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Focus on GLSW Supplement

Scouting in Greater London South West June 2003

The following articles arrived too late for the printed edition of Focus.

Inter County Air Gun Competition

[Photograph of the GLSW County Air Gun Team]

The full results are now to hand.

The County Team coordinated by the Kingston and Malden District Air Rifle Club came second in the Inter-County Competition held at the NSRA’s National Indoor Shooting Centre at Aldersly, West Midlands on 6 April. The Competition was for teams of eight shooting air rifle and air pistol at a range of 10 metres. Each competitor had twenty shots with each gun and all the scores are added together for the individual and team scores. The team of eight must have one Scout under twelve and not more than three over eighteen – one of these may be over twenty-five. Those under fourteen were allowed to rest the rifle on the bench and hold the pistol one-handed. Those over this age had to stand unsupported with rifle and hold the pistol with one hand only.

The winning team for both disciplines was Cheshire, with 2333, (ex 3200) GLSW scored 2190 (ex 1600) and third placed Hampshire 2014. In the rifle, though the positions were the same, Cheshire scored 1084 and GLSW were a close second – just ten points behind with Hampshire on 1019. Pistol was a different story, with Cheshire going well ahead, with 1249, GLSW scored 1116 and Hampshire 995. Glamorgan produced the best individual overall score with Andrew Proudfoot winning the trophy for best individual with.320 ex 400.

Bearing in mind that close on eighty took part, some of the GLSW’s team performances are worth a mention.

In rifle shooting, Perry A of 2nd Whitton and Andrew S of 1st Old Malden came fifth, Melanie F of 3rd Hampton Hill ninth and Martin F of 7th Malden nineteenth.

In pistol Shooting, Jeremy C of 5th Morden was fifth, Perry A twelfth, Lawrence McC of 14th Wimbledon fifteenth, Nick B of 7th Malden sixteenth and Richard G of 1st Old Malden twentieth.

Melanie F, aged only twelve, was offered a place in the National Scout Shooting Squad.

Thanks are due to the fifty+ people who came along to be assessed for the team, the Scouts who made the Squad and their parents for participating in regular practices, to 1st Malden for the use of their premises, to Twickenham Rifle Club for use of their range. Finally thanks to the County Executive Committee for their support for this event.

GLSW Buddy Badge
Better Scouting For More Young People In GLSW

A new youth recruitment badge for all sections

Have you heard the word? GLSW is launching its very own ‘GLSW Buddy’ badge! We believe using this badge will encourage our young members to bring their friends along to join their section and increase our overall youth membership.

Production of these special badges has been financed through the GLSW Development Project and the charitable grants that fund the project. To keep administration to a minimum, please order this badge when ordering others from your local Badge Secretary. But, we would appreciate it if you could only order when they are required i.e. when new members have actually been recruited so that we are able to monitor the uptake and usage of this new badge initiative.

This new GLSW is badge can now be gained by young people in ALL sections from Beaver Scouts to the Scout Network. The requirements for the badge are as follows:

Bring a new member along to join your Group/Unit
Introduce them to the Leaders and other members of your section
Help them to become familiar with Scouting, its traditions and history (appropriate to section)
Help them through the membership badge: Law and Promise etc.

Over a period of several weeks, once the above is completed, the new member is invested and the friend receives the Buddy Badge. The badge is awarded only to the young person who introduced the new member to the Group/Unit. The new member can then in turn earn a Buddy badge when they introduce a new member to the Group/Unit.

This badge can only be awarded for the introduction of totally new members, not as a reward for acting as a ‘buddy’ to a young person coming up from the section below.

Questions and answers