Page 44 - may2024
P. 44

May 2024                                                                             May 2024

       FIRST THURSDAY CLUB

       (AUTUMN LEAVES)


       Julien  Lightfoot  and  Scouts  Jack  and  George
       gave  us  an  excellent  presentation  on  the
       explorers  expedition  to  Borneo  last  year.    We
       heard  descriptions  of  their  encounters  with  Sun
       bears, snakes, crocodiles and even a meeting with a wild orangutan.  This was a
       month  long  trip  in  August  of  last  year.  The  talk  described  working  on  charity
       projects working on the rare sun bear enclosures and work building a latrine for a
       community building.  The Scouts were learning to build work hard and get along
       with each other.  During the course of the month they hiked in hot sticky Jungle
       heat  coped  with  humidity  were  eaten  by  insects  crashed  down  waterfalls  and
       went on a jungle river cruise.















                                                                                           great  fun  but  a  lot  of  hard  work.  It
                                                                                           amazes  me  still  how  much  goes  on  in
                                                                                           sleepy  old  Dorset.  During  this  period,  I
                                                                                           found  time  to  captain  a  channel  relay
                                                                                           team with the objective to become the
                                                                                           oldest 6-person mixed relay team to swim
                                                                                           the channel. We were successful with an
       This was an amazing story.     What a fantastic opportunity for our young people to   average  age  of  75  years  and  187  days
       experience  a  wild jungles  weird  food  and  the  primitive  lifestyle.    I  am  sure  they   though  to  this  day  the  swim  was  never
       appreciated  coming  home  to  civilization  and  yet  gave  them  a  thirst  for  more   ratified  by  the  Channel  Swimming  &
       adventures.                                                                         Piloting   Federation.   The   swim   was
                                                                                           approved  by  both  the  pilot  and  the
       Next month we have a talk on Real Dorset.  This is a photographic tour of Dorset a   official   observer   and   we   were
       look at unusual out of the way legends facts and tales to help us understand the    congratulated  on  the  day  for  our
       County where we live and enjoy life..                                               success.  One  of  the  takeovers  took  an
                                                                                           extra  4  minutes  which  we  contended


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