As members of local, national and international communities stop and spend a minute remembering those who are ‘owed so much’, many of which were Scouts themselves, local Scouts in Abergele, Colwyn Bay, Llandudno and Conwy are joining with the rest of the community to remember the sacrifice, and to give specific tributes to those that have been killed and injured.

Around Conwy, Scouts, along with the rest of the community, have been reflecting on the debt owed by these servicemen to the Nation as a whole, while Scouts is other parts of the UK will be taking part in similar local events, nationwide.

From now on, I’ll attend meetings with the Conwy Youth Council and residential meetings with the Funky Dragon ‘Grand Council’, and work with our members and those in other voluntary organisations in Conwy to ensure that their views are expressed appropriately.

I don’t quite know where this is going to lead, however it will be very interesting to see, I’ve got my first meeting with the Youth Council next week and I’ll be blogging about it soon!

Matthew Higgins

All the same content is here as has always been, our History articles, news from every edition of the website and a bit of background information for anyone who is new to Scouting locally.

There are also a few changes;

• Blogs. Previous versions of the website have consisted of articles written by Leaders about the adventures their young people get up to. This will carry on, and you can find these stories in the ‘News’ section of the website, however we are also adding a ‘Blogs’ tab. Scouts and their leaders will be writing blogs about their own adventures, complete with photos and video clips.
• Twitter & Facebook. We’ve been on Twitter and Facebook for a little while now, but from now on, every new item on the website will come with a Tweet, and a post on our Facebook fan page, meaning all you need to do is Follow @ConwyScouts or Become a Fan, and you’ll always be among the first to know when there’s something new on the website.
• Flickr. All our photos will now be hosted on Flickr. This makes them easier to manage and easier for Leaders to contribute to, but it also means that for anyone else on Flickr, finding them becomes even easier. If you’re on Flickr too, clicking onto our Photostream will let you see our latest pictures quickly and easily.
• Rowen Information. We’ve got a whole new section about our campsite launching very soon, when it’s ready, we’ll announce it on Twitter and Facebook, and in this blog.

Finally, working with the rest of the District, I’ll be trying to make sure the website stays up to date! Recently, the multitude of technical problems meant that new news was put on hold until they were sorted.

Matthew Higgins

Since the announcement attracted a flurry of National media interest including stories in many National Newspapers, coverage on BBC Breakfast and many television channels, and a number of radio interviews with Bear Grylls and a number of young people, an increase of 800% in the number of interested young people and adults wanting to join has been recorded in Conwy.

The Beavers took part in tent pitching, healthy eating, making their own dinner, adventurous activities like grass seldging and more fun and games.

Everyone had a fantastic day and the Beavers are now eager for more outdoor activities!

Adventure is at the core of Scouting, and the Association passionately believes in helping members fulfil their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potential by working in teams, learning by doing and thinking for themselves.

Even with this growth, demand still outstrips supply, and waiting lists are at an all time high. For every new adult who volunteers, five young people are potentially able to move from waiting lists and into groups. To combat this, the District is looking at increasing the number of groups, opening in new locations, and making more places available to young people.

One 13 year old Scout who has joined over the last 12 months said “I joined because I wanted to try new things and make new friends. I’d definitely recommend it to other people”

A volunteer leader in the District, said “These figures really reflect the will and dedication of our adult volunteers, and of the Scouts themselves. This year we have already opened two new sections within our existing Scout Groups, and we have plenty more development planned in the District.”

“Over the next few months, we have a number of six and seven year old members spending their first night away from home, right through to a team of 14-18 year old Scouts embarking on an international adventure. We have members from a huge range of backgrounds, for example, we recently welcomed a number of new Buddhist young people and nearly a fifth of our membership are girls and women, overall, this significantly diversifies the organisation.”

“Scouting welcomes everyone, both new young people and adult volunteers, from every background, and these figures really highlight that. I look forward to welcoming many more young people and adults to the adventure of modern Scouting, and hope that a year from now, we can announce an even bigger boost for our Scouts.

Chief Scout Peter Duncan recently commented about the fun of getting involved with Scouting: ‘Adults who volunteer in Scouting can get just as much fulfilment as the younger members do. It is rewarding to know that you are helping and contributing to young people’s development and their understanding of the world around them. You are part of all their fun and adventure while encouraging them to be active members of their community.”

‘Volunteers are not giving something up, they are gaining the opportunity to be part of a young sociable society, developing and sharing skills such as leadership and taking responsibility for all aspects of life.”

Scouting offers challenge and adventure to over 500 young people around Conwy through a balanced programme of adventure and self-development.

This fundraising extravaganza was held in place of both the Cubs and Scouts weekly meetings to encourage the young people to think for themselves and develop as members of an international community.

Young People and their parents attended, taking part in a whole host of activities which were both challenging and exciting, in support of comic releif, including a picture quiz and various spot quizzes and challenges.

Every penny they raise will go to Comic Relief to help transform lives across Africa and the UK.

Under the leadershp of a new adult volunteer and two, experienced leaders, the new colony will join the existing group at Llandudno junction, which currently caters for young people up to the age of 14.