On Saturday 14th July, 1st Grayshott Scout Group had a Centenary Tea party and I am happy to say that a good number of past leaders, scouts and parents joined in the Celebration. We even had a gentleman who had done most of his scouting in Kenya, and been a member of the 1957 World Jamboree! There was a wonderful array of tents and a display of memories from this year and as far back as the 1930s.

After a formal flag break around the gravity defying floating flagpole, the adults attended a very interesting presentation of scouting activities over the past year. Whilst the young people had a game of Army Manoeuvres. The climax of the exercise was letting off flares made from baking powder and food colouring! Everyone then enjoyed tea and cakes and finally we all sang Happy Birthday around the fantastic birthday cake which had been decorated with a perfect, but edible, copy of the official scout centenary badge. The cake was cut by a visitor Mary, who was the oldest scouting member there, and Henry who was the youngest Beaver scout.

Later in the evening we had a good old sing-song around the campfire, interspersed with some very funny sketches by the young people. After cocoa and cake, the treat for the evening was a showing of Shrek 2, not in the hut, but outside on a giant sail that had been rigged up between two trees. And so to bed: the Beavers to their own tent inside the hut, the Cubs to "proper" canvas tents, and the Scouts into "bivi" bags and under shelters that they had built earlier.

The weekend finished as it had started - around the flagpole, where, after telling us the highlight of their weekend, everybody was given the "Join-In-Centenary" badge and the "Centenary Camp" badge.

The next badge in the set is the "Scouting Sunrise" badge. "Scouting Sunrise" is taking place at 8am on Wednesday 1st August, when Scouts all over the world will be celebrating the very moment when Scouting started.

Within Haslemere District there are 2 events taking place. Groups from Haslemere, Fernhurst, Camelsdale, Churt and Chiddingfold will be starting from either side of Blackdown and meeting at the top. Hindhead and Grayshott groups will be meeting at the Devil's Punchbowl and walking to the top of Gibbet Hill. After renewing our Promise at 8am, and perhaps managing to signal the other group, we will walk back down and share breakfast at each of the starting points.

On 23rd September the Scouts are organising The Grayshott Boundary Walk, for more details see the following link - http://www.boundarywalk.org/

If anyone would like to know more about Scouting in Haslemere and the surrounding areas, please contact the District Commissioner, Mr Frank Kitchener:
Telephone Number 0845 094 4126 or email dc@haslemeredistrictscouts.org.uk