Training Camp 2008

It was a pretty cold March evening when the Training Camp started and the forecast was not looking too wonderful. 14 intrepid youngsters however came along to a training camp for younger Scouts and older Cubs where they could learn basic camping skills such as putting up a tent, organising their camp gear, fire lighting, camp gadgets, outdoor cooking and lots of other fun and games.

Everyone managed to get their tents erected in the wind - learning that a tent is much easier to put up with the end-on into the wind rather than sideways on. When the rain eventually came mid morning we all went into the hut to learn about axes, knives and saws, knotting and lashing and using different kinds of lamps and stoves. Luckily the rain (which was forecast to last all day) only lasted until lunchtime and after soup & sandwiches we all went outside for a game of rounders.

Then everyone went to get their fires ready and to prepare dinner, which was to be cooked on our new altar fires outside. Several camp gadgets were constructed during the afternoon as well, though we weren't really camping long enough to give them a really good testing. The firelighting and the cooking was done particularly well given the experience levels and the cold & windy weather. On the menu was chicken cooked in a variety of sauces with pasta and sweetcorn, but we decided to cook the sponge puddings and custard in the hut as everyone was beginning to get quite cold and the fires were going on (what softies we leaders are eh?!).

The evening's entertainment continued with indoor games like "charades" and "ibbly dibbly" (or is it "dibbly dobbly"?)

Some of the older Scouts were worn out early on the Saturday evening due to their not getting enough sleep on the Friday night because they were playing around (weren't they, G, A and M!). Still, it did mean that on the Saturday night everyone slept like logs!

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Everyone was up fairly early on the Sunday and ready to cook breakfast outdoors too. This was followed by a full inspection and a "Scouts Own". Then came that boring, but necessary, job - packing everything away again.

The youngsters did very well in the cold weather (although it wasn't as wet as we thought it would be) and seven of them came away with their Outdoor Challenge badge, so WELL DONE!