Seniors Competition Rules

Company & Senior Top Team Challenge (Updated for 2024/25)

Company & Senior Top Team Challenge

The Top Team Challenge is an activity for members of Company and Seniors set by BBHQ. It is based on a multi-task concept where a large number of Companies across the country take part in the same tasks, albeit in their own meeting space.

It covers a wide range of tasks so that all Companies have a fair chance of doing well. A sample of activities included are:

Physical

General knowledge

Logic/Puzzle

The Challenge is an ideal way of taking part in a national competition without needing to travel or incur any expenses.

Principles of the Challenge

The Challenge is open to Companies that are members of The Boys’ Brigade UK & RoI or The Northern Ireland Boys’ Brigade.

A Company only needs to have four young people in order to enter a team.

Joint Company entries can be accepted where Companies have a small number in their Company and/or Seniors.

Every Company that enters the Challenge will receive a certificate showing its position in the results table.

The Challenge should ideally be judged by a leader from another Company, so they are independent.

Take part in the Top Team Challenge

To sign up to take part in the Top Team Challenge, please complete our Pack Request Form on the link below. Packs will be sent by email in January 2025, and the form to submit results will be available at this time too. The closing date for entries is 30th April 2025.

https://boys-brigade.org.uk/top-team-challenge/

Seniors Bowling (Updated for 2024/25)

Seniors Bowling

For the Battalion Champions Cup, the results from the National Ten Pin Bowling Competition will be used as part of our Battalion Competition. To enter please register at: https://sites.google.com/view/bbnat10pin

Company & Senior National Masterteam (Round 1) (Updated for 2024/25)

Company & Senior National Masterteam (Round 1)

Details here

Company & Senior National Masterteam (Round 1)

For the Battalion Champions Cup only the first round results will be used as part of our Battalion Competition.

This is to give all companies an equal chance in the Battalion Competition, rather than being rewarded twice by progressing further (& potentially winning) the National Competition.

This year's draw can be found here: https://boys-brigade.org.uk/nationalcomp/MasterteamEW2024-25.pdf

Seniors Games Afternoon (*changed from Evening!)

Seniors Games Evening

The Seniors Games Afternoon will be held on Sunday 11th February 2024 at Central Methodist Church, Letchworth-Garden-City from 2:30pm-4:30pm. This is before the Seniors and Young Leaders Network Go Karting.

There will be various different games for you all to socialise and to get to know each other before a hard afternoon racing. We will eat before racing at Oh my cod! Fish and chip shop (apparently the best in Letchworth Garden City!) so please bring some money in order to buy some food from the local chip shop... the price list for food can be found at either https://www.just-eat.co.uk/restaurants-ohmycod-letchworth/menu or https://www.ubereats.com/gb/store/oh-my-cod!/krKoaLpfSbaz9PJ2xeyDjA .

Seniors Go Karting

The Seniors and Young Leaders Network Go Karting is being planned for Sunday 11th February 2024 at Teamworks Letchworth, 2 Pixmore Avenue, Letchworth Garden City, SG6 1JS from 5:30pm-7:30pm. Straight afterward the Seniors Games Afternoon (*changed from evening).

The estimated cost is now approximately £28 per person based on the 17 people who have indicated an interest. This may become cheaper, dependent on the final number of people we have... the more people the cheaper each space will be as the exclusive hire cost is a fixed price. This is for a 1 hour 30 minute track session for a minimum number of 10 and maximum number of 24.

Company & Senior First Aid

The Company/Senior Section first aid competition will be on Friday 1st March 2024 at Kempston East Methodist Church.

Rules

Please arrive at 7pm to start the competition at 7.30pm. There will be three parts to the competition, a theory part, CPR part and scenario part.

(Boys should know the 2015 CPR guidelines from the Resuscitation Council UK - see below).

Teams should be made up of 3 young people, one Company, one Senior and one from either section. Entry, initially, is limited to one team per company.

Please contact Rob Ciantar to register your teams by Wednesday 28th February.

Resuscitation Council (UK) Guidelines 2015

Whilst the updates to resuscitation were minimal, there are three subtle changes that will impact on how first aid is taught in the future:

1. "Shouting for help" is no longer a step to be taught on its own. The guidelines now state that the first aider should "ask someone to call 999" after checking for normal breathing.

The guidelines now only instruct the first aider to "ask someone to call 999" after checking for normal breathing. This further simplifies the guidelines, making accurate recollection of the sequence even easier. It also acknowledges the frequent availability of mobile phones as the new guidance also says to use the speaker function on mobile phones for ease of communication.

2. Increased emphasis on seizure as a possible presentation of cardiac arrest

Immediately following cardiac arrest, blood flow to the brain is reduced to virtually zero. This may cause a seizure-like episode that can be confused with epilepsy. Bystanders should be suspicious of cardiac arrest in any patient presenting with seizures. It is also extremely important to teach first aiders how to recognise agonal gasps.

3. Teach first aiders to activate the speaker function on their phone when calling 999 to help communication.

A common feature on modern mobile phones, this addition helps the first aider to communicate with the Emergency Medical Despatcher at the same time as assisting the casualty. Guidance says that it is reasonable to show the first aider how this can be done on their own mobile phone.

(Taken directly from the Qualsafe website https://www.qualsafe.com/pages/Resuscitation-Guidelines-2015-Guidance.html)

Seniors Table Tennis

The Company & Senior Section Table Tennis competitions will be held on Friday 1st March at Kempston East Methodist Church. Please arrive at 6.45pm for a 7.00 pm start.

Each company can enter a maximum of 2 boys in each competition; Company (years 7, 8 & 9) and Senior (years 10, 11, 12 & 13).

Please contact Dom Simms by Wednesday 28th February. to confirm your entries.

Company & Senior Frisbee

The Company Section Ultimate Frisbee competition will be held on Friday 14th June at New Grounds, Harlington, starting at 7pm. This competition will only work outside. It is recommended that players wear boots with studs to minimise slipping, especially if wet.

The basic rules of Ultimate are as follows:

The two teams begin at opposite end zones and try to advance the disc to the other end zone. The disc is put into play by one team throwing off to the other team. This throw-off is called the pull. Once in play, the disc may be moved only by passing, so the player holding the disc must stay put (but may pivot on one foot). If a team successfully advances the disc into the end zone, that team scores a point, the teams swap directions, and the team that scored pulls to the other team. If a defender intercepts the disc in the end zone no point is scored and the game simply continues with the defender throwing the disc to a team mate. If he or she fails to throw the disc within a counted ten seconds, possession will pass back to the other team who must then complete a pass in the end zone to score a point.
If a pass is incomplete, intercepted, or caught out of bounds, the opposing team immediately gains possession and tries to move the disc in the other direction. Another way to change possession is that the player holding the disc, called the thrower, has a limited time to throw the disc: A defensive player within 10 feet of the thrower may loudly count to 10 (unless counted by the referee), and if the disc is not thrown within 10 seconds, the defense immediately gains possession. This defensive player is called the marker, and the audible count is called the stall count.
The game is played until a time limit is reached (probably 2 halves of around 4 minutes). We will play games for a set period of time depending upon the number of teams taking part. If there are extra boys or girls attending we will try to form a scratch team to ensure everyone who wants to play can.
Under the professional rules, there are four 10-minute quarters. At the end of four quarters, whoever has the most goals wins. If there is a tie at the end of four quarters, an additional 5-minute OT period is played. If there is a still a tie after the OT period, one point is played and whoever scores wins.
The club game is typically played until an end condition is reached, typically a time limit or when one team reaches a certain number of points.
A club regulation game features teams of up to 7 players each, with substitutions allowed between points and during injuries. Five players may be on the field of play at any one time. A USA Ultimate regulation field is 110m by 37m, including end zones each 23m deep. We will use a pitch of a size in proportion, as close as possible, to this size. Ignore the brick mark shown below.

One key aspect of Ultimate is that it is self-refereed; the spirit of the game is important and fits well along-side what we'd expect from a BB competition:
While Professional Ultimate uses a refereed system, club Ultimate is known for its "Spirit of the Game", often abbreviated SOTG. Club Ultimate's self-officiated nature demands a strong spirit of sportsmanship and respect. The following description is from the official rules established by USA Ultimate:
Ultimate has traditionally relied upon a spirit of sportsmanship which places the responsibility for fair play on the player. Highly competitive play is encouraged, but never at the expense of the bond of mutual respect between players, adherence to the agreed upon rules of the game, or the basic joy of play. Protection of these vital elements serves to eliminate adverse conduct from the Ultimate field. Such actions as taunting of opposing players, dangerous aggression, intentional fouling, or other 'win-at-all-costs' behaviour are contrary to the spirit of the game and must be avoided by all players.
Many tournaments give awards for the most spirited team, as voted for by all the teams taking part in the tournament.
People may wish to visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultimate_(sport) for more details. We will encourage self-refereeing but ask officers in charge of each team to supervise as necessary. We will have a final arbiter present (a current Bangor University player) in case clarification or dispute resolution is required. Her decision will be final.
Ultimate is a non-contact sport so SS and CS boys and girls can be on the same team. However, given the inexperience of the players, the organisers reserve the right to limit the use of large Seniors in teams where their behaviour appears to constitute a threat to the safety of other players.
There will be a tuck shop but players are advised to bring a water bottle as well as spending money. Hopefully hats and sun cream will also be required!
Please contact Martin Wallis Wednesday 12th June to confirm your entries.

Seniors Summer Event

A event will be planned for Seniors at Phasels Wood Activity Centre, Hemel Hempstead, while the other sections are at London District's Life to the Max.

Based on feedback from the Seniors Games Afternoon and Go Karting event, a few Seniors suggested going to an Activity Centre… so as proposed last year, for the Seniors Summer Event this be held at an activity centre.

Activity Day Packages - day visits only - per group of 15 (we can have more than 15, but that means we will have more than one group)

Activity Day Package is four hours of activity, two with an instructor, two self-led. Arrival is at 09:30 and Departure is at 16:30

The more we have the cheaper the cost… As an estimate on cost… prices are around (For the minimum 10 people it will cost around £30 each, for the maximum 15 it will cost around £20 each)

Possible activities available are in the photos below… please note *Only available self-led if you have the appropriate permit/qualification/training. (Please note inflatable and water activities are not available from October-April).

Please can leaders check with their Seniors for initial interest to see if this is viable. I will then be in touch to find out which activities they would prefer to do.

Please contact Rob Ciantar for more information.