1st Ballina Scouts - Recent Stories

On the weekend of the 13/14/15th of August 2010, 8 of our cubs went down to camp Eagle Eye at Glenreagh for CubBoom. CubBoom is a camp where the cubs can earn the best part of their Boomerang challenge badge in one weekend by rotating through different bases. This badge would normally take most cubs 8 to 12 months to achieve.

We arrived on Friday afternoon and started to set up camp. It was like a tent city. There were about 150 cubs from 17 different groups from our region, from Camden Haven in the South to Chindera in the North. We were lucky enough to "Buddy" with 1st Byron Bay Cubs and their company was great.

By the time our camp was set up the cubs were ready for the disco that was organised and they had a blast. The look on their faces said it all when they arrived back.

Saturday kicked off with breakfast at 7.00am, then came opening parade at 8.00am and straight into their base rotation. They only stopped for morning/afternoon tea and lunch. They all looked pretty well exhausted by the time they arrived back at camp at 5.00pm. Campfire at 8.00pm with lots of songs and skits. Early to bed for most that night.

Sunday was much of the same only with "Scouts Own," with a bit of help from one of the cubs, then into base rotations again. It was all over by lunch when we all had a bit of a relax and then started "dismantling" for the trip home.

Reports that I received from other groups tell me that our cubs were polite and well behaved. So a big 1-2-3 WOLF to all of you. You make me, and the group, very proud.

I would like to personally thank all of the helpers that came along to make it a truly enjoyable camp for the cubs. Without your help it would not be possible.

Geoff Lee "Akela"

To view photos of recent Cubs events, please visit the Cubs Photo Gallery.

Recent Stories

Eight of 1st Ballina Scouts’ youngest members walked from Ballina to Lennox Head on Sunday 9 May 2010 as part of the world-wide movement’s annual JOTT event.

The Cub and Joey Scouts (aged from six upwards) walked 8.5km from Ballina Coast Guard Tower to the Pat Morton Lookout at Lennox Head in just four and a half hours (including a very leisurely lunch stop). A group of parents and siblings (one just five years old) accompanied the energetic youngsters.

JOTT (Jamboree On The Trail) is an annual event when members of the Scout movement all over the world hike together on the same day

To view photos of recent Cubs events, please visit the Cubs Photo Gallery.

1st Ballina Scouts Joey Mob always like to bring their mums along for a special Mothers Day Night.

It is a great night for mums to get involved in the nights activities and to also have a cup of tea and catch up with the other mothers.

This year the Joey Scouts made soap to give to their mum's for Mothers Day. It was reasonably easy to make and of course our hands got a little sticky making it. We rolled the soap into a ball and then put it on a skewer so we had 'Soap Skewers". We added food colour to give them different colours and also some oils like peppermint, lemon and rose water to give them a nice smell. These went down a treat with both the Joey Scouts and the mums.

The Joey Scouts also decorated a card and we also iced and decorated some patty cakes which the mum's then enjoyed with a cup of tea or coffee. And to finish off the night the mum's had a little pampering and had their toe and finger nails painted in lovely pink nail polish.

It was a great night for all and I’d like to thank all the mums for coming along.

- Millemurra

To view photos of recent Joeys events, please visit the Joeys Photo Gallery.

How much do six and seven year-olds like Christmas? Enough to have two per year! Sixteen Joey Scouts from Lismore, Murwillumbah and Ballina had a great time when they celebrated Christmas in July at a one-night camp at Ballina Scout Hall on 24 and 25 July.

The hall was transformed with Christmas lights and a tree; Santa in a chimney; and about 100 Christmas toys, figurines, models, and decorations. There were even ‘snowflakes’ falling from the ceiling! District Joey Scout leader Annette Smith, coordinator for the camp, used her own wonderful collection to decorate the hall and set the mood.

A wooden Santa, reindeer and sleigh outside the hall became a favourite meeting place. Joeys played in groups - climbing on the sleigh, controlling the reins, patting and feeding the reindeer!

Craft was a focus at the camp. Joeys made effective-looking candleholders from cardboard and pasta shapes, which were spray painted gold and used as centrepieces for the table on Saturday night. Skewers and colourful paper stars became mini Christmas trees, and doilies and glitter became snowflakes.

A Christmas-style dinner was followed by carols - Carols by Torchlight of course! Joeys also experimented with making Christmas treats. Their marshmallow snowmen and chocolate snowballs were yummy snacks before departing on Sunday morning.

Twenty leaders and parent helpers had a fun time too, and learned lots of new craft ideas! Regional Commissioner for Joey Scouts Margaret McAnnally, from Coffs Harbour, joined the district camp helping us celebrate Christmas in July.

Saint Nick must have smiled down on us. After a very rainy Friday night in Ballina we didn’t have a drop of rain over Saturday and Sunday - so lots of outdoor games and play as well as craft. And no wet tents to pack away!

Seventeen smiling Joeys, also just a little tired, went home full of Christmas (in July) cheer, with new friendships and some nifty craftwork!

By Kate (one of the parents attending)

To view photos of recent Joeys events, please visit the Joeys Photo Gallery.

CubBoom was attended by about hundred and fifty cubs from seventeen different groups from Camden Haven in the south to Chinderah in the north. I’ m having fun so far, my friend Caleb is here and I’ m trying to achieve my Bronze Boomerang. Here are some of the activities we had to do to achieve the Bronze Boomerang: the tunnels, wall climbing, knots, signs and symbols, cooking, archery, fitness, Cub Scout promise and a couple more.

All the activities were fun but most were challenging. The tunnels were a bit hard but still fun. Georgia and I were partners in the tunnels because she wanted to scare me by doing a weird whistle sound. Fitness was our first activity. There were a lot of different games and activities; you didn’t have to do all of them but I did.

All of the activities had different bits in them and were fun but I don’t have enough room on the piece of paper to write about everything like scouting traditions, that would take up a bit of space because there was so much, oh and I saw a shooting star but it went by so fast I didn’t have time to make a wish.

- By Mitchell Booth (a Cub Scout, who attended CubBoom)

To view photos of recent Cubs events, please visit the Cubs Photo Gallery.