8th Mag - Issue 6

2014 VI

Merry Christmas 8th Darlington Scout Group /8thDarlingtonScouts

/8thDarlingtonScouts

Page 2 Editor’s Column

PAPE”R”MAIL editor-in-chief Is there still space for Scouts and camping in the digital age?

We live in unorthodox times. A fast-paced era of hyper-communication, sharing content in seconds, fighting diseases with a simple download of a song, and - most importantly Candy Crush Saga. Recent statistics have shown that more people own mobile phones than toothbrushes. So is there still a place in the world for traditional pastimes such as Scouting and camping?

The group archivist, Neil, and I recently conducted research to try and answer this question. We scanned log books, reports and records from the past 60 years and noted down the number of Scouts and leaders attending the annual camp to see if we could spot a hypothesised decline. The results were staggering. Comparing the numbers from the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s to the figures from the past 5 years, there had not been a significant difference.

There are constant peaks and troughs over the years. Neil says there has always been fluctuation though. Some years it looked like there were barely enough Scouts for it to be worth keeping the group open, however attendance figures have always bounced back.

For example, the Scout group has swollen to almost three times its size compared to what it was only a short five years ago.

Above: Annual camp attendance since 1949 compared to recent years. Green - Scouts/Seniors, Orange - Leaders.

Despite this, the accuracy of our graph can be questioned. The reduction of Frank Beadle’s involvement in the producing log books from 1971 onwards has left a lack of records in its wake making it hard for us to source data.

Alec, current leader-in-charge of the 8th, recalls that when he was a Scout there was once a camp where two double decker busses needed to be hired to transport, what he estimates was, over 100 Scouts to a local church from a camp. His explanation for the sudden drop in numbers is a more diverse range of activities for young people to spend their spare time doing.

Overall, it seems Scout camps will continue however, like in the past, with varying popularity depending on the year. As for competing with the Candy Crush Saga: In one of the Summer Camp interviews with Sam (former Scout, current Senior), he stated that he likes getting away from home and turning the internet off for a week. This goes to prove that it’s relevant that the camping techniques used by the eighth are decades old, camp doesn’t need WiFi to be dazzling and hilarious because teenagers have loved it just the way it is at the eighth for just under 100 years now.

Right: Evidence that the character traits possessed my members of the eighth haven’t changed.

(John Newton, Dave Wilkinson, Lewis Wilkinson and Normal Foster in 1969)

Front cover image: Poppy and Maddie dance on stage because… well… it’s Christmas!

Cubs Visit Darlington Police

Section News Page 3

Halloween Party

Above: the Cubs inside a police cell.

At the end of September, Cubs from the Squirrel pack visited Darlington Police station. They were shown around by Chief Inspector Dave Sanderson and learned about the history of the station, the different sections of policing, and the resources and equipment which Durham Constabulary uses. This was followed by a guided tour around the station.

First stop: custody. The officers working there that evening were grilled by the Cubs on a wide variety of hypothetical situations and scenarios. Then, the Cubs were shut into a bland, empty cell where it was pitch black to see what a night locked there would be like.

The Cubs were then taken outside and shown the police vans and cars. They got to look at some of the police technology used in the vehicles and play with the sirens and flashing blue lights.

Before they departed, they returned inside the station so their knowledge could be tested in a 10 question quiz. Amazingly, all sixes managed to get full marks and they all received a certificate for their efforts.

Overall, the Cubs thoroughly enjoyed the visit probably too much as many were eager to see inside the police van and explore custardy again.

Above: PC Matthew, and the cubs inspecting a police van.

Above: The two scariest Cubs.

Ghouls, ghosts, vampires, zombies and monsters packed the hall on November 2nd for a grim and disturbing scene: the join Squirrel and Panther Cub pack Halloween Party. The scary undertakers, werewolves, mad-scientists, (plus the not so scary tigers and bunnies) were in for a spooky night of festivities.

The hall, finely decorated with skulls, creepy pictures, and an enormous spider hanging from the roof saw the evening commence with some Halloween themed relay races before the Cubs rushed into the small hall to fill their faces with snacks and pop. Following this, there was the traditional mummy wrapping game where one member from each six gets wrapped in toilet paper by the rest of the six. The best wrapped mummy at the end of the game wins. Before the Cubs could go home, the winners of the best costume were announced and the person with the most skilfully carved pumpkin was congratulated. The evening was rounded off by nobody going anywhere near Neil’s office (below).

A

medium sized group of dedicated campers determined to go to Low Moor were dropped off at the Scout HQ on Friday 26th September to pack the van for a weekend camping. September camp has traditionally been held at Low Moor farm however due to bad weather and busy schedules, the Scouts hadn't been camping there in two years!

On arrival at the campsite, the group immediately ran into a problem.

That problem came in the shape of a gate – a locked gate. With no resident in the farm house to unlock the gate, the Scouts had no choice but to haul all the tents and equipment a couple of hundred metres down the dusty track to where they were camping.

The group was tactically split in half leaving some more experienced campers to erect tents whilst others fetched more equipment. The sun started sinking into the horizon at ten to seven leaving splashes of orange and pink on the horizon. Despite being a picturesque spectacle, lack of light proved to be an issue.

Durham Tees Valley Airport airport which was only a few miles away.

Camp kitchens needed to be built that morning because it was too dark to construct them the previous night.

However before pits could be dug, pits needed to be cleaned so everyone went down to the river for a wash.

Due to a sunny September, the Tees

before pits could be dug, pits needed to be cleaned so everyone went down to the river for a wash Thankfully, hard work and quick thinking meant that camp was erected in almost no time at all and the sausage rolls and pies for supper were well deserved.

Camp was awoken on Saturday morning to the sound of a jet roaring through the sky - presumably from

was shallow so Scouts and Seniors could leap onto mounds of pebbles and earth to wash on their own island. Whilst they were washing, people wearing parachutes elegantly descended down the sky.

Wood collecting, pit digging and billy sorting all needed to happen before a filling breakfast of bacon and egg sandwiches could be made. This was followed by inspection.

The day’s events then commenced.

For the Seniors, this entailed collecting and chopping wood for the campfire that evening, for the Scouts, ticking off the rest of the requirements for the stalker badge was on the agenda, and for Erika and Neil: a day of tranquil kite flying from half way up the hill.

Left: Campers clustered around the camp fire

The Scouts learnt about how different animals (such as cows, rabbits, and foxes) walk and the tracks they leave behind. This intense studying was rounded off with a stalking game. The objective was to (in pairs) silently, steadily sneak towards Tom to try and scare him without being heard. At first this mission seemed impossible but, with patience and initiative, a few pairs achieved the goal.

With all work out the way, everyone headed to the hill to play the mug game. Two teams, two boxes, and what seemed like a million mugs were required to play the game which saw mild cheating, comical violence and people betraying their own side to infiltrate the strong lines of defence and steal mugs for the other team.

‘Campfire’s burning’, ‘Merrily-singsthe-donkey’ and ‘Quartermasters Store’. ‘Never going to Heaven’ also made an appearance and was exposed to some dodgy, yet topical, verses from the Seniors regarding some of the events of camp so far.

Sweaty and stale, Scouts returned to their kitchen for some free time and to prepare a stunt for the camp fire that evening, meanwhile Seniors tried their hardest to rescue Erika’s bright orange kite which had

Night games were planned for Saturday evening however due to a pregnant cow at the other end of the field which nobody wanted to distress, and curious cows that kept coming too close for comfort around

Mark and Neil try to sneak up on Tom

Whilst nobody was paying attention, a cluster of spiders had invaded and lined camp with webs crashed into a tree. Try as they might, the kite was well and truly stuck so they gave up and headed back to camp to play cards.

For dinner that evening was a sausage casserole. Hannah described hers as “herby”, Tom described his as “garlicy”. Seniors then started preparing their kitchen for guests as they would be hosting the group camp fire. Scouts, Seniors and leaders alike packed into the kitchen to bellow old camp classics such as

A Mexican stand off between a cow and Poppy’s Poppies

Scout kitchens, the night games were unfortunately cancelled. Instead, one of Neil’s renowned quizzes took place in the marquee. Holly went so far as to describe the quiz as ‘brilliant’!

Camp (especially Maverick) aroused on Sunday for the usual camp routine of flag break, wash, breakfast and inspection. Overall, Poppy’s Poppies (the name of Poppy’s patrol) claimed a narrow victory over Maddie’s Maddies (the name of Maddie’s

patrol) with inspection points however it was extremely close.

Before it was time to start taking camp down, chariots were lashed together by the two Scout patrols and raced around the field. The race got off to a roaring start with the gentle drop of Neil’s handkerchief and both patrols running as fast as their little legs could carry them to complete the set amount of laps. It wasn’t long until Maddie’s Maddies were tired out though and reduced to a walking pace meaning that Poppy’s Poppies claimed first prize… before their chariot falling, helplessly, to pieces.

Whilst nobody was paying attention, a cluster of spiders had invaded and lined camp with webs of glistening silk. Sadly, there wasn’t much time for whining about spiders in hair and webs in mugs because the baked potatoes for lunch were ready.

Wrapped in tinfoil, the potatoes had been slowly cooking all morning on the side of the fires – apart from in the Senior kitchen where they were cremated. Black, crispy, ash covered casualties were rescued from the fire. Some could be eaten; some couldn’t even be distinguished as baked potatoes anymore so were disposed of.

Camp was then carefully taken down in the usual fashion but with even more glumness than usual since September camp was the last camp of 2014.

BunkStation Words by Liam Pape / Pictures by Tom Robinson & James Simpson

D

uring November, the Seniors travelled to Barrasford, near Hexham, for their annual weekend away. James was quick to point out that the weekend was not intense – it was actually in a converted railway station. James’ comment was received with mass groaning and eye rolling despite being very true. Barrasford Railway Station was constructed in the 1860s on the Border Counties line and was active until 1958 when the line was dismantled. Since then, ownership has been claimed by a couple of local Scout groups one of which, in 1995, took on the vigorous task of converting it into accommodation for groups, such as the 8th, to stay in.

On arrival, the six Seniors were greeted by John, Hannah and Neil who had travelled down to the station earlier that day. They were given a guided tour of the history-rich accommodation and then shown to their rooms. One for the boys, one for

the girls and two for the Leaders.

With their kit unpacked on to their bunks, leaders and Seniors alike headed outside to ‘Fred’s Shed’; a games room with a climbing wall, darts board, pool table and a table to play chess.

the weekend was not intense – it was actually in a converted railway station On return to the actual station, everyone tucked into a pork pie, took a seat in the common room and played a brand new ‘Trivial Pursuit’. Teams of two answered questions on a diverse range of topics hoping to fill their wheel with cheeses. It was eventually decided that time was getting on and the game should be reconvened the next evening. So far though, Poppy and Maddie had taken an early, unexpected lead.

To avoid shivering in their sleeping bags, the boy Seniors resorted to

Above: James, Hannah, Mark and Harry descend down a Scottish moor

building dens out the mattresses which weren’t being used. Before everyone dropped off to sleep, Liam – described by Mark as “unable to inspire a cabbage” – was encased in a triangular mattress sarcophagus which kept him “toasty” during the night.

The Seniors woke-up on Saturday morning refreshed and rearing to go on their international hike. Bacon sandwiches, kindly prepared by the leaders, were scoffed before the drive to Lewisburn.

The 11-mile walk took the group of ten along a foggy Bloody Bush road which jumps from bank to bank of the Akenshaw Burn. Thankfully, there was no breeze (apart from one which suspiciously always surrounded Mark) but everyone still wrapped up warm.

In dribs and drabs, everyone arrived at the Scottish border to feast on their packed lunch, followed by a

quick visit into Scotland and an elegant trek through thick heather which, at times, was high enough to encompass Maverick. The off-road route climaxed with a jump over a beck which returned the hikers to their original trail.

Senior Bunk Station Page 7

On return to the station, the group treated themselves to a doughnut and discussed, in great detail, bookmarks before some of the group headed back over to Fred’s Shed to play more games.

“the weekend was a great bonding experience with fellow Seniors” ~ Maddie S After tea, everyone watched ‘We’re the Millers’. Everyone then returned to the common room to finish off the game of Trivial Pursuit they started the night before. Poppy and Maddie’s lead turned out to only be temporary and it was actually John and Harry who collected all six cheeses first.

Despite this, it was Neil and Liam who were the first to collect all six cheeses PLUS making it back to the starting circle and correctly answering a question. Neil and Liam were declared the winners.

Neil abruptly awoke the Seniors on Sunday morning by rattling utensils in a steel pot and bellowing abuse. A traditional full English breakfast was on the menu for breakfast which included scrambled eggs, sausages, black pudding, bacon, beans and… smiley faces! The delicious breakfast was swiftly devoured before kit was packed up and rooms were hovered so the group could return home (with a call at Hexham on the way).

Not only was this Maddie and Poppy’s first Senior weekend away, they are also still baby Seniors; still only in the first few weeks of development. Reflecting on the weekend, Maddie commented: “The weekend was fantastic. Leaders have more depth to them than you see in Scouts and the weekend was a great bonding experience with fellow Seniors.”

Above Descending: Barrasford Station, the hikers at the ‘wee’ border, the scene after a Senior attempts to crack a pun to Neil.

Scout Cooking Competition The annual cooking competition was held on the 20th of November. The competition this year was between five patrols: The Swifts, the Owls, the Tigers, the Curlews, and the Otters. All five patrols were given the ingredients to make a Turkey stir -fry and rocky road.

The patrols started with the Rocky road so that they could let it freeze during the time they were cooking the stir-fry.

It was made by melting chocolate, crushing biscuits, and pouring it into a plate warmer with some marshmallows. Once the rocky roads had been made, they were moved to the freezers so that the patrols could wash up and then start chopping the vegetables for their stir-frys.

The patrols started by frying the meat on the gas cookers and chopping the peppers, onions,

garlic, and ginger that needed to be fried once the meat had cooked. When the patrols had put their vegetables into the frying pans they were given some spices to put into the mixture, however they were not told how much to put in and some patrols put in too much!

Next they had to boil some noodles to go with the stir-frys and then serve up.

Everyone went into the small hall to eat with their patrols and friends. The patrols also had to serve their meals to the leaders and two other judges, who would decide which meal was the best. Most of the Scouts thought their stir-fry was too hot, but everyone agreed that the rocky roads turned out great. When everyone had finished eating, they all went back

Above : Scouts cooking

into the main hall to wash up.

After everyone had finished they were told to line up just like the end of a normal Scout meeting and the winner would be announced. Every patrol wanted to win, but in the end it was the Swifts who claimed victory. The trophy was awarded to the PL of the Swifts and everyone who participated got a packet of sweets off the special guest judges.

Words by Poppy Milner (chief cuisine correspondent)

From the Archive

“We rose bleary eyed on a brisk but fine day and crept down for a wash with woke everyone up and made rosy cheeks and shiny knees. What a difference a little bit of H2O makes to the mob.”

To celebrate the centenary of the eighth, we will be looking back over past reports from the original ‘8th Mag’ and log books to reflect upon some interesting moments from the group’s vast history.

This issue’s extract is from the 1961 log book. The writer details the big difference a morning wash makes at camp.

You make mistakes, but I don't have any regrets. I'm the kind of person who takes responsibility for it and deals with it. I work very hard, get to know me and see. ~ Kim Kardashian

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