Our annual camp to sort out the older Cubs and get them ready for the hardships that come with Scouts. This year we had seven Cubs that wanted to sleep in a bush. Four girls and three boys. To keep them company ten others came along to make sure that they did survive. Bush Cubs were Megan, Emma, Jess, Deanna Conner, Tom, James. Canvas Cubs were Breiz, Zeze, Megan (II), Shannon, Harry, Alex, Joe, Oliver, Laurence-Elliot. Adults on site were Neil, Tom's Granddad, Angela, Neil, Dawn and a mystery Cook (Dave asked me not to mention that he came along and helped out.) The Leaders team was led by the insufferable sun god, his sidekick Hathi and Baggy who found time to come along, We were joined by an Assistant Leader from Tuesday Cubs, Hello Laura! Our final Leader Charlotte, who was a member of our double winning Akela's Challenge Team was invited to come along and show how it should be done and finally Amy who was forced to come as Dad was on camp and mum was working.
Naturally to get to a survival camp transport had to be basic, we had to walk! As it was a Cub's survival camp the hike would be fairly arduous and mostly cross country. The Cubs were expected to lead this part of the activity with the Leaders letting them know, eventually, if they had gone the wrong way.
To prepare for this experience the Cubs had spent the previous four weeks practicing their knots, shelter building, map reading then more knots, more shelter building and more map reading. The Leaders were not expecting too much but . . .
Saturday dawned; look ok, it was sunny!
Ok it was warm-ish too, and the little amount of cloud was high and wispy. The forecast on Friday had warned of frequent showers and strong winds, Akela's influence with what ever weather god were listening resulted in a change of forecast to warm and sunny with the occasional shower. The Cubs overnight bags were taken to the camp site and the Leaders returned to the Scutt to await the Cubs. At 10:30 everybody was there and the truck was loaded with the tents and shelter building raw materials. Some of the parents took the walkers to the starting point in Pensford and then the five Leaders and Cubs set off.
The first bit was on pavement until we got to the footpath into the country. Laminated maps were handed out to groups of three Cubs and our present location pointed out. The first group set off in the right direction so we set off. At the top of the first hill the path finding Cubs were asked to point out where we were, they did and were awarded a sweet. At this point map reading suddenly got more interesting to the ever hungry Cubs.
 |
 |
Across another field, across a stream, another field, a stile and into a small wood. This was located by the Cubs on their maps and we proceeded. We reached the north most corner of Lords wood exactly at Lunch time. This was eaten and a new set of path finders were appointed. Into the wood we went, Akela said that if we were quiet we might see some wild-life. The only livestock the noisy Cubs were likely to see were flying pigs!
As we got deeper into the wood the path became smaller and muddier, much muddier. Then we had a short shower, just long enough to find out which Cub had let his Mum pack his coats into their overnight bags. As quickly as it started it finished and Hathi got his waterproof jacket back, it was a bit on the roomy side for 'the' Cub.
 |
 |
We found an abandoned proper shelter made from branches and ferns, it held nine Cubs all crunched up together. After a few minutes more walking we climbed the valley side to find our camp site with apart from our mess tent nobody else was using the field.
There was a food break followed by a tent putting-up break, then a pause for some more food and then we got on with building shelters. In groups of four we made our own shelter, these varied from an open fronted pavilion type sleeping place to two ridge tent shaped construction and one of a dome type using some sturdy small branches as supports.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Tea was followed by a game of look for Hathi's little white ball, it was later discovered that Hathi had NOT hidden the ball and knew exactly where it was - on his study table at home. The Cubs were not amused until sweeties were produced. As it got dark Akela's Brother in law rang to ask if we still wanted him to bring out his four inch reflector telescope. It was a little cloudy but sure in his weather modifying abilities Akela said yes please.
While we waited Akela played hide and seek with the Cubs, as the Cubs realised that if they went and hid the Leaders would stay near the fire and leave them out in the dark and the cold, Akela had to go and hide. Easy peasy the Cubs thought silly old Akela has left his high-vis jacket on, well after thirty minutes and having given up several time Akela was found hiding in one of the shelters. Only after the shelter had been checked before by a couple of Cubs that did not look hard enough.
Mrs Akela arrived and a sing song was arranged and enjoyed by the Cubs, the sky cleared in time for Akela's brother in law to arrive and set up. As we were quite away into the darkest country side the stars were out in their dozens, when looked at through the telescope it became hundreds of stars. Then as a finale Mars rose over the tree tops and was examined by the Cubs. A lovely experience for everybody.
A barbequed supper was provided and then it was bed time. The brave Cubs to their shelters and the others to their tents. By midnight it was quiet. (fantastic weather, an interesting and adventurous walk and now an early night for the Leaders) Yeah right. Hathi was dimly aware that Akela had got up in the night as the snoring stopped and woke him up, a bit, not enough to get him up to find out if he could help. Oh well!
Morning was suddenly upon us, some of the Cubs that had been noisy at 03:30 were invited to get up by Akela in a remarkably friendly quiet way. There was to be no repeat of last years 06:00 football as the Cubs slept past 07:00. Shame! After a quick wash with probably some water, breakfast was served, lovely. The Cubs then packed their kit into Akela's car ready for the drive home.
While Akela then sorted out his backwoods cooking ingredients Hathi and Laura took the Cubs to the stream. They were warned that all their dry kit was locked into Akela's car so if they got wet and muddy they would be like it until the dried out. (OK it was sunny AGAIN!!!)
This really bothered the Cubs and it took nearly a full second before they were jumping into the water. It did not seem to matter that some of them only had trainers on. There was a muddy bank and a couple of old tyres that made a fantastic splash when they rolled into the stream. Also the swing was used a lot and nobody fell off. Forty minute later damp and happy the Cubs were returned to Akela.
 |
 |
The Cubs were invited to make fruit kebabs, apple, orange, banana and grapefruit were all put onto a skewer and coated with sugar and then 'cooked' over an open fire to give them a unique flavour, mainly of smoke and ash when they dropped into the fire. The next food was chocolate fruit, for some reason this was very popular, a banana or orange was sliced open some fruit removed some chocolate added, wrapped in foil and then baked in embers. Hathi had his regular orange egg; a scooped out orange with an egg broken into it, wrapped in foil and then baked, lush! packet stew was made by the Cubs, a packet of foil was made, mince and veggies were put in with half an oxo cube then cooked in the embers, prepared flat the packet swells to indicate it has cooked, easy. The backwoods cooking segued into lunch.
 |
 |
This was followed by taking the tents down and mixing the poles up, not helped by a 'spare' set of poles. To fill in time before parents arrived we had some ball games, including football and rugby. Finally Akela had the Cubs stretched out across the field walking and picking up rubbish.
Next as it was sunny and warm the Cubs were called into a line and told that they should be ready for a squirt of sun-block. this resulted in a pile of Cubs on top of Neil who the Cubs thought was responsible for this idea. To fill in the time before the parents arrived to take the Cubs home we had a little game of fruit cricket, all the 'leftover' apples were bowled towards the Cubs who had the chance to smash them to mist if they actually managed to strike them.
Once the Cubs were picked up and delivered to the Scutt to help unload and put the tents out to dry they were awarded their camp certificates and sent home.
Thanks to Parents for lift to Pensford; the Cook's team, Tom's granddad, Neil, Laura, Baggy and Akela for making the weather do what we needed it to do. Thanks to the parents that actually read the letter telling them to pick their Cubs up from the camp site and for taking home the Cubs whose parents did not.