Explorers

Explorer Scout Leader: Callum Farquhar

E-mail:-callumfarquhar@yahoo.co.uk

Assistant Explorer Scout Leaders:

Gary Bryans, Keith Jarman and Calum Miller

Activities

As a Group we own a lot of equipment and this enables our members to cheaply and easily participate in a wide variety of different activities. Archery, Blokarting, Canoeing, Caving, Climbing, Crate-Climbing, Hiking, Hovercrafting, Pioneering, Rafting, Sailing and Skiing are popular activities. Pictures of some of our members participating in these activities are shown in the Photo Gallery.

International

Since the Explorer Unit started in 2002 we have organised regular expeditions abroad. As a Unit we try to organise one long-distance expedition each year, with several shorter European ones at various points throughout the year.

Our major Expeditions have been to Japan (2002 & 2006); Sweden (2003 & 2007); Sarasota, USA (2004); Argentina (2005); and Western USA (2005). Pictures of these expeditions can be found in the Photo Gallery of the website. Plans are underway for visiting the Aqua Jamboree in Austria in 2008 and the Pan-American Jamboree in Mexico in 2009.

We also organise regular expeditions to Europe using ferries and cheap flights. Over the past few years we have organised 3 weeks skiing in Sweden each winter, and a hiking weekend to Belgium/Luxembourg/Germany each May. We are planning to go hillwalking in Ireland in summer 2008.

In addition members of the Unit have been selected and participated in the Scottish International Patrol Jamborettes at Blair Atholl in 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008 and in Trapperskamp in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007. In 2007 Peter Munnoch won the Trapperskamp Trophy - see photo below . We also had a large number of Unit members participating in the Centenary World Scout Jamboree in 2007 as members of Units and on the staff - photo below. We regularly offer hospitality to friends from Overseas and each year host many visiting groups.

Progress Awards

Our members have to complete six sections to complete their various awards. Skills, Physical Recreation, Service, Expedition, International and Environment or Values.

For their Service members have helped with Gymnastics and Football Teams; assisted as Young Leaders with our Beaver, Cub and Scout Sections; volunteered with Riding for the Disabled; and undertaken Marshalling at Motorcycling events.

In the Physical Recreation Section members have participated in Football, Rugby, Basketball, Mountain Biking, Motocross, Swimming, Sub-Aqua, Land Yachting and Golf.

For Skills, members have played a variety of musical instruments, learnt to drive, learnt electronics and done a number of computing projects.

For their Expeditions, members have hiked in Luxembourg and canoed in Sweden.

Competitions

The Unit are the holders of the Dunfermline Building Society Trophy for the Explorer Section at the Annual District Sports (last awarded in September 2007) and the Parliament Trophy for the Explorer Section at the 2007 District Swimming Gala.