This year we had:- Three Scout rock bands, Massive Moose, The Allies and The Speed of Dark, playing demonstrating the diverse range of activities that we do to great acclaim. Rope bridges one 10 meters high and a lower one which Cub and Scout members used all day, plus other flag poles. A BBQ selling burgers and bacon rolls etc. with our renowned high quality food which raised over £500 towards the Crowborough China Expedition fund. A raffle. The raffle and BBQ are raising money for our Scout Expedition to China. Forest Pack cubs ran a popular tombola and Cheyenne Beavers provided entertainment for Beaver aged lads and lasses. Southon Scout Troop had a sleepover at Goldsmiths the night before to keep an eye on the Marquees, and did a range of activities including Athletes Badge (part 2), pioneering, painting Gnomes and supper and breakfast BBQs.   With a big thank you to Waitrose for their generous sponsorship of the event.

Thanks to everyone who helped today, it was a fantastic success.  It was very good publicity for the group in the town. All three bands sounded brilliant with the début performance from “The Speed of Dark”. With a big plug for the Rock Concert I’m delighted to be able to tell you the BBQ sold out of food and raised £637! The tombola and raffle tickets sold well thanks to your enthusiasm. The rope bridges were in use the whole day especially the low one which the scouts constructed. I believe between us we are going to be giving Sheila a lot of extra work with many people wanting to join! And the young people who helped all had a great time as well! What a great team 1st Crowborough Scout Group is!! Martyn Everitt

 Health & Safety Alert - Please watch out we had a "Near Miss" We will never truly know who really caused it

 General

To all those who took part in the Crowborough Carnival and for all those who thought that nothing potentially unsafe happened please read on. I have changed the name of the perpetrator but not his assistant to give them some degree of protection and to avoid any reprisals. For the sake of this story lets call the perpetrator Martin “with an “i.” and not a “y.”. The victim may also have their name changed, not really to protect them but because I am not 100% sure that I have the name right (they know who they are and I think that her name is Ann). Incidentally the associated perpetrator was Robin. (with an “i.”)

 The Event

The events that are about to unfold may shock you. I was part of the group of leaders looking after the pioneering rope bridge. All was going very well as scouts were passing overhead fully strapped to the bridge and after receiving comprehensive instructions on its use and safety features. It was all looking very safe when, a cry went out to my right hand side. It was Ann. She was innocently sipping her tea when a rogue (unchecked and un-removed tea bag accelerated from the bottom of the mug making its escape. It was one of the most dangerous tea bag types in this situation as it was a pyramid bag – this thing had corners. 5 to be precise 5 sticking out points. Ann very swiftly avoided an incident by quickly tipping back the mug de-accelerating the projectile narrowly avoiding an eye incident or at the very least a nasal collision.

 The Investigation

Whilst on the scene I investigated the Near Miss incident. Its easy to see in hindsight that this incident was easy to predict. Mainly by the victim. The tea was just getting stronger and stronger the further down the mug the victim was getting. The only cause for this is a rogue, un-removed tea bag being left unchecked in a live cup of tea. What could never have been known by the victim was the type of tea bag. It was part of the dangerous pointed variety. The architects of the beverage on this incident was Martin with an “i.” and Robin with an “i.” which nearly left Ann with a pointed tea bag in the “i.”. Neither Martin nor Robin would take full responsibility for this near miss. There was a lack of forensics at the scene to tie them to it. One of them did it, we simply may never know who it was. We need to refrain from pointing to any conspiracy theories. We believe at this stage that the perpetrators were working alone and had no outside or influential assistance.

 The Conclusion and Recommendations

If we insist on using the pyramid tea bag we should consider using high impact safety glasses when about to take a sip or more importantly a big gulp of tea. This of course will not remove the likelihood of a pyramid bag accelerating towards vital organs but it should reduce the impact of its corners from doing too much damage. We could of course change the bags to the safer round ones. Either way could the leaders please take considerable care when accepting a beverage from both Martin with an “i.” or Robin with an “i.” taking particular notice of if the tea is getting stronger the further down the mug you are getting. You just never know when a Health and Safety issue is brewing.

 I believe that lessons have been learnt here and I trust that no-one has been traumatised by this event least of all the victim. Perhaps the perpetrators should undergo further rigorous training with particular emphasis on Quality Control in the fine art of tea making to avoid further incidents. It is possible for all the leaders to become debilitated if synchronised tea drinking is adopted. We may wish to consider drinking tea in shifts. I myself will be sticking to coffee.

 Summary

Be alert when drinking a tea made by Martin or Robin or even a Martyn with a “y”

Consider using safety glasses if the origin of the tea bag cannot be established

Think about the use of the safer rounded bag and not the variety with corners

Drink in pairs but not simultaneously or at the same time to avoid multiple injuries (Drink Buddies we could call them)

Training to be given in the safe removal of tea bags that have fulfilled their role as providing the taste. Not to be used as projectiles

 Thank you for your time.

Be Safe having fun, Have fun Being Safe

Matt Gumbrell
1st Crowborough Group Safety Advisor and Leader

I have to say that I feel slightly victimised by this report. Great lengths have been made to disguise the identity of one of the parties involved who still remains anonymous (I wont mention your name Martyn) and to try to keep the victims name out of the picture (eh Ann?)  but there was no attempt whatsoever to disguise my name. Is this a ploy to lay the blame for this incident purely at my door? I feel those fingers pointing directly at me!

 Granted, the risk assessment was drawn up prior to the boiling of the kettle but I would like it to be placed on record that the dangerous properties of the pyramid tea bag was not brought to my attention until this damming report was published giving me no chance to prepare a response.  This fact will form the core of my defence  - I will fight onto clear my name!

 What I will also make sure of is that at Gilwell I will make a point of OBSERVING the tea making process throughout the whole week ensuring that I see everyone's safety methods and of course I will rigorously taste the output.

 I think by the new year, I might then gain the confidence to start making the tea though I will have to start at home until I feel ready to make the tea in the risky environment of the Scout Leader compound

 Yours in Scouting

Robin Carmichael