Senior Scouts visit Mission Aviation Fellowship

Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) is a non-profit organisation (NPO) operating a fleet

of more than 135 aircraft in about 30 countries in the developing world. 

The South African branch was established in the 1970’s and has been working to support mission organisations in Southern Africa. Over the last forty years, they have been transporting supplies, medicine and visitors to these organisations, and have been a vital lifeline to those doing the Lord’s work in isolated remote areas.

The Senior Air Scouts of our Air Scout Group were invited to visit MAF on Saturday 2nd November to view their aircraft, attend a talk on how to plan distribution of weight on their aircraft and hear about some of the interesting missions that they have done. 

Mark Liprini (pilot for MAF) also made it possible for the Air Scouts to visit the Lanseria Control Centre, the Lanseria Fire Station and finally the Lanseria Air Traffic Control.

Below is a photo of the Senior Air Scouts, Scouters and MAF Pilot, Mark Liprini,standing next to the MAF Cessna C208B Caravan Aircraft.

Our thanks to Mark, and to MAF, for the opportunity given  to our Senior Scouts. More information about the missions MAF have completed can be found on their website http://www.mafsa.co.za/ or their blog site  http://blog.mafsa.co.za/

Scouts earning a "Plumbers Badge"

A fun activity of "learning all about plumbing" was given to Scouts in our Group. It was held at the Scout hall on Saturday 5th October and run by Peter Griffiths, a parent of one of our Scouts.

Peter prepared a booklet for the activity and Scouts needed to complete various tasks in the booklet to earn the badge.

Peter also brought along a wide variety of tools, plumbing items / parts as used by plumbers so that the Scouts can also participate in some practical aspects of plumbing.

Prior to completing a task, a demonstration was given by Peter as to what tools were needed, how to use the tools and how to complete the task.

The task found to be very popular by all Scouts was the cutting and then the soldering of a copper t-piece, a coupling with two short straight pieces. This required using a gas-burner, solder and flux.

Below is a photo taken during one of the demonstrations.

Our thanks to Peter for his assistance in being the badge examiner for this activity.

World Scouting launches new online platform

On 15 October 2013, World Scouting launched a new online platform for World Scouting. It aims to bring together all the Scouts around the world in a permanent jamboree. It marks a fundamental mind-shift in communications and will contribute to change the way business will be done in World Scouting. 

World Scouting are sure that this new platform will contribute to further engagement and exchange between Scouts worldwide. The changes to scout.org go beyond creating a new website. They reflect the way the Movement is seen and the role Scouting has in the lives of Scouts and Scouter leaders throughout the World.

"The platform that was created which will provide constant learning, communication, sharing and development." - Scott Teare, Secretary General WOSM

The new website is the centre of World Scouting’s renewed web presence. It is a hub for all of digital activities bringing a new level of transparency, responsiveness and interactivity. The vision for the new scout.org is to be an online space where the Movement is living in its full vibrancy – 24/7 and 365 days a year.

To view the new site click here    http://www.scout.org/

Some example "screen captures" below

Update JOTA/JOTI 2013

Our Group Scouter has over this past weekend installed and tested IRC (Internet Relay Chat) and "TeamSpeak" (suggested programs from JOTI site). During testing of the software he had contact with other Scout/Guide users of the software in Netherlands, India, UK and Alaska.

Our Flights (Patrols) may try using these programs during this JOTA/JOTI event.

JOTA/JOTI 2013

Our Flight Leaders at a meeting of their Court-of-Honour have confirmed that their Flights will participate in this years Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) / Jamboree On The Internet (JOTI) Worldwide event.  This will be the third year that the Group (now call a Squadron) has participated.

Each Flight Leader has their own HamSphere call-sign and the HamSphere software emulates a virtual Ham Radio however is based on Internet connectivity.

The Flight Leaders and their Flights members will try to talk to other Scout Groups in South Africa as well as around the World who may also be using the HamSphere software.

Being Internet based, this activity is considered as been JOTI related.

Special  QSL  (Confirmation of Contact) cards have been prepared for this event.

 

The Flight Leaders and the members are looking forward to contacting you or you contacting them.

Our call signs are 44HS250 (Spitfire) ; 44HS277 (Mirage) ; 44HS278 (Tomcat) and 44HS279 (Sabre).

Scouts visit Rand Airport Air Show

It was an enjoyable day for some of the Harmelia Gardens Air Scouts as they could see various aircraft in action at the Rand Airport Airshow.

Aerobatic displays were done by both the Silver Falcons Air Force Squadron and the Harvards.

During the airshow a Mustang took to the sky and the pilot put the aircraft through a very impressive warbird display of action.

There were also various aircraft on “static” display.

Thanks to those who attended.

"Meal on Wheels" event

Harmelia Gardens Scout Group held a "Meal on Wheels" event on Saturday 7th September in the neighbourhood of our Scout Hall.

Patrols hiked from base to base and were given the next required ingredient for the meal after completing a base activity. There were a total of 8 bases.

The wheels were a garden wheel-barrow, the meal was a "chicken potjie" and cooking medium was a lit fire.

The evening closed with a campfire.

The event was enjoyed by all and special thanks to all who participated. Also to the parents who attended and had the opportunity of tasting a meal.

Preparation was done on Friday night.

Mirage Flight earn 4th Place in District Boot Hike

Congratulations to Mirage Flight for earning 4th Place in the North Rand District Boot Hike.

The Boot Hike took place at Tswaing Meteorite Crater located about 40km northwest of Pretoria. It is a 1 946ha conservation area that is home to a meteorite impact crate and surrounding wetland.

On 20 July 2013, this area was overrun by Aliens known as skitters. Scattered groups of humans banded together to fight a guerrilla war against the invaders, but the fight has not gone well.

A command ship had crashed and Scout Patrols / Flights from various Scout Groups from the North Rand Scout District were asked to investigate the crashed ship and retrieve vital information that could aid Earth in defeating the alien invaders.

Tswaing Crater, Soshanguve, Pretoria. Photo courtesy Paul Jacobson

Well done to Mirage Flight.

NOTAM : Do you remember this event ?

Today marks the date on which Apollo 11 was launched into space carrying Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins for man's first lunar landing.
Above graphics courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:NASA_Armstrong_1969_scout.png

For more detail regarding the Apollo program please view detail on following website.
http://airandspace.si.edu/explore-and-learn/topics/apollo/as11/a11sum.htm

NOTAM : Forth Coming Air Show

NOTAM detail

An Air Show celebrating "40 years of Aviation Passion" by the South African Air Force will be held at the Air Force Base Zwartkops on 11 May 2013.

Please see advert below for more details.

Scouts are at KonTiki 2013

After some absence (since 2008), our Troop was in attendance at the annual Gauteng Scouting event, KonTiki 2013, and participated in the raft building competition.

Even though it rained on Friday night nothing stopped the troop from building their raft. Below are some pictures taken of Spitfire Patrol who were staying on the raft for 24 hours, the model of the raft and then finally the Patrol "on-the-water". Well done to all (editor)

Mirage Patrol camped out at the event.

Mirage Patrol were also responsible for the running of the Harmelia Beaver Challenge activity at the event.

The one challenge was a North-South-East-West game whilst the other was the challenge of balancing 16 nails on the head of a 17th nail which was mounted on a block of wood.

Seen below are members of the 9th Irene Guide Company busy with the challenge of "hooking" one of the blocks using commands of North-South-East-West-Up-Down.

Well done to the 1st Rosebank Cub (seen above) who was able to complete the challenge of balancing the 16 nails.

Spitfire Patrol goes rafting at KonTiki 2013

This year Scouts from our Scout Group will be building a raft at the annual Provincial Challenge event known as KonTiki. 

Part of the criteria for a Scout to be allowed on the raft for 24 hours is that they are able to meet specific swimming requirements. Below are some of our Scouts going through the various test to confirm that they meet these requirements.

Our thanks to Akela, a swimming instructor, for giving up her time to assist with the evaluations / testing

Harmelia Scout Group hosts BP Sunday Celebration

Our Scout Group had the privilege of hosting the 2013 BP Sunday Celebration event. Scout Groups in our District assembled in Baker Road, Edenglen and then marched via Harris Street to the school grounds of Edenglen Primary School where the event was held.

The Irish Pipe Band provided the music for the parade.

The order of service was done by our Scout Patrol Leaders with the assistance of our District Commissioner and was concluded by Akela, our adult leader for our Cubs.

Our guest speaker was from the Edenvale community and was Pastor Mike Geldenhuys.

At the event there was a presentation of Leaping Wolf Awards to Cub from our District. Three “Patrol Leader Training Unit” certificates were also presented to Patrol Leaders from our District. Two Patrol Leaders were from our Scout Group

The event was concluded with tea/coffee for parents and juice for the Cubs & Scouts.

Our thanks to all who helped make this event a success.