2nd Ian Davies #4195
3rd Gataulu 6677
4th H Craik #4958
5th Kyle Greig #4691
6th Olive Dean #3155
7th Alan Porter #1256
8th Alan Porter #1254
9th Elsie Royse #2448
10th Jon #2408
11th Alan Porter #1242
12th Milverton #4704
13th Lance Grey #0713

Congratulations to all our winners!
And thanks to all of you who bought tickets!
We appreciate your support!

Bridgette Kou Fraser

Bridgette passed away on Monday 2nd of June
after a short and courageous fight against cancer.

Bridgette followed her older sister to our Group starting Keas early at the age of 5 – there was going to be no stopping her being involved. She progressed on to Cubs becoming a Six Leader. By all accounts she did not become a Six Leader because it was her turn; she was a Six Leader because she was a leader, and a good one with well rounded leadership qualities displaying everything from leading the way by giving it a go herself, to the people skills.

In 2007 she was awarded our Groups Cub Award; this award recognized her standard of uniform, her attendance and her badge work achievements.

Unfortunately Bridgette was recently diagnosed with an inoperable tumor and given six months to live. It very quickly impacted on her motor skills, thus adding to the challenge of simply dealing with the treatment that goes with cancers.

In her time of good health she attended what must have been most section or Group activities (and in our Group that is no small number of activities). Bridgette has supported the local community through the annual ANZAC parades, the Lions Santa Parades, Lions book sales as well as the Kea and Cub days, local district and group camps, travelled with us to various regattas and events as well as our many Group activities. And she still carried on through the last six months when health would allow.

Of particular recent note was her active participation in the filming undertaken by Tumanako Productions with our Keas and Cubs demonstrating a variety of water activities (sailing, rowing, canoeing, swimming and at play in the water) to create a short film to promote water safety and water activities for young Maori children. This aired on Maori TV on March this year as part of the Miharo series.

I noted at our recent Group family boating days, the way our Scouts looked out for her and despite being practically wheel chair bound still took her out sailing with them. Our Scouts wanted to be with this Cub and her family to support her – and this I believe is a reflection on Bridgette and the impact she has made on so many.

New Lynn is large and strong family focused group (with around 100 youth members) and I know that her passing will leave a lasting legacy for our members throughout our Group. I can but thank her for sharing so much of her short time with us, I thank her for the positive impacts she has made on so many and can only wonder at what we have missed out on through her loss. Bridgette will long be remembered.

Andrew Stevens
Scout/Group Leader

Last month Bridgette was presented with the Cornwell Award by Scouting New Zealand.
In New Zealand only ten awards have ever been made.
It is awarded for ‘Courage and Outstanding Character’.

French Bay on the Manukau Harbour at the southern end of the Waitakere Ranges.
Looks like an island as this is a cropped 360 degree view (equirectagonal).
Our Scout Den is on the Portage between the Waitemata Habourand Green Bay just east of here.
No boats?! Everyone’s catching up after Jamboree down in Christchurch!

This is a reminder that we are holding our AGM this Wednesday evening. This is just one of those things that we must hold each year. It is very important that all members of the Group are represented.

The AGM provides us with the opportunity to present the Group Report and annual accounts. It is important that you are aware of the activities in the group and its financial position, after all your children have an interest in the wellbeing of the Group.

This is the ideal opportunity to thank all the leaders and other helpers for the countless hours of work that they put in. We receive around $20,000 of grant money each year to subsidise our programme costs. The expectation of the grant providers is that they are acknowledged in the Group Report. Being able to provide copies of the AGM minutes showing strong attendance is very important for us to continue to secure the level of funding we currently enjoy.

The programme is

1900hrs Parade (7:00pm)
1905hrs Serve supper
1920hrs AGM and slide show of years activities
1950hrs Close of AGM – tea and coffee and more supper (if any is left)
Scouts – will then go over Firearm safety in readiness for the shooting competition this Sunday.
2100hrs meeting Close – Final parade

Yes there will be the call for nominations for the committee. we would like two representative from each section on the committee to represent their sections interests.

If you can’t be on the committee, then we would like you to put your name down against one of the many tasks that needs someone to look after that can be done outside the committee. You would simply report back through the person on the committee responsible for that portfolio.

The more we can spread the workload, the more time our leaders can spend on programme delivery. This directly benefits your children. If everyone had one small task to look after that suited their skill sets, then we are likely to have jobs done to a high standard with the value add through your knowledge. This makes things more efficient both time and cost wise.

Please email any apologies to Janet (janetandmike@paradise.net.nz) by 6:00pm on Wednesday evening (but I know you will not need to do that as you will all be present at the AGM).

I look forward to seeing you there

Andrew Stevens

Scout & Group Leader

FYI our Scout section is approaching a membership of 40, with the overall
group numbers likely to be in the top twenty of all Groups in NZ).
Current memberships sits at about 90 and our target size is about 120.
Increasing our membership base is one of the easiest ways that we can fundraise

to cover our overhead costs – saves us having to consider lots of fundraising for this.

 

Andrew Stevens
Scout & Group Leader