SAGUWE and UOBGAS
Wednesday 29th of March 2017
In December 1973, a comet flew across the night sky, capturing the imagination of the public at large. Comet Kohoutek was a sight so wonderful, that it inspired an enthusiastic group of students at the University Bristol Scouts and Guides Society to launch a competition. Kohoutek was organised for the Scouts and Guides across Avon, and consisted of a series of challenges that each team must complete. The competition ran for over 30 years, until ending in 2006. With the recent revivals of Bristol and UWE SSAGOs, the two clubs banded together to restore to the competition to its former glory.
In October, a committee was assembled, with representatives from the two societies, and the Scouting and Guiding counties. The team set aside their degrees for 6 months, and with the help of student volunteers, they planned out a day-long competition of competitions. Since it was the first run of a revival, there was an initial plan to keep the event relatively small scale, however on the day, there were 200 young people, as well as a further 50 volunteers running the bases.
Fast forwarding to Saturday morning, at 9am the first participants started to arrive, and the day began! The teams scattered around the field before their initial briefing, to undertake a challenging quiz, based on the theme of Kohoutek: space. At 10 o’clock, the competition began in earnest, as the teams of Guides and Scouts were sent to their starting bases around Woodhouse Park, our host for the day. The teams were as given a “pilot” (an egg), who they had to look after throughout the day, not breaking it, and making sure it didn’t get stolen by members of another team, who would then gain bonus points. Throughout the day, pilots were captured, “hospitalised” and generally encouraged the spirit of competition between the teams (and some mischievous base runners).
There were 20 bases in total, including classic Scouting and Guiding activities such as a sisal trail in the woods, both a spaghetti tower and a spaghetti Martian building competition along with firing catapults the furthest. There were also a multitude of space-themed competitions, from moving the Moon and dodging comets, to human spaceships and blind spacesheep.
Special mention goes to “Lift-Off”, an activity in which the participants had to rescue a ping-pong ball from a leaking pipe, and Space-Suit, in which a space suit is required, to protect an unwitting Scout/Guide from the barrage of comets. Comets made of flour. The special mention is not just reserved for the two messiest activities, however. Special mention is deserved for the coincidental genius of having these bases next to each other, such that soggy participants would then be caked in a floury paste, much to everybody’s schadenfreude.
Once everybody had finished their activities, there was only one way to end such a great day. The whole site descended on the campfire circle, where there was a fire ready and waiting. Everybody took part in singing along to the campfire songs, until the organisers-inchief came down to announce the scores.
The University of Bristol Guides and Scouts & the Scouts and Guides at UWE would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who helped out on the day, both the organisers John, Matt and Shona, and the representatives from Guiding and Scouting, who helped out on and leading up to the day. We hope everybody had a great time, and look forward to seeing more of you next year!
Rank | Group | Team Code | Score |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 1st Portishead Guides | G31 | 1080 |
2 | 23rd Bath Scouts | S06 | 1015 |
3 | 1st Backwell Scouts | S19 | 1005 |
4 | 26th Bristol Scouts - Tuesdays | S05 | 990 |
5 | 40th Bristol Guides | G34 | 980 |
6 | 1st Stoke Gifford Guides | G17 | 955 |
7 | 1st Bradley Stoke Guides | G04 | 950 |
8 | 40th Bristol Guides | G22 | 925 |
8 | Knowle West Scouts | G50 | 925 |
10 | 77th Bristol Scouts | S11 | 920 |
11 | 93rd (St Albans) Bristol Guides | G21 | 915 |
12 | 1st Worle Guides | G29 | 885 |
12 | 56th St Werburghs Guides | G41 | 885 |
14 | 2nd Portishead Scouts | S07 | 880 |
15 | 256th Christ Church Scouts | S16 | 865 |
16 | 2nd Thornbury Guides | G07 | 860 |
17 | 2nd Filton Guides | G01 | 830 |
18 | 1st Blagdon Scouts | S09 | 810 |
19 | 28th Bathampton Scouts | S29 | 800 |
20 | 1st Backwell Scouts | S27 | 785 |
21 | 4th Worle Guides | G25 | 775 |
21 | 26th Bristol Scouts - Tuesdays | S32 | 775 |
23 | 1st Stoke Gifford Scouts | S22 | 755 |
24 | 256th Christ Church Scouts | S01 | 730 |
25 | 13th All Saints Scouts | G11 | 725 |
26 | 40th Bristol Guides | G19 | 720 |
27 | 2nd Thornbury Scouts | S03 | 705 |
28 | 1st Frampton Cotterell Scouts | S14 | 695 |
29 | 1st Wick Guides | G23 | 680 |
30 | 1st Frampton Cotterell Scouts | S08 | 665 |
31 | 1st Hawkesbury Upton Guides | G36 | 590 |
31 | 26th Bristol Scouts - Tuesdays | S25 | 590 |
33 | 183rd Bristol Guides | G03 | 585 |
34 | 2nd Winterbourne Down Guides | G42 | 565 |
34 | Long Ashton Scouts | S17 | 565 |
36 | 1st Wrington Guide | G28 | 555 |
37 | 2nd Winterbourne Down Guides | G10 | 550 |
38 | 4th Yate Guides | G18 | 535 |
39 | 2nd Frampton Cotterell Scouts | S10 | 525 |
40 | 2nd Frampton Cotterell Scouts | S15 | 515 |
41 | 29th Kingswood / 2nd Hanham Scouts | S02 | 500 |
42 | 40th Bristol Guides | G06 | 480 |
43 | 18th St John's Guides | G20 | 465 |
44 | 24th Kingswood Warmley Guides | G16 | 455 |
45 | Cleeve Claverham and Yatton Scouts | S28 | 445 |
46 | 26th Bristol Scouts - Tuesdays | S31 | 395 |
47 | 1st East Harptree Guide | G30 | 330 |
48 | 2nd Filton Guides / 3rd Wallscourt Farm Scouts | G40 | 295 |
* Photo credit: From the University of Bristol Special Collections: DM1815/5/7-8, Scout and Guide Archives