Back breaking task of shovelling of sand

Greetings From The Heart of Scouting

I needed to go out to Gordon Park on Wednesday 23rd, to prepare the Park for an event that was to take place on the following Saturday. Having signed into the National Park at the Sandy Spruit entrance gate, I drove at a leisurely pace along the narrow tar road winding southward as it dropped in altitude through the kopjes and thickly forested ares of the Mtsheleli valley. It was still early and the rising sun sent its rays shooting at an angle through the trees casting stripes of light and shadow. The dew drops glinting in the sunlight added their rainbow of colours into this mosaic, resulting in a tranquil and restful morning. As I was passing the Mopani forest near Rowallan Park, I saw four White Rhino just forty metres off the road in amongst the Mopani trees. They were quite unconcerned, so I slowed down and stopped to have a closer look at them. Seeing them was really great, for a number of rhino had been poached in the Game Park section of the Matobo National Park last year and into January of this year. Fortunately, the National Park's staff have got on top the situation and once again peace has returned for the animals. Just for good measure I saw the same four rhino on my way home in the evening, this time near the entrance gate and right alongside the road.

On arriving at Gordon Park, I unloaded "Isambane" from the trailer, donned a pair of old shorts and a dust-coat and set off to mow the "Skipper" Knapman Training Ground, but not before lighting a fire in the small stove and putting on a kettle for tea later on. What a pleasure it was to sit on the mower and to just steer it whilst it did the work of not only cutting the grass but also of carrying me around. A far cry from having to push old "Beastly Betsy" around. It used to take me the whole day to cut the Training Ground and now it took only three hours. I must admit, I did miss building up a sweat whilst exercising the calf muscles, but I won't get too excited about that. Tea was at eleven and then onto the next task. Having brought "Isambane" out in "Indlovu", the trailer, I set about loading "Indlovu" with sand which I used in filling-in some washed out places along the entrance road into the Park, the damage having been caused in January when I was away with the Troop on our "Roof of Africa Expedition". The afternoon was more relaxed as there were a few less strenuous tasks to be taken care of in the every day running of this magnificent Scout camping ground in the majestic Matobo Hills. Then as arranged, Tim and Marie-Pascale Moody arrived at 16.00hours. Tim and Marie-Pascale had married in France last year and wanted to have a "second ceremony" here in Zimbabwe for Tim's friends as Tim had grown up in Bulawayo and his mother Rosemary still lives here. Once they had settled in, it was time for me to return to the city.

At the Friday evening meeting, I had arranged to take Mike and a new recruit to the Troop by the name of Jordan, out with me to the Park on Saturday morning. Well, Mike was waiting, although I thought a little bleary-eyed, but no sign of Jordan. It turned out that Mike and Jordan, following the Troop meeting, had gone off to an all night prayer meeting that had been held at their school. Mike, who by now was totally exhausted, was very brave in helping me with the preparations for the guests who would be arriving just before mid day for the 'wedding ceremony', but by mid morning he disappeared into the Crew hut for a long overdue sleep.

It would have to happen - no rain for the whole of March, but ten minutes before the ceremony to be held in the open air St.George's Chapel nestled amongst the granite boulders behind Gordon Park Rock, a light rain began to fall. So, a slight delay, for within twenty minutes it had stopped and we able to gather together in the Chapel for a simple, but highly emotional ceremony conducted by the family. I have mentioned before, God works in many ways, for the rain cooled down the air, drove off the Mopani bees and left a brilliant sky for the photographs, not only those taken in the Chapel but most impressively those taken with the couple standing on the platform of Gordon Park Rock - behind the altar and looking towards the east - twenty metres above the Training Ground with the Mtsheleli valley and the massive of Shumba shaba in the background. Having completed the formalities, it was back to the Naomi Connoly Lodge, for lunch.

Sunday morning greeted us with an overcast sky, but a much more 'with it' Mike. Our task for the morning was to commence on the not so glorious task of loading sand onto the back of Emma, my three ton truck and hauling it from the Mtsheleli valley to Headquarters where I and Christopher last year had completed the brickwork for a loading ramp. The sand was needed to fill in behind the brickwork, so forming the ramp. By lunch time we had loaded and unloaded Emma three times and in so doing had moved close on eight cubic metres of sand. Thank goodness it had been overcast for most of the morning. All this sand and we have only completed about a third of the filling. Another weekend or two of a gruelling, back breaking task of shovelling of sand before we will be done. For the love of Scouting. During lunch, my cell phone announced that I had received a message. On opening the message, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was from Chris. Chris has now reached that stage in life where he has left school and is gaining experience at a private safari camp in Hwange National Park as he intends to go into the safari business. Hopefully he has learnt something about camp management whilst helping me at Gordon Park over the past two and a half years. He is thoroughly enjoying himself and sends his greetings.

I am still trying to catch up on answering E-mails that I had received whilst away in December. A further delay was cased when my laptop died and now I am trying to learn the new program that came with this machine. Please be patient, I will get round to writing to you, eventually.

Cheers
Norman

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This past Week... re the attached photo...

Congradulations!

To Andy Blundell (ex-8th Hillside) and Kaz who are getting married in Mauritius - A celebration was clearly required - but stuck in London with no Gordon Park to go to... Andrew Arrowsmith kindly volunteered his pad and organised a great family day out on Saturday of Paintballing and a braai, under clear skies and a full moon... (in British sub-zero temperatures). Photos of the days activities with ex-Byo scouts: construction managor Andy Blundell, risk assessor Nick Jones, Computor trainor Daffyd Jones, sainsbury's food managor Simon Miller-Cranko, archietector Andrew Arrowsmith, accountont Graham Williams & Hylton can be found at:-
www.facebook.com
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A new Aussie!
Stan Wilson (ex-8th Hillside) has just moved to Kalgoorlie Western Australia & rumour has it he's already missing Africa!
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Withdrawal symptoms have ceased!
I too was wondering what was happening to the weekly dose from our little bit of paradise! Good to have you back and to hear of your new toys.
Regards
Andrew Barker
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Dear John, Chris & the other scouts who came to Tanzania last year 2010,
Thanks very much for your weekly emails.
Please pass on many greetings and our best wishes from the Scouts of Tanzania, Dar Es Salaam Ally Mrisho
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1st Bulawayo (Pioneer) Scout Troop Programme of Activities for:-

March
Africa Scout Day
Provincial Swimming Gala

April
2-3 Monthly Hike
10 Gordon Park Service: 12.00 noon
22-25 Easter
Zimbabwe Independence Day
Provincial St. George's Day Service

May
7-8 Monthly Hike
8 Gordon Park Service: 12.00 noon
Troop camp

June
4-5 Monthly Hike
Boy Skills Course (Provincial course)
11 Gordon Park Service: 12.00 noon
Parents camp

July
2-3 Monthly Hike
Chuck Wilcox Art and Craft Competition
10 Gordon Park Service: 12.00 noon
William Arnold Carnegie Assegai Competition

August
6-7 Monthly Hike
14 Gordon Park; 12.00 noon

September
3-4 Monthly Hike
Boys Skills Course: P.H.Q.
11 Gordon Park Service: 12.00 noon
Provincial Cookout Competition

October
1-2 Monthly Hike
Parent's Camp
9 Gordon Park Service: 12.00 noon
15-16 JOTA/JOTI
Arnold Carnegie Assegai Competition

November
5-6 Monthly Hike
13 Gordon Park Service: 12.00 noon
Inter Provincial Patrols Competition

December
11 Gordon Park Service: 12.00 noon
25 Christmas Day

Activities may be Deleted/Added to the Programme

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If youre planning to visit Zimbabwe - pencil in "Gordon Park's 75th Anniversary Camp" thats being planned for the 18th to 20th February 2011!
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The 2010 Troop's fundraising Calendar can be found at:-
http://matabele.altervista.org/1st-calendar/1st-pioneer-troop-calendar-2011.htm


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"A Thought For The Week"

Quick mental maths...
Yesterday I counted 83 fish in a giant fish-tank.
If 17 fish drowned overnight, how many would be left?
Answer at the end...
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Matabeleland Scout Website http://matabele.altervista.org/
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Answer to "A Thought For The Week"
Stop counting you twit, fish dont drown!

Bulawayo, *****Date******