18th-25th August 2018, Silver Cross, Wales
This years summer camp saw us return to Silver Cross in Wales for a third time, this year with our biggest numbers yet! 22 Scouts and 7 Leaders from 2nd Edgware and 1st Finchley. It was to be a week of adventure, challenges and new experiences.
Site was set up quickly with a warm Welsh welcome (rain). With such a large group the camp was divided into four patrols; the Unstable Tent Gang, The Warlocks, The Thieving Horde and The Bot Patrol (as they named themselves). Through the week the Patrols would cook and work together on activities developing their teamwork and certain PLs and APLs grew to become better leaders. On Monday they even planned, shopped and then cooked for 24 hours of meals.
Throughout the course of the week we took part in many on-site activities;
We tested our speed and balance during crate stacking
Aim and fire! Rifle shooting had mixed results
We scaled the climbing wall…
And more popularly, abseiled down the other side…
Mud, mud and more mud in Spiderland, the muddy assault course
You can throw axes? Only during this activity – tomahawk throwing
And off-site, parkour proved to be one of the most popular activities of the week…
The weather? “It’s Wales” sums it up nicely. However, on Wednesday the impossible happened – the rain took a break for our hike day! We split into two groups, the shorter group taking a shortcut across to the beach; the longer group venturing up hills, through woodlands and out into the open countryside, building up an impressive 8K. Finally, both groups united on the beach for the evening, with some very soggy Scouts by the end! And how do you top that all off? With a shower and fish and chips back on site! Marvellous.
Our last big activity was Friday night, our final campfire. Nine acts took the stage in one of our best talent shows yet, with magic, singing, poetry, camp sketches and rapping with two contestants who looked oddly identical to two leaders. Hmmm…
Judged by the leaders, the winning act was stave spinning Charlie! Each Patrol also performed a sketch, the favourite, leaving everyone in stitches, was the Thieving Hordes’ “The Oldest Scout Leader Alive”, featuring a magical journey and then battle by the two oldest leaders.
Other memorable moments would be two Scouts getting invested at 60mph whilst we drove to Wales, Jake of the 1st Finchley receiving his Chief Scouts Gold Award, the ever-popular trading game, wide games in the dark, whittling (and lots of it), Haley’s ‘Scouts Own’ and the challenges for points for Haley’s tuck shop.
Camp was packed up the next day and after a flat tyre, we drove back to Barnet. A massive thanks to our awesome team of parents who packed away the kit from the van saving many exhausted Scouts and leaders time. There were challenging moments for some, and new experiences for all, but overall everyone thoroughly enjoyed the week.
A big thanks to Roni who organised the camp, all the leaders who worked to the bitter end and of course the Scouts who made the week one never to forget.
—
Joshua, Young Leader