Opinion

New year, new opportunities with a chance for Scouts and Explorers to travel to two very different continents.

A Happy New Year to all who follow this column and to those Falkirk Herald staff who facilitate such endeavour.

A happy New Year to everyone; I wonder what 2020 has in store for us all? Hopefully health, love, fun and adventure.

IT’S a new year and there are lots of new challenges on the Scouting horizon.

The Christmas tree may still be up – but not for much longer – while the fridge and cupboards are still brimming with food, but it’s almost time to say goodbye to the 2019 
festive period and look forward to what 2020 has to hold.

And breathe ... now all the fuss of Christmas is out of the way hopefully it is time for us all to relax.

SCOUTS and Explorers revealed their social conscience when they braved freezing temperatures in a fundraising sleep out.

This is the most ‘wonderful time of the year’ if you believe the lyrics of an old song. Yes it can be stressful but I’m always a great believer that Christmas is what you make it.

THE festive season is here and more than 170 beavers had an early Christmas treat.

Just like it said on the tin, an old favourite got the lads along for the carol service at Larbert Old Church on Friday, December 6, along with officers, helpers, guests, charity representatives and members of the Falkirk & District Stedfast Association.

I sort of came late to the party but this was probably the first year that I took an active interest in I’m a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here.

Church parades are the order of the day at this time of year with companies parading variously for Founder’s Day, enrolment parades and to war memorials on Remembrance Sunday.

These Scouts were bang on target when they spent an evening learning archery.

It’s many years since the Junior Section carol service was stood down to focus attention on one central annual church service for the whole battalion. However this year there will again be a carol service but the format will be different in that it is for all sections from Anchor Boys to Seniors to be held on Friday, December 6, in Larbert Old Church, with arrival for a prompt 6.30pm. The service will be led by the battalion chaplain the Rev. Monica McDonald and as well as the boys from all battalion companies, officers, helpers and parents are also invited. Each boy is asked to bring an item which can be put in a company donation box for the local food bank. Alistair Blackstock, former captain of 1st Bothkennar & Carronshore Company and also chairman of the food bank will be there to receive these donations as a token of the season sentiment of giving. The offering at the service will be donated to Maggie’s and also to a children’s cancer charity; in similar giving vein. The service itself will be of lessons and carols and will involve ‘Christingles’ made by the boys. I believe there may be mince pies for adults and every boy receive a selection box so what better way to enjoy this celebration of the birth and receiving Jesus , the son of God here among us. Because of the age spread of the congregation, the service will take under an hour and so also facilitate return trips to the various parts of the 
area.

IT was a celebration of an annual get together when 40th Falkirk Scouts held a Scottish sleepover at the Scout hall and cooked a Burns Supper on an open fire.

You may well gather from the various reports in this column just how diverse are the activities undertaken not only at company level but also within the battalion.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy this time of year, even if it seems to start earlier and earlier the older I get.

I’m sure that if I said that I didn’t have any money then a lot of you would agree with me, particularly at this time of the year.