The Value in Providing Essential Equipment

Greetings from The Heart of Scouting

Last weekend was a non event at Gordon Park as I and the Scouts of the 1st Bulawayo (Pioneer) Troop were away on our second mini expedition that we had programmed to mark our Troop's One Hundredth Anniversary and thus the Park was closed. More about our expedition in the next edition of Pioneer Trail.

On my return from the mini expedition on the Tuesday, I was pleasantly surprised to receive an Email from Australia informing me that two 5 H.P. engines were awaiting my collection from a supplier of such equipment in the city. The donation of these engines was an unsolicited response from a reader of this newsletter on reading of the problems that I was experiencing in keeping old, worn out equipment operating at Gordon Park. This most generous donation is Very Much Appreciated and my Heartfelt Thanks are extended to the Park's benefactor. The donor wishes to remain anonymous. Please be assured Mr. donor that your gift will be well looked after, as the engines are essential in keeping Gordon Park functioning for the Scouts of Bulawayo and for any visiting Scouts from anywhere in the world, to enjoy their Scouting activities in the beauty of the Matobo Hills. In past years we have had Scouts camp in Gordon Park from countries as far away as Australia and Europe and as close as South Africa and Botswana.

It did not take much effort in fitting one of the engines to the pump-bed, complete with new "V "- belts and have it ready for the weekend when it was installed on well number three. Having a variable speed control, (the old one did not have a speed control) we set it to a slow speed and pumped non stop for the entire Saturday afternoon. This was repeated again on the Sunday, the well making enough water with this continuous slow rate of pumping. What a pleasure to be able to start the pump with the first pull on the starting rope and to be able to leave it without having to check at regular intervals that the engine was still operating.

Sunday morning saw Chris, Dylan (who is a Scout in the 8th Hillside Troop and had come out with us to Gordon Park for the weekend) and I undertook the customary climb up Shumba shaba. The morning was a little chilly and overcast but never-the-less it was a most enjoyable climb. On our return and having had breakfast, Chris and Dylan went to load Emma, a three ton truck with sand, to be later unloaded on a section of road near the Naomi Conolly Lodge that had been badly washed out by the rain. This repair was long over due and was triggered by Dylan saying that he wished to undertake his anti-erosion test for his Adventurer badge. When undertaking tests in Gordon Park, real situations are used in order that effort put in to the test is put to best advantage to the Scout and for the development and maintenance of Gordon Park. I in the mean time continued with the grass cutting programme in the Bowl.

Not all is work on our weekends, for time is always found to relax and this weekend Dylan asked if he could abseil down Leask Rock. This rock is situated at Headquarters and is about thirty-five metres in height with an overhang of some twenty metres, so providing a free fall for the person abseiling.

So for the next hour Dylan enjoyed himself as he abseiled time and time again, until I had had enough as belayer. Then some instruction in teaching Dylan the sail makers whipping while Chris prepared a welcome mug of tea.

All too soon the weekend was over. Dylan, under Chris' enthusiastic guidance was hooked on weekend life at Gordon Park with its mix of instruction in scouting topics, physical work in the maintenance of the camp, the adventure of discovery, of fishing at the waterfalls behind the Leask, of learning new skills and most important to be relaxed and to enjoy the camaraderie of one's friends. And that reminds me, why our donor of the new engines in far off Australia, who himself had been a Scout here in Bulawayo many years ago and now relives his boyhood through these newsletters here in The Heart of Scouting, sees the value in providing essential equipment for the continued operation of Gordon Park.

There is still much maintenance to be undertaken at the Park, such as the replacement of the ovens of the wood stove at the Naomi Conolly Lodge for the present ones have been burnt through. Building skills for enthusiastic Scouts to learn and to appreciate the amount of planning that is needed to get the task done. Scouting for life skills.

Temperatures for the week ending 25 April: 50 F or 10 C and 86 F or 30 C. Rainfall 0,04 inch or 1,0 mm Total: 23,71 inches or 592,75 mm

Cheers
Norman

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Whats New...??? 2 more old Riverside Rumble's Magazines have been added to the website, and here are some extracts:-
Rolling Stone Competition... was a race to the top of Shumba ...and the teams were on the main road at the bottom of Shumba-Shaba. It was 10 o'clock and already very hot. Simon Miller-Cranko sprinted up to the top in 8 min 10 sec (record time)!

http://matabele.altervista.org/troops/11thlogs/1969.html

"A Rugby Match against the 8th Hillside Scouts... The only injuries, a broken arm and concussion... were both suffered by players from Hillside"

http://matabele.altervista.org/troops/11thlogs/1983.html

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And from Facebook...

Peter Baum:- great to hear of you "old toppies". Plenty of 8th representaion in Aus, Brother Steve is in Brisbane, John Carlisle in Perth together with Murphy clan, Mike Allen in Melbourne plus stacks more. Anyone know where Yogi (Ian Ritchie) & Bam Bam (Neil McIlroy) have got to?
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1st Pioneer Troops Calendar of forthcoming events:-
April
18 Independence Day
23 Troop Meeting: Mabukuwene
25 St. Georges Day
30 Troop Meeting: Mabukuwene

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"A Thought For The Week"
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When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years. --Mark Twain
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Matabeleland Scout Website /

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Bulawayo, 27 April 2010