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!