Explorer Scouts is for young people aged 14 to 18 and is run at a District level. But fear not, that doesn't mean we unceremoniously boot our little cherubs out into the wilds of the Scouting world, to be savaged by hardened district cronies! Oh no, we actually lovingly pass them on to our local Explorer Scout Unit, Centurion ESU, who then gently ease them into explorer scouting and gradually mould them into fine young men and women...well sometimes at least.

Centurion also meets on a Monday night and is made up of members from 1st Souths, 1st and 2nd Elm Park and 1st and 2nd Rainham. They are fearlessly led by Michael Suggate and his underlings Richard Pinto, Alan Winston (1st Souths very own scout leader), Glenn Hadley and Mick Dormer. Weekly meetings are organised by the explorer scouts for the explorer scouts and can see them getting up to all kinds of mischief from go-karting to learning how to light fires, from kayaking to international cooking and from making plasticine to hike planning...the list goes on!

The unit also get involved with environmental projects, campsite crewing, district and county competitions and international adventures like going to Serbia, Luxembourg and Russia! Camping is a huge part of being in this section and if you like a good walk then that helps too.

For more information about Explorer Scouts please visit the Centurion ESU website.

The Scout Network is for those who aren't quite old foggies that should be shipped off for medical testing, but are certainly well on their way. The Hornchurch District Network is in its infancy at the moment but fingers crossed will be growing into a mammoth gaggle of 18 to 25 years olds. When do they meet and what do they get up to? Nobody knows...but hopefully all that will be changing for the better soon so watch this space! If you want to find out more about Network then please feel free to visit the District website and badger our District Commissioner for more info...

© 1st South Hornchurch Scout Group 2012, Registered Charity No. 1044703