Scouts
This has turned out to be a good year for the School Scout Troop. September saw the annual change of Patrol Leaders and influx of new recruits. I count myself fortunate in that both groups have proved this to be a vintage year. It does seem to me that the essential spirit of Scouting is as strong as it has ever been in the troop.
We had to pass over the Annual Dinner this year, unfortunately, because there were insufficient members wishing to attend but this did not prevent the major activity of the Autumn term being cooking. We were lucky during this term to have 'Screws' still with us - he proved to be a most valuable assistant.
The New Year and Spring Term saw greater emphasis being put on First Aid. I remember in particular the evening when the Venture Scouts plus our own older Scouts were suddenly informed that a disaster had occurred and the competent way they dealt with the mass of gory bodies they were presented with. It would have to be Gerald who found the 'dead' weight.
As these notes are written the Summer term is still in progress but with finer weather we have been busy outside. Pioneering with varying success has been the main activity so far. I still wait to see if the Ravens will get their flag (?) pole up and if so will a Welsh dragon sit on top? Will the Kestrels ever hit anything with their patent missile launcher? Who will make a flying cage work? Will the Falcons ... ?
Will we win the County Camping Competition this year? For the answer to these questions - see our next issue. Which reminds one of the very entertaining Walesby journal that was produced every day last year during that good camp we had in Nottinghamshire.
Finally, it gives me no small pleasure to see the constant, active part that so many of the troop take in so many other School activities.
Venture Scout Camp
'Do you want an exciting, hardworking and unusual holiday? If so come with the Venture Scouts.'
This could easily have been the advertisement for our last camp. We decided to combine a holiday with some work for the Conservation Corps; the idea was to have an unusual holiday, and that it was!
About three weeks before we left, word came from the Corps that we would be working on an Army war-time practice area and that, owing to the undergrowth, it had not been de-bombed. Very assuring! Also we were informed that the camp site had running water near at hand and was ten minutes from the sea.
We eventually arrived at Shoreham-by-Sea, near Brighton after an adventure with a kerb at 40 mph The entrance was certainly ten minutes from the sea; but the site was another mile up a dirt track. The field was full of sheep which were friendly (?) Ian Smith and Co went off to find water, and came back much later, empty handed. It was then Mr. Hollamby's turn, no luck! Later still, I succeeded in finding the water supply - half a mile away, down a sixty degree slope of loose chalk, under an elder bush. It was an empty sheep trough with a hidden tap that was always nearly off or full on; and the water pressure wasn't as low as the Chemistry Lab's!
Next day, supplied with tools, and two Army helpers we started clearing briar, nettles and a lot of charcoal-covered gorse trees. Within twenty minutes we would have disgraced a coalman. Of course, with only soap and cold water it didn't come off very well and so most midday meals were fairly sordid affairs.
Luckily we only found the tail piece from a four-and-a-half inch mortar bomb, and tins, and bottles, and ... every time work had to stop. But after all these trivialities we managed to clear about one and a half acres of the gorse trees - about eight thousand trees.
Later we were quietly informed that we had cleared more than any other group, in less time. They hadn't expected us to work so hard! Scouting activities lapsed rather; but fun was had elsewhere. The camp ended unexpectedly well as they supplied a tractor and trailer to carry our gear down to where the coach could get; the coach arrived early, thanks to a lucky chance, and we arrived back without mishap. Certainly we worked hard: it was a 'holiday' to remember.
A. Coxhead
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last updated 20 Nov 2007