Year-end celebrations for scouts

The Arrowtown Cub, Scout and Venturer Group at its final assembly of the year, held near Manse Rd, on the outskirts of Arrowtown. Photos by Gary Healey.

The Arrowtown scouts celebrated the end of 2009 with an award ceremony - and by getting themselves dirty on a mud slide.

For the final gathering of the year, senior scouts had built the long mud slide at their meeting site near Manse Rd, on the outskirts of Arrowtown.

Fortunately, they had also constructed a simple shower facility, for the children and adults to get a bit of mud off their faces before enjoying a barbecue.

The event also honoured the progress of three of the leaders - Greg Fawcett and Darryn Wilkie, from the Arrowtown scout group, and Simon Brackstone, from the Queenstown scouts - with the Gilwell Scarf and Wood Beads, which is the highest level of leader training.

Arrowtown scouts have fun with a mud slide built by senior scouts at the final assembly for the year.

Scout leader Gary Healey said 2009 had been a successful year with many activities and awards for the group.

Mr Healey said one of the many highlights of the past year was when the scouts invited 35 volunteers from the fire brigade, St John, police and Victim Support to a three-course dinner prepared by 15 young scouts.