15th - 16th June
Well Summer does not start until the 21st so it had to be a spring camp. As it turned out it was a Survival Camp. Due to a timing problem the QM was on holiday for the week leading up to the camp and we were unable to get any of the Groups tents. We were advised that Eastwinds had a number of tents that we could use. The older Cubs were going to be sleeping out in bivouacs so only tents for the younger Cubs, boys and girls and Leaders would be needed. We found another female helper at short notice who would 'be prepared' to come along to help and keep Abi company.
Akela and Hathi popped down to Eastwinds on Saturday morning to find tents and pegs but no poles. Oh dear what's plan B? A suggestion from Rich from St George's Troop meant that Akela tried to contact Rod, a Founding Father of the group, who might have a storeroom key, but was also on holiday. Oh dear what's plan C? Plan C involved a dash to B&Q by Akela for some more tarpaulins and a trip home for Hathi to fit roof bars to his car so that he could load up a few pioneer poles from our HQ. Plan C meant that they would all get the opportunity to sleep out.
A quick lunch, and some frantic rushing round trying to get everything together and we ended up at Eastwinds. Bill was waiting for us. He was to do some archery for the Cubs. Soon, very soon, the Cubs arrived, dropped their kit into the bunk rooms and posed for a quick photo. And then informed of Plan C, all the Cubs seemed happy to go along with Plan C. Everybody seemed keen to sleep out in bivvies.
The Cubs were: both Stephs, Ben, Georgia, Ella, both Toms, Mike, Becky D, Sam, Levi, Becky, Shaun, Alex and Jess. Hathi forgot to do a certificate for Jess and she was very brave in the face of this oversight. Hathi has been told to make a certificate for Wednesday and not forget in the future. I'm sorry Jess.
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The girls went into the hall to do their indoor archery first and while they were there the last few stragglers arrived. The boys started the task of building their overnight accommodation. Rich (Kaa) from Tuesday and Adrian (a regular helper) were pillars of strength and made short work of two shelters, with a lot of help from the Cubs. After half time and a drink the groups swapped round and the girls helped build two more bivvies while the boys shot a few arrows around. Akela arrived back after picking his parents up from the local airport, and was impressed with the quality of the Cubs work. The last of the boys arrived and entered the hall with his parent and was shouted at. A great reception to Alison, our new female helper.
A hot meal for Tea was organised and produced by our cooks team. While the Cubs were waiting they had a game of dice. A tense struggle to roll a one or a six, because the last three Cubs to do so would be washing up the Tea things. Afterwards there were paper games to do with compass points, while this happened Hathi went to pick up Mrs. Akela who was to come down and lead a campfire sing song. Akela got the fire going with only one match, naturally. The fire was soon blazing and the singing was enthusiastic and when Hathi joined in LOUD. The Cubs made silly noises when ever a train passed, the track is very close, but apart from this and the constant requests for football songs, there is a competition going on in the far East at the moment apparently the singing was very popular. After the singing James and Hathi set up a grid in the hall with wallpaper as ladders and ropes as snakes for the Cubs to play on.
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Supper was taken at the end of the game and the Cubs were prepared for the great adventure. They were put into small groups and put into their bivvies. This was at 22:30 and as it had rained and none of the bivvy interiors were wet we were confident that the Cubs would be ok. The Leaders sat around the camp fire and talked about this and that until at 03:30 the Cubs had finally gone quiet and we could retire to our sleeping places. Akela in his one man tent the ladies in the hall and Hathi in one of the small side rooms. Naturally the Cockerels that had been quiet all night started to crow, not very amusing at all. The indoor Leaders were woken by Akela asking if we fancied a hot drink, at 06:30. We were all very grateful and mutiny was narrowly avoided. The Cubs slept well and at about 07:30 were rounded up, told to do their ablutions or wash and clean their teeth. The tables were laid and breakfast produced by Alison and Akela. Abi and Hathi acted as dinner-people and doled out the food, so much easier than trying to remember who wanted beans but no egg and one sausage or two or whatever. What they asked for they got. Alison tried eggy-bread and gave it a 'thumbs up'.
The mornings activities were; clearing the site, getting some firewood and keeping away from the stream. Hathi prepared for some fire lighting while Abi and Akela were to do back-woods cooking. Alison slipped home to have a hot shower and to bring the rest of her family down for the day. The fire lighting was an education to the Cubs who found that despite when Hathi said heat rises they had to find out for themselves, a few sucked fingers were the result. The Cubs built small fires and were happy, only mud and water still to experience and the camp would be complete. The back-wood cooking was the same as always, twists, chocolate oranges, caramelised bananas, and as a special treat for Hathi a couple of eggs scrambled in an orange, 'Gurt Lush' as they say in these parts.
Now for the best bit, the stream. Water and mud. The Cubs were let loose, Sam borrowed Hathi's wellies as he had a small cut on his foot and it was felt to be in his best interest to keep it dry. When Hathi next saw him Sam was sat in the stream! The Cubs walked up and down finding where the deep parts were. Ben was very good and cleared an area of it's accumulated flotsam and freed the water flow up a lot. Having emptied Hathi's wellies Sam then lost one into the stream and it floated off down stream, aaaargh, some of the other Cubs came to the rescue and Hathi had both boots back.
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The Cubs were cleaned up got into warm clothes and warmed up in the hall with lunch. Final packing was done and the site rechecked for left-overs. The Cubs were picked up and a few families stayed behind to listen to the final moments of Irelands World Cup hopes.
Thanks to Bill and his son, also to Adrian, Kaa, Alison, Abi, Peg for all their hard work, what can I say? Without you it would not have happened. Thanks to Akela the ex-sun god. Another great camp. Roll on August and Parkend.