Young Leadership Weekend21st-22nd June 2008Saturday
We arrived at the Polkerris beach car park at 9:00.
At the back of the Polkerris scout hut, we pitched our hike tents and got ready to go out on to the water for our first of 3 trips at 11:00am.
We went over the basic strokes like sweepstrokes, forwards, backwards and other strokes. Then went back in for a session on leadership skills which included planning a game to play out on the water, and then stopped to have lunch.
At 3:00 we went back onto the water after building a dam that was a victory as we built it right where the tide stops! We practised surfing which was thoroughly enjoyed by all and then “practised” capsizing.
We had an indoor BBQ for tea (surprise surprise, it was raining!) and watched an interesting film in the evening called Touching the Void while cup ‘a’ custard ‘n’ cake! Then we went to bed with the waves crashing near the opposite side of the wall.
Sunday
Today was the day when we were tested for our Young Leadership Skills Award; we were tested on all the skills and strokes we had covered the previous day. We then tried out our ‘own’ games we had invented to play in the kayaks which tested and extended our kayaking and leadership skills. Once we had finished I (Liam) went to be a submarine by turning over the kayak leaving a air pocket inside the kayak giving you ability to move underwater which was really fun.
We then put the kayaks away, got changed, took down the tents, brung everything across the beach and left all in time for tea!
A big thank you to all those who spent their own time to help and to everyone who organised this weekend
We were walking from Portreath to Philliegh and then finishing at Portscatho.
We arrived at Portreath on Saturday at 9:00 where a long line of Scouts, Explorers and Leaders all waiting to get into Admin greeted us.
After we met Neil and Lorna who were to be walking with us we went into Scrutineering and then into a mammoth of a line. We eventually entered the building where Admin was based. The stairs were plastered with sand and the mat wasn’t doing much to stop the sand from coming in.
After getting our tags and bands we set out on the journey that will take us 16 hours and 12 minutes.We made good progress and reached checkpoint 2 and 3 quickly but then after checkpoint 5 the pain started to set in.
As we reached checkpoint 6 we thought that we’ll scrap the idea of continuing after we reach Philliegh.
We crossed the King Harry Ferry slowly, all that you could hear was the slow clanking of the chains passing through the ferry and the engine chugging away.
The other side of the River Fal slowly came closer.
Then it was a long walk along a road until we reached the campsite. We painfully reached the campsite and to our joy and delight we were one of the few Scout groups who had to put up their tents after walking 25 miles(excluding the extra mile thanks to Aiden!). We then checked our feet to see if we had blisters, luckily for some there were no blisters to heal, and unluckily for others there were blisters awaiting to be found.
We then went up for pasty’s for tea. Then we went to bed, but there was the ghost of the field (a.k.a. Zack).
Sunday
We woke up to a fry up where Scott found a new friend (a leader had given him a rasher of bacon). We then had to wait through another line to get to Admin. Eventually we got through Admin and set out again for the last 7 miles but Philliegh is just up the road from Portscatho so we had to go the long way around to make it 32 miles so we walked to the coast but not all of us were to make it.
About a mile in Cameron could do no more and so dropped out after doing around 26 miles. We struggled up the first hill of the day which really took it out of us but we carried on, then after yet more road walking we had finally reached the coast . I then looked at the next set of instructions and saw one of the instructions saying ‘continue to follow the coast path for the next 4 1/2 miles’ as I read this my heart sank.
We were walking up the last bit of the coastal path and the finish was literally around the corner when a couple ofnon-scout walkers walked by and the man at the back as a joke said “don’t worry only 20 more miles to go!” but I just said back “thanks for that!” and we then turned round the corner where Paul was there to cheer us for completing Coast – 2 – Coast 2008.
We then sat down and waited for the Mini-Bus until that moment it had never occurred to me that I’d missed sitting down so much.
We got the Mini-Bus back to Philliegh from Portscatho which only took 10 minutes after we just walked from Philliegh to Portscatho, which took about4 hours. We slowly took down our tents when we got back, however it was a great weekend. Congratulations to all the Scouts who took part and thanks again Neil and Lorna without you it just wouldn’t be possible to do this walk so thank you for that.
The thermometer in Sarge’s Land Rover showed 3 degrees as we stepped out into Rough Tor car park but, with the wind, it felt a good deal colder! There was a board which contained a map and outline of the route. I left the Scouts with the instructions to get an idea of their bearings and a general idea of where the route went while I booked us in and paid up. When I returned they were truly masters of their surroundings, one of them pointed to the massive 400m hill which dominates the skyline and asked, “Where’s that?”
“That’s Rough Tor.” I replied.
“Oh! That’s Rough Tor!”
With Navigators like that, how could we go wrong?
The route started from a National Trust sign just outside the car park. As we walked towards it we could see a group huddled a few hundred yards off to the left. “Shouldn’t be too difficult to find the first box” we agreed and the Scouts had caught on to that as well. Our compasses pointed off in the opposite direction though and since that group were laying out the second to last box it was a good lesson in not cheating!
We quickly knocked off the first few boxes and, given that there were several hundred Scouts there, we were soon moving along with several groups behind and in front of us. Being off on our bearings caused us to be about a hundred yards away from the box. As we were working out where we were, the groups behind were following their eyes rather than their compasses and we had soon collected several groups, all wandering around looking for a box in the wrong place. The clue was ‘under a large boulder’ which, since we were stood in a field of large boulders, was not particularly helpful. Luckily it was John Peck to the rescue, he soon found it and rather than keep it to himself he demonstrated how to be a model Scout and was soon surrounded by ink pad waving teenagers.
After a few more boxes we stopped for some lunch, the Scouts had gotten a bit confused with the clues and we’d tried to do box 12 several times. Still, after lunch there were only a few more boxes to do and we quickly whipped through them pretending we couldn’t see the group in front of us when they found them first.
Back at the start (if you see what I mean), we ate well deserved pasties and sausage rolls, had a cup of tea and headed home. The event was well organised, well attended and more importantly top sausage rolls! Kids behaviour was excellent, as usual, and a good time was had by all.
My pleas to pack light clearly went unheeded as we had to jam the kit into the boot of my car. Once suitably cocooned, the kids day bags giving a new meaning to the words ‘crumple zones’, we met Par scouts at their hut and then headed up to the moor. The fog was thick between Princetown and Whiteworks bunkhouse but despite that, we arrived in good time. Bugle Scouts arrived before us and Luke had the fires going so the Scouts settled into their room. They spent the evening, apparently, redecorating their room using most of the kit they had brought up (that’s the only explanation I could come to after seeing it the following morning).All was quiet by 11pm.
Saturday
Clearly the Scouts have developed an unhealthy fascination for hot dog sausages and both groups had… interesting breakfasts.
Chris walked in a group with the two Par Explorers and the elder of the two Bugle Scouts, Mike. They were supervised by leaders from a distance meaning that they did all the navigation and planning themselves which was very impressive. Perhaps even more impressive was their pace and they could have been back at Whiteworks shortly after lunch but decided to take it easy in case they were given another leg to walk – sensible lads!
Ben, Joe and Liam walked with two of the Par leaders Stuart and Ian. They covered a very impressive distance and the leaders were very complimentary about their navigation. It’s good when the kids behave for you but it’s great when they behave so well for another leader so I was really pleased.
All of the groups were back before 5pm and after a spot of running around upstairs, slamming doors, screaming and jumping off bunk beds it was tea time. Dinner looked much more appetising than breakfast had done and mercifully not a hot dog sausage in sight.
Sunday
The Scouts were painfully slow cooking breakfast, perhaps trying to postpone the inevitable, but we did manage to leave before lunchtime. All four walked together the mile or so to Princetown where the leaders were financially supporting the local community café by purchasing breakfasts. (It feels good to give).
After the Scouts arrived we headed over to an area between King’s Tor and Merrivale Quarry. We spent a few hours teaching navigational skills called ‘micro navigation’. This is the art of using navigational techniques over a short distance to find features on the map. We started off with a few easy features such as a stone row and a hut circle and then Gav decided we’d all try and find a cutting (a sort of scar on the moorland either a raised ridge or a small valley, perhaps caused by mining). This was because the Scouts had done so well with the other features, he thought he’d give them a challenge! We ended up stood up to our knees in a marshy riverbed only slightly less confused than the Scouts and with little idea what we were looking for and even less idea where it was. After a while we took an estimated guess and stood on what we thought was the feature. Thanks to triangulation and about 15 minutes work we managed to prove conclusively that we were in completely the wrong place. Still, at least the Scouts had the chance to learn how to triangulate!
We stopped for lunch and then ambled back to the car and headed home. I was really pleased with the Scouts’ ability on the moor. It makes it worthwhile to see them enjoying and using something that you have taught them, especially with such skill and enthusiasm.
Bugle football Tournament had returned to its spiritual home at Treverbyn playing field this year and the gallant heroes of first Sticker Scouts arrived on Saturday morning to battle for the much coveted trophy.
3 Sticker Scouts Chris, Liam and Zack were joined by a couple of conscripts: Tyler from St. Stephen and Kieran from
2nd St.
Austell. Ben had been handed the sheepskin coat of manager and played for the team in goal making up the 6 players.
There were 6 teams and the tournament was arranged in a league so each team would play 5 matches. Thankfully Paul explained this to me several times and then I was able to follow what was going on.
Sticker’s first match was a crushing early defeat at the hands of Bugle Scouts. Our tactic of not putting any players in the oppositions half did not pay off. Zack, in goal, keeping the score respectable. It was a tough blow and the victorious singing of the bugle leaders will ring in my ears for many seasons to come.
Or second match was a 0-0 draw against the mighty Polkerris Scouts. Ben switched with Zack to take the goalies gloves creating a mean partnership upfront between Zack and Kieran. Several chances were missed on each side but some stern words from the manager after the first match saw better marking and even some running after the ball.
We had several games to recuperate before our 3rd match against the reds of Par. Thanks to an excellent partnership between Zack and the Barbarian Kieran it was a feast of Sticker goals as we roared to a massive and insurmountable 2-0 victory. Chris nearly made it 3 in the second half with an uphill strike from the halfway line. Liam discovered his form and developed an uncompromising defensive style.
Sticker’s fourth match was surrounded by behind the scenes anguish for our visitor Tyler as he was pitted against his home team St. Stephen. The Blues had sailed to the top of the leader board but were stopped in their tracks by an early goal from the goliaths of the Sticker Carrots, Kieran slicing an easy ball past the grasping keeper. St. Stephens pulled one back later in the half and with a handball creating a penalty it looked like we would concede again and finish 2-1 down. Ben dug deep and deserved every bit of his hero status pulling off a massive save to keep it 1-1 at the end of the 1st half. An almost instantaneous downhill goal caught Sticker napping as the whistle blew to kick off the second half. With literally an uphill climb to recover it looked all over and despite a brave fight and solid defending between the Chris – Liam partnership at the rear, we couldn’t pull it back.
Game 5 belonged to Liam and Chris as defending proved crucial in the match against
2nd St.
Austell. Liam showing full commitment time and again blocking 2nd’s crosses into the box, Chris clearing well, knocked balls up the line to an exhausted Zack. Several times it looked hopeful but in the end we agreed a draw was the fair result on the day and it was 0-0 as the proud warriors shook hands.
St. Stephen were crowned champions narrowly and controversially beating Bugle in a tense “Golden Goal” final. Par took away the award for best dressed team and it looks like Sticker will need another year to get that fourth stamp on the winner’s trophy. They may not have been tournament victors but never before, in any time or in any place has the human spirit been so tested and a team of heroes answered the call with such a mighty roar.
Well done to the Sticker Carrots and to all who took part.
Follow the link below to download the permission form which you must bring along on Friday for the Camel Trail walk and sleepover. Please also remember to bring the kit discussed on Friday!
Fill this in and bring it along on Friday. We meet at the usual time at the hut, pick up is 9am on Saturday morning and there is no cost for this event.
Camp began, as it often does, meeting Paul in the foyer of the labyrinth that it ASDA. Many men have been lost to its maze of aisles and they can still be seen today wandering listlessly desperately trying to find fabric softener or Dolmio pasta sauce. Fortunately, Paul had brought a secret weapon – his girlfriend Claire. Armed with specialist knowledge and the largest trolley we could find, within an hour we had knocked off all the items on our list and made it to the checkout.
Honorary mention goes to the ASDA worker who was able to remain calm when trying to explain to two clueless men how to make batter mix for Sunday’s tea:
“Excuse me, sorry to bother you but do you know how to make batter mix for ‘Toad in the hole’?”
“Err… why do you want to make that?”
“Well we want to make ‘Toad in the hole’ and don’t know how to make the batter mix.”
“Right well you can buy batter mix”
“Yes but we’d like to make it”
“Oh… ok well it’s the same as pancake mix.”
“Brilliant! How do you make pancake mix…?”
After an hour and a half we were free and had chance to put up the store tent, flag pole and our own tents before the Scout’s arrived. We had flag break and the Scouts set about putting up their own patrol tent and dining shelter. Even though there were only four of them, they managed both of these things without any help (except to lift it) and by 8pm both were done and by 9pm all their kit was laid out and their cooking kit organised. We were very impressed.
While the Scouts played a widegame we ate tea and then made the kids’ supper: camp doughnuts and hot chocolate. A hot topic of conversation between the Scouts was whether or not jam counted as one of your ‘five a day’? A hot topic of conversation between Paul and I was whether loading the kids up with sugar before sending them off to bed was the best plan for a restful night’s sleep? As it happens, I’d recommend it as by 11pm all was quiet and Paul and I were able to turn in before midnight – almost unheard of!
Saturday
I was woken up at 6.20am by a bloomin’ wood pigeon! This great outdoors lark isn’t all it’s cracked up to be you know! Still as I made a cup of tea the strangest thing happened, the sky gradually lightened and then the sun rose from below the horizon in a sort of arc across the sky. Paul later explained to me that this is known as “Morning”. I don’t plan on seeing it again but it was worth it for a one off.
Paul and I made cooked breakfast for the Scouts while they finished off their area and collected wood. The ASDA beans we had were the most disgusting things ever and not worth the extra 3 pence per tin we had splashed out on upgrading from ‘smart price’.
After breakfast Paul and I taught the Scouts how to safely use, store and carry hand axes and the bowsaws and handsaws that we use on camp. We also ran through knife safety and use and our group’s rules about using and carrying all those things. We then all prepared the wood for the fires and Paul and I showed the Scouts how to light fires with tinder. (I showed them how dried grass is next to useless for doing this while Paul showed them how one match can be used to light a fire using wood shavings.) The Scouts also managed to light their fire with one match and within minutes had a roaring fire going.
We cook on embers rather than flames so while the fires died down we made our own burgers and bread. The burgers we wrapped and cooked in cabbage leaves which we had never tried before (and it showed) but the bread which we cooked in an oven on the fire rose brilliantly and tasted fantastic.
After lunch the Scouts had chance to ‘chill out’ as it was probably the hottest day this year and after collecting some more wood we set about making tea at about 4pm. Ben and Paul fried the chicken pieces while the other Scouts had the best job of peeling potatoes! We roasted the chicken and potatoes in a camp oven while the scouts made stuffing and Paul and I prepared the veg. Tea was delicious (even if we did say so ourselves) and Chris managed seconds of his main course, a second bread roll and then seconds of angel delight and cake!
The Scouts washed up while Paul and I were…err…drinking tea and then we played cricket until dusk. The Scouts sorted their walking gear and we had a brief introduction to map work ready for the moor on Sunday. Paul and I were both really impressed with how well they listened and they picked up 6 figure grid references quickly which can be a tricky concept. We made them hot chocolate and we ate cake before the scouts went off to bed and Paul and I set about attempting to eat an entire cheese and biscuit selection in one go!
Sunday
6.40 am! If I ever catch that woodpigeon I’m going to clobber it to death with a frying pan! Still it was a beautiful morning following rain in the night and the Scouts made breakfast, Tom frying a mean rasher of bacon! I passed on the beans. Washing up was done and we left for the moor by 9am.
We were joined on the moor by Jeremy, the Scout’s moorland walking assessor who was assessing my application for a walking permit. All went well thanks to the Scout’s superb behaviour and interest and we had a good morning’s navigation over looked by Rough Tor and Brown Willy and then lunch at ‘King Arthur’s Hall’. One disappointment was that the man I had hired to pretend to be Merlin didn’t show up but we got over it and after lunch we walked up Alex Tor nearby and strolled back to the car.
We got back to Sticker late in the afternoon and the Scout’s set about preparing wood for cooking tea. They did this without help this time, Zack managing to build a good fire. Paul and I experimented with batter mix until we had something which looked edible while Tom fried the sausages and Zack and Chris chopped veg. Paul and Ben made peach crumble for pudding. My wife Katie arrived to visit and helped us to polish off two enormous ‘Toad in the holes’ cooked in the camp oven and then a delicious crumble. Paul and I both agreed it was one of the best meals we have eaten on camp.
We played cricket until dark and then Paul led a campfire encouraging the Scouts to choose their favourite songs. Ben led us in a song he had learned in France which was really funny and then Paul taught us a song he had picked up from the jamboree.
We had cake and hot chocolate while Paul and I talked to the Scouts about Scouting all those many many years ago when we were Scouts and told them stories of how Scouting started and who Baden Powell was. They seemed interested but it’s often difficult to tell! We were impressed and amazed by the Scout’s being asleep by 10.30pm and the day’s walking clearly had an effect (either that or they were remembering our stories!). Paul and I attempted to finish off the rest of the cheese and biscuits and to decide conclusively whether ‘Fawlty
Towers’ was better than ‘Blackadder’. Unfortunately, I can’t remember what we decided…
Monday
Despite being allowed a lie in, the Scouts were up before we were, chopping wood ready for breakfast. It was a lot more difficult lighting damp wood (as I hope they will remember!) but they managed to get a fire going and while Paul and I swept the hut and packed away some of the leftovers the Scouts cooked breakfast. We ate eggy bread watched by the wood pigeon who should consider himself very lucky I can’t climb telegraph poles!
We gave all the cooking equipment a good clean ready for the next camp and the Scouts packed away their tents. Chris managed to make an oven dish look cleaner than before we used it taking off goodness knows how many camp’s dirt and the weather blessed us by drying all the canvas. We packed everything away and were almost ready for 12pm when the parents arrived.
Paul and I had a great weekend. I hope that the Scouts did as well and that they learned plenty. They worked hard and well as a team, at points you’d never have believed there were only four of them everything got done so well. We are already looking forward to the next camp – Tim
