8th Mag - Issue 5

Summer Camp Spectacular!

20 perfect pages covering every major event that happened at Summer Camp 2014 at Target Wood near Hexham

8th Darlington Scout Group 2014 V

www.8thDarlingtonScouts.blogspot.com

Page 2 Editor’s Column

T

Making: ‘The Camp 2014’

he idea to make a short documentary about the most iconic event of the scouting year, summer camp, arose roughly a month before the group were due to departure. Almost immediately, the Seniors put in charge of the project started discussing practicalities such as where they would be able to get three camcorders for recording the most interesting events of the week and how they’d be able to edit the footage together afterwards.

Making the documentary this year was coincidentally appropriate as it is the Scout group’s centennial in 2015 and this film would hopefully show people that the group still uses traditional camping methods such as cooking on open fires.

We needed to carefully balance humour and vital information. The last thing we wanted was something boring because that would have been a false portrayal of camp. On the other hand, we didn't want something too silly that made the group look like a joke.

To record the voiceovers, eloquently spoke by Maverick, we headed to the boy’s toilets; a place known for having good acoustics. It didn't take long until we realised we didn't want good acoustics, we wanted somewhere which didn't have an echo… So we just recorded his lines in the room we were editing in.

By the end of the first day we had made the opening titles, edited together the first 3 and half days and made a start on adding voiceovers.

Filming throughout Freeman, Spielberg and Jobs working the week went A lot more progress hard to produce a masterpiece smoothly. Important was made on Sunday events such as the visit to Killhope mine, the than the previous day and the film was ready camp fire and Scout’s sneaking stealthily to be watched for a full first check at around through the grass trying to achieve the 6pm. A few final crops and alterations were stalker badge were recorded successfully. The made before the film was then rendered out only big issue we faced was tactically plan- ready for its premier at the Scout BBQ the ning when and where the camcorders could following week. be rechargedԝ —ԝ sadly, they only had a lifespan of 1 hour and 45 minutes. This simply The polished masterpiece was 26 minutes meant we needed to be assertive with what long but thankfully didn't drag. The leaders were however expecting a film only three we filmed to conserve battery life. minutes long to use for publicityԝ —ԝ so anThree weeks after camp, on a sunny weekend other date was arranged to make a shortened towards the end of August, Maverick, James, version of the film.

Neil and I cleared our schedules and decided to commence the mighty job of editing the 25 Overall, I had an amazing two days editing gigabytes of raw footage. This was a thor- this video with great people. I'm pleased we oughly enjoyably job because what had been got the opportunity to make this film in the recorded was hilariousԝ —ԝ especially the in- first place because it was a barrel of laughs to terviews which were conducted midweek with record, direct, and edit.

Scouts and leaders.

Holly, Holly and Caitlin being interviewed for ‘The Camp’

Which leader are you? Page 3

YES

Do you have random outbursts of dance?

YES

Do you know the difference between a lashing and a knot?

NO

NO

Are you Father Christmas / Santa?

Do you have the strength of ten men?

NO NO

YES

NO Do you prefer bears or humans?

Do you look like a German Viking?

JA

Tom If a career playing frisbee doesn’t pan out as you hope, your long, shiny hair could feature in a L’Oreal Paris advert one day.

NEIN

Does your name defy the I before E except after C rule?

HUMANS

Alec You possess leadership qualities and make wise decisions - like Yoda. To you, nothing is better than a spontaneous dance and cheese.

YES

BEARS

Neil Your fun-loving personality, ability to constantly distribute complements and permanent smile are the traits that you’ll always be known for.

Badgers Squids Maddie Simpson Poppy Milner Jenel Spence Sam MacKenzie Chris Hill Fenn Barrigan Josh Race

Mallory's (Seniors) Harry Carvey James Simpson Liam Pape Matthew Hill

Sam Weirs Chris Hewins James Waters Holly Carter Holly Barrigan Ben MacLaclan Caitlin Howie

Saturday 26th July Page 5

Words by Liam Pape Pictures by Tom Robinson, Harry Carvey, Lynne Pape and Neil Duncan

he most anticipated and legendary event of the Scouting year, Summer Camp, commenced on Saturday July 26th 2014. 15 Scouts, 9 Leaders, 4 Seniors, 2 Cubs and 2 Bears arrived at the den bright and early to pack the van and the 4X4 for a lively week at Target Wood – a last minute location found by Alec after the original site for Summer Camp fell through only weeks before.

Light showers started before supper which by midnight had developed so much it felt like the camp was in the grip of a hurricane.

The ardent group of Scouts sung their way to the field and were privileged enough to hear Mark’s rendition of 'Copacabana'. The field itself is North of Hexham and the farmer had been kind enough to mow the grass in certain areas of the field so the scouts had an area for camping in, an area to play games, a place to park the cars and then a pathway to get to the woods without needing to trek through the knee-high grass and thistles.

The bright sun beamed down and made the experience of setting up camp uncomfortably warm and sweaty. There were three Scout tents to erect, three food shelters, three kitchens and a Senior bell tent – an ancient tent which the Seniors had spent the previous few weeks unsuccessfully re-waterproofing. The tent had not be used in at least four decades however was still in good shape. It was a dark green in colouring, with some lighter areas which gave it a camo look, and the word ‘Willy’ inscribed on the inside. The Seniors’ plan on using the bell tent as a permanent tent for whenever they go camping.

At 3pm Maverick marked the finish of constructing camp by raising the flag.

Leaders then spent the afternoon taking advantage of the sun and reading whilst Scouts and Seniors headed to the woods to slowly wood collect. There was plenty of wood however Scouts made an effort to collect it one stick at a time because the trees offered shelter from the sun.

After a tasty sausage casserole for tea, the temperature finally started to decrease and everyone headed over to another part of the field to play kick rounders. Light showers started before supper which by midnight had developed so much it felt like the camp was in the grip of a hurricane.

As mentioned earlier, the Seniors hadn’t waterproofed their tent very well so there were dozens of leaks dribbling onto sleeping bags and personal kit. Sleeping close together and in the only habitable half of the circular tent was the only way to avoid waking up soaked.

Above: The group outside the Scout HQ before setting off to Target Wood near Hexham

Page 6 Sunday 27th July

A

fter flag break, a wash in the narrow, shallow stream (the Burn) at the bottom of the woods, and a traditional yet delicious breakfast of bacon and egg, inspection commenced. The first inspection is vitally important as it sets the bar for the rest of the week. Leaders recommend that most items are washed on the first day because inspection is so thorough, patrols can get marked down on the smallest piece of dirt in the wrong place. Some

call this pedantic however it is deemed necessary to keep the standards high. This expectation and pressure keeps the PLs and their patrols on their toes.

This was then followed by an unorthodox Scout’s Own Service based around teamwork – a theme which would continue throughout the rest of the week.

'You can get it if you really want' and 'Here comes the sun' were beautifully warbled before a team building exercise. Everyone got a small square picture card which was a segment of another picture - but zoomed in slightly. And, without showing anyone else one’s picture, everyone needed to get into an order so the person with the most zoomed out picture

was at one end of a line and the person with the most zoomed in picture was at the other. This simple task which sounds complex was executed within minutes to the astonishment of Mark and other leaders.

Whilst jacket potatoes cooked at the side of the fire for lunch, everyone partook in a game of football which filled the rest of the morning. During the lively, tiring and violent game, there was a dirty tackle which Joey Barton would be proud off. One of the new Scouts was kicked in the wrist which had only recently recovered from a previous injury.

After an analysis from the firstaid trained leaders at camp, the Scout was taken to A&E where the nurse told the leaders truly awful news: the Scout didn’t have to wash-up for the rest of

Sunday 27th July Page 7

the week – despite there being nothing serious wrong with the wrist. Just for precaution, a wrist -support was applied anyway.

When the Scout heroically returned to camp three hours later a number of gadgets had been constructed in the three kitchens which, in the words of Alec: "Make camp a more pleasant experience."

The Seniors made a cutlery holder, corner unit (including a washing up bowl holder and drying rack), water carrier carriers and even a gate. Scouts aimed to achieve mastering simpler gadgets such as tables, kettle holders, washing lines for tea towels, frying pan racks and billy racks.

The afternoon weather was decent apart from a brief shower mid-afternoon.

Ex-leader John Hopwood and excommittee leader Russ Wilkinson showed up for a chat and a cuppa. Before leaving, John proudly boasted a variety of American bird ringtones on his phone which, from a distance, were authentic enough to fool some of the Scouts and Seniors.

After a hot Thai Chilli for tea it was time for the first round of the Volleyball Tournament where the four teams would play each other. (Two Scout patrols: Badgers and Squids, the Seniors: Mallory, and the leaders.) In the opening matches, the Seniors wiped the floor with the opposing team every game they played – even the leaders!

On Sunday evening a brief plan was also conjured up for 'The Camp'; a short documentary about Summer Camp 2014 being

directed, shot, and edited by the Seniors and a few Scouts. The film will be from the point of view of Scouts and include interviews with people from all sections of the group speaking about the inimitability of the 8th Darlington Scout Group summer camps. It will also include footage of some of the highlights of the week. The youngsters making the film hope it will teach Sir David Attenborough a thing or two about making outstanding documentaries – however leaders just hope it would be something appropriate that they can use as a PR tool.

Sunday was rounded off with cheese and crackers for supper before the Scouts hit the hay and the Seniors retired to their food shelter for endless card games.

The youngsters making the film hope it will teach Sir David Attenborough a thing or two about making outstanding documentaries however leaders just hope it would be something appropriate

Page 8 Monday 28th July

A

baby blue morning sky gave the Scouts and Seniors a warm welcome out of their tents. A quick breakfast of bacon sandwiches were cooked followed by the Scouts packing a bag of sandwiches for lunch and then setting off to their hike along Hadrian’s Wall. They started at a car park in Housesteads and then started trekking West along the Roman wall.

Lunch was at the famous ‘Sycamore Gap’ which Kevin Costner famously walked down 23 years ago in ‘Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves’. Here, Lishman, one of the four group bears, got to strut his stuff as he was photographed at the scene.

To counteract the high heat of the day a selection of ice-lollies were purchased from an ice-cream truck which was spotted near Steel Rigg. The refreshing flavours consequently turned Scouts mouths - and some faces - various colours to match the lollies. After hours and hours of walking, finally, a white spec appeared in the horizon at Cawfield Quarry. To the Scout’s relief it was the van.

Although Maddie, PL of the Squids, called the 7½ mile hike “tiring” and Sam, PL of the Badgers, recalled the hike being “more hilly” when he did the walk the first time around three years ago at Easter Camp, they both said the day was thoroughly enjoyed.

flavours consequently turned Scouts mouths - and some faces - various colours to match the lollies Meanwhile, back at camp the Seniors had been working their way down a to -do list composed by the leaders. The most important job was to plan their 15 mile hike which would take them the duration of two days (from Tuesday to Wednesday). After carefully studying a map, there were many discussions about whether they should walk along Hadrian’s Wall, through Northumberland National Park or

Monday 28th July Page 9 Far left descending: Lishman at Sycamore Gap, blue skies make the Hike hot for Scouts Right descending: Scouts taking a break from the tiring journey, a RAF rescue helicopter spotted on the hike, the group in front of a section of Hadrian’s Wall

parallel with the North Tyne. Following much thought, they finally all agreed on the route they would take back to the swimming baths in Hexham where they would meet the Scouts ‘tomorrow, tomorrow’ (A.K.A Wednesday).

the campers had managed to go through 65 gallons of water in a mere two days!

The Seniors also kindly did some wood collecting for the Scouts, collected logs for the camp fire, dug another hole for the ladies toilet, assertively carried out inspection and then captured some shots of camp to use in the documentary. Whilst the Seniors were hard at work, Alec ventured out of camp to fill up the water-carriers because the campers had managed to go through 65 gallons of water in a mere two days!

On Alec’s return, the Seniors thought it would be a nice gesture to make some ‘camp doughnuts’ for when the Scouts came back from their hike in the sweltering weather. With James mixing ingredients, Liam rolling out the dough, Harry frying the doughnuts, and Maverick engulfing them in sugar so they looked like sweet rings of goodness, the Seniors successfully managed to make dozens of perfectly cooked Doughnuts which left the Scouts and leaders craving for more.

For tea, the Seniors prepared burgers and sausages on the BBQ which everyone on camp enjoyed before a few improvised games by the Scouts and then an early bed time so the Scouts could recover from their hike and the Seniors could rest up before their gruelling hike the following morning.

Page 10 Tuesday 29th July

A

delicious breakfast of Scotch pancakes, a camp favourite, were cooked and swiftly devoured so the Seniors could pack their rucksacks and set off on their hike.

Back at camp, following inspection, ‘Super Scout’ was the new activity which occupied the rest of the Scout's day.

Most Scouts were extremely competitive and pushed themselves to the limits Every Scout competed as an individual and needed to partake in a number of physical, mental agility, knots, and common sense tests. The first test was the bleep test: a test used by the police and army to determine the fitness level of an individual. Most Scouts were extremely competitive and pushed themselves to the limits trying to score the best result possible – even Mark and Tom (leaders) joined in the competition. This was followed by a mental agility/lateral thinking test where the Scouts needed to answer 20 question in five minutes.

This tested their reading ability and comprehension skills.

Lishman &Friends The random ramblers Lishman met along Hadrian’s Wall with the Seniors

Lishman: hanging around

Tuesday 29th July Page 11

The third and fourth round were more fitting for the Scouts. They needed to recognise and identify as many map symbols as they

clove hitch and Timber hitch. The two PLs set the benchmark but their competition was fierce. Sam did his five knots in 1 minute and

the useless Senior leader dropped the Seniors off in the wrong place; approximately 3½ miles from where they were supposed to start. could in two minutes, and then they needed to recall the names of as many of the displayed 25 British birds within two minutes.

11 seconds however Erika, Scout leader, stunned all as she completed the five knots in 37 seconds!

The fifth test was about accuracy when throwing whilst the sixth and final test was a knot tying time trial where each Scout needed to tie a reef knot, sheet bend, fisherman’s k n o t ,

When the scores from all six rounds were collated, the podium positions were announced. James Waters, with an impressive 87

points, was named Super Scout 2014 closely followed by Poppy Milner and Sam MacKenzie who both achieved a silver medal and Chris Hewins closely following them in third place.

Meanwhile, at Cod Law Farm, a large field open to the elements, the Seniors were attempting to pitch two hike tents - one of which they had carried with them all day (as well as the poles, ration packs, a stove, a kettle, clothing and any other personal belongings).

The Seniors had not walked the planned 15 miles because the useless Senior leader – who will remain nameless to save him from embarrassment – dropped the Seniors off in the wrong place; approximately 3½ miles from the youth hostel where they were supposed to start. The shortened route confused the Seniors at first however once (Continued on page 12)

James, Maverick, Lishman, Liam and a controversial pink spork on Hadrian’s Wall

Page 12 Tuesday 29th July

they reached Walwick, they realised that they couldn’t have travelled that far in under a hour (even at their pace), and the mistake the Senior leader made came to light.

The Seniors then spent the evening playing card games (with creative consequences) in their tents whilst extremely strong winds swirled around. If they were really quiet they could hear the Scouts belting out well-known songs back at camp in the marquee at the X-Fire – like the traditional camp fire however with modern(ish) hits. The Scouts yelled the lyrics of ‘We will rock you’, screamed ‘Hey Jude’, roared ‘Country roads’ and bawled ‘Copacabana’. Alec described the X -Fire as a “surreal” experience.

Bed time was at 10:30pm.

To pass the time on the walk, the Seniors stopped ramblers who were mooching along Hadrian's wall and insisted that they got a photo taken with Lishman, the group bear who – to Neil’s dismay - had been brought on the journey.

Everyone they passed was up for the photo opportunity and Lishman enjoyed having his photograph taken both with people and in death defying positions along the wall.

In the meantime, Lishman - with the Seniors - was raving long into the night… and he raved hard.

The Seniors stopped off for lunch at a place of great significance to all Scouts; the BP monument which marks the location where Baden Powell held his first official Scout camp. They took pictures in front of the stone monument and

You can watch the video of Lishman partying long into the night at: www.fb.com/8thDarlingtonScouts then ate their ham and cheese sandwiches sat on the sanctified ground.

They continued walking through the afternoon, dodging intermittent showers until they arrived at their final destination where Alec had been kind enough to leave one tent and a water carrier quarter filled of water.

Once the tents were pitched, half of the four explored the field and accompanying woods whilst the other two boiled water on the stove to cook the military ration packs which were brought to camp especially for the Senior’s overnight hike. They were convenient because they came in small boxes which didn't take up much space and they contained a wide variety of food and powdered drinks however some of the meals lacked taste.

Left: Lishman on a bridge Above: Lishman on a rock Right: A mighty beast and a lion statue

Wednesday 30th July Page 13

Scouts smothered in camouflage paint

T

he Seniors woke up refreshed on Wednesday morning after a few hours of sleep.

Unfortunately they had a terrible case of bad hair – fortunately they were near Acomb (excuse the pun).

After a ration pack breakfast/hot drink the Seniors packed up the two tents and continued their epic journey.

pated and even the almighty power of wet wipes still left some of the boys with what looked like mascara on. The morning was then rounded off with warm pies which

As campers eased themselves into the pool the sterile clear water soon turned a murky shade of brown

That same morning, back at camp the Scouts had been working towards achieving the stalker badge.

This entailed learning how to sneak up on someone without them knowing, spying on someone and Alec had picked up from Cranstons the art of camouflage. The high- in Hexham for lunch. light of this was putting the skills Swimming costumes and swimming trunks were then they had learnt into packed, and the group practise by smothering departed for their anthemselves in camo face nual wash at the local paint and then attemptswimming baths. By the ing to sneak across the time the van of Scouts field towards the leaders arrived at Hexham leiwithout being seen. Alsure centre the Seniors though some Scouts had finished their hike were sticking out from the tall grass like a sore Ready to stalk: Fenn and were waiting for in camouflage paint them. Erika quickly paid thumb, the exercise was great fun. Sadly, the face paints the receptionist for the group to didn’t come off as well as antici- enter the pool whilst Scouts snuck

into the changing rooms before staff could see the two inch coat of muck they were all carrying on their skin.

As campers eased themselves into the pool the sterile clear water soon turned a murky shade of brown with a scum of 5 days’ worth of dirt floating on top.

That evening marked the sad departure of Christopher Hewins; he was taken from camp, against his will, to go on holiday with his family. Also, the Carter clan and Mark’s parents visited camp and stayed to dine with the Scouts and Seniors.

Unfortunately, strong winds meant a game of Volleyball was out of the question however, to the Scout’s delight, Tom and Joyce Milner had brought huge bags of 'Haribo' for the campers.

At 10pm the Scouts were rounded up and chased to bed whilst Neil, Tom and Hannah enjoyed their Rover meal in Hexham before heading to one of the three pubs in Acomb (the Miners Arms) for a pub quiz. They finished third in the quiz – presumably out of three teams.

Page 14 Thursday 31st July

S

couts arose on Thursday morning to horrific news; overnight, the mysterious ‘tent lifters of Hexham’ had dismantled both of their food tents whilst they were sleeping! They had also lit-

building neighbouring the mine.

The building was where the mine manager’s office was and where some of the lead miners used to live when the weather was too bad for them to leave the site – which is surrounded by hills.

the ‘tent lifters of Hexham’ had dismantled both of their food tents whilst they were sleeping! tered Scout’s kitchens with rope, filled fire pits in with grass and ladles, and filled wet pits with heavy logs. Before the Scouts had even awoke, the leaders had been courteous enough to inform the police however they said that the criminals responsible were so devious there was no chance in them ever being caught however they make return to cause more havoc at Summer Camps in the future.

To help the Scouts recover from the traumatic experience Nutella and croissants were dished out for breakfast before the whole group headed off to Killhope Lead Mine.

On arrival, they met up with tour guides and split into two groups.

Both groups started in a two story

Intrigued, Scouts listened to every syllable of every word spoke by the tour guides. Stories about miner’s were told, the unhygienic conditions of the living quarters were analysed, and then, for the grand finale, the Scouts were al-

ral springs erupting inside the mine sent fresh water gushing around the floors of the mine - a good 10cm deep which the Scouts waded through attempting to splash water into the wellies of the person in front of them.

The shaft was narrow and the roof was low making the long walk into the heart of the mine an interesting experience for some Seniors and Leaders. Inside the marvellous mine, the Scouts got to see a reconstructed vein of galena (lead ore) which was the prize the miners hunted for. They also got to hear the gut wrenching sound of a ‘thunder box’ slamming shut and experience the same lighting

Their only guidance was clinging onto the shoulder of the person in front of them lowed to dress up in attire similar to that which the miners would have worn over a century ago.

Later, equipped with a temperamental dim light wired to a battery pack which needed to be worn over their shoulders, a hard hat, and wellies, the Scouts descended into the eerily dark mine. Natu-

that the miners would have had (by turning off their torches and walking through a section of the mine unable to see their own hand in front of their faces.

Their only guidance was clinging onto the shoulder of the person in front of them).

Scouts dressed like the Victorian working class

Thursday 31st July Page 15 Right descending: The Squids ready to go into the mine, and Mark, Pawson, Lishman and Neil sat on the old toilets

Buzzing from their time in the mine, the Scouts devoured their packed lunch and then set about finding their own galena by a process shown to them by the tour guides.

The evening following the day at Killhope was one of the most enjoyable evenings you can get a camp. Not only was the sun shining, a new recipe was on the menu for tea (Coca-Cola chicken) and Mike, ex-leader, had arrived for his usual two days at camp. The only drawback of the evening was the departure of Hannah. Everyone mourned the loss of Hannah from camp by having the time of their lives continuing the volleyball competition which was refereed by Sam MacKenzie. He was put under enormous stress and pressure from competitors which lead to some controversial decisions being made. The winner of the tournament was unclear – anyway, the only thing that matters is that everybody had a good time.

After doughnuts for supper, Scouts and Seniors psyched themselves for the last part of the Stalker badge. The mission was similar to the other part of the badge where they needed to silently sneak across the field to the leaders without being spotted – only this time, they were doing it in darkness. The preparation for this ranged from handfuls of ferns and long grass being tied around dark clothing and balaclavas being worn, to simply putting on a jacket so they wouldn’t get cold and then hoping for the best.

Admittedly, some Scouts were considerably better than others however most made a decent effort to be as discreet as possible so they weren’t caught by Mark who (Continued on page 16)

Page 16 Thursday 31st July

Left to right: Goose, Poppy and Maddie wading through the mine, Galena, some Seniors bearing two bears

was scanning the ground with a torch. Everyone had so much fun with this exhausting activity it lasted over an hour, followed by the Scouts dawdling wearily to bed just after 11pm.

The fun came to an abrupt, disturbing ending when leaders realised that one of the most popular members of the 8th, who had come to summer camp, had gone missing. Lishman, the group bear, had been kidnapped out of his sleeping bag and replaced with a ransom note. What made the unexpected act even more alarming was the fact that nobody knew who was behind such an evil stunt. Distressed, Neil immediately started complying with the kidnapper's demands such as adding more inspection

points onto Seniors for some suspicious reason, plucking a single hair from Tom’s head and leaving over £500 in a safety deposit box. It soon became clear to Neil that the

bright torches meaning they could only see the silhouettes of the kidnappers. Their beloved Lishman, tied up, blindfolded and gagged, was thrown then back to them. In

Lishman had been kidnapped out of his sleeping bag and replaced with a ransom note excessive demands could not be met. So the leaders united and retaliated against the terrorists aggressively. They wrote a letter to the suspected culprits explaining to them that if Lishman was not safely returned within the hour there would be extreme sanctions.

a heartbeat, the blinding torches then went off again and the traumatic ordeal was over with; the kidnappers dissolving into the night. Lishman then spent the rest of the night receiving bear counselling from Neil.

All of a sudden, minutes before midnight, the leaders socialising in the marquee were blinded by two

Below left to right: the Seniors taking the stalker badge debatably too seriously, and Lishman: blindfolded and gagged

The Camp 2014 Documentary

Have you ever wondered what is in a camp kitchen? Or what Seniors spend their time doing? Or what the Scouts love about summer camp? Or what the meaning of life is?

This short-ish documentary made by the Seniors might answer some of those questions!

Starring

Watch it here:

Mark Di Nero Neil Gosling Alec Efron Tom 'Hanks' Robinson Erika Stone Lynne Knightley Tracey Paltrow Carrie Diaz

www.youtube.com/8thDarlingtonScouts

Page 18 Friday 1st September

F

lag break followed day break on Friday. It was the last day of inspection so it was even more thorough than usual.

Patrol's performances that day would determine whether they went down in 8th history and won the prestigious camp trophy or not.

Sadly, the Summer Camp commonwealth games needed to be cancelled because of bad weather.

Instead, one of Neil’s iconic quizzes took place in the marquee with the Squids preparing questions for the Badgers - and vice versa - and the Leaders preparing questions for the Seniors – and vice versa. These quizzes are notoriously known for a fair amount of controversy and this quiz was no different. Many of the Senior’s and Leader’s answers were questionable and the Badgers only won because they knew everyone who Suarez had bit.

The leaders in fancy dress for PL’s choice

Camp soup is usually watery, tasteless and basically vegetables swamped in water however due to some unknown factor it was different on the lunchtime of Friday. The soup was desirably delicious and many Scouts even returned for more of it… a camp first!

That afternoon, news almost as bad as Lishman’s kidnapping hit the Scouts; the leader’s made the decision to cancel PL’s choice on the grounds of the weather being too wet. Instead, the Seniors offered to cook enough Chilli for the whole camp for a communal meal in the marquee later that day. Scouts and leaders could still dress up if they wanted to.

Dressed in all sorts of wacky outfit ranging from an escaped convict to Left descending: Alec and Lynne ensuring the Scouts are doing the washing-up, Sam devouring all of the whipped cream

Friday 1st September Page 19

a furious Viking, everyone piled into the marquee for the feast. The two leaders each Scout patrol had invited to dine with them for PL’s choice earlier in the week were still allowed to dine with them on their table.

though as Scouts struggled to define it as either a plate or bowl so

Summer Camp commonwealth games needed to be cancelled because of bad weather they argued about which patrol should have to wash it up.

After everyone was full, the PLs of each patrol A last, last minstood up and ute change of plan made touching occurred to the speeches. It was evening schedule Sam and Maddie’s due to the Seniors last Summer persuading the Camp as Scouts leaders to allow so they spoke them to have the about their enjoytraditional camp Jenel possessing $wag able time in fire outdoors. This Scouts and thanked the leaders. was the original plan however the

The soup was desirably delicious and many Scouts even returned for more of it… a camp first!

Doing the huge amount of washing up was a group effort. The Badgers took plates, knives and forks, the Squids took bowls, plate-warmers and spoons, and the Seniors washed up whatever was left. Mike’s mess tin caused quite a stir

and started to dismantle all of their gadgets and the kitchen

wood collected specifically for the campfire had been returned to the woods prematurely when it looked like the weather wouldn’t improve.

When the Seniors heard that they had the go ahead for an outdoor campfire they jumped into action

walls so everyone could fit in the area. At 9:30pm the fire was built up and the Scouts, Seniors and Leaders circled it for warmth as they roared into song.

Camp favourites such as ‘Lion Hunt’, ‘Green O the Rushes’, ‘Cow kicked Nelly’ and a harmonised version of ‘Camp Fire’s Burning’, ‘Merrily Sings the Donkey’ and ‘Animal Fair’ were perfectly performed. The two Scout patrols even prepared a stunt. The Badger’s amazing extract from ‘Phantom of the Opera’, sung and acted by Holly Carter, was unbeatable and Sam Wear’s portrayal of a candle in the background was a first class performance. The Squids also did a song.

“It was alright”: a memorable speech from Sam during PL’s choice

The evening was concluded with ‘Good-night Campers’ where all sections of the group could have their moment in the spotlight before going to bed.

S

couts arose on Saturday to learn that, during the night, something fishy had went on. A slippery 10inch mackerel had suspiciously materialised in one of the Squid’s tea boilers whilst in the Badger’s kitchen a message written in whipped cream had appeared in their fire pit.

Despite the distractions, the Scouts maturely sorted out the mess and then continued to cook bacon and eggs for breakfast. This was followed by a brief inspection just to ensure standards were being retained although the leaders had stopped awarding inspection points. Camp was then slowly dismantled. The flag descended for the final time at camp at 1:45pm and the site was left just the way they found it by the time they de-

parted from the field at 2pm.

Before Scouts could return to their warm houses and comfortable beds, everyone needed to give one last effort. Personal kit was unloaded, equipment was taken back to the Quartermasters store, and damp tents were hung up in the small hall to dry over the rest of summer.

iors for their hard work over the past week.

Sam, PL of the badgers, then had a going up ceremony from Scouts to Seniors. He was described by Erika as one of the group’s ‘characters’ and the Seniors warmly welcomed him into their section.

Poignantly, Sam then lowered the flag at the The Scouts, worn den to mark the out, then lined official end of up in the main the brilliant Astonished: Maverick hall for a few week. And with words from the the words “8th Darlington leaders. Mark and Erika conScout group at Summer Camp firmed everyone’s theories that 2014 in Hexham. Group, group the Squids had won the Sumdismissed” from Alec, everyone mer Camp trophy – a special was finally allowed to go home triumph for Maddie and Poppy with fresh memories of the joy as it was their last Summer of camping in their heads and Camp as Scouts. Alec then the stench of smoke in their thanked the Leaders and Senhair.

"A Scout is never taken by surprise; he knows exactly what to do when anything unexpected happens [even if Lishman the bear is to be captured and tortured]” ~ Sir Robert Baden Powell

/8thDarlingtonScouts /8thDarlingtonScouts /8th-mag-articles

www.8thDarlingtonScouts.blogspot.com

Page 20 Saturday 2nd September