Swifts have been awesome this term. There’s an incredible vibe we have going and we seem to be doing really well because of it. I’m really happy to see the growth of the patrol and how much everyone is enjoying it.

It was great to see Emily’s cooks meal and Joel’s camp to be run. They both went extremely well and the patrol had a wonderful time. A lot of Swifts were also on Doc Trophy, the Troop SMC Hut Hike, Orienteering, the Advancement Day, the Rugby Fundraiser and Gordons as well as a few badges being done and it was incredible to see the involvement so hopefully there will be even more.

This coming term seems to be insanely busy with exams looming as well as multiple activities happening for even more incredible Swift memories to be created. We cannot wait to get the new patrol up and running as we move swiftly into the coming term. I’m hoping to have a really fun and fulfilling term ahead and I know the patrol is too. Let’s make ourselves great again.

Peter Raynham

Troop Advancement Day

On the 18th of August a few of us came to the hall to work on some advancement, advancement being one of the most important parts of growing as a scout. Although many think that it would have been boring and not worth it, we managed to enjoy what we did with care, safety and correct use of axes being the main focus.

Everyone got to use, sharpen and chop wood with the axes (it seemed to be a craze) and we had a lot of fun. After a volleyball break was knots and clouds and a bit of first aid while still managing to stay focused. I’m really happy with what we accomplished and hope to see even more of you there next time!

Peter Raynham

First Class Meal

On the 1st of September I ran my First Class meal, with the help of Saskia, Jocelyn and Oliver vZS we were prepared to make an incredible meal. We were cooking a mediterranean style 3 course meal for our judges: Chris and Junior. As Junior is a professional chef we had high expectations to meet.

For our appetizer we cooked grilled peaches and string beans garnished with mint and goat’s cheese, the main was soft shell steak tacos with a mediterranean twist and some rice and beans to fill the shell, and dessert was an incredible hibiscus, mint and lemon sorbet.

The difficulty with this meal was not the fact that we had to cook everything over the fire (although that did make it difficult), it was the time scaling of all the recipes. Previously I had cooked all three meals, individually and alone, and used the times from those attempts to schedule the cooking on the day. As it turns out, the more people you have cooking the faster it will go. This led to some on-the-fly cooking adaptations of the dishes and a quick dash to the store to buy superior tortilla wraps that could handle our awesome tacos.

Fortunately, I had a great group of scouts who were very capable and eager to help out, often taking the initiative into their own hands. This led to a very successful meal that I am very proud of, with all the food being cooked through and not burnt. I was worried that there was not going to be enough for everyone, and while my fears were not entirely unfounded, nobody went home with an empty stomach. 

All in all, the day was a great success with everyone having enjoyed themselves and the food. I think we were all very happy with the judges’ comments on the dishes complimenting each other very nicely. Unfortunately the sorbet did melt quickly when served, but it was still cold and delicious. I think this proved to be an insightful experience not only for myself but for everyone else too.

Big thanks to Saskia and Jocelyn Berry; Oliver van Zyl Smit; and our two judges: Chris O’Brien and Junior Kathe for taking time out of their Sunday to make this happen.

First Class Hike

My First Class hike took place from the 7th to the 8th of September, just two weeks ago. Alongside me were: Axel vBD; Sam Hoffa; and Chris du Toit, we were hiking to the hut to sleep overnight and back out the next day. It was going to be a long hike of an intermediate difficulty but it would all be worth it when we reached the hut.

Day 1

Everyone arrived at my house shortly before we were scheduled to leave at 8 so we could balance the bags as we had to split the food and extra equipment between us. Once that was finished we all hopped into the car and drove to the starting point; everyone was in a good mood and ready for the hike ahead. Our starting point was just above the turn off from the R101 up to the farm people normally hike from. Once we reached the starting point everyone geared up and we set off. It was not long into the hike when we found out that Axel’s knee was acting up due to an injury he sustained the very previous day, however he held firm and pushed forward with determination. Despite the weather forecast predicting a somewhat cloudy day with a chance of drizzle the weather remained sunny and warm for the entire day. A couple hours in, when we reached the foot of the big climb, Axel was seriously struggling and needed frequent breaks. Knowing that when the valley would only keep getting warmer as the day progressed, I decided to take Axel’s bag for him so we could avoid the heat and not risk any further injuries. Thankfully we were close and managed to get to the hut on time without further fuss. When we arrived we had lunch while we settled into the hut alongside the other people. We then relaxed for the rest of the day, eating dinner and playing board games before sleeping on the deck.

Day 2

We left early to avoid the possibility of bad weather that the forecast suggested, leaving the hut around half past 9. Fortunately, Axel’s knee seemed to be doing better than the day before as we kept a good pace heading out. Axel did slip and fall but he did not let it impede our progress. Making good time, we made it out in around 3-4 hours, however, near the end a large rain cloud seemed to be chasing us out but thankfully we were not rained on.

I would like to thank Axel, Sam and Chris for giving up your weekends and coming with me, you all made a wonderfully memorable weekend and I hope you all get some ideas for when you do your own 1st Class. I would also like to thank the parents for helping make this possible with special mention to Pierre Hoffa, the convener of the hut we went to. Not only is it a magnificent hut under his care, he helped get the booking in a short amount of time. Thank you all.

YiS
Oliver H

This term eagles did their best to be on their grind and beat everyone in MOSCIP – which we didn’t do, but we did come third which was delightful. 

Along the way we found ourselves at Grand West where we played laser tag. Ov won, almost beaten by Alex. We also explored the sweet shop where we bought an impressive collection of diabetes. The most popular being the jelly bean, at a close fight with the rainbow bacon. 

At our patrol evening we tackled a Harry Potter themed Cluedo brought by Oliver. Finding it difficult to comprehend un-scouts related activities, we reverted to chowing our way through an impressive selection of chips.

I am very happy with the patrols advancement this term as well as the overall attendance.

Holly Raine

I helped Emily make a meal for her cooks badge. It was a Thai themed meal and we made spinach cones to start, Pad Thai for main course, biscuits, which we forgot about and they got burned, a yummy fruit smoothie to drink and a delicious fruit salad for dessert.

It was interesting learning to cook Thai food.

Pad Thai is a kind of stir fry and we made it with chicken, vegetables, Thai noodles and a sauce.

When Emily was serving the Pad Thai, it exploded all over the kitchen, which made her one frog very happy! Luckily there was some left to serve the judge and the rest of us.

The table setting was fancy. 

There was an elephant centerpiece, leaves and napkins tucked neatly on the forks.

I had a lovely day helping Emily and enjoyed the food a lot.

Jenny Kenyon-Wimbush

3rd Quarter 2024

This term was a quiet one at the office, featuring a boisterous patrol meeting, and good employee vibes all round. Our food of the month is Gatsbys, and oros remains on top as our most profitable drink. 

Employee Simon saw progress on his Traveler, whilst APL Laura grappled with the woes of a devastating loss of self-confidence due to maps for her First Class Expedition. Head of Common Sense Juliet tackled a few major courses, such as Pioneering interest, which we were all incredibly impressed by. Ending off the term with a massive profit due to our Oompa Loompa Simon and Axel’s gambling addictions leading to huge profit margins (and balancing James’s massive losses) we came second overall in MOSCIP. 

A beneficial quarter, everyone, you can be proud! 

CEO and Big Boss James
20 September 2024

As usual, welcome to the Goshawks Bush. Term 3 has been a quieter one for the patrol in a busy school term. We had one activity where we went to a talk by astronaut Dr. Sian Proctor who went to space on top of a Falcon 9 rocket. Some highlights of the term included the patrol meeting as well as the casino gambling evening that ended off the term.

A few scouts attended different badge courses, finishing up a few advancement requirements. We also welcome Diya to the patrol, who has been a wonderful addition to the patrol. We look forward to seeing her grow into a wonderful scout. 

Next term is again going to be an exciting one. Others have joined and left the patrol after the reshuffle so it is going to be awesome to form a close-knit unit. Till next time.

Goshawks Space Talk

This term Goshawks went to the CTICC to attend a Living Maths talk. The organisation was hosting Dr. Sian Proctor, an astronaut who went to space inside a Dragon capsule on top of a Falcon 9 rocket. She was part of the first all civilian space mission, and the first black woman to pilot a commercial space craft. She is a poet, artist and geology professor. She explained her deep love for space growing up at a NASA base where her father worked.

She always wanted to go to space. Her chance came when SpaceX launched the Inspiration4 mission hosting a contest to win a seat to space. Dr. Proctor won her seat through writing and performing her poem “Space to Inspire” which can be found online.

Overall the evening was fantastic and extremely inspirational for the whole patrol, it really opened our eyes to what possibilities we can achieve especially as regular people.

Ethan Gilham

Steenberg Peak Hike

Hiking up Steenberg Peak was an awesome experience. The wind added a refreshing challenge as we ascended. At the summit, we climbed over rocks and boulders. The view from the top was breathtaking, with panoramic vistas stretching across the landscape. It was so fun and an overall great experience! It was also a really chill route  and I would definitely do it again.

Avila Van Bever Donker