in two weeks we'll be back for the opening night of the actual panto.

Cubs Paint With Light!

Cubs Paint with Light!

It's Halloween, so the cubs made some masks tonight (no photos sorry) - and experimented with light - by using a glow stick with a Camera on a long exposure, they 'wrote' their name in the air, and the camera recorded it. Hard to explain - easy if you look at the pictures!

All of the pictures we took of the individual cubs writing their names can be downloaded from here as a pdf

To finish the evening, they ran around the hall in the dark with their glow sticks - pictures below.  If you look carefully, one cub had glow in the dark shoes, and you can see their feet in one of the photos!

Athletics at the Emirates

Having had some intense training over the past month, this week twenty-four of Balfron's scouts headed over to the Emirates Arena in Glasgow to take part in their very own Scout Olympics!

From a gruelling 800m race, a 4x200m relay and 100m sprints to long jump, shot put and high jump, the Scouts all put in a fantastic effort and have all completed the activity section of their Athletics Activity Badge.

Results of the competition to be released at the AGM next week! Well done!

Scouts Expedition Camp

Last weekend six of Balfron's oldest scouts braved the weather to undertake their expedition for their Chief Scout's Gold Award! Hiking along Loch Lomond and camping right beside the loch gave the opportunity for some (very cold) swimming with a lovely fire to warm up by the camp.

Congratulations to all six on completing their expedition and they will be looking forward to receiving their Chief Scout's Gold Awards in a few weeks time.

Balfron Cubs and Scouts at Meggernie

This weekend saw a combined Cub and Scout camp at Meggernie.

On Saturday we had an afternoon walk in the woods above the campsite -it was warm and sunny, we took plenty of breaks/rests stops on the way to the top of the hill.

The tent groups.....

And a few more .....