Scout Hall Painting Working Bee

There will be a painting working bee at the Mount Colah Mount Kuring Gai Scout Hall on Saturday the 4th of December and Sunday the 5th of December.

Come one, come all. If you can’t make it in one day please try to make it on the other day. And of course, if you can make it both days, then that would be even better !

We will start at 8am on both days, and go through until about 4pm. We may knock off earlier if we get it finished.

This is a crucial final step in the reconstruction project, so please do your very best to play your part.

Please bring with you :
– Any general painting equipment you have (brushes, rollers, scrapers, pots, guides etc)
– A step ladder if you have a good one
– Drop sheets, lots of drop sheets
– Lots of enthusiasm!

See you there!

Venturers in Tasmania in January 2012???


Venturers, get ready for 10 days of fun and excitement in Tasmania!! Wild Dayz is for Venturers from all around Australia! It’s gunna be BIG!!!

Check out the official website: www.wilddayz.com For 10 days you will be able to experience the best Tasmania has to offer, try out activities and challenges you may have never dreamed of doing, and make friends for life!

There’s also dj’s, live bands, outdoor concerts for when you’re not out doing activities like: scuba diving, 4wd driving, sailing, white water rafting, caving, climbing, abseiling, mountain bike riding, walking and kayaking and heaps more!

Mount Colah Mount Kuring Gai Venturers, tart saving your money NOW! All the details are on the site! There’ll be a whole group of us attending from our Sydney North region!

Check out: www.wilddayz.com to see what activities you’d like to get in on!

Cycling Over The Harbour Bridge!!

Mount Colah Mount Kuring Gai Venturers are in for a great night tonight!! We’ll be joining about 200 other cyclists and riding over the Harbour Bridge! This is an event that we participate in every year, that’s organised by Critical Mass.

On the last Friday of every month, in hundreds of cities worldwide, cyclists, bladers and boarders meet for a rolling celebration of non-motorised transport. It’s a welcoming space where people feel safe. Here’s a photo taken from our ride last year. Stay tuned for more in a few days!!!

After our ride to North Sydney, we’ll ride back to China Town, and have a big feast for a few dollars, before boarding the train and heading home again! How’s that for an alternative to watching tv and eating pizza!!

2010: Highlights, Congrats, Thankyou’s and Farewells

Mt Colah Mt Kuring-gai Scout Group have achieved so much thanks to the dedication and commitment of our Youth members, our Leaders, our Committee, and our families.

The Jamboree has to be one of the highlights of 2009/2010. This year has been particularly good as it has been one of the largest contingents we have been able to send in recent times. The impending Cuboree will surely be another highlight.

The actual construction of our new Scout Hall and near completion before year end would most definitely be the biggest highlight. For Greg, Peter and other  Hall Reconstruction Members, past and present,  will no doubt breathe a major sigh of relief as they pinch themselves and put the headache to bed, and hopefully begin to actually enjoy the dream, now a reality, of our new hall. After 6 years of frustrations and red tape they, and the Leaders, deserve to be congratulated for not giving up when the going got tough and the light at the end of the tunnel was barely visible. On behalf of all the youth members and families who believe in the scouting movement, we thank you.

Of course it would be remiss of us not to thank Asquith and Berowra Scout Groups who have long supported us in our time of homelessness. Who knows where we would’ve been without their generosity. It’s been a positive outcome for the once defunct Berowra Vennies, who under our influence, are once again a strong unit combined with  Mt Colah. It will be hard to go their separate ways in the new year. We must also thank Hornsby Gang Show for allowing the Scouts  and Venturers to use their premises at Hornsby South in our hour of need  back in 2004 – 2007.

There are many people that have made this year as successful in Scouting terms as it has been. Foremost amongst these are the Leaders, who selflessly donate their time to the development of the future of our society.  Secondly, there are the Committee Members who  also donate a great deal of their time to this worthy cause. Ultimately, all these excellent men and women are in turn supported by their wonderful  partners and families, who give them the freedom to contribute so much of their time.

A special mention and thanks must go to  Greg McKinnon, Group Leader,  for his tireless efforts into bringing the construction of our  hall to fruition and a reality. Everyone’s voluntary contributions exemplify the best of being Australian.

Cub Leader, Gary Binskin, has also moved on…but not very far. As he steps out of Akela’s shoes and welcomes Jeff Argent to fill them,  he moves to scouts as ….

2011 will see Mt Colah Mt Kuring Gai full of enthusiasm as we consolidate our dispersed sections back to a cohesive, cross-supporting Group, in turn allowing us to provide even higher quality programs for our youth members. Embrace yourselves for the wave of excitement yet to come.

As always. Greg McKinnon(Wombat) is always available to be contacted at any time for discussion on any subject, especially on ideas on how you can contribute to youth development in your society.

Fund Raising in 2010

Thank you to all who have helped out in some form or capacity this year either on our fundraising BBQ’s or Lamington Drives. As a result, the money raised has gone back to the scout group to either assist families with the cost of Jamborees,  Cuborees, other activities/courses and the eventual purchase of new equipment to replace all that was lost in the fire 6 years ago.

Thank you also to those who have attended the working bees so far:  the clearing of the land ready for the build over 2 days, the electrical fit-out and the laying of the floor over 2 days. Rovers, and the families from Scouts, Venturers, Cubs and Guides have all assisted. Each time the volunteers have been under the guidance of the experts so thank you to all who turned up ready to just have a go, and thank you to the experienced tradesman  ready to assist and guide. It all helps enormously and without your assistance we would still be waiting for the electrics to be completed and we wouldn’t have a floor.

With the painting and tiling still to happen, maybe we will be able to see a few different faces. It can be a fun day bonding with others, having a joke and a laugh, eating a picnic lunch and knowing that you have done something very worthwhile for the Hornsby community and scouting future.

Geoff goes Walkabout!

One of our very special people has left our ranks. Our long serving Venturer Leader, Geoff Tosio, is living his dream with partner Kerry, on an indefinite wandering around Australia adventure and wherever else they may end up.

In the last news that we heard from Jeff, he was traveling through the wilds of Sumatra in Indonesia.

Geoff has been the backbone of the Mount Colah Mount Kuring Gai Venturer Unit for almost 8 years, and has truly set a shining example for the young men and women in his charge. He has been a source of inspiration and knowledge and his enthusiasm and rock craft knowledge were unsurpassed and a major part of the Venturer program.

Geoff will be sadly missed and we wish them all the best with their future travels.

MCMK Scout Group has a new Queens Scout

Extract above from the Bush Telegraph

Mount Colah Mount Kuring Gai Scout Group have  had a great year in terms of the quantity and quality of awards that we have seen presented to our youth members across all sections. This, of course, has been capped off so well by one of our Venturers, Josef Urmenyhazi, who became a Queens Scout in February. Josef is the first Queens Scout for our Group for about 10 years. This has been a huge achievement for Josef, and it is one that he will carry forward on his sleeve, on his CV, and in his confidence for the rest of his life.

Josef Urmenyhazi, 18, from Mt Colah/Mt Ku-ring-ai Venturers, was presented with the highest Venturer award by NSW Governor Professor Marie Bashir last month.

He became the first Scout in the Mt Colah/Mt Ku-ring-ai group to earn the top honour in 10 years.

“Some people think being a Scout is all about tying knots or helping old ladies cross the road,” Josef said.

To earn the award he had to undergo various activities with Venturers (a group for those aged 14-18 years).

These ranged from group expeditions in the bush, kayaking on Hawkesbury River, undertaking leadership roles, and completing a first aid course. And he had to do it by his 18th birthday – which proved somewhat problematic.

“It was a bit tricky, especially since my 18th birthday was the day before the HSC started,” he said.

“In the end it was a relief because there was a lot of work involved.”

The first year medical science student said he would not be the confident person he was if not for his Scouting experiences.

“I pushed myself to the limits at times. It makes you do things you wouldn’t do normally,” he said.

His Scouting career also gave him opportunities to travel and introduced him to outdoor rockclimbing.

Rover 2010 Annual Report

Mt Colah / Mt Kuring Gai Rover crew is an ever growing, ever changing crew that in recent months have  challenged each other to get the most out of what Rovers has to offer.

The year started off smoothly as we organised ourselves for Roventure. Once again this was a great weekend interacting with the Venturers which we believe proved to be a success.

In March the crew attended the very amusing Seuss Moot held at Kuring-Gai camp. In the month of April we proudly attended the ANZAC Dawn Service at Hornsby RSL and served breakfast to patrons. This month also saw us attend Tanks Hike organised by two of our crew members Tom and Josef. The overnight hike was held at Tanks in the Hawkesbury where we were gladly joined by some of Normo and Epping Rovers. Upon organising the trip Tom and Josef were able to complete their squiring.

In the colder months we attended Region Service (bush regeneration ) at Curl Curl beach, Mud Bash, Hornsby Gang Show performances, Hornsby District Camp at Binskin’s farm and Not a Moot at Myrall River state forest which Tom Hickman solely won the camp in which McMk Rovers will be running “Not a Moot 2012”.

Normanhurst’s Magical Mystery Tour 2010 Myths and Legends, is one of the year’s most highly anticipated event in our annual calendar. This year organised a ‘magical’ van to take on the Mythical journey to an unknown destination deep in the forest just out of Kangaroo Valley. Throughout the day we stopped at activity check points and answered questions along our future paths. Although we did not win, the night was still full of celebrations and dancing.  The Hornsby District Camp consisted of Mc/Mk, Normanhurst and Berowra Rovers where we camped for a week at Binskin’s farm on Mitchell’s Island near Taree. Rovers took up their Mud Bash Cars/Motor Bikes and made a racing course which was the highlight of the week.

Hornsby Gang Show 2010 was a great  big success and especially since most of our Rovers are in cast and or involved behind the scenes. This year was Andrew Chan’s first year in the show and he enjoyed himself tremendously learning new skills and making lifelong friends. He encourages all Cubs, Scouts, Ventures and Rovers   to see the 2011 show as well as 11 year old plus members to Audition for 2011. Auditions will be early December 2010. Go to http://www.gangshow.com for more information and to grab your application form.

We have recently collected cans for the annual Wesley Mission Hike for Hunger, a state wide project instigated by Rovers to support the Wesley Mission’s Homeless Kids Outreach Program. Our crew, letter- box dropped notices, and in the following weeks stopped by to collect can donations. One night we were happily joined by Mt Colah and Berowra Ventures who helped out with the collection. We now have over 1040 cans that will be presented to Wesley Mission on the 6th of November.  Rovers from Sydney’s north side first initiated the Hike for Hunger in 1999 and it now forms an important part of the NSW Rover’s service program. To celebrate the Hike for Hunger’s 10th anniversary in 2009, NSW Rovers set out to collect 10,000 items. This goal was surpassed, with over 11,000 items being collected.

Our next event will be *C*R*A*P* ON FIRE! (Christmas Region Annual Party) to be held at our much awaited new Mt Colah/Mt Kuring -Gai Scout Hall, which we have been attending working bee’s to see its completion in time.

2011 will sadly see’s both David Blakeley and Chris Whitfield turn of age and be booted midyear. The crew will then be lead by Tom Hickman who is now in training to become crew leader, as well as Josef Urmenyhazi as assistant CL.
Mc/Mk’s next step is to witness a long awaited new hall be completed so we can finally call somewhere home.

Scouts: A Year in Review 2010

Well it  has been a fun packed year so far. Here we are with 6 weeks to go and then Xmas.

The year began with  Jamboree, AJ2010 in January at Cataract, for eight scouts and three Leaders. After  many months of  preparation to qualify and then followed by numerous shakedown camps and  meetings, the boys  were ready  for the adventure  that lay ahead. Two weeks later they  returned completely exhausted, and as the dust settled they were left wanting more.

Easter District Camp, in April at Crosslands, was just what they had needed.  Competitively we improved on last year coming 2nd in the Troop competition to Waitara and received a 5th and 6th place in the Patrol competitions. Waitara filled the 1st to 4th positions, so next year we go for gold!

Scouthike in May saw 11 scouts and 1 Leader head for Wingello State Forest. 1200 Scouts fend for themselves in the forest whilst Leaders oversee the activities. A very draining but worthwhile weekend as always.  We then  settled down a little and regenerated our energies.

In term 3, we had our most senior scout go on to become a Venturer scout thus making way for others to step up and lead. We sent 8 scouts to the Leadership course, and 9 to the Construction course. All with the view to better the boys skills and knowledge.

By the end of 2009 we lost 8 senior scouts to either Venturers, Cadets or sport.  Our numbers naturally decline until the older cubs make their way to us. Now we have 15 scouts invested, with two cubs coming through and another new scout to the troop giving us 18 on the books by the end of November. With these numbers, the troop has now created 3 patrols again, enabling us to promote scouts to new rolls of Patrol Leaders and Assistant Patrol Leaders. They will do a good job going forward, and we expect big things next year.

Recently we ended term 3 with a night hike around Mt.Colah as a warm up for summer, as many of the scouts need to plan hikes as part of their achievements. Ventout is coming in November so details are now coming out about that. It’s a fun activity, run for Scouts by our Venturer Scouts, under Leader supervision.

Thankyou to our scouting families who help out when we need them, it does make a big difference to our  Leader’s work loads.

Yours in scouting
Koala / Cougar / Bluey

Cubs: A Year in Review 2010

Extract from AGM, May 2010

Cubs this year has been as busy as ever with programmes working well and boomerang work completed. We competed in all of the district activities, coming first in the BMX and swimming carnival. We also took out both Iron Cub events.
Cubs are getting ready for the fast approaching Cuboree in January 2011. It should be a fantastic event as always. I have attended two Cuborees and a Jamboree and had a ball each time.

This year we have lost one of our leaders, Janine Dudfield aka Bagerra, to Hornsby Heights Cub Pack. I thank her for her e-mail skills and the experience she brought to our pack. Janine will be missed. Karen (Kar) has taken over e-mails now and I would like to thank her for that as everyone knows Akela
still doesn’t know what a computer is, but I am learning.

Our other two leaders, Paul (Rama) and Jeff (Chill) have now completed their BL3 which now has them finishing their training. Congratulations to them both. We also have a venturer, Lauren (Rikki) helping out each week. Thankyou Lauren.

Term 2 saw me passing the baton of Akela to one of the other leaders. After a lot of thought it was time for someone else to have a chance. Funny thing, I became Akela in March 2004 and the hall burned down in July 2004. I pass down the position when our new hall has started. I must hold the record for the most Cub pack meetings outside of our own hall. Yahoo. I will be staying on to help out for a while yet though.

I would like to thank all the parents and past leaders who have helped me through my time as Akela. I have really enjoyed it. Most of all I would like to thank all those Cubs throughout the years who have made it all worthwhile.  I feel very proud when they still call me Akela.

Yours in Cubbing
Mount Colah Mount Kuring Gai Scout Group
Akela (Gary Binskin)