A cold, frosty, 0°C Friday evening in December saw Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Young and Adult Leaders come together at St George's Church for our annual Christingle Service, which for me marks the start of Christmas. Loud, joyful singing echoed around the full church, interspersed with some excellent entertainment on the theme of Christmas. We opened with Lynda (our District Chaplain) getting the young people to find her lost sheep as she explained how we need to remember everyone is special, no matter how different from ourselves they appear; after all the angels spoke to the shepherds on the hill, not the kings in their palaces. The District Beavers led prayers as they opened 24 doors on an advent calendar. Riverview Park Cubs acted out the 12 days of Christmas (including a tense moment when the partridge fell out of its tree, almost toppling the Church Christmas tree. And 1st Northfleet's Cub Leader Stacey (assisted by a very brave cub) ran a quiz to educate everyone about the meaning of the Christingle.
Thanks go to the Active Support Unit for constructing the 200 Christingles and to everyone who attended and contributed to the collection for the Children's Society; with special thanks going to Barbara for organising this event.
Pat Duncumb
District Secretary