Gat t on SCOUT Gr oup News

The Dangers of Growing UpAccording to today’s regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were kids in the50’s, 60’s and 70’s probably shouldn’t have survived.Our baby cots were covered with brightly coloured lead based paint which waspromptly chewed and licked.We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, or latches on doors or cabinets andit was fine to play with pans.When we rode our bikes, we wore no helmets, just flip flops and fluorescentclackers’ on our wheels.As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in thepassenger seat was a treat.We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle - tasted the same. We ate dripping sandwiches, bread andbutter pudding and drank fizzy pop with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outsideplaying.We shared one drink with four friends, from one bottle or can and no-one actually died from this.We would spend hours building go-carts out of scraps and then went top speed down the hill, only to find out we forgotthe brakes. After running into stinging nettles a few times, we learned to solve the problem.We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back before it got dark. No one was able toreach us all day and no one minded. We did not have Play stations or X-Boxes, no video games at all. No 99 channelson TV, no videotape movies, no surround sound, no mobile phones, no personal computers, no Internet chat rooms.We had friends - we went outside and found them.We played elastics and street rounders, and sometimes that ball really hurt.We fell out of trees, got cut and broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits. They were accidents. We learnt notto do the same thing again.We had fights, punched each other hard and got black and blue - we learned to get over it. We walked to friend’shomes.We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and ate live stuff, and eyes out, nor did the live stuff live inside usforever.We rode bikes in packs of 7 and wore our coats by only the hood.Our actions were our own. Consequences were expected. The idea of a parent bailing usout if we broke a law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law. Imagine that!This generation has produced some of the best risk takers and problem solvers andinventors, ever. The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned to deal with it all.What will this overprotected generation, and those to come, bring?Camp Recipe of the Month“Chicken in a bucket”Ingredients 1 x whole chickensalt, pepper or other seasoningsEquipment aluminium foilwooden stakelarge metal bucket or popcorn tincharcoalshovelpot holdersInstructions Place a sheet of aluminium foil on the ground. Pound the stake into the ground in the center ofthe foil. Place the chicken over the stake. Place the bucket/tin over the chicken, making surethat the bucket covers the chicken without touching it. Pile hot coals around the edge of thebucket and up the sides as high as possible (usually about 4 coals high) and on top of it. AfterCommentabout 1 hour to 75 minutes your chicken will be brown and tasty.Oven roasters seem to work the best. 75 minutes cooks a fairly large chicken or turkey breast.Do not try to check part way through the cooking - it just makes a mess!2Quiz answer- James Keller

Upcoming EventsOctober 18 th – HARVEST FESTIVAL AND JOTISLEEPOVERWe are entering a float in the<strong>Gat</strong>ton Harvest Festival.Please come down and cheer the scouts along.The Night of the 18 th we will be at the <strong>Gat</strong>tonSports Complex and spending the night chattingto scouts all over the world as part of the JOTI orJamboree of the Internet. Older scouts mayremember the Amateur Radio version; this is thesame but with a modern twist. You are welcometo pop in and support the kids as theycommunicate with the world.October 26 th – CLEANUP FUNDRAISERAll hands are needed to lend assistance incleaning up the <strong>Gat</strong>ton College Rugby ClubsScrubbers bash.This is a major fundraiser for the group andneeds all parents and scouts to pitch in.Please meet at Laidley showgrounds at 9amto start cleanup.November 3 rd – GROUP COMMITTEE MEETINGParents and Interested Community Members areinvited to come along and lend a hand to theGroup Committee. Please show your support tothe Local Scout GroupMarch 2004 – GOLF DAYThe group is holding a golf day ate the <strong>Gat</strong>tonGolf Club. Get those old sticks out and get ready.More on this as we get closer to the date.Sun protection tip for OctoberSun protection is easy when you know how. It is alsovery important as too much sun is the primary causeof skin cancer.Sunscreens protect the skin in two different ways;• by reflecting UV away from the skin and• by absorbing UV before it can penetrateyour skin. In essence, sunscreen is achemical barrier that protects your skin.When choosing a sunscreen that will protect you, there area few things you should know:No sunscreen offers 100% protection from the sun’sdamaging UV. Even with sunscreen, UV will still getthrough to the fragile upper and lower layers of your skin.Sunscreen should always be used in conjunction withother forms of protection like hats, sunglasses, clothingand shade.SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. A SPF30+sunscreen offers you maximum protection from the sun,blocking out 96% of UV. SPF 15+ will block out 93%. Youshould also try to buy sunscreens that are labeled ’BroadSpectrum’ as they will protect you from both types of UV:UVA and UVB.Using SPF 30+ instead of SPF 15+ does not mean youcan safely double the amount of time you spend in the sun.Never use sunscreen to extend the amount of time youwould normally spend in the sun.For sunscreen to be effective at protecting you fromsunburn, slop it on 20 minutes before going outside. Thisgives the protective elements in sunscreen time to bond toyour skin. Don’t rub it in, a light film should stay visible.Remember to reapply every two hours or more regularly ifswimming or sweating a lot.If you experience a reaction to sunscreen, experiment withother brands first, before giving sunscreen away. It is oftenthe fragrances or moisturisers in sunscreen that cause skinirritation. Try sensitive skin formulas or brands especiallymade for children.GATTON JOEY SCOUTSPROPOSED PROGRAMME (OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2003)OCTOBER7 Trains / Planes / Automobiles14 Preparations for Harvest Festival FloatSat 18/ Sun 19 Harvest Festival and Jamboree of the Internet21 Travelling SuitcasesSunday 26District Joey Scout Activity Day (Around the World) At Atkinson DamNOVEMBER4 Melbourne Cup11 Emergency Services18 Visit to Another Mob ( Forest Hill School Camp)25 Cooking NightDECEMBER2 Bring a Friend Night9 Xmas Party and Break Up3

Funny - maybeTwo Scouts were walkingthrough the bush whensuddenly the Yowie leapedout in front of them. The firstScout cautioned the secondto remain calm. "Rememberwhat we read in the ScoutHandbook. If you standabsolutely still, and look theyowie straight in the eye, hewill turn and run away." Thesecond Scout said, "Fine,you’ve read the Scouthandbook, and I’ve read thehandbook, but has the yowieread the handbook?"MORE SCOUTS WANTEDOne of the ways you can get more out of scouting is to bring some of yourfriends along.If you enjoy camping and bushwalking, why wouldn’t your mates. Rightnow there is a place for kids of all ages from 6 to 15 in your local group.Write down the names of 5 friends to invite and ask your leader for somebrochures to give them.1. ____________________________________________2. ____________________________________________3. ____________________________________________4. ____________________________________________5. ____________________________________________7 th Jamboree On The Internet18 – 19 October 2003,Rim Valleys Internet Centre <strong>Gat</strong>tonMake friends with Scouts and Guides all over the World and havefun using the latest technology in our largest JamboreeThanks to a 512MB ADSL internet connection our activity will be one of the best in Australia. We’ll have instantconversations with Scouts and Guides wherever and whenever we choose. This World Jamboree will go day and nightover the whole weekend as we make friends, share our dreams and cultures, and have fun.Bring your Sleeping Bag as we will be chatting all nightThe <strong>Gat</strong>ton Scout group is in the process of setting up a webpage. The actual address for the site has not beendecided on yet, but there will be more information in the November Newsletter.Please let us know what information you would like to see on the website and we will do our best to put it up in thesite. Remember its the groups site as part of the group we want you to have some input on the content.If you have any concerns as to the content, please see your leader for further information or email it toscoutproject@e-timestamp.com.au4