TV turns to Scouts - 20-02-2007On Friday 10th February 2007, 120 Cubs, Scouts and Explorers including 23 Sevenoaks Scouts arrived at Youlbury Scout Activity Centre in Oxfordshire for an exciting and challenging camp with BBC’s Blue Peter. The show was being recorded as part of the Scout Associations 100 year celebrations. Presenter Andy Akinwolere and former presenter Peter Duncan, the Chief Scout joined them for a weekend of adventure . Scouts were mixed up into 10 patrols from 6 different Groups. The aim being to make friends and have fun!
Some of the best activities at the site were the 3g swing, which involves 2 people strapped into a giant swing and pulled up by the other members of their team until they reach approximately 9 meters (30ft). They are then released and swing at an incredibly high speed, 3 times the force of gravity. “its really easy while you are being pulled up but when you pull the release cord it’s the strangest feeling ever” said Matthew from Wolf Patrol. Also enjoyed was the high ropes course which contained a number of challenging obstacles requiring a great deal of bravery, balance and trust. These may look easy, but are not when you are suspended 12 metres (40ft) above the ground. “I was scared at first but the instructors and my team mates gave me support which helped me round” said Andrew from 3rd Sevenoaks Bradbourne Troop. Last week the Scouts met again at BBC Television Centre to film the live Blue Peter show with presenters; Andy, Zoe, Gethin and Chief Scout - Peter Duncan. The show aired at 5pm on Tuesday 20th February starting in the Blue Peter garden with two teams competing in a challenge to put up a tent as quick as possible, sounds easy? Not when the BBC were using a giant fan, snow and lightning to put the teams off. As if this wasn’t enough, Scouts were throwing buckets of water at them!
The shows producers said it had been an ‘excellent show’ and presented everyone with a Blue Peter badge – a fantastic end to a magical experience! Story covered by MST (Media Scout Team) What is MSTMST is a group of Scouts and Explorers aged 11-14 who cover Scouting events around Sevenoaks and Kent. Want to be covered by MST?If you want be covered by MST then all you have do is send an e-mail to this address: media@sevenoaksscouts.org.uk | Events: CubJam CubJam 2009 at Gilwell Park ... News: Cadbury Camp Over the weekend, Explorers from Sevenoaks, Maidstone and Swanley visited Cadbury World in Birmingham, camping overnight in Sevenoaks and... |
Sevenoaks District Scouts
On arrival the tents had a layer of snow on top, however, everyone was still willing to brave the cold and sleep outside. The next morning the BBC had 14 activities planned ranging from an aerial trek to go-karting with everything being filmed by the BBC camera crew. Presenter Andy joined in and even broke the site’s crate stacking record. Crate stacking is an activity where you build your way higher and higher on a tower of crates. 
The show then quickly moved into Studio 1 whilst video footage was shown on the camp in Youlbury. Then came the next challenge – to break a Guinness World Record. 120 Scouts and leaders had to toss a pancake for 30 seconds on the live show without dropping it, to make it the largest pancake toss recorded. The previous target to beat was 100. 108 Scouts successfully completed the challenge and the record was broken with great excitement in the studio.