District Scout Camp 2006
A Very wet and windy weekend was the forecast for this year’s district scout camp and, for once, the forecast was correct, fortunately the scout leaders forecast was for FUN, FUN, FUN and more FUN!
After Pitching [setting up] camp (In the rain) the scouts all came together in the sports hall for an evening of brain-taxing, a photo quiz was set and most groups managed very respectable scores with only 2 points separating the top teams.
Little did we know as we left the hall, after the quiz, that many would be returning to the hall earlier than the 9 am start we had planned!
1 a.m. came around with a number of scouts thinking that they were swimming, the promised rain had continued with a vengeance and had flooded the site, by 3am the last of the flooded scouts had been moved into the sports hall and bunk house. Finally, leaders from all of the troops on camp were able to head to bed.
Sunrise came at 5 am, I know I was awakened by the glorious sunrise through my tent and the tones of scouts singing in their tent. A quick, quiet word and it was back to bed for a nap before waking to the drumming rain.
Fortunately, the morning shower died out to allow us to continue with the planned activities that included canoeing, climbing, pioneering and archery. Saturday finished with a first-class camp fire with lots of songs and stunts, most involving a leader getting wet. This was followed by a camp wide "wide game".
Sunday saw the return of the rain, by this stage welly boots were essential across the site, both inside and outside the tents. After breakfast the activities continued and the preparations for breaking camp (taking down all the stuff – could hardly call them tents by now!) started.
Camp finished with a traditional scouts-own before everyone headed home with a pile of wet, muddy washing and a few wet tents to clean and dry.
A BIG thanks go out to all of the leaders who made the weekend possible, and the skilled people who ran so expertly the activities throughout the weekend, without whom the camp would not have been so successful.
