With the end of the year upon us it’s a wonder where the year went. The Group held its first open air concert, we sent 20 scouts to Switzerland and together combined with the annual Carnival, car boot sales and the rummage sales, we really have had a very good year.

All three sections of the group are performing brilliantly, we have seen a growth in numbers with the Scout Group up to a troop of 27 and the Cubs at 26, we really do have a large and more importantly a high standard of Scouting in your village.

At present the Beaver Colony is full to capacity and operating a waiting list, and to be fair the Cubs and the Scouts aren’t far off this to. It is a real shame that we have to turn away boys and girls that want to start their Scouting life at Rolleston due to the fact that we have no spaces. This can of course be changed.

In 2009 we are planning numerous events and are already well into the planning stages of the carnival (Sunday May 10th) which this year has the theme ‘The Circus’.

ROLLESTONBURY 09 is to be held on 20th June, this is the follow on concert from the Festival of Music and Drums held this year. The carnival will still be the traditional event the village knows, loves and supports, but Rollestonbury, will change from the first concert. The event will kick off with the Tutbury Junior Band in the afternoon followed by the Senior Band till 7.30; they will be playing a vast array of music from the classics, to show songs and modern hit music. Then on the second stage SPOOKYFISH take over the night. They are a four piece band, which is fantastic, performing music from the Kinks to Robbie Williams. If you don’t believe me that they are great you can download their music from, www.spookyfish.biz. More information to follow but put the dates in the diary now, you wont be disappointed. Prices for the concert start from £4. Advanced ticket information will be released at a later date.

Web News - We, as a Group, have launched our own website with the help from Stephen Goodfellow, this will show all contact details of the group, events and section news, it is still in its infancy but will have information on the group to help parents and keep you all informed on what we are up to. Have a look at www.rollestonscouts.org.uk.

Your Scout Group is fantastic, if you are interested in helping with any aspects of the Group, from maintenance to management, or from leadership to assistance at the concert, then please get in touch.
We are always on the look out for new ideas and ways to increase revenue for the Group. Our estimated running costs for the building including gas, electric and water for 2009 is £16.432 that doesn’t include camp costs or mini bus hire or anything.

To conclude may I just say a massive thank you to the TEAM. By this I mean all the Leaders, the Executive Committee, Helpers, Instructors, and the Parents that have supported us throughout the year. Being a Group Scout Leader is not an easy role in the Group but it is made so much easier when you are surrounded by a team that are as professional as any company. None of us are paid in any way but the standard of performance of (the team) really is second to none. So thanks.

Thanks for reading and have a great Christmas
Graham M Jacks GSL, 1st Rolleston Scout Group
grahamj0124@googlemail.com

In Remembrance

On Friday 18th July, it was my sad duty to represent the Scout Group at the funeral of Mr John Marshall. John was a man who had so much time for so many organisations in and out of the village, and in recent times has been a church warden, but when the Scout Headquarters was under construction he was a key player on the design, development and the finance of building the HQ. He devoted a great deal of time to the Scout Group and he said that one of his proudest moments of his life was standing with my father Mick Jacks, the then GSL and HRH Princess Anne when the Scout Hq was officially opened. We, as a village, owe this man so much, and he will be sadly missed.

On a happier note, our thanks to the 400 partygoers and the 200 band and staff who made the first Festival of Music and Drums a major success. We raised well over £2000, at what was one of the nicest way to raise money for the Tutbury Band and the Scout Group.

The event was made up of over seven hours of continuous music and entertainment. First off were drum solos accompanied by backing tracks from the students of professional musician Mr David Armshaw, these ranged from hits by Queen to drum and base, an absolute cracking mix of music, then Tutbury Band Junior took the stage, followed by the Senior Band. They both played for nearly 3 hours and the standard of music was superb, the Teddy Bears picnic was particularly enjoyed by our younger festival goers, and the chocolate they got certainly went down a treat. At 8pm we had a special visit from the dairy milk gorilla with a superb rendition of “In the Air Tonight” was performed by David Armshaw, and finally the Stage was taken over by Black Magic Max, a cover band that rocked till the end of the concert, with my favourite bit of the night, performing a cracking cover of Chelsea Dagger originally by the Fratellis, but they certainly made it their own.

The event went extremely well with the weather being red hot and the lager being ice cold who could ask for more. We are already planning the next concert for July 09, and then if all goes well the event will go bi-annually with Tutbury Festival of Music.

And Finally, Thank You

At our AGM, our Chairman, Mrs Marylyn Marrison and Mr Tony Hemming, Secretary for the Group, stood down from there posts. I would like to take this opportunity to say a personal thank you from me and the Group for all the hard work and the dedication they have shown towards your Scout Group. They will be sadly missed, but the posts have been filled by two people off the executive committee the Chair’s position to Mrs Karen Wagstaff and the secretary’s to Mrs Karen Pott. This is fantastic but it does mean that there are spaces on the committee, if you feel you have time to attend a meeting once a month in term time please get in touch. The executive committee is there to ensure that the group is being run in accordance with all regs and rules and to organise the fundraising and development side of the group.

Thanks for reading,
Yours in Scouting
Graham M Jacks
07768 047 332

We are in our 75th year and the pace, as ever, is very fast. The Group is doing really well, with all Scouts and Leaders taking part in numerous activities and events. The trip to Switzerland takes place in August, where a 20 strong contingent of Scouts will camp in the foothills of mount Kandersteg. Following on from this we are going to hold a full Group Camp here in Rolleston to celebrate our 75th Birthday, a camp full of activities from climbing to archery and air rifle shooting and certainly a campfire or two, what could be better.

May I take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone who attended, supported or sponsored us at the 31st annual Rolleston Scout Carnival. A great day had by all. The HQ costs over £13.500 a year to run and that’s just gas, electric and insurance, (NOT CAMPS AND EQUIPMENT), so we really appreciate the support of the village and all the organisations that help make the day what it is. Also a special thanks to all the haulage firms that kindly gave us the use of their lorries to make the parade a success.

In Remembrance

We, as a Scout Group, would like to remember, and say a big thank you for the life of Mr Erl Thornewill, who sadly died in April. Erl has long been associated with the Scout group for many years. He was the first President of the Scout Group and was a key player in the building of the Headquarters. He sat on our fundraising committee and without his help and guidance the building of the HQ would have taken a lot longer. Our thoughts and condolences are sent to the family left behind.

On behalf of Rolleston Scout Group - Thank You

Concert

I’m sure you’ve seen the posters but don’t forget the Open Air Concert on the July 26th. We have teamed up with Tutbury Band to lay on the first Festival of Music and Drums.

All the profits from this event are being split 50/50 between the Scouts and the Band.

The concert will start at 16.45 with a Teddy Bears picnic, and run till 22.00. The night will include several sets from the junior and senior band, then a drum workshop with Mr David Armshaw a professional percussion player. It promises to be a cracking night. Come along, bring a picnic or enjoy a hot pork sandwich. There will be a licensed bar, supplying beers, wine and soft drinks so NO ALCOHOL to be brought on site and for safety reasons no crockery/ glass.

Please Note: Very Limited Parking So, If You Can, Please Walk.

Bad News

I think the village should be aware of the amount of vandalism and crime that the Scout Group has been subjected to over the last few months. We have experienced a theft of a caravan from our site, the entrance signs have been ripped down and thrown around and a boulder from the grass in front of the HQ moved, placed on the road and covered with a black plastic bin bag. If a car had hit the disguised boulder it could have ended in the car being sent into the hedge, or another car.

This Could Have Killed Someone.

Please if you know any thing then contact Burton Police on 0845 330 2010

Thanks for reading, Graham M Jacks

Happy Birthday, no not me! 2008 marks the 75th year of continued Scouting in Rolleston and we are making it a year to remember.

Over the Christmas period the leaders and the Executive Committee have been busy putting together many events for throughout the year. We have of course the regular and ever popular Car Boot and Rummage sale events as well as the annual Carnival on the 18th of May of which the theme this year is Mardi Gras. In Addition to this we will see a Scout Contingent go to camp at the World Scout Centre in Switzerland Kandersteg; we will be holding a Group Camp in September and we are going to hold a party as well. This will take the form of a badge presentation and BBQ, similar to the one we held last year but hopefully without the torrential rain that saw the BBQ move inside, as we say – BE PREPARED.

I must say that the group is doing really well, but the bills as ever don’t get cheaper. An early estimate on our annual accounts show that the building will cost £13.700 a year to run, the floor alone is costing £600 plus VAT to reseal every year, so we are extremely grateful for the help and the support that the village gives to us. Thank you.

We are always trying out new things and we are extremely proud to have been granted an outdoor music events licence. This means that on July 26th the Scout Group is to team up with the brilliant Tutbury Junior and Senior Band for an outdoor concert. This will be a staged event with Bar and refreshments, or bring along a picnic and enjoy a wonderful summers evening of music, weather permitting. More details to follow but it looks like its going to be something quite special and something new for the village.

As ever, with all the events that we run need planning and staffing so if you can spare any time the please get in touch with either myself of any member of the group. The Executive Committee is now standing at 8 but we could really do with doubling that to spread the workload. Have you got any ideas, or could your firm donate a prize for the carnival raffle?

I would like to say a quick thank you to all the Leaders and the Executive Committee of the Group. They all work incredibly hard so thank you and just a special mention to June Webb for all the hard work that she puts in behind the scenes.

Graham M Jacks
01283 543194
07768 047 332

Feel free to send any ideas to

P.S. when shopping on the internet you can browse thousand of shops and also surf under www.easyfundraising.org.uk/24thburtonscouts  (that’s us) and we get a donation from every search and item you buy (items bought are not listed). We have already made nearly £55. It is going straight to the Beavers, Cubs and Scouts by way of new tents, craft equipment and subsidizing trips and activities.

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Last updated: 19 December 2008