Bonaly Scout Centre September Update

26 Aug 2021

Welcome back!

It is so good the see Scouts back camping at Bonaly following the relaxing of the Covid restrictions. If you are camping or visiting for the day why not give our new self-led “Camouflage Tracking” activity a go? Working in two teams, the first challenge is to lay a trail of tracking signs for the other group to follow into the “Hiding Area”. Then one member of the team is chosen to hide and is camouflaged by the rest of the team using the equipment provided and natural materials. The teams now follow each other’s tracking signs and attempt to find the hidden person!

ScotJam@Bonaly was a great weekend with 120 Cubs and Scouts enjoying the sunshine and the Archery, Tomahawk Throwing, Low and High Ropes, Burn Scramble, Camouflage Tracking, and of course the Campfire. We would like to say a huge thank you to all the volunteers who helped to make the weekend possible.

Image: Burn scrambling in the Roman Bath.

Our maintenance ASU have been hard at work keeping the centre looking good. The Chalet refurbishment is now well underway with new carpets, beds and vanity units. We are now taking bookings from the 1st of October for the new look Chalet and dates are filling up fast! To make an inquiry you can email info@bonaly.org.uk or use our online booking request form.

Image: The New Look Chalet

The Bonaly “Come and Have A Go Day” was very well attended and gave anyone interested in volunteering a chance to take part in some of the activities we have. Everyone had great fun enjoying the Low Ropes, Crate Stack, Burn Scramble, Pioneering skills or some of the Self-led activities we have on offer. Interested in joining our volunteer instructor team? Please get in touch by email or give us a ring on 0131 441 1878.

Image: Well done Sandy – that’s got to be a record!

Badge Activity Mapping Charts

7 Jan 2020

The 1st Facebook sites for Scouts, Cubs and Beavers are a great source of information and resources for each section

Recently, the following Badge Mapping Charts for Scouts, Cubs and Beavers were posted and the feedback from users both nationally and in our region has been excellent – they can be found below.

If you have any feedback on them, or you want to review the additional resources available you can do so via the relevant 1st Facebook site below – you will need to join the group initially.

1st Facebook Scouts https://www.facebook.com/groups/2450689742/

1st Facebook Cubs https://www.facebook.com/groups/1stcubs/

1st Facebook Beavers https://www.facebook.com/groups/406372746135055

Beavers Badge Mapping

Cubs Badge Mapping

Scouts Badge Mapping

Cubs and Beavers have fun outdoors

7 Oct 2019

Cubs and Beavers from the 82nd Craigalmond (Cramond) Group had a brilliant September Camp at Netherurd, a fantastically equipped and located Guide centre. In total 42 Cubs and 5 Beavers spent two nights away with the camp theme of Space.

Activities at camp included zip lines, backwoods cooking, shelter building, rocket making (and launching), scavenger hunts and star gazing. Everyone who attended went on a very sunny hike that took us all up to the summit of a local hill with great views.

Thanks to a fantastic set of leaders and some thorough planning it was a very successful weekend! The camp was blessed with great weather for September and everyone went home very tired but happy!

Another successful sleepover for Pencaitland Beavers!

20 Aug 2019

Despite the wet weather, the 6th Annual Pencaitland Beaver Sleepover went ahead on 9 August at the Carriage House in Pencaitland.

Thirteen beavers, some of them spending their first night away from home, bunked down at the Carriage House after an evening comprising a barbecue, a (very muddy) nature walk in the Winton Estate, making mini clay monsters and cooking: ‘smores’, chocolate bananas and toasting marshmallows. We also made get well cards for our assistant Beaver leader, Bede, who was badly injured in an accident over the Summer; get well soon Bede!

The evening was brought to an end with a campfire and enthusiastic renditions of ‘Heads, Shoulder, Knees and Toes’ and, rather appropriately, ‘Singing in The Rain.’

After an early breakfast, the Beavers played team games in the Carriage House courtyard between showers, before a few rounds of the obligatory camp game ‘Are these your socks?’ Once packed up, the Beavers devoured a snack of juice, fruit and crisps and we split into two groups for crafts (printing and making bookmarks) before coming back together to put up a tent.

Parents arrived to pick up their charges just as the rain stopped. Another successful sleepover to kick off a new term of Beavers in Pencaitland was in the bag!

David Donohoe, Beaver Leader, East Lothian District

Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian visits East Lothian Beavers

4 Jul 2019

Iain has risen to the challenge and has agreed to complete the Scouts Scotland Youth Advocacy Award which is an award from Scouts Scotland exclusively for MSPs who are committed to raising issues related to young people in the Scottish Parliament.

He is working towards his Youth Advocacy Award by completing a number of activities in the same way all Scouts do for their badges. These actions have been chosen and designed by young people in Scouting.

He visited and joined in helping with 1st North Berwick Scout Group – Monday Beavers on 3rd June 2019 which is one of activities towards his award.

He helped our Beavers with their camp preparation which included, learning some songs with actions around our indoor campfire, helping the Beavers Scouts decide what to pack for camp so that the Beavers can “Be Prepared“, how to unpack and pack their sleeping bag, learning how to make a reef knot and the tradition of having a Scout camp blanket. Some Beavers discussed in detail with what activities they did to earn their Personal challenge badge.

# skills for life packing up your sleeping bag

His visit also took place during National Volunteers Week and it was a great opportunity for him to find out about the work that all our volunteers do on a weekly basis across East Lothian.

As an East Lothian MSP, he was presented with an East Lothian District Scout Necker by Hilary Cartwright, Group Scout leader, 1st North Berwick and Deputy District Commissioner of East Lothian Scout District.

1st North Berwick Scout Group wishes him well as he continues to raise issues on behalf of young people in East Lothian in the Scottish Parliament and as he strives to achieve his award.

1st North Berwick Beavers and Cubs raise over £2,000 for Summer Camp

4 Jun 2019

The 1st North Berwick Scout Group has been busy recently raising much needed funds towards its annual camp.

The camp is taking place at PGL Dalguise in June. The 1st North Berwick Scout Group needed to raise money towards the cost of transport to and from the camp as 2 buses are needed for almost 100 Cubs, Beavers, leaders and the parent helpers who are expected to attend. The annual camp is always one of the highlights of the year for the Cubs and Beavers. They will be spending 2 nights away and are able to take part in water sports and other activities that are not available locally.

In order to raise money towards the bus hire, 43 Cubs and Beavers, aged between 6 and 10 years, completed a sponsored hike on 17 March from Yellowcraig Beach back to their base at North Berwick Scout Hall. The youngsters proudly carried their Scouting flags the entire way, helping to raise awareness of the Scout Association too.

On Saturday 30 March, the Group also held a coffee morning at North Berwick’s Hope Rooms. The Cubs and Beavers served tea and coffee along with home baking. There was also a tombola, raffle and some lovely Mothers’ Day gifts, which all contributed towards the fund raising. The event was a real success, raising over £900, and was supported by some of the founder leaders of Beavers in East Lothian.

Thank you to everyone within our local and scouting community for your amazing hard work and support for both these events. We have been able to pay for the transport for the camp, meaning each child’s payment has been greatly reduced.

With the money raised we were also able to purchase camp blankets for all the Beavers and Cubs, and had a commemorative camp badge made. We ran a design competition for it, with the winning design created by one of our Cubs, Austin Walker. Well done Austin!

Laura Hill, 1st North Berwick Beaver leader

Bonaly Scout Centre September Update

Welcome back!

Badge Activity Mapping Charts

Cubs and Beavers have fun outdoors

Another successful sleepover for Pencaitland Beavers!

Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian visits East Lothian Beavers

1st North Berwick Beavers and Cubs raise over £2,000 for Summer Camp

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