Rain fails to spoil scouts’ weekend

SCOUTS from the 1st Dunmow Scout Group didn t let the rain over the weekend spoil their Bank Holiday when they took canoes and a raft to the Doctor s Pond on Monday. It was one of the activities organised during a weekend camp for 120 members aged between

SCOUTS from the 1st Dunmow Scout Group didn't let the rain over the weekend spoil their Bank Holiday when they took canoes and a raft to the Doctor's Pond on Monday.

It was one of the activities organised during a weekend camp for 120 members aged between six and 16 held at the Scout HQ.

Rod Martin, group scout leader, said: "The Doctor's Pond is an ideal safe place to carry out the canoeing and the group is grateful to the town council for giving them permission to do so.

"All who had a go thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and getting wet seems to be part of the fun."

A number of local residents commented that it was nice to see the pond being used for this activity and that the Scouts were very well behaved.

The group were following in the footsteps of Lionel Lukin who is thought to have conducted trials with various models of unsinkable boats on the pond, which led to development of the world's first unsinkable lifeboat in 1784.

Other activities the scouts enjoyed included cooking twists over a camp fire, archery, making leather articles and building a rope bridge over the river Chelmer.

Mr Martin and the event's coordinator Jackie Martin declared that the weekend had been a great success.

In separate scouting news, it was on Tuesday that Sandra Arnold has been appointed District Commissioner of Hatfield Forest Scout District by Rob Lyon, Essex County Commissioner.