We have been working towards a badge called ‘Changing the World’, part of this badge involved finding out about the difficulties faced by people who unfortunately find themselves Homeless usually through no fault of their own.

We have found out about some of the difficulties faced by these people and no doubt there were a lot we never learnt about.

Although regrettably we are unable to resolve this situation in society we would like to show at least some of these people that we do care and do understand some of the problems they are meeting.

As a unit we have been collecting soaps and toiletries to make small overnight bags for some of your guests. We have added a pair of socks to these bags as we feel that although this does not solve the problem of homelessness everyone feels a lot more comfortable in clean dry socks.

We would like to wish all you guests a Peaceful Christmas and we all hope the New Year finds them the answers they are looking for.

 

 

We also made Christmas Cards with lots of glitter and feathers to give to the homeless.

On one of the snowy days before Christmas the gifts were delviered to the Winter Comfort Drop in Centre on Victoria Avenue.

Community

Action.

On Saturday 16^th January Histon Guides met wrapped up warmly at the entrance to The Dole on the B1049.

Today they are starting work on their Community Action Badge for which they have to complete a minimum of 12 hours service. The topic of the badge is ‘Action for the Local Environment’.

Despite the rain a good turnout of volunteers and some parents joined the village Environment Group; the girls helped collect litter removed ivy from the trees in the area and dug up ivy roots.

The girls mastered the use of spades, folks, secateurs, brooms and litter pickers and all worked very well and enjoyed themselves in the wet.

Half way through the morning we broke off of hot chocolate and biscuits.

This was a fantastic beginning to our badge work.

Guides

At 12.30 we assembled with all the Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Senior Section and Trefoil Guild members for the ‘Giant Picnic’ all 1700 girls enjoyed the packed lunches that they had brought with them.

After lunch we got into groups to look at the ‘Guideopoly’ Challenge Board that we were shortly going to play.

We caught the 13.40 shuttle bus from Churchill College to the Backs where our challenge began. Each group had a list of questions to answer based on things that they would see whilst they were walking through the town, they also had to go to set points on the Guideopoly map, to take part in the challenges and collect the Guideopoly money. On Parker Piece there was Giant Bubbles and you got £500 so it was well worth the long walk

At New Square there was a circus workshop and yet more money, on Christ Piece there was a parachute. One of the check points you took a chance (an envelope with differing amounts of money in) and another check point you had to do a brass rubbing of one of the discs in the path outside St Johns College. A tree shaped balloon was made at one check point and the girls given a word search at another. Although the check point that seemed to excite all the girls we saw the most was the one that was giving out extremely sour lolly’s that dyed everyone’s tongue!!!!

We then joined the queue up to get our hot dog, drink and ice cream for our tea.

At 18.30 everyone was called together for a photograph. This was to be taken from the top of the tower at the Moller Centre and would form a 100 with Brownies making a ‘0’ Rainbows and all those wearing pink (the centenary uniform) making an ‘0’ and all those wearing navy making the ‘1’.

After this we all gathered in front of the stage for a camp fire, the winners of Guideopoly were announced and some Queens Guides and Baden Powell Awards were presented and some votes of thanks given by the County Commissioner.

After the fireworks it was time for girls to start catching the shuttle buses, starting with the younger girls first. We went back to our marquee and sat outside and sang more campfire songs whist we waited to be called to the bus.

We caught the 21.15 shuttle bus back to Madingly Road where parents were ready to collect their girls.

Brownies

The 1st & 2nd Histon Brownies, along with about 1700 Guides, Brownies and Rainbows from Cambridgeshire East, attended the Launch 100 event at Churchill College, Cambridge.
The day started with a giant picnic lunch, followed by a ‘Guideopoly Challenge’ around Cambridge, following clues and earning Guidopoly money and treats en route. A big thrill was making giant bubbles on Parkers Piece, which was filmed by ‘Look East’, and learning circus skills.

It was a long walk for little Brownie legs, and we had all built up an appetite by the time we returned to Churchill and were ready to enjoy our barbecue tea, with ice cream to follow and a chance to sit down and relax!
We then had a photo of all the participants, followed by singing around a ‘virtual’ fire and finally, with a full harvest moon in the background, the climax was a fantastic firework display to music, which was well worth waiting for and looked like glitter had been sprinkled all over the sky!
The event was a once in a lifetime opportunity for the Brownies, and I’m sure they will all remember it for a long time.

Rainbows

The 1st Impington and 1st Histon Rainbows attended the Launch 100 event along with many other Rainbows, Brownies, and Guides from Cambridgeshire East. The Rainbows arrived a bit later than the older girls, and joined the picnic while it was already in progress.  After lunch the Rainbows had a huge group photo taken before starting the ‘Rainbowopoly’ Challenge.

Our Rainbows were split into four teams to complete the challenge, the Funky Monkeys, the Curly Wurlys, the Sparklers . The Challenge included face painting, singing, crafts, games, and a rubber duck hunt. At the Community Chest, girls received lollys that turned their tongues bright colours!

Many of the Rainbows went home right after the BBQ, because it was a long day. Those who stayed participated in a giant campfire, with an awards ceremony to find out who won the challenges for each section. The winner of the Rainbowopoly was our very own Sparklers. Each of the four girls received a Rainbow Teddy Bear, and our unit received a centenary scrapbooking kit!

We would like to thank the Cambridgeshire East and in particular the team that put this fabulous ‘Launch 100’event together and believe that we can really say Cambs East Celebrated with a bang, I’m sure this was an event that the girls will remember and talk about for many years.

In the summer holidays the Scouts invited the Guides to join them. On Monday 10th August I went along and we did a wide game around Histon. This involved searching for an injured pilot (a scout leader) who had fallen from a plane (not really)!!  When we found him, it was quite hard reading with a map, but when we heard him whistling we knew where he was. Then we had to do some first aid as he had broken his leg (fake as well.)  The loud screams put us off a bit but in the end we succeed in moving him into Greggs “ambulance”.
I enjoyed it a lot and now am going to join Scouts as well as Guides because I had so much fun! At Guides I would like to do something like it but maybe a little different.

Bethan

We then spend time finishing of our costumes for the Feast Parade on Sunday.

This year again we were unable to get a vehicle with the appropriate insurance cover to carry the girls so we chose once again to walk in the parade.

Our theme was re-cycled and the girls made their fantastic costumes from old carrier bags, plastic bottles and old cloths which they modified.

On the Thursday we entered the Junior Rounder’s Tournament. We joined with the Brownies and divided the girls up into 4 more equal teams. However despite having four Guiding teams we managed to come second.

Histon Guides would like to thank all the members of the Histon Feast Committie for working so hard to give us all such an enjoyable week.