Annual Report 2005

Julie introduced herself as the Beaver Leader and began by saying how much Beavers meant to her. She and Claire had been involved with Beavers since 1999 because they believe in the values that scouting promotes and they wanted Beavers to be for everyone in Laxey. She admitted that sometimes this is very challenging and that they would not have been able to achieve so much over the years if they had not had the support of the many parents who have helped them out. In the background there are others who have also supported them by taking committee positions which are invaluable to the running of the group. She went on to say how sorry she was that the Viking pack had closed & how help was needed now to ensure a good future for Laxey

Beaver numbers currently stand at 17, all of which are boys. There are 20 on the waiting list, some of which are girls. 4 will soon be moving on up to Cubs & they will be taking on 7 new Beavers to increase their group number to 20. Of the Activity badges that had been awarded, an astonishing 8 Explorers, 8 Creative & 4 Experimenters had been awarded. 12 Discovery Challenge badges had been awarded, where 6 separate activities have to be completed, & 8 Outdoor and 12 Friendship Challenges have been completed by most of the Beavers. She then listed the activities over the year: Easter craft, egg rolling in the Valley Gardens, healthy eating and fitness, finding out about bugs and insects, several walks around Laxey, walk to Snaefell Mines for the Explorers badge, tram trip to Groudle Glen, communication – Morse code & semaphore, making cup telephones, visit to Manx Radio, a spy night, secret codes, Africa, Uganda, African art, Christmas craft, making decorations, Christmas party, collection of Christmas hamper for residents of Cooil Roy, learning about birds, talk from Chris Sharp of Manx Bird Atlas, stamp collection from the RSPB, recycling, and a collection for the Tsunami raised over £20. The Beavers attended the Laxey Civic Service, St George’s Day Parade, where their behaviour was exemplary, Bowling Competition and Sports Day. All in all a very busy and successful year for Beavers.