About 40 Cubs from the South Bristol District went to Chelwood for a rather exclusive camp. Only the most senior Cubs of the Packs were invited, Sixers, Seconders and wizened old-timers of 10 years or more. They were accompanied by their Leaders who were in for a busy weekend.
After a lot of planning by Jane (ADC Cubs) and the two Akela's called Andy the programme had been worked out and arrangements made. Our responsibilities were two bases and to provide central catering.
Our venerable Cook's Team were prepared and willing. Saturday tea was pre-prepared to avoid any last minute problems.
Friday Pack night was mostly involved with getting all the equipment that we would need out of stores and put into our trailer. As a reward for being so helpful the Cubs were let out into the garden to play 'French Poodle' a toned down and less risky version of 'British Bulldog'. The Cubs were told to be at Chelwood for 09:15 on Saturday.
Saturday morning arrived, Hathi turned up with his wife's car (it's the car with the tow-bar) and all the food and tables were stowed away for the drive.
We arrived at 09:10 and were not the first to arrive, even some of our Cubs were there. The trailer was unloaded while the rest of the campers arrived. The tents were put up and the Cubs stuff put away. We were then called to the flagpole formed a circle and had a flag break, well done Megan. Our Cubs on camp were Ryan, Matt, Alex, Ollie, James B, James K, Daniel, Megan and for her first ever camp Rebecca. Also taking part were the two Beavers who belonged to the Cooks team, Emily and Gemma.
Once the camp was opened the Cubs were given a camp rules and advice talk, this was mostly to do with being safe and having fun. off they then went to gather fire wood. The mess tents were put up and the kettle put on for a brew. Soon the wood pile was just a bare area so the Cubs were allowed into the woods to gather fallen wood. The wood pile was soon enormous enough for a weeks camping.
Lunch was sandwiches, fruit, a drink and a piece of cake. The activities were run during the afternoon; there were five bases, Map reading, Tracking with a trail to follow, fire lighting which could be important as there was backwoods cooking, and then branding - The Cubs branded pieces of wood and not themselves or anyone else. The Cubs seemed to enjoy all the activities. The cooking and branding were a bit hot as the sun was shining brightly and it was hot. There was a drinks break in the middle of the afternoon that was really welcome.
Tea was "Spag-Bol" or Spag without the Bol or Bol with out the Spag or indeed any combination of what had been cooked, The left overs from the backwoods cooking was available for a few lucky Leaders.
While the Cooks Team sorted out the clearing away the Cubs were taken to one side, a short length of plastic sheeting had been pegged out on a slope behind the tents and with the aid of some washing up liquid and a hose and buckets of water a first rate slide was produced. The water was apparently quite chilly from the Cubs reaction to having to get into close contact with it. No-body seemed to mind as it had been a very hot day and after the detergent had run out and the sliding made difficult the Cubs returned to their tent to dry and get changed.
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To warm the Cubs up there were a couple of games started , cricket and rounder's People did keep score but nobody seemed to interested in the final results, so everybody won! As it started to get dark the evenings entertainment continued with a Camp Fire Sing-song, led by Andy S and was, judging by the continually repeated lines of song about a second story window, was enjoyed by everyone. The Cooks team were busy with a bed of coals and barbequed a large number of burgers and sausages, the three onions that were chopped and caramelised did not make it to the end of the meat so there were a couple of disappointed cooks.
The Cubs went to their beds well fed and singing, still, about windows and things. The Leaders stayed up until their 'little darlings' had gone quiet and then retired to their tents, no prizes for guessing who was the last to get to bed, thank you 148th Bristol.
The morning dawned with a heavy dew, and the Cooks Team were up early getting the kettle boiling for the Leaders to be awoken gently with a mug of tea or coffee. Breakfast was prepared as the Cubs went away for their ablutions. Breakfast was a bowl of cereal with/without milk a mug or beakers of drink and then the cooked part, Burgers, they had thawed so had to be eaten, sausages, eggy-bread (French toast) and baked beans. the Cubs sat on the groundsheets in a horseshoe formation and there wasn't much waste.
One of our Cub's Parent in the Leader of a church in Stockwood and came out to take part in our Scouts Own. His request for a roaring fire was fulfilled and the guess that the story would involve a burning bush was suggested and shot down. A story about Peter and his fishermen friends going out to catch fish with the help of Jesus was reinforced by the Cubs going out onto the field to find some fish that been left lying around.
The Cubs then went out on a walk into the woods and found a lake and lots of trees, this went on for some time and the camp-site was blissfully quiet, it wasn't to last and the Cubs could be heard long before they appeared at the edge of the wood
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A couple of wide games were organised with a high tech version of a treasure hunt and then finished of the games of rounder's and cricket from the night before. Lunch was 'iffits' If it's available you can have it. The tents were taken down and put away, the trailer loaded and the parents of the Cubs arrived to take them home. At the ending ceremony Gemma had her boot quietly filled with water and a cup of water somehow got thrown over Jane , shame!
We met up with nearly all the Cubs at the Scutt to unload the trailer and put the equipment away, this was achieved in a very quick time so a big thank you to the parents that helped.
Thanks are offered to Jayne, the two Andy's for organising it, one Andy for organising the weather Vicki, Carol and Ian for doing the cooking, the many Leaders, Parents and Explorer Scouts that stayed at Chelwood over the weekend to make the camp run as smoothly as it did.