What’s the best thing about Beaver Scouts?
Activities, trips and making friends are all part of what makes it so much fun for girls and boys. As well as earning activity badges, many Beavers Scouts get to go on camps and sleepovers, often for the first time.
Beaver Scouts like:
- Being creative – making things and singing
- Playing games
- Going on visits and investigating nature
- Learning about themselves
- Getting to know other people
- Discovering the worlds of science, nature and technology
- Exploring the natural and man made world
- Caring – responding to the needs of others, the local and international community
There are 10 Beaver Colonies in the Farnham District Area.
The District Beaver Scout Leader is Janet Fraser
ANNUAL REPORT – 2019
FY 2019 has been another amazing year for Beaver Scouts in Farnham. The Leader teams across our 8 groups continue to push the boundaries with ever more exciting and engaging programmes and we are extraordinarily grateful for all the hours, ideas and organising that they put in.
With waiting list demand still significantly exceeding supply by about 4:1 across the district, our colonies are running at capacity. Around 10 new leaders have joined in across the groups, providing a strong basis to continue to deliver similarly exciting programmes in FY 2020. One significant exception to this is the 11ths (Farnham East) where there is still only one uniformed leader and the conversion of waiting list to members has been interrupted. Whilst the programme offered continues to be extremely strong, the current model remains unsustainable and the District team is looking at how it can support the group more directly next year.
The year also saw changes at a District level. Janet Fraser’s incredible contribution as ADC Beavers concluded at the Remembrance Day parade which saw a strong turnout from the District’s Beavers. We are incredibly grateful to Janet for many years of dedicated work supporting the Beaver Leaders across the district – including the new ADC Beavers, Ian Jacob, who took over from the beginning of FY 2020. In line with the tradition of Scouting, stepping down from ADC only seemed to increase Janet’s contribution as she went on to run the Scout Art Exhibition that many Groups and Sections took part in.
With Ian moving up to the ADC role, leadership of the 3rd Farnham Beavers has passed to Morgan Dixon from the Summer Term 2019. Marion Stagg has agreed to continue to support Ian as part of the District leadership team.
Some highlights from across the district during FY 2019 include:
- Camps: A joint PGL activity weekend organised by the 11ths and 3rds in September, district Beaver camp in October and the district Family Camp in April;
- Adventurous activities: Kayaking, horse riding, archery, dodgeball training, circus skills training and donutting and skiing at the Aldershot Alpine Ski Centre;
- Getting outdoors: Making fires and burning food/wood (one of the most frequent activities across the district), building dens, night walks, orienteering and map reading;
- Making things: Building and firing rockets seemed to be widely popular!
- Engaging with the community: Attending the remembrance day parade, contributing to the Scout Art Exhibition, carol singing at Care home, acting as mascots in a Farnham Town football match and visiting the Aldershot military museum; and
- Learning about our world: Internationally themed evenings including Chinese New Year celebrations and connecting with other Scout groups round the world.
The list gives a really good overview of the huge range of activities and opportunities we are providing to over 200 Beavers across the district and it is a credit to the dedication and commitment of the Leaders, parents and volunteers that make it all possible.
Ian Jacob, ADC Beavers
July 2019
ANNUAL REPORT 2015 – 2016.
Farnham District Beaver Scouts are very much alive and well, with a new Colony at 5th Farnham now added to the 9 Colonies we already have. Many thanks go to Liz Chart who has done so much to start a third Colony at 5th and train its new Leaders, Naomi Springer and Elspeth Fletcher. They both bring great enthusiasm and ideas to the Beaver section.
We had a big change of Leaders moving on last year and are delighted that so many new ones have taken over and are doing such a great job. Their very large range of activities has included global issues, Beaver olympics, dental health, gardening, den building, kayaking, nature trails and conservation, making ice cream and camp blankets, celebrations for the Queen’s birthday and various nights away and sleepovers.
We are very proud of all the ideas and enthusiasm which make Farnham Beavers such a great section to join, thanks to all our Leaders. The waiting list reflects this and is always long so, if new Leaders come forward, we will always be delighted to start another Colony.
For District activities around 80 Beavers and Leaders went by double decker bus to Fishers Park Farm in the autumn, where we were made very welcome to do the many activities there and to see the animals. The bus was a great attraction [even if it did get lost and cause some traffic jam turning round!] and we will continue to use it. Many Beavers also attended the Family Camp with their parents, and the Swimming Badge evening, some of whom even reached Stage 3 of the badge.
2016 is the 30th Anniversary of Beaver Scouting, the entire 30 years having Beaver Colonies in Farnham.
We celebrated this with a District visit to Brownsea Island in June [also by double decker bus and boat!] which gave the Beavers a good introduction to the origins of Scouting and a small understanding of the worldwide membership, visiting theinternational signpost and monument to B.P. It is a beautiful place and we did manage to be quiet enough to see red squirrels and deer. We are also planning a 30th Celebration Weekend on 8th – 9th October at Garner’s Field. Four Leaders from 5th Farnham are working hard planning this as part of their training and we will have a Scouting activity afternoon and celebration BBQ and tea on the Saturday, with up to 60 older Beavers camping overnight for a hike and more activities on the Sunday.
We are proud to say that our former Beaver Scout ADC, Denise Iverson has this year been appointed Assistant County Commissioner for Beavers and has a fund of ideas for County events which will give lots of new possibilities for the future. This very happy and busy section of Farnham Scouting is very much due to the great enthusiasm and dedication of all our Leaders and endless thanks goes to them all, and especially the support to all given by our District Beaver Leader, Marion Stagg.
A massive thank you to Marion for all the wonderful years she has given us.
Janet Fraser [ ADC Beaver Scouts].
Beaver SCOUTS ANNUAL REPORT 2014-2015.
We now have 9 Beaver Scout Colonies in Farnham, all of which have outstanding programmes planned by their excellent Leaders, full of good ideas and much imagination. Examples of activities they have provided over the past year include camp craft, hiking, canoeing, handicrafts, laser and skiing fun and photography to name a few. Now that Beavers can camp overnight most Colonies have done this with their other sections and all have done sleepovers in their HQ or at PGL camps. This is why Farnham Beavers are so popular with large waiting lists with which we never catch up!
District Activities over the past year have included the following:
A party of 110 by train and boat to Greenwich Maritime Museum for which SW trains put on an extra carriage [ for us or thinking of the general public?]. I shall always remember the long crocodile of Beavers making their way from Waterloo to the riverside!
A Craft Competition in March which had a very small attendance but was enjoyed by those making little theatre panoramas, the trophy being won by 3rd Farnham. Thanks to Chris Moss for all her ideas on crafts. Many Beavers also attended the Swimming Badge evening to start them off on achieving those badges.
Family Camp in April also had all Colonies attending with their families and enjoying a weekend of great activities with camping overnight.
Frantic with all sections Scouts and Guides from 3 Districts had many activities over 3 days in May, and 3rds started their Beaver camping activity there with other Colonies attending for the day.
In June Surrey County Bazzaz was held at Cranleigh Showground with 1400 Beavers attending but only 32 from Farnham as it clashed with Farnham Carnival. Those that were there had a tremendous time with a vast number of large activities such as inflatable assault courses, mazes, slides etc. which I am sure they have told the rest of their Colonies about.
We will, no doubt, carry on the many activities over the coming year, starting with a District Outing in October.
A new Beaver Scout Colony was started at 12th. Wrecclesham at Easter, thanks to an enormous amount of work and planning by Marion Stagg. 19 Beavers, with Leader Paul and his regular helpers join the recently formed Cub Pack and await a new Scout Troop as soon as this becomes viable. We wish them luck and a great time.
We are currently experiencing a large changeover of Beaver Scout Leaders and give endless thanks for all they have done plus a welcome to the new Leaders taking over. Many thanks go to Emma at 3rd. who has moved to Scouts, Rachel at 7th. and Kim and Miranda at 4th. Kim has moved to Scouts and Miranda is leaving to take up a teaching post with disadvantaged youngsters after recently obtaining her university degree – an admirable achievement with a family. We will greatly miss her fabulous ideas for handicrafts. Last, but by no means least, Cathy Floyd is moving on to Cubs after 11 years with Beavers. What a great advantage for them and a great loss to us as she has been a mainstay of the Beaver District and will be greatly missed. We are so lucky that new Leaders have stepped forward in all the Colonies and we wish them much fun in their new venture.
Lastly I think the Beaver Scout District could not function without all the work and support of Marion Stagg. It is brilliant working with her and she has my endless thanks for being there. Here’s to another great Beavering year in 2016!
Janet Fraser [ ADC Beaver Scouts].
Beaver SCOUTS ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014.
Beaver Scouting in Farnham has been thriving for the past year having 8 active Colonies all with excellent Leaders. All the Colonies have had very active and imaginative programmes and most have offered an overnight camp or indoor sleepover to their Beavers. We do however need more Leaders to take Nights Away training and for somebody to be District Advisor for Beaver Nights away training. Weekly programmes have covered a large amount of activities such as night hikes, fitness training, reptiles, espionage[!], Chinese New Year, a tramps evening and visits to Farnborough air museum and the army. Many thanks to all our Leaders for their great ideas which make Beaver Scouting such a great success in Farnham.
3rd Farnham have a number of Leaders training in order to start a second Colony shortly, and 12th Farnham also hope to start a Beaver Colony as soon as they can get adults to commit to Leadership. We will be looking at this in detail in the autumn.
We had a great District outing to Brooklands Museum last autumn for their special aviation day. Brooklands were very welcoming and helpful and Beavers had a great day with the many planes, cars and buses, many of them gaining their aviation badge.
After group celebrations for Christmas with parties and pantomimes, March saw our annual Beaver Scout swimming gala. 5 colonies attended and had a good evening the trophy being won by 3rd Farnham- congratulations! This event is becoming increasingly expensive for the numbers of Beavers we can accommodate so we may do something different next year.
There was a fairly good turnout of Beavers at the St. George’s Day event at Farnham Castle and June was celebrated with Beaver Fun Day at Garner’s Field. We planned a “back to basics scouting” day which was a great success, particularly as Family Camp had to be cancelled this year. Beavers took part in climbing, abseiling, bivouacs, crossbows, orienteering, backwoods cooking and some super art work with bubble ink and snake making! The afternoon had a sports competition and a great raft race down the river with all their homemade rafts. We finished with hot dogs and doughnuts around the camp fire. Many, many thanks to all the Leaders and helpers who worked so hard.
In October we plan a District trip by train to London followed by a boat trip down the river to visit Greenwich – watch this space!
Next year we have Surrey County Bazzaz again at Cranleigh with an international theme.
I cannot thank enough all the Leaders who put so much enthusiasm and ideas into running their Colonies and are always so reliable and supportive. Special thanks this year to Nikki Bartlett who has been such an inspiring Leader at 7th and will be moving on to even livelier things within 7th.
I could not do this job without the tremendous support and help from Marion Stagg so thank you all and we look forward to another great year!
Janet Fraser [ADC Beaver Scouts]
