WINTERBOURNE (St.Michael's)

SCOUT GROUP.

'Scouting' nationally celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 2007, having started on Brownsea Island in 1907. The 1st Winterbourne started much later and our Group was first registered in July 1954 when the Scout Group was formed. The Group was then called "St.Michael the Archangel, Winterbourne". The Cub Pack was formed in 1957, the Venture Unit in 1977 and the Beaver Colony in 1985. The Venture Unit meets in the Rectory stables.

In 1981 the name of the Group was changed to its present name. Since the Group's formation it has always retained the name "St.Michael's" in its title. This is only right and is something which we in the Group are proud of because we are an open sponsored Group - St.Michael's Church being our sponsoring authority. It is therefore appropriate that we meet in St.Michael's Room and we hope this important link will continue in future.

A Scout Group can cater for boys from six years of age to young men who reach the age of twenty years. Not all Scout Groups cover this age range but the St.Michael's Group does, and this is important because a boy can progress through the various sections within the same Group.

The Beaver Colony caters for boys aged six to eight and meets on Mondays from 5.10 to 6.10pm. This is the newest section in the Scout movement, Beaver Scouts being accepted into full membership in 1968. Our colony, comprising eighteen Beavers, was the first to be formed in the South Cotswold District.

Cub Scouts are aged from eight to eleven years and meet on Monday evenings from 6.15pm - 7.30pm. The Cub Pack is twenty-four strong, arranged in tour groups of six with a "Sixer" in charge of each group. The Scout Troop is the largest of the sections, having thirty Scouts aged from eleven to fifteen and a half years. A feature of the Troop is the Patrol system - Scouts in Patrols of five, six or seven with a Patrol Leader and Assistant Patrol Leader in charge of each Patrol. Through the Patrol Leaders Council much of the programme of the Troop is arranged - aided and abetted by the Scout Leaders, of course.

The Scout Troop meets on Mondays, following the Cubs, from 7.30pm to 9pm. At 15+ years, Scouts transfer to the Venture Unit where they stay until they reach their twentieth birthday. We have fifteen Venture Scouts in the Unit.

Visit the » Winterbourne Scouts Website