Colin's Blog: A Scout Rambling

A Scout Rambling (2006) (2005)
Last Updated: Sat 31st March 2007)

(Colin`s Blog)

Mon 26th March, "Clair's Surprise Evening"
On Aids Awareness in Africa
An excellent program evening from Clair with some seriously hard hitting audio-visuals and planned activities. The young people were noticeably shocked by some of the statistics, such as the thousands of people their own age infected each day around the world. The hall stayed fully attended to the end, and Clair gave all the participants some exclusive Aids Awareness badges which are the same as those worn by African Scouts on their uniform. A big thanks to Clair for putting on such an important and informative evening.
On falling off mudguards
While Clair was running the show we decided to rip the damaged mudguards off the horse box. But despite them looking like they were about to fall off, it took the entire evening and an angle grinder to actually detach the darn things! Such is life!
On Trailers in general
With the current shortage of good (un-injured!) automotive engineers to do final checks on the horse box, wheels, bearings, brakes etc, before it's 2000 mile trek to Germany and back, on Tuesday Colin decided to drive the now mud-guard-less beasty into Reading for a booked appointment at the Trailer Hospital, aka Indespension.
Less than an hour later, they phoned. That now familiar sucking of teeth and "this looks expensive" conversation then inevitably followed. On Colin's return to the Trailer Mortuary, the answer to the question "will it get to Germany and back?" was "never mind Germany, you had better drive very carefully back to Woodley!". Turns out the U bolts holding the wheels on are all badly corroded and one has snapped totally, leaving one wheel only being held on by the one remaining corroded U bolt. "Watch out for potholes" he muttered as Colin towed the wreckage sadly back to Woodley.
A quick check and a phone call soon has a suitable and new replacement booked from a hire company for £150 for the Expedition.
On Saturday Stu starts bidding for one on eBay, for under £200? Colin not convinced we will get one under £1500, this needs to be discussed and agreed at the next Leader meeting and at Unit Council, and probably only after the Summer Fundraising Campaign ends.
On Hughs Birthday Party
Hugh's 16th went like clockwork, planned executed and completed without fuss, problems or mess, and everyone had a great time!
Many thanks to his 'rents for setting it all up, and to Stu and others for doing "security" and ensuring all went smoothly. Great job all!
On the Mayors Reception
Uniform suited and booted your esteaming leader headed for the Mayors Civic Reception to meet up with the Great and the Good of Woodley, for the annual Civic Awards Evening. Fortunately Geoff our DC was also there so we didn't feel quite like the only one there in uniform! The awards were interesting, with the well deserved winners having given 20 or even 30 years service to the community in their differing areas. As the Mayor said, it would be impossible to imagine how Woodley could function without the Voluntary Sector.
Sparkling wine and snacks helped make the evening go with a fizz and a gulp, and some useful contacts were made too.

Mon 19th March, "Drown the DESC opportunity"
On Booking Lifts
"I can take a few Explorers in my car if you book early". Hmm, famous last words, from Sunday I had the car full, so asked Richard's Mum if she could help us drive them down, which she very kindly agreed to. But by Monday morning we already had two cars full and still the "Please can I have a lift" text messages flowed in, so asked my good friend Carol at 1st, if I could nick the Yellow Peril. She happily agreed, so the rest of Monday I just kept confirming the beeping requests. When I arrived with the Bus, we filled it, not an empty seat. Some future planners this bunch are! Gnash, gnash....
On drowning elderly leaders
Didn't manage to drown me, being a diver, swimmer and qualified lifeguard that probably wasn't going to happen, but did end up with a damaged rib in all the horse play (yes, I know Yellow Card, but when two burly 17 year old Explorers attack you from behind, there isn't much time to get your "Say no to bullying" yellow card out, even if I carried it in my bathers, and who the heck was being bullied here anyway! Mutter mutter...)
However, it WAS a fun evening, special thanks to Liz and Stu for doing the herding and paperwork, and especially to Liz who agreed to be "tail end Charlie" and make sure those who had correctly organised 'rental transport got away safely with their doting parents, while I took the useless, un-coordinated, "couldn't even plan getting dressed in the morning" bunch back to their long suffering parents in the Yellow Peril. Mumble wheeze...
Bill and Hazel on the Germany timetable
The Germany Expedition members need to meet for final planning meeting, we had better invite the Rents too.
Date TBD, Bill is away a lot these next few weeks so we will fit around his & Hazels schedule. Hum ho...
St Georges Day, Sun 22nd April
MANDATORY attendance. View the latest details and planned activities
This is your 4 week notice to book days off from work, announce that you will not be going to Nanna's that afternoon, because you will ALL be with me from 8am - 4pm setting up and sorting out the St Georges Day activities on the Memorial ground, Woodford Park. I will NOT be best pleased if you don't turn up, and lame excuses about cleaning out animals, Sunday jobs, paper-rounds, given 4 weeks notice, are NOT acceptable either. Splutter, dribble...

(Hmm! Ed says: DESC then shuffled off into dark corner muttering incoherently about rafts, sponges, paint and flags, and is helped into a nice clean white shirt with extra long sleeves with leather straps by two nice men in white coats.)

Mon 5th March, "Awards Evening"
With the rain beating down, we briefly met outside to "do our duty to God and the Queen" with the flag break, then hurried back inside to start Clair's regular Awards books and record sheet update session on DofE and Explorer Scout Awards, dutifully marking in the (lack of) progress that some Explorers are making in these very useful and valuable award schemes. As Clair again pointed out to the Explorers, when it comes to job interviews, or interviews for University places, where 2 candidates sat the exact same exams, gained similar grades, are of similar age and social background, then it is the additional Voluntary Work, Training, Activities and "hobbies" that will clinch your place at the front of the queue. The DofE and Explorer Scout award schemes are internationally recognised standards of excellence in achievement, and you either have it, or you don't! Your choice! We just offer them, with no compulsion!
Various Explorers wandered out to the Pod later to "achieve" their "Computer 1" badge with some graphic artwork, while Colin attached pin boards to the Pod walls. He was sure he had seen better computer art when visiting a Primary School, but maybe his memory or possibly his expectations are fading? Stu looked at the QM Award and that would seem most appropriate for all the work he has done on the main stores, the pod and computers with Fet.
Colin was relieved when the rather nasty and now festering vat of putrid soup from 2 weeks ago finally got emptied out and washed up before we had to call in H&SE plus a bio-hazard team with those big white space suits on, just to approach the wretched dixie! John will be glad to see it returned in pristine condition to the paddicks kitchen!
The evening ended as it had begun, in the drizzle round the flag, but it was nonetheless a good evenings entertainment..

Mon 26th Feb, "Explorer Unit Council"
While the DESC was away on a well needed break, the Explorers held a Unit Council to better understand what things went right, and where things went wrong during the New Year's and Valentine Camps.
The minutes of the previous Unit meeting were available Unit Council minutes from 2nd Jan 2007: and the minutes of this Unit Council meeting are here: Unit Council minutes from 26th Feb 2007
This Unit Council meeting was followed a few dasy later by the regular Unit Leader Meeting Thu 1st March
Key highlites for Explorers:
Explorer Led Camps
It was decided that after two Paddicks Leader Led camps in a row failing to clear up afterwards, there had to be sanctions of some sort by the Leader team, or the situation would clearly never improve. Although consideration was given to totally abandoning Explorer Led Camps completely, which it was agreed would solve the problem, Colin explained that they were an important part of the Explorer program, and that "screwing things up" and learning how hard it is to work as a team, especially with 14 - 16 year olds involved, was all part of the bigger game plan of learning.
Thus it was decided that the next few Explorer Led Camps, certainly until after the Summer, would be both camping and cooking outside only, just with use of the toilets in the hall, rather like a "Scout Camp", in fact... ;-) The situation on using the Hall and Kitchen will be reviewed in the autumn and we will decide if we feel that the trust required and the confidence, of the Leader Team has been restored at that time.
Birthday Parties
Paddicks Explorer Birthday Parties are technically full Explorer Camps, under the DESCs direct authority, thus open to all Explorers, but with strictly limited numbers of "non-Scout" guests allowed to attend, with each non-Scout bringing a PC form whether they stay over-night or not. This type of event typically requires use of Kitchen and Hall, and possibly a Marquee as well. The Leader Team decided that from now on these Paddicks Birthday Camps must be "policed" by a Leader or "responsible adult" (21+) preferably a Parent, on site at all times and that a £50 cash deposit would, from now on, be required against any subsequent cleaning and repairs, and that all payments for the party would be made in advance. Thus exact numbers and names of those attending would be known, all PC forms handed to the DESC with all appropriate monies at latest 24 hours before the Party is due to start.
The Adult in charge would then be responsible for discipline, safety, behavior, noise levels and clearing up afterwards, exactly the same as at any private hiring of any community hall in Woodley or anywhere else.

Mon 19th Feb, "Night Hike on a nouvel route"
An interesting experience for many Explorers. This was not a hike they had previously memorised, and thus the map carefully copied out by Stu was essential. We met up at the Fish Called Walter car park as agreed, Mark L and Bill also helping out. Stu distributed the newly purchased and printed "Explorer Unit" day-glo Hi-Viz vests, all carefully numbered so we could recover any vests "accidentally" pikey'd by the troops! At 7.45 the 3 groups duly set-off with great confidence, and the Leaders headed back to Paddicks in their cars.
Dan B's group arrived back, eventually, more or less unscathed, quickly followed by phone calls from the 2nd group who had become "lost" in Woodley, (how sad is that!), and then further phone calls by Colin to the 3rd group who had unaccountably not appeared by 9.30!. Eventually Colin had to make 2 trips to Mini Tescos to rescue the remaining lost souls. Is there a song about being "Lost in Woodley", maybe that should be on the program for another evening?

Fri 9th - Sun 18th Feb "Cool Camp, Valentine Camp, Wales Expedition"
Cool Camp
On Friday, Colin had 5 ton of scalpings delivered to Paddicks to level off the new parade ground. The Explorers leveled the delivery but it didn't stretch anywhere near far enough. Keith said not to worry, it was great entertainment for the Cubs on the Saturday as they splashed in the puddles and jumped the small lakes!
A stunning number of Explorers turned out on that Saturday and many stayed for the whole of Cool Camp, which is the Loddon District's Annual Woodland Conservation Camp run by Keith. Despite their Saturday jobs, other commitments such as exam revision and personal romantic liaisons, we had an excellent turnout to get "stuck in" and help with the building of fences around conservation areas and the planting of new trees and shrubs in all areas. By Saturday evening as the Cubs enjoyed their traditional Camp Fire, Paddicks looked a very different place! A truly impressive display of Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers and Network Scouts all pulling together with many parents and leaders to make very significant woodland restoration and over such a short period of time.
On the Sunday the Network & Explorer Scouts constructed and ran their famous Ariel Runway, giving Cubs the chance to experience the thrill of flight, with investitures on high, and understanding why they really should should stay on in Scouting!
Valentine Camp
With the serious work on Paddicks continuing on the Sunday afternoon, after the Cubs had left and Cool Camp was over, yours truly, as DESC agreed that Sunday night would be another "no-charge" night. This was a sneaky double edged sword, that Explorers need to watch for in the future, because on the Monday morning the DESC had another 15 tons of scalpings delivered that needed shoveling, raking and laying! As well as a scrap metal run, the Explorers rose to the challenge and by the time the Explorer "Social Evening" started at 7pm, the pathway from car-park through parade ground was done. Who ever said teenagers were lazy, clearly hasn't worked out the necessary motivation to prove that wrong!
Valentine Night Dinner
Carolyn did the Explorers proud on Valentines Day. With lots of help she laid out a romantic feast of gut blowing proportions and successfully had all the Explorers and their partners staggering, and not through the consumption of certain beverages!
The Party ran late into the night without a problem, or a complaint, and we will certainly do this again.
Bowling
Thursday started slowly (possibly not unconnected with the the consumption of certain beverages late the previous night!) but after a wake up call from Colin with his DESC "hat" on, the team got down to some more work on extending the compound.
With the trip to the Big Apple Bowl booked and sorted, Colin then turned up trumps after lunch, (at really silly short notice) with the 5th Woodley Minibus (thanks Ted & Carol!). The Explorer team happily climbed aboard and traveled to Wokingham for a crazy afternoon of Lazerquest and Bowling.
Wales MTB Trip
While all this was taking place, Morgan was finalising his MTB Trip to Wales (Fri 16th -Sun 18th Feb ). The shopping trip was completed on Valentines evening, and on the Thursday, after work, Morgan stayed over at Paddicks to pack the trailer ready for the 11am start Friday with Hugh, Stu, Hugh's Dad, & Mark E. Should be a wicked week-end of MTB and camping!
DESComment
Anyone who tells me teenagers are all a lost cause will get a poke in the eye from me. I have been taken by surprise, after all my years working with young people, at the enthusiasm and commitment of every single one of these Scouts, their motivation and energy. Intensive weeks like this may be knackering to aged Scouts like me, but the commitment and drive of these young people make it all worth while, and justify, if ever I needed it, my reason for working with them.

Mon 5th Feb "Bin Bag Fashions, and the new DESC surfaces...."
The new DESC
Colin announced that after he and Geoff (the DC) had carefully worked through the short-list of candidates for the vacant DESC role, they realised that it was indeed a short list, so short there were no names on it! This left an interesting option for Geoff; that of having an Explorer Leader team working as a totally Democratic Assembly, with Geoff having to agree all actions and decisions, if any ever got agreed about anything!
Thus to avoid the inevitable leaderless vacuum during this critical and busy Scout Centenary Year, Colin reluctantly agreed to take on the DESC role, to compliment his existing roles of Web Content Administrator, Newsletter writer, sub-editor, publisher, Diary Writer, Blogger, Planner, Cleaner and Nanny!
The Explorer Leader team, the Explorers and the District Team should probably be very very afraid! The "Maverick" as some members of the District have called him, has been unchained and let loose somewhere out there in the dark.... ;-)
Germany Camp Activity Projects
Colin needs the promised feedback by NEXT week please on all the Germany Expedition Activity Projects allocated last week. Initial feedback was very promising, with all volunteers producing intitial responses and some paper work. What we need by next week is bookable contact details. We also need re-assurance that the activity being investigated is not just available to us but is also open the week we are in Germany. We finally need the detail of whether the event is open on the day we choose to schedule it, bearing in mind this is Easter Weekend, and Germany is a quite religious country.
Bin Bag Fashions
The teams constructed haut couteur outfits of fabulous simplicity as well as super complexity. With Nick acting as Master of Ceremonies the first down the catwalk was a clever full gown with headwear paraded by Roo. This was followed by a rather neat outfit modelled by Jack which had the chest covering equivalent of a the G string thong, based on plastic cups and small amounts of string (go figure!). But the out and out winner was Emma and Kirsten with tow totally stunning frocks with all the expected charm and flow from a top fashion house. No contest, the Girls were the clear winners in the dress maming stakes. This will probably be a great relief to many parents with boys in the Explorers!! Pictures to come...

Mon 29th Jan "Expedition Planning and Frazer's last stand :-("
Expedition and Camp Planning
Within one hour the Unit tried to cover all the various expeditions and camps planned for the first half of this year, fundamentally to try and add the actual activity detail into each Expedition or Camp to allow the planning, timetabling and budgeting process to continue.
Valentines
A quick paper scribble session produced a list of activities for the up-coming Valentines Camp, including bowling, mountain biking, swimming and wide games. The Explorer Leaders of the Camp will now put that into their Camp Plan.
Germany
It was decided that key members of the Explorer Team going to Germany would take away 1 potential activity each and bring back the results the following week. The projects included: Swimming in the Hot Water baths (Baden Baden), visit to local brewery, reaching the snow line by cable cars (taking tobogans up with us!), suitable Mountain Bike Trails, permitted Walking trails & overnight hikes (DofE etc), visit to the local church which has a very high tower and an old favourite of ours, white water rafting. We expect emailed or printed reports and summaries of findings next week at the latest.
Summer Camp with Rangers
We have been offered a free camping invite (ie food and transport cost only) by the Hampshire (Guides) Ranger Unit to join them at their Summer camp in July. This was strangely very popular with the blokes, and with more than slight reservations from the Ladies, so we will have to discuss this again as a Unit, but the invitation will be accepted and we will book to go.
Centenary Sunrise Camp
This camp replaces the previous Ireland Camp on the activities list and diary. On Centenary morning we intend to be far out in the middle of Dartmoor in hike tents, watching the sun rise. It was also agreed to invite the Rangers to this camp as a reciprocal to their kind invitation the previous week.
Mystery Explorers
Our mystery "visitors" on that Friday, have been tracked down! It was indeed an Explorer Unit, but not us! There was a misunderstanding about booking arrangements, which is being dealt with by the DC and the booking secretary.
Frazers Last Stand
In an emotional final parade, Frazer thanked all the members of the Unit, leaders and Explorers, past and present for all the great times and happy memories he had enjoyed over the 12 years he has been Scouting in Woodley.
The Unit presented him with the now almost obligatory engraved beer tankard, a framed Unit Group photo and a large card signed by pretty much everyone. There might have been a little moisture in Frazer's eyes, but we think it was the bright lights and chill night air....
Good luck in Canada, Frazer, do keep in touch, and we hope to see you back for the Germany Expedition, anyway.

Mon 22nd Jan "Movie Night"
Scary movie
Frazer led the evenings crazy-ness while Colin was away on "Business" in Germany. (Isn't he a full time Scout Leader? Ed!)
The reports of the evenings events suggest that the movie was long, violent, colourful and truncated because it didn't fit the available space, rather like some of our Explorer Scouts, really!

On the parade, Frazer reminded the Explorers that, despite Paddicks being our "Base", we do have to book it if we want to use it, other than on a Monday evening. And for Insurance reasons, even if you are just going down there to tidy away and clear up after other customers, you MUST text Colin to say you are down there, please, this is MOST important. Colin or one of the leaders regularly "gets it in the neck" from the Camp Warden, and the Booking Secretary if we break these two agreements, so, Colin asks, "please, text me when you get there, and text me when you have gone home, just so I know."

On inquiring about our mystery "visitors" last Friday, several Explorers nodded and looked sheepish. This was curious because none of them were actually involved, as we found out later! So we guess this apparent free admission of blame must have been guilty consciences troubling them from previous "nocturnal and unnofficial" meetings in weeks gone by! Ho hum!

Meanwhile, the still ongoing "investigation" as to who, exactly, the "Explorers" were, who visited Paddicks last Friday evening, while 5th had it booked for their Scout meeting, and who proceeded to start a very large bonfire consuming most of the pallets from the wood-pile, left the camp fire circle and parts of the site in a sorry mess, and all without registering to use Paddicks and of course without paying either! Rumours now suggest it may have been our next door neighbours in Reading!

Mon 15th Jan "Chav Hunting & Scalping"
Scalping
The scaIping was actually Colin, Stu and Dan shifting 10 tons of scalpings around the parade ground and the Pod starting Friday and over the week-end! Thanks to them for all their efforts!

On the Monday, Keith gave up on starting his petrol driven whacker plate, but kindly gave some lessons on how to lay a level parade ground surface that would drain, and helpfully agreed to help finish the job during Cool Camp during the February half term working camp. The Explorers then follow the working Cool Camp with their own Explorer Led Camp with Dan B leading the events and activities. Hopefully some serious work as well as fun will happen over that half term holiday.

Chav Hunting
Once everyone had assembled, we had our first Flag Break on the new parade ground with Stu's newly constructed flagpole. Sadly the first attempt saw the rolled flag trundle gracefully down the flag pole to the base, to much laughter, but after a quick reset the first "live firing" went off OK.

Then with Frazer perched spectacularly on a joke diaz made of the most recent two firework cases, the meeting sparked off in explosive style. The evening's major attraction, "Chav Hunting", exploded into life with Dan and Dan dressed to kill (be killed?!) as Chavs, hiding deep in the Paddicks woods and being pursued by a screaming hoard of Explorers taking no prisoners! At times, the wide game was taken perhaps a little too seriously by some older Scouts who should ahve known better, and at the closing parade "words needed to be said" by Frazer about the serious meaning behind the Scout Law and Promise, as he invested yet two more Explorers into the Unit.

Mon 8th Jan, "After X-Max Ketchup"
Just a social (after Gilwell Winter Camp), and a general get-to-gether and maybe-a-bit-of-work evening! Some work, some chat, lot of chilling out!

Gilwell Winter Camp, 5th - 7th Jan 2007:
2500 young people, much fun and a lot of mud!
"I am going to Gilwell Park in Essex camping with the Explorers this week-end" I casually remark to my work colleagues. You would have thought I had suggested nude bathing in Thames, self flagellation and DIY brain surgery judging by the reactions. "It's the middle of Winter" (clearly need to award the Observers badge there), "It'll be raining" (Meteorologist!), "You are mad" (ran out of badges for that one!). Having confirmed their worst suspicions about my deranged state of mind, they kept away for the rest of the day, probably thought that what-ever I had might be contagious and life threatening. (It is called Scouting, and apparently there is no cure, you don't even grow out of it, despite aging disgracefully!)

Friday
And so to Paddicks at 4-ish to help Stu, Ben and, ha, yes, well just Stu and Ben. Everyone else seemed to have dropped out with homework pressures, jobs (local shops etc), "have to ride/clean out/groom the pony" and similar excuses.
With all the spare seats we called Dan to see if we could take Emma (Jambo Contingent) instead of their Dad driving to Essex. Dan then decides to change his mind (again) and come with us! That now makes 3 plus yours truly.

Collected Dan and visited Waitrose for provisions then towed the horse box off towards Gilwell. Rainy evening, fairly busy roads but arrived in good time to find the usual clapped out Scout minibus stuck on Dawes Hill approaching the camp! Eventually got in and had the box tractored to top of Essex Chase (driest place on the camp, trust me) and while Colin parked the car in the off site below the hill, the Explorers started pitching up.

We decided to take just the 10x10 pop up "market trader" tent with walls rather than full 20x10 Marquee for just the 4 of us, so setup was pretty quick and central tent + personal tents were soon up and ready for action.

Stu tried the backwoodsman method with magic powders from his survival kit, and all the tricks he knew, but despite being camped next to the log pile, the half oil barrel altar fire we had brought with us refused to play the game. Must have bought a faulty one, perhaps? (!). SO after a few cheating attempts with Colin's personal tent space heater (wimp!) and the jet engine propane cooker, we finally came up with a master cheating plan. Place jet engine UNDER oil barrel, bang 5 holes with steel peg into bottom, light and add wood. Yup, THAT got the fire going!

Talking of lighting fires, at around this time we discovered that the tent group next door belonged to a Ranger Guide outfit who had traveled light and thus had no shelter or cooking facilities other than their 4 person sleeping tents. Thus our Explorers interest in the camp suddenly took on a whole new meaning, and they were soon introducing themselves and inviting the young ladies and their Leader, "Golly" over to our site to make best shared use of their recent erections.

Soon we had a good size group round the roaring altar fire, sharing stories, refreshments and cuddling up close in the cold evening breeze, to keep warm. This particular Ranger Guide Unit, from Hampshire, turned out to be more like Explorers than Guides in outlook, so Golly & Colin exchanged details and agreed that we really should join up and share camps, this was such fun, and we really did have very similar views and attitudes on all the key issues for working with young people.

The view over Essex from "the Chase" was stunning, the night was clear and bright, stars out, moon shining. Chilly but Perfick!!

Eventually we all drifted back to our (own!) tents and chilled out for the rest of night; Stu was OK-ish, he had his own built in insulation and a phenomenal calorific intake to power it, but Ben forgot to close his tent outer door, and Dan had only brought a 3 seasons sleeping bag in the rush to last minute packing! So all three Explorers clearly needed to find an improved way to keep warm the next night. More of this later.... Colin, of course, didn't chill at all, he had brought that personal gas space heater, mattress, duvet, pillow and blanket. He is SUCH a wuss, even for an old man.

Saturday
It was a dark and stormy night... OK, no it wasn't! It was a clear January night, so it got very cold instead! Thus Dan and Ben didn't get much sleep! In the morning Colin played wuss a second time by lighting his mini space heater and falling asleep until his tent warmed up to a nice toasty warm, and then got dressed! Stu, by this time had the water heater on and had warmed the mini marquee ready for the traditional full English breakfast! Bacon, eggs, beans and fried bread, not your low calorie meal, but essential inner wear on a chilly winters day!

Colin dashed out, as planned, to purchase some urgently needed additional red calor gas, and bought the last bottle in the nearby garage, having toured the entire town first! On his return Stu cheerfully announced that Gilwell also sold gas! Doh!

Stu and the team headed off to enjoy the pre-paid activities laid out all around the Gilwell site, Colin drove off down to the local swimming pool for a swim, jacuzzi, and nice hot shower! Clearly the leader hasn't quite grasped that BP Spirit we often sing about! While out in town he bought a large plastic builders sheet, for a fire shelter in case it rained that night, plus an axe and club hammer, since we unfortunately failed to pack either! Oops!

By late afternoon when Colin returned, Gilwell was largely populated by chocolate coloured Scouts! That is not a ethnic description, it would have been impossible to see what their original skin colour was in any case. These Cubs and Scouts were totally and completely chocolate coloured, from head to foot! The most popular activity at Gilwell was not any of the expensive computerised Robot Wars, the Simulator, or the Lazer Quest, it was a Scouts Own invented mud slide down the back of the big field, totally unsupervised but no major accidents that we heard about!

Needless to say, as a result the Gilwell toilets and showers took a real hammering! Changing these chocolate coloured Scouts back into vaguely clean (less dirty?) ones, left the shower block ankle deep in brown slime, which pretty much matched all the road ways and most of the grass, so no-one really cared too much! It was all for fun, after all!

The Explorer team cooked up a massive spaghetti supper, enough to force all 3 ravenous teenagers to admit defeat with plenty still left over! The young ladies had their supper provided as part of their pre-booked meals. So while they were dining, we relit the fire. Now BP probably would have agreed that "use of all available materials" would possibly cover our blushes; however, our failure to dry some wood over the fire the night before, and forgetting to take dry kindling and sufficient wood into our tents ready for the next morning was simply poor planning ahead. But then not having an axe or saw rather proved that point, and precluded that option anyway! LOL!

With a healthy log fire roaring away by the time the Ladies returned, things soon hotted up round the camp fire. Golly, their leader and Colin exchanged details and agreed to keep in touch and hopefully we can do some joint camps soon. It was another cold night, and with the risk of hypothermia setting it, Golly and Colin agreed that, where necessary, sharing tents would be the warmest option. This seemed a very popular idea with a couple of the assembled Explorers and Guides, who seemed keen to getting down to practicing their survival skills together before the night got much older.

Everyone else gradually headed back to the tents in ones and two's. It had been another funny old day!

While the leader team and most of the camp slept, strange poltergeists were abroad in Gilwell Park. Seemingly fixed and solid objects apparently moved all on their own, and will-o-the-wisp like, some things simply vanished into the mists of the night. All very strange....

Sunday
Colin arose the next day with Stu & Ben and dispelled any thoughts that he was really a wuss, despite all evidence so far to the contrary, by being the only member of the team to wear shorts on the final day! He even tried to wear his BP hat but it kept blowing off, so he fell back to his Scout BB cap for ease of use.

We entertained the Ladies for breakfast, because their "pre-booked" meal started at silly-o-clock and ended at 9.30 which Golly and Colin agreed, was a sensible time for starting breakfast, not finishing it!

Much mirth and jokes at the expense of the "survival training partnership" when they finally surfaced. Attempts to attract their attention and coax them out for breakfast with innocent menu inquiries, such as "Would you like eggs with your sausage?" and "How does she like her eggs done?" seemed to be taken all the wrong way. Some people are too sensitive, maybe it's a stature thing?

After that final meal together the two teams dismantled their respective camps. The Explorers packed everything back into the horse box trailer and Colin queued up at the Gilwell HQ block for an early tow off-site. He then waited for the team in the off-site car park, while they helped the Jambo Unit and the Ranger Unit to finish their packing.

We arrived back around 5pm to find several members of the A Team waiting to help us unpack! They had been at Paddicks most of the day to do the routine cleaning, and they had also cleared the HQ Pod, and cleaned the floor too!

Just before 6pm we all finally headed home for a well needed bath and bed!

Yours in Scouting,

Colin's Sig