Camp

Two weeks ago at this moment, we were locking up the indoor complex after another memorable weekend camp.

I arrived on Friday night and we enjoyed pizza and pie before children inevitably turned up early. As they slowly arrived, they were directed to their rooms (labelled up previously by me with pens on door whiteboards). After 'the rules' and a fire drill, they played, making an unholy noise in the Tidey Cabin and then we took them out for some wide games. Then it was soup or chocolate and bed!

That night was filled with Uno and lots of telling a certain room to shut it, but thankfully it provided us with some "washer-uppers" for the next day (as they tend to be known).

The next day I woke early and beat a certain leader to the shower (not easy), and the Cubs started Kit layouts. After training another leader how to inspect them, it was quite easy. The only thing of note was the discovery of crumbs in a new Cub's bed. Apparently his parents had supplied him with Jaffa Cakes for 'the midnight feast'. Thankfully the risk of choking in his bed had not come about. After breakfast, I ran my activity, which despite me having forgotten to bring some items (it was a manic 2 weeks or so), went well. Children had to risk assess, do compass work, travel round the assault course with balloons and crack lots of anagrams and codes.

Oh yes, by the way, as well as the 30 Cubs and 13 Scouts present, we were joined by 9 Beavers for the day, and with adults this meant over 60 mouths to feed at lunchtime with the biggest Turkey ('Chicken' officially as children wouldn't eat Turkey) you ever did see.

After lunch was tuck shop and the biggest queue, even the people running it were exhausted afterwards (they were quite old though).

In the afternoon, 2 scary clowns came and did magic and made animal balloons. Then we were given the honour of a visit by Henry Allingham, the oldest man in Europe and one of 3 remaining World War One veterans. He was invested into our group, had lots of photos taken and told us all how he had always wanted to be a Scout, but his parents couldn't afford the Uniform.

Then he joined us for our campfire, during which it was exposed that I couldn't count, missing out 4 and 6 in the pirate ship song.

After this, he went, and so did the beavers. Then we had a disco, including a violent hokey cokey in which several cildren were injured and an out of control conga into all parts of the building. Two runs of 'Big Fish Little Fish' made the night complete.

Utterly shattered, the Cubs went to bed more quietly, and we stayed up until 1 playing Uno, and then 3 of us stayed up til 4am chatting about the meaning of life, laughing joking and posing for amusing photos with Henry the Hoover. I woke my room mate up as I dropped my UNO tin upon entering the room, then I lay down for 3 and a half hours sleep.

Next day we packed, had scoutsown and then played apple bobbing with sweets in the flour. It never ceases to amaze me how children LOVE to get wet and messy, even on a field on a freezing cold morning. Particular sympathies to those boys with long hair who came off rather wetter and messier than most. Thankfully, the parents saw the funny side later on when they collected them.

Free Time and an Iffits lunch was followed by packing, cleaning and leaving. A great weekend, very tiring but lots of fun!

Record numbers...

We have a record number of 30 Cubs attending weekend camp next weekend. Quite an overwhelming thought actually. Going to be a massive undertaking, but we also have the largest number of leaders we've had for a while too, so hopefully it'll be fine. The bunkhouse will be packed to the rafters, and there's no way I am checking 30 kit layouts on Saturday morning!

Should be a great weekend with treasure hunts, challenges, a magician, a high tea, presentations, a campfire, disco and apple bobbing planned!

Should be a busy, manic, busy and messy weekend. Bring it on!

Pavilion Trip

Our half-term trip to the Pavilion went off really well. 19 Cubs (who all completed their Local Knowledge badge as a result of the trip; good thing as I only ordered 20), 1 beaver and 1 scout (both siblings of Cubs whose parents were coming).

We started with photos in Castle square during which everyone tried to "bunny ears" someone and probably got "bunny ears-ed" as well, including yours truly behind the camera which made for some good laughing and happy expressions on their faces. One child in one photo did look though as if he were trying to do a very big poo.

Our tour guide was an apparently stern German lady who was actually very good with children. Highlights included a discussion of the properties of bamboo against cast iron, an encouragement to shout 'John Nash' loudly in the music room so that they'd remember the name of the legendary architect (I winced as some of the children said 'John Gnasher? Isn't Gnasher that dog from the Beano?'). Also, lying on our backs in the music room so that we could appreciate the ceiling and being told in the drawing room about the stuff they plastered on their faces, early forms of make-up.

The gift shop provided a whole menagerie of temptations, some parents opting not to provide any funds ("I think we can cope without a pencil" being the cry from one more cynical parent!)

However, enough pencils, bouncy balls and bizarre bracelets with 'lucky coins' on them were purchased to keep the Pavilion shop away from the effects of the credit crunch for now.