Sorry I haven’t been posting for a while. I have been busy with some other stuff. Now that I’m back, I want to dedicate this post to Andrew K, who is leaving today to go back to South Korea. We will all miss you AK (P.S. AK, to comment, click on the comment button below, then fill out the form at the bottom of the page )

Next, in class today we were talking about Justin Bieber today for some weird reason. Anthony D. told me to listen to his song Love Me tonight. I looked it up on Youtube, and it’s a really great song. Don’t get why some people don’t like it. These kids in my scout troop absolutely HATE Justin Bieber. I don’t get them. He’s not all that bad. If you want to check him out for yourself, go to Youtube and search up “Justin Bieber.” Or go to his Youtube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/kidrauhl

That all for now. Over and out.

~Jw0704

Yesterday my best friend Josh became officially an eagle scout. I am so very happy and proud of him for achieving this in his life. An Eagle scout is one for the rest of his life. Becoming this rank in scouting is not easy you have to complete most of the requirements before your 18yo. Only 2% of scouts entering scouting will make it to Eagle. That means that being an Eagle scout you are in an eliete group. Which in its self is awesome.

Next part in this mini-group of posts will be later in the week. Next regular blog post coming later Sunday. The topic will surprise you just like me

For know JGOLD
“The Tangent Blogger”

This is what I wanted to say, instead I free styled it.

Josh, first of all, I really want to congratulate you on this life accomplishment. I would like to quote Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scouts, who said “A Scout is never taken by surprise; he knows exactly what to do when anything unexpected happens.” Josh, I think that this statement exemplifies you and describes our friendship perfectly, because trust me, when you are my best friend the unexpected always comes up, and is something you already live by. Josh, you are always the first person that I go to when I have a question or problem because your advice is always true, honest and heartfelt. And always based on the Scout Philosophy.

Your journey started as Wolf in Cub Scouts and is continuing for the rest of your life as an Eagle Scout. Josh, I am beyond proud of you, I am excited and happy, for you. Love you and Congrats on this one unbelievable life accomplishment. And by the way join Venturing and as an added bonus you get to wear your Eagle Patch and medal on your uniform!

Troop meeting plans for December are attached.

meeting plans dec 09

Thanks,
Mr. C

Instead of using a regular stamp or the franking machine with your post this Christmas (business or personal) how about personalising your mail with Royal Mail Smilers?  You can add a photo, choose a stamp design, this is then printed for you by Royal Mail and the finished product is sent to you for you to use on your envelopes.  You can opt to just have a stamp design and no photo.  Not only is it a great way to cheer up that envelope but it can be a good marketing tool for business mail.  You can find more about them by using this link to the Royal Mail site – http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/content2?catId=3800007&mediaId=3800008&keyname=SMILERS

As an alternative how about the Scouts?  In an earlier blog post I mentioned using your local scout group for card deliveries, it has official clearance to run a Scout Post Service and will cost up to 20p a card.   Ideal if you have lots of cards or mail to be delivered locally.

Whatever you do happy mailing!

Il sabato sera è sacro per i giovani, soprattutto quelli che vedono nella discoteca o nelle feste l’occasione per “fare i grandi” fumando, bevendo e rimorchiando o facendosi rimorchiare.

Ma le camossie siolte (soprannome autoconferito dopo tortuosi sentieri in route dalle scolte del gruppo N.d.R.) Albatro Tenace, Farfalla Spensierata, Wallaby Cercatrice e Kiru Accorto – la sottoscritta – onorate di essere state invitate con i grandi capi del gruppo ossia Irbis Fantasiosa, Brinc e Falco Impetuoso hanno partecipato ad una cena a Treviso con degli scout.

La partenza ha subito una leggera variazione d’orario in quanto il capo riparto degli esploratori ha avuto la vistita dei più alti criminali (Mafia Russa, contadini – sicari, talebani e pericolosi preti amanti della pistola) ma questa… è un’altra storia.

Affidati all’infallibile e siolto satellitare che è andato in tilt proprio nei pressi della casa “Anna e Franco Feder” che ci ospitava, la sera era buia, nemmeno le stelle ci hanno aiutato a rintracciare rapidamente la via

Arrivati sul posto dopo tanto vagabondare le camossie scoprono che abbassavano l’età media generale.

Inizialmente si richiusero in piccolo gruppetto a parte, ridendo e scherzando del più e del meno, avventurandosi pure nell’impresa di scoppiare un malcapitato palloncino rosso finito sotto il tavolo.

Intanto bottiglie di buon vino venivano portate al tavolo mentre l’acqua (fatta pei perversi) iniziava a scarseggiare!

Ad un certo punto i commensali iniziarono ad intonare vecchi canti di campi estivi passati fino a che “ho solo un pane” giunse alle orecchie delle camossie le quali per misteriosa alchimia si aggregarono al coro su invito del direttore del coro “La Traccia”

I canti riempivano la stanza unendo grandi e piccini in un’unica passione per cui tutti hanno collaborato e collaborano tutt’ora.

Serate come queste restano nella memoria perchè è difficile trovare un fattore d’unione tra persone di generazioni diverse.

Sta di fatto che questa cena è stata memorabile sopratutto per lo scoutismo ed il guidismo che sono riusciti a dimostrare il loro carattere attualissimo tramandato nel tempo dai diversi gruppi, ognuno con una propria storia alle spalle.

Spero che arrivi anche solo una parte dell’entusiasmo che quella serata mi ha trasmesso, una serata fuori dagli standard giovanili ma che è stata molto, molto divertente!

Kiru Accorto – Scolta

Thank you to Girl Scout Troop 2151 of Upper Sandusky, Ohio for some of the most colorful cards with heartfelt messages ever! What a pleasure it will be to take them to seniors! What thoughtful and generous girls!

2010 Nillumbik District Cub Scout Dates
26th Jan :: Australia Day – Government House Open Day
3rd-14th Jan :: Jamboree (AJ2010)
5th-8th Mar :: “The Big Camp” Banyule District has invited us to this long weekend camp
26th Apr :: Anzac Day Holiday (Mon)
8th May :: JOTT (Jamboree of the Trail)
9th May :: Mothers Day
24th Jun :: Roller Skating with Joey Scouts
?? Jul :: Flying Day (replaces Billy Cart Derby)
23rd Jul :: Disco @ 1st Eltham (Fri)
22nd Aug :: Pre Cuboree Camp (tbc)
29th Aug :: Hurstbridge Wattle Festival
5th Sep :: Fathers Day
27th Sep – 1st Oct :: Cuboree (Cubs going to Cuboree need their Camp Out Badge)
?? Sep :: Diamond Creek Town Fair
15th-17th Oct :: Eltham District Activity Camp (EDAC 10 y.o. linking camp)
15th-17th Oct :: JOTI / JOTA
24th? Oct :: Bike Safety Ride District Event (normally 1st Sun in Oct moved because of Cuboree)
2nd Nov :: Cup Day
?? Nov :: Eltham Town Fair
25th Nov :: All Leaders Meeting
26th Nov :: City Walk (or Try Something different?)
17th Dec :: Term 4 Ends

Other District Activities to Try
* Flying Day combined with Kite making and flying (Lilydale?)
* Leadership Course
* Tooronga Centre visit

Topics for Seeonee Meetings
* Laughter
* Pack Council
* Resources
* Jungle Book
* Dealing with Disabilities eg ADHD autism etc
* communication
* programming

We will be inviting Banyule District to our activities and more than likely receive invitations in return including a joint Seeonee

welcome to Mvm scouts

On two counts – oil and gas moved my way, and I had 13 Scouts jammed into my living room for “German Night”.

Natural gas had a big day, moving up 40 cents.  The double-long ETF HNU was up 14.5% just todayand I sold a small amount – I have lots left if this is the start of another rally.  I held my nose and went more long crude oil by covering some of the double-long short ETF HOD and buying more of the long ETF HOU.  That worked out as well today, but I’ve got to tell you, I’m really bearish on oil (although that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m right).  I’ll be happier if we can get another profit or two out of the long side and then get more short.

I took a signal to buy DAG, the double-long agricultural commodities ETF, bulking up that position a little as well.

A couple of days ago my natural gas position was down 28%, today it’s down only 6.9%.  And I nicked my last and largest buy a dime off the bottom at $8.60.  I fortuitously piled in right at the bottom the last time around as well in September, and that had a lot to do with the robust recovery of the account.  Another rally like the September one and this gas trade, and the portfolio, will quickly become very profitable.   Now if I could only nick the tops.

As it stands the commodity ETF portfolio has held up very well through NG’s decline from $17 to $8.50.  I am extremely pleased with the adjustments I made to the program a while back, as it’s defensiveness has improved significantly.  If not for the algorithm mistake in the first month (started back in late June), that built up early losses, I’d be ahead by now.  I’ve been doing a lot of testing in the past couple of weeks, and my goal of successfully emulating a market-maker operation is within sight.  I have two main approaches, and variations of each are all very profitable in testing.  However one is a little less profitable but plays much better defence, and is therefore safer.  This is the current C-ETF program with a modified trade-sizing algorithm.  It can survive most of the huge declines like we saw in 2008 and early 2009, but not quite total implosions like the oil collapse of 2008 or the catastrophic losses on the more aggressive leveraged short ETFs.  Therefore diversification (and not starting the long side when oil is at $150 or gold at $1200) is still important.

The new system I’m just simply going to call PRES – Progressive REversal Scaling.  It systematically provides entry and exit set-ups and signals, and trade sizing.  It works best with more volatile stocks and ETFs, and the more sideways/range-bound the action the better.    But it still works with trending markets as long as there is some jiggle to them along the way.

“German Night” was fun.  It was at my house but hosted by Scout Alexander C, who lived in Berlin for a year before his family returned to Canada and he re-joined our troop again last year.  I cooked up some bratwursts on the barbecue that we then planted in mini-buns, to do it the German way, and Alexander’s mother Mary brought absolutely delicious home-made pretzels and potato salad.  Scouter Steve brought root beer (we can’t do the real thing with 11-13 year-olds) and collectively we scrounged enough beer steins to at least make it all look Bavarian.  I also put on some alpine/polka music for a while, and then a travel video on the region where the Mosul and Rhine rivers meet.  Alexander did a very concise and interesting presentation on the history of Germany, and brought all sorts of interesting artifacts and souvenirs, including million-mark notes of the great inflation of the 1920’s, Nazi Reichmarks, and pieces of the Berlin wall.   He even wore lederhosen, but these were apparently problematic in bathroom situations, and Alexander was pretty-much dancing back and forth as he was waiting for his mother to pick him up at the end of the night.

And until the next time …

Prosit!
Allocator
a.k.a. George Parkanyi

Trash Trophy (the scout hike) is on saturday and I’ve got the Sh*ttest team ever. Ryan has all my friends in the other patrol and I’m stuck with all the uncool people who i dont even like.
I could go on but I’ve just spent 10 minutes writing an email of complaint to my scout leader.

Grupo Empresarial Chamos y la Asociación Scouts de Venezuela establecen una relación de mutuo apoyo

El pasado 06 de noviembre se firmó una alianza interinstitucional entre la Asociación Scouts de Venezuela (Región Carabobo) y el Grupo Empresarial Chamos. El objeto de dicho acuerdo es la cooperación conjunta para el diseño y ejecución de planes que beneficien a niños, niñas, adolescentes y jóvenes miembros de la Asociación Scouts, sus familias y a la comunidad en general.

La firma se llevó a cabo en las instalaciones del Centro ADIEL, ubicado en el estado Aragua, durante la Reunión de Equipos Operativos Nacionales (REON) de la Asociación. El presidente del Grupo Empresarial Chamos, Alejandro Sulbarán,  expresó su satisfacción por el logro de colaboraciones conjuntas que permiten el desarrollo social y formación de conciencia ciudadana. Mientras que el director ejecutivo nacional de la Asociación de Scouts,  Ignacio Marino, destacó la importancia de la promoción de la solidaridad y hermandad entre instituciones especialmente en el trabajo con niños, niñas, adolescente y jóvenes venezolanos.

El acuerdo tiene alcance nacional, aunque su piloto de operaciones comenzará en el estado Carabobo en las instalaciones de la finca Chamos Ranch, con la construcción de un espacio denominado Campo Escuela para la Asociación de Scouts, donde se llevarán a cabo actividades de capacitación, campamentos y reuniones del equipo operativo nacional de la Asociación.

Por su parte, el Grupo Empresarial Chamos ofrecerá oportunidades de empleo a los miembros de los scouts mayores de 18 años dentro de su estructura funcional, para el desarrollo de sus actividades comerciales asegurando una compensación económica adecuada al mercado.

no

I’m so not good right now. It’s nearly 6 am. I’m still up. Getting kinda goofy now, but not really sleepy. haven’t been sleeping much for a week or so now. yes, I have pills that’ll knock me out. but all day I feel so tired, so depressed, so nothing…  then at night, I have energy, I want to do things, I cleaned the kitchen and made dinner and did some laundry. I cleaned some.  I almost organized all the movies. thought about adding books to my database. I’d like to have lists, on my computer y’know, of all my books, and movies. I always think I have stuff, like, “Oh, I have that movie” or “I don’t have that book yet, I’ll buy it.”  which is how I end up with 3 copies of Needful Things. which isn’t one of my faves.

So lets try to get it all out, right? nobody is reading this, I’m not bothering anyone. I’m all twitchy because I don’t want to wake anyone up, making noise. my cats have fleas. the little one was swarmed when I got him, and he’s being treated. Sprayed with Adam’s thoroughly and often. We see the fleas dropping off him afterwards. I was getting snuggles from Big Love earlier and saw several fleas in his fur. He doesn’t seem to mind them much, which is why I didn’t know he had them. Ferg has some skin thing going on, so he’s always scratching. I keep telling myself I’m going to start giving him regular baths with head & shoulders, see if it helps. But we’ve got to get rid of the damn fleas. I think maybe I’m just about fucking over this climate. You really don’t appreciate something until it’s gone. I always complained that I hated the desert, wanted to live somewhere green and alive. well, there’s lots of alive. and a lot of it is icky and crawly and evil. roaches in the kitchen, fleas on the cats, and I can’t walk down the street without being paranoid that a tick is going to paratroop down onto me and get frisky. I get rather twitchy just thinking about it. I don’t like bugs. admitting, even to myself, that my kitchen has roaches just kills me. I never say their name. I just say there’s ‘bugs’ in the kitchen. it makes me feel like such trash, ghetto disgusting things. Cat messes and kid messes I can deal with. just take away the insects.

in case you can’t tell, the reason I’m so upset about the bugs is because I can’t do anything about them. I do try to kill the ‘bugs’ in the kitchen, to keep it clean, put the traps and power around, all that jazz. but it does rather seem like they are impossible to get rid of. I fucking hate them. and I feel guilty about the cats. I should be able to take care of them and provide for them properly. but I can’t afford to frontline them all. I’m mad at myself.

I’m sorta kinda looking for work. sent out my resume, but I’m awful at cover letters. and I don’t customize my resume for each job. it’s so stressful, I want it to be perfect, the awesome resume and cover letter, different and unique but reassuring and confidence-inspiring. and I know they’re not, and I don’t know how to make them be. I google it every time, how to write an awesome resume & letter, it just all seems so cliche and manipulative. and I don’t really want to go back to work. I’ve gotten in a rut, lounge around, watch TV, munching & grazing. I bitch & moan every time I have to wear a bra and any pants other than pajamas. seriously, all my laundry is pajamas. I hated getting up early and always being late anyway, frustrations and stresses of work, the constant battle against the clock vs. the paycheck. like, yes I would love to leave early on fridays. but I’m also fond of having electricity and a phone. it just fucking blows. and I know that I could do things from home, could probably do fairly well at it. editing, proofreading, maybe even writing. I just don’t know where to go, how not to get scammed. I need to do something. the holidays are coming up and we just keep getting further behind.

a collections agent actually got ahold of me last week. someone switched to a new collections company, so the number was new, and I answered it. I talked to the woman honestly, said, yes I know I owe money. but being unemployed means I don’t have the means to do a damn thing about it. and she said something about me needing to be aware of the consequences. um, yeah. thanks. y’know, I’m already going to the free crazy clinic for my prozac and ambien. they don’t generally prescribe the heavy stuff. if I can’t have some valium, I need everyone to stay off my back.

boy 2 is giving me stress. trouble at school, trouble at scouts. lying and acting out, I know he’s snowing this counselor just like he did the last one. of course if he’s getting one-on-one attention he’s great. that’s what he wants out of life. but the rest of the time, when someone isn’t being paid (once again, at the guv’ment welfare clinic) to listen to him, he still wants at least that much attention. and he will manufacture anything and everything to get it. hence the problems. there is no attention to be gained by quietly learning or doing homework. and I feel so shitty every time I shoo him away or tell him to wait a minute when he starts talking. but I know he knows when I’m trying to do something, or pay attention to something else, or trying to defuse a bomb, and that’s when he is the most insistent that he needs to ask me if ferrets could live on the moon and he wants a roller coaster for christmas. valium? pls? ativan. lithium. thorazine? vodka. but that occasionally causes projectile vomiting of a truly impressive distance. and volume. which generates a lot of cleaning for me, hence the downside. and I don’t want my kids on the montel williams show talking about mom the drunk. I mean, it’s true, I just don’t want it to be obvious.

a couple of times now I have taken the ambien and stayed up on purpose. it’s rather groovy feeling, floaty-like. but I’m still feeling productive, want to get stuff done. get the crock pot going, including actual potatoes that I peeled and chopped me-self. send out a resume or two and make a couple of phone calls. actually, what I really really want is to go buy the fourth season of Bones. I think it’s getting sick. I NEED to look at all the bills, see what someone is about to shut off and pay it. pay the rest of the rent. hey, guess what we’re not gonna have on Dec. 1st! RENT MONEY! they’ve been very nice thus far, but they are hinting that they have other properties, like apartments, that we might be able to better afford. jesus humping christ on a silver crutch, I really hate apartments. I hate shit jobs, call centers, cashiers, ‘customer service associates.’ drones. sheep. shit on the bottom of one’s shoe. I feel like I’m better than that, worth more than that. but how do I convince a total stranger of that within a minute? getting a job isn’t exactly cake and pie right now. and looking for him too. I thought I was lazy and unmotivated. wow. maybe that’s one reason I let him stick around. makes me feel less lazy and awful. but at the same time, depressing and dragging my ass down with him. it’s the sort of thing I excell at. finding a guy who can ruin my life in as many ways as possible in the shortest amount of time, and hanging on to him like my life depended on it, rather than being rational and moving onward and upward. well, down with the ship then, captain! how else?

so why don’t I want to sleep? why have I been up all night? avoiding the pills that’ll knock me out for a while. time is going by too quickly. I keep telling myself I’m going to do things, make it better, suck it up, be an adult and fix it. and then I sleep all day and think about how shitty it all is and how it’s never going to get better.

depressed, adopt another cat, eat some chocolate, look at lolcats.

and another day is gone, and another day is gone.

I don’t want to get dressed and go to scouts,

I don’t want to get dressed and go to the grocery store,

I don’t want to see anyone. I don’t want to think about anything.

I’ll think about it tomorrow.

tomorrow is another day, can’t think about it today,

can’t do anything about it today,

they’re probably out to lunch or they’re closed by now

or I can’t do it right now, I need to find a paper first.

something anything a pill a drink a funny

to make it all stop.

for another day.

A new client has come on board and its less Dyb Dyb Dyb but more adventure with this one.

Working with close design & advertising associates we are very excited at Spot On!
From the Penarth Times Sat 14th Nov: “Scouts go on the market”

A TRIO of advertising agencies have been hired to boost the fortunes of a Penarth scouting group.

A consortium led by Penarth-based Folio Typographics, on Coleridge Avenue, and Cardiff firms Designdough and Spot On Events & Communications, is behind a plan to help attract members to the Penarth District Scouts.

Their brief is to produce a marketing campaign aimed at increasing the number of adult volunteers from Penarth, Cogan, Llandough, Dinas Powys and Sully.

Other events include a re-branding exercise, a new website supplying local and regional PR, outdoor advertising and organising a scouting adventure in May 2010.
You can read the full story here: http://www.penarthtimes.co.uk/news/4732540.Scouts_go_on_the_market/

So we are running the PR & designing an adventure event that will encourage adults to discover the adventure side of Scouting & signing up to help local groups.

More information will be posted over the campaign period. So for now “we will promise to do our best…”

Dude from the Boy Scouts emails and wants to know if I will put on a Dutch Oven cooking class for the University of Scouting. My mom would be proud, her only son, teaching at a University. OK, maybe it’s not that big of a deal. For those of you who don’t know the joys of Dutch Oven cooking, it is a cast iron or aluminum pot that you use with coals to produce some scrumptious victuals. I fine tuned this skill during my five-year stint as a ScoutMaster, no beanie weenies for this boy.  

So I wander to the North side of Cowtown for the day of training. Haul the ovens, charcoal, handouts, and food to prepare, and unload the whole affair. No big deal. Set up my little kitchen, make coffee, and wait on the students.

The University is really designed to get the newest adult volunteers trained in many of the aspects of Scouting, and as such is usually targeted at beginners and novices. I set up my training and cooking for first timers, realizing that I might have one or two more experienced folk in the crowd.

You can tell right off that these are not experienced Scouters. I ask them what the Scout motto is. The answer of course is “Be Prepared”. Well then, what is the Scout Leader motto? “Be Prepared, To Eat, At all Times”. None of them are carrying requisite cup, plate, or utensil. What a bunch of greenhorns. Why in the hell would you go to a cooking class not prepared to chow down? Rookies, sheesh. I saved their pitiful butts by producing bowls and forks.

Double the number of attendees show up, which totally wrecks my handout math, but thankfully I have enough food probably for the crowd. I start my spiel, and before I get the first point made, a gentlemen pipes up from the peanut gallery, “Well, I do it this way………..”. Hmmmmm, I thought I covered that in the opening prologue with the “not everybody does it the same way, many different ways work, and like all of you cook differently at home, you will develop you own style outdoors. My way is only one way”  Ok, I acknowledge that his input will work.

You friends of mine already know that I am an egotist, and have no lack of self-confidence. Perhaps even a braggart at times. Redneck expression is: It ain’t braggin if you can back it. Some of you know I can cook a mean meal outdoors. Wicked mean.

We move on, and before we get the second point made, my helper has chimed in again. This time he is explaining why the technique I just taught won’t work. Now, in my younger less diplomatic days, I would have replied that perhaps it would be better if he taught and I critiqued, but since it was a Scouting event, I just acknowledged his contribution again.

We launch into something easy like whop biscuits (canned biscuits for you non Southerners, you whop the can on the counter to open them). Cause if you learn how to cook biscuits outdoors and have the top and bottom evenly brown, then you will be the friend of every adult in camp. They will kneel and worship the hand that fed them hot uncharred biscuits.

Wouldn’t you know, my helper chimes in AGAIN. My brain thinks Dude, WTF. But, I just smile, and walk the class through the basics. It helps that just as I finish the biscuit manifesto, I lift the lid on two ovens to reveal and distribute PERFECT bix.

The sous chef is still pointing out other alternatives for cooking of the biscuits, but the crowd ignores him and is asking engaged questions. Well, as well as you can ask with your mouth full of hot bread.

Soon as that is finished, I walk them through an easy prep entre. Forty garlic tenderloin. Simple recipe. Braise tenderloin, add about twenty whole, not smashed garlic cloves, one can of chicken broth, fresh Rosemary and cook for 45. That raises some eyebrows about the garlic, but that concern is put to rest as soon as the lid is lifted on the entre. Can you imagine for a sec what heavenly aroma that was, around 11:30 on a Sat morning under a blue bird November sky. Mercy.

Sharp knife, that wasn’t really needed, produces morsels to pass around. Much ooing and aahing amongst the converts. No comments from the self-appointed assistant.

We move on to the last demo dish. Now, I have had multiple marriage proposals from campers female and male alike over this item. It’s a simple Lemon Poppy Seed affair, cooked not as a muffin, but more as a large cake in the Dutch Oven. Meant to be scooped out by fork , or don’t tell, grubby camp hands.  I was lucky and it turned out perfectly done, top, bottom,  and middle. The women swooned, and the boys with the bellies eyed one another with caution whilst balancing manners with lemon lust.

Afore mentioned helper is silent, trying not to spill crumbs.

Take that amigo. Got any more suggestions. Don’t bring a stick to a gunfight, cowboy. Hard to argue with the evidence.

As a Cub Leader I did my duty and went on parade for Remembrance Sunday. What do I have now – a cold, and to top it off my husband has disappeared off on a work trip. We may have short numbers for the Cub Pack on Tues as none of us had waterproofs on, and it took ten days for my cold to appear. This is probably good as the noise doubles when we are inside all night. I think that we should be issued with ear defenders as part of our uniform!

Never mind I can’t complain about them really. It was the District Swimming Gala on Saturday and we came back winning the Class A Group (with a lovely shield) and second in Class B, and third in the Diving. So guess what – we came first Overall, being presented with a frog arm band, as the trophy had not been returned yet.

We won overall because scoring is done on a points basis and Colwall came 1st, 2nd or 3rd in all but one final.  This was brilliant as we don’t really have any outstanding swimmers, and one pack had someone who swam for a county team. I was ecstatic for the Cubs, but very hoarse due to shouting encouragement as I walked almost the full length of the pool for what seemed hundreds of times. It certainly made it worthwhile to see their faces as they realised they had won the Overall Trophy, especially as some thought they had not done too well. So the heading should really read ‘HURRAH!! WELL SWUM FIRST COLWALL CUB PACK’