by Tilly | May 3, 2016 | Expeditions, Patagonia 2017, Patagonia 2017
The Chief Scout’s Gold Award is the highest award that you can achieve in the scout section. It is a difficult badge to earn, and to do so you must complete a number of challenges – including learning about the world, teamwork, and adventure. The young people that have earned this award have shown great resilience, commitment, and determination, and should all be rightfully proud of their achievements.
To complete the award, each participant must achieve 6 or more of these nine elements.
* World Challenge Award * Skills Challenge Award *Creative Challenge Award *Outdoors Challenge Award *Adventure Challenge Award *Expedition Challenge Award *Teamwork Challenge Award *Team Leader Challenge Award *Personal Challenge Award
At face value they all seem like separate elements, which in a sense they are, but, if looked at another way, they are all interlinked, and it can be hard to achieve one, without the addition of another supporting you.
Just like this award, our expedition is made up of many elements, as a team we will work together, encounter personal challenges, learn new skills, face the world and experience new cultures and traditions.
Scouting is a powerful force in shaping young people and empowering them to identify and realise their ambitions. Through an expedition, fears are conquered, friendships are strengthened, new relationships are built, unforgettable stories are written, character is revealed, potential is fulfilled and confidence soars! (We can give you another 20 reasons if you’d like!)
So why not take your Scouting adventure further? Hampshire Scout Expeditions have 30 years+ experience in running expeditions abroad, and we are looking for some enthusiastic young adventures to come on our next 6 week expedition over Christmas/New Year 2017/18 to Patagonia.
For all those interested, information will be sent out shortly about our expedition, keep an eye out in the bi-monthly Hampshire Scout News, the weekly E-News and of course the blog and Facebook.
If this sounds like anything you would be interested in, if anyone has any questions, would like some more information, or are interested in the expedition, please contact us;
Contact us and get involved!
Email: (Patagonia@hsx.org.uk) or stay tuned to the blog for more details.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HSXPatagonia
Twitter: @HSXofficial #Pat2017
by Tilly | Apr 25, 2016 | Expeditions, Patagonia 2017, Patagonia 2017
Yesterday held host to our successful information and taster day in Winchester. (If you couldn’t make it, you can still get involved!!)
The leadership team were up bright and early making final preparations for the day ahead. 10 o’clock came around too soon, when the doors opened to some eager faces wanting to know more about the expedition. We started the day by getting to know each other, sharing our proudest, and some, our most embarrassing moments in Scouting.
The day was packed with team building games, obstacle courses, and fun activities all around, with the halfway stop for lunch perusing Patagonia guide books and maps, pointing out our future destinations and adventures.
At 3, parents and guardians arrived for a presentation/question and answer session about the expedition, lead by the leadership team. All in all, a good day was had, and it was great to see so many enthusiastic faces, not only from the explorers, but on the faces of leaders and parents too!
As mentioned, this blog will keep getting updated, as well as our Facebook page which can be found HERE!
For all those interested, information will be sent out shortly about our expedition, keep an eye out in the bi-monthly Hampshire Scout News, the weekly E-News and of course the blog and Facebook.
Once again, if anyone has any questions, would like some more information, or are interested in the expedition, please contact us;
Contact us and get involved!
Email: (Patagonia@hsx.org.uk) or stay tuned to the blog for more details.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HSXPatagonia
Twitter: @HSXofficial #Pat2017
by Tilly | Apr 23, 2016 | Expeditions, Patagonia 2017, Patagonia 2017
Just a friendly reminder that tomorrow is our information and taster day,
If you or your parents and guardians would like to know more about;
The Leader Team/ Pre Expedition Training/ Expedition Breakdown/Fundraising Opportunities and take part in some activities, then please come along and meet the team on Sunday 24th April, starting at 10am, in a scout hut in Winchester,
(Email us for location details!)
Contact us and get involved!
Email: (Patagonia@hsx.org.uk) or stay tuned to the blog for more details.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HSXPatagonia
Twitter: @HSXofficial #Pat2017
by Tilly | Apr 19, 2016 | Expeditions, Patagonia 2017, Patagonia 2017
Embarking on an expedition can be a scary or daunting prospect, but yet there is so much to gain from steeping a little outside your comfort zone, and gulping in the wild air.
Here’s 5 reasons to take the plunge;
To take you off the beaten track; expeditions quite frenquently take you places that you had never even imagined.They offer you the chance to sleep under the stars on rocky, icy or even mountainous terrain. There is a big world out there, why limit your experience and education to the ‘tiny corner’ you happened to be born in?
To stretch your comfort zone; You don’t need expedition experience to go on an expedition (in fact you probably only need a sense of humour),but, you might as well start somewhere, and afterwards, who knows what wild things might seem achievable.
For extraordinary expedition experiences; Challenging, inspiring and transforming, the expedition experience is a powerful force in shaping young people and empowering them to identify and realise their ambitions. Fears are conquered, friendships are strengthened, new relationships are built, unforgettable stories are written, character is revealed, potential is fulfilled and confidence soars!
True cultural immersion; Cultures that retain close ties to their ancestral roots often inhabit regions far from developed civilization; the remoteness helps preserve their traditions and activities.
A new point of view; Expeditions often bring a different point of view even in well-traveled areas. Imagine seeing a group of tourists hopping out of a van at a scenic mountain view point, while you’re actually hiking the trails that run beside and up it. Not only do you get that mountain-level perspective, but you also get to spend more time enjoying it.
To meet the other leaders, and to hear more about our Pre Expedition Training, Expedition Breakdown, Fundraising Opportunities and take part in some activities, then please come along and meet the team on Sunday 24th April, starting at 10am, in a scout hut in Winchester, (Email us for location details)
Contact us and get involved!
Email: (Patagonia@hsx.org.uk) or stay tuned to the blog for more details.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HSXPatagonia
Twitter: @HSXofficial #Pat2017
by Ian | Oct 11, 2009 | Expeditions, Malawi 2009
Below we have a few word from Expedition Member David Cribb. Pictures coming soon.
Well, I think in general we had a pretty good expedition. Now that we?re all back in the UK and most of the group has gone back to work or college or school, we?re often seeing things that remind us of our time in Malawi, still making jokes made in Malawi and genuinely happy that we saw this trip advertised 21 months ago.
The training, I think we all agree was essential, and the 18 months prior to Malawi made sure that we all got to know each other, work as a functioning team and generally improve on all the skills we would need out in Africa. By the end of the training we were much better prepared for expedition that we were at the beginning. When we finally touched down in Malawi we were as best prepared as we could be.
Our first impressions of Malawi were the views from the minibus from the airport. We could instantly see that this was very unlike the country we had just left behind, and the talk from DFID in the British High commission really opened our eyes to what this country was really like. When we left the fairly modern capital of Lilongwe on our route down to Songani & Makwawa we further saw what the country was like, with mud huts all along the road.
Our time at Makwawa will be one of our main memories of the trip, building the school along with the Malawian scouts really helped us to get an idea of what life for some of the people out there was like. By the end of the 2 weeks we had also made good friends with the Malawian scouts and we?re all still in touch with them now. Overall our time at Makwawa was highly fun and we managed to experience bits of Malawi, such as haggling, with a hands on approach in places like Zomba Market.
The other two main Projects in Michuru and Blantyre were also highly exciting, whether it was fighting fires, building thatch roofs, watching hyenas or seeing a traditional Malawian dance. Once again we managed to experience different aspects of Malawi whilst still all enjoying ourselves.
One of the other exciting moments was our ascent of Mt. Mulanje. I don?t think many of us had done any mountain climbing of a similar standard to that before, the closest some of us had perhaps got to was the Lake District or Snowdonia. It was a challenging few days but eventually 5 of team Malawi made it to the top.
One thing the entire group was looking forward to right from the beginning of the trip was the Safari at Liwonde National Park. We were lucky enough to see Elephants, Kudu, Water buck, Hippos, Impala?and Crocodiles on a Jeep, Canoe and motor boat safari.
We were also looking forward to our time on Lake Malawi. Whilst staying at Nanchengua (sp?) Lodge we able to hire a catamaran and a speed boat and spend a few hours snorkelling and swimming in the waters surrounding an uninhabited island. We were also able to do some banana boating in the afternoon.? We then moved on to Cape Maclear where, after kayaking across lake Malawi to get to it, we spent a few days on the uninhabited Domwe Island relaxing, learning how to catch fish with only a Mosquito net and a barrel, beating Joe?s time in climbing Domwe Island and learning how to scuba dive.
Towards the end of the trip we began looking forward to home, but then at the same time began thinking about all the things we would miss, the friendliness of the Malawian people, the wonderful landscape, the unique Malawian food (yum Nsima!). The last two nights in the country at Fat Monkeys and back at Mabuya Lodge were spent reminiscing about our 6 weeks and figuring out the best bits to put into the presentation.
Another long journey back to the UK involving a 2:00 flight from Lilongwe, a 5 hour stop in Nairobi and an 8 hour flight back to London Heathrow and we eventually made it back to the UK. 24 hours later, with presentation rapidly prepared we were giving our presentation to friends, family, sponsors and HSX.
A wonderful 6 weeks and an excellent expedition!
Just a few thank yous, I?d like to thank the rest of the team for their company, teamwork and help over the last 21 months and for making the trip as good as it was, Especially Matt, Joe and Emily, the Expedition Leaders who ensured that everything was organised so that we could have a great trip.
I?d also like to thank HSX for initially organising the trip and supporting us throughout our training and expedition.
Finally I?d like to thank all the corporate sponsors and everyone that donated towards the trip because without the money, we wouldn?t have been able to do anything of the amazing things we eventually achieved.
David Cribb
