Earlier today I went to the Hinterland Paintball ground with my scout group and a few extras from TAI. Unfortunately for us on the way there Dad got lost looking for the turn off, we were only about two hundred meters away from the turn off when he decided to turn around and go back to look for it. In the end we got there and the instructor kitted us out and went through the rules. Do Not go outside without your mask. That was the main rule aside from the rules for different games for example capture the flag, bomb, etc. Bomb was my favorite game but it was on the worst field but If it weren’t for me my team would have lost. The way Bomb works is that the is an orange buoy in the center of the field, this is the ‘bomb’. The first team to get the boy gets thirty points or the equivalent of three kills. Each kill on the other team is worth ten points. The game only lasts ten minutes but this is were the bomb comes into play if the bomb is in your territory when the time stops you get -50 points. And how I won it for the team, with thirty seconds to spare and only five paintballs left the buoy was in my territory every one else in my team had just been killed and I was the only person left, one person who just re-spawned gave cover fire and I sprinted out and kicked the buoy out of our territory. Just then the game ended and green team won, again! 

How the Tui got its Crest

Once upon a time, before the kiwi became famous the tui had the all the fame. However the fact that they were famous didn’t bother them, as they didn’t actually know. Then one day a pirates parrot flew away from its owner off the pirate ship to eat some of the lush fruit on the mainland. The parrot had overheard some of the sailors on the ship talking about the so called “Tui” and decided to have a look around for the famed bird. He looked, and looked, but couldn’t find anything. Until just as he was about to leave for the pirate ship he saw one. A young Tui, no more than a few years old. He flew up to it and said “you know, you are the most famous bird in the country.” With that, he just flew off, never to be seen again. After that, the Tui got so much pride and got such a big head thinking he was better than the others that it became literal and his head puffed up. Little did that parrot know that the Tui had a problem. The local eagle, the head honcho, the king of the skies, had a thing for chasing him, so with his new found pride the Tui went to face his adversary. Of course he had no chance and could barely keep up with him, but he managed to catch up to him and putting on his best Italian-American voice he said “Watch out I’ll get you.” With that the eagle was offended and took a swipe at him, the claw cut right under chin and suddenly the Tui’s big head fell down to his chin and as the scar from the eagle healed, the skin turned white. To this day the the tui will always be reminded about being full of pride.

Last Friday all the scout groups from the Waikato District put together a Link Camp. A link camp is where several scout groups get together and go camping. This year Cliff Tait Air Scouts organized the camp and held it at the Pirongia Forest Park Lodge. The cabins of the lodge were only to be used by Leaders and Keas, however most Leaders still slept outside in a tent like the rest of us.

On the first day of activities the scouts were assigned into patrols, I was assigned to the spitfire patrol. Our activities were awsome, they consisted of:

• Abseiling
• Rock climbing
• Fire Safety
• First aid
• Bush Craft
• Flying Fox (I am the only person who went down it backwards!)
• Confidence Course
• Go Carts

Overall I had an awesome time and I hope to do it again.

Last Friday I was entered in the Waikato Inter-Intermediate Speech contest. Before the contest started I was a Hamilton Boys High School taking the english entry test to see what class I was in, fingers crossed I’ll be in a 1st band class. However I had to cut the test short because the contest started In under an hour, so my Dad and I left for Matamata Intermediate. Once we got there and settled down the speeches started And my nerves grew, it was around about this time when I realised that I had a fight on my hands. Time flew and before I knew it, it was my turn and I started speaking. At first every thing went to plan minus the fact that I was a little too fast, but just as I was about to gesture to earn more points, I forgot. Simply, without the first gesture it wouldn’t be possible to start up again as the first gesture lead to the second one. In the end I came third, not too shabby considering all aspects of it.

Ever since my dad introduced me to war-time films I’ve been hooked. I’ve seen quite a few of the greats, The Guns of Navarone, Pearl Harbor just to name a couple. But there was one one movie I had been longing to see. The Great Escape, and for my Birthday I got it. I was so happy about ten minutes after I had been given it it was already getting its first viewing. It was awesome!!! One of the things I like about older movies is the fact that they build up to the action, not just start killing each other for no particular reason. Also you can often realize that most of the WW2 movies are either based on a true story like the three I’ve just gotten for my birthday, or they are really believable. For example the first time I saw The Guns of Navarone I thought it was based on a true story until I found out that it was a novel before it came to the silver screen. Overall The Great Escape comes in second on my all time favorite movie list and I hope to see more movies like it.

Although Guy Fawkes is not until the fifth of november the TABC Youth Group decided to have Guy Fawkes night early. So on saturday night about 30-40 people dressed up warm, put on the gum boots and se

For the last three days I have been stranded on Kawhia Island in the middle of the bay on TABC Island Camp. For three days we learnt survival techniques and participated in activities to promote team work and lateral thinking. There were about 30 of us on the island, 20 boys and 10 girls.  It made for interesting times.  We were in four different teams that competed on a daily basis for prizes and the chances to use skills learnt for surviving in a practical way.  My team was the green team . . . the winners of most challenges.  We were great team players and we were just awesome!  

The key things I learnt whilst being stranded for the weekend were:

• How to weave strong flax ropes.
• How to create a strong and waterproof bivouac (given the rain and wind over the weekend).
• How to pick someone up who is twice your weight whilst keeping one hand free (the fireman carry).
• How to build an emergency stretcher out of 2 jackets and branches.
• How to make French Toast (so yummy and yet so easy to make).

I have come home tired, both physically and mentally, but I have had a totally awesome weekend.  I’m a little sun/wind burnt,I have some sore limbs (that toitoi), my clothes are all wet and sandy, I have sore feet and I haven’t slept very much in the last 72 hours . . .  but I would do it again in a heartbeat!  Oh and “Go the Green Team!”

Academic:

• To improve on my home study habits to ready myself for HBHS.
• To continue to aim for precision in all my work.
• To manage my time more efficiently and not leave things to the last minute.

Most of us have heard of the US marine corps, but most have no idea that the royal marines even exist. Well I have to admit I was one of those people until I stumbled across them on YouTube. They had great videos of people training and the sort of challenges they face and it made me interested. After a bit of background research I found out what they really are. First, they are actually part of the navy not the army as are they’re US counterparts. Second, They are one of the most elite fighting forces in the world and just to enroll the recruits have to face four grueling challenges that are a lot harder than they look and after wards there is even more training that brings the reality that war isn’t pretty. to get an idea take a look at this video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XapKXaXLIxc  

The RM are trained to go any where in the world and fight in the harshest conditions and I quote:

The ethos of the Royal Marines refers to our role and the way we fulfil it. Since the Second World War, we have developed a specific function as a commando and amphibious force, undertaking operations in harsh environments be they mountain, jungle, cold weather or desert. This difficult and unique task requires certain personal characteristics, which are nurtured at the Commando Training Centre during training and then maintained and developed during our subsequent service. It is because of these individual qualities that we are able to fulfil our collective role successfully; combined, these two key elements form our ethos. This pamphlet seeks to lay out what we mean by ethos and what sets us apart as Royal Marines. 

So in my opinion I think that this is one of the most elite commando forces of the world.