Camping, quizzes, hiking, jamborees and lighting fires

Last Updated on Wednesday, 16 March 2011 22:26 Written by Administrator Thursday, 18 November 2010 00:00

Camping, quizzes, hiking, jamborees and lighting fires

The Scouts have had a busy term with a variety of activities including camping, quizzes, hiking, a 48 hour jamboree and of course, an old scout favourite, fire lighting.

There have already been two camps; the first, in September, was a quick overnight camp just outside of Bishops Waltham. For the older Scouts, the October camp combined two hikes with an overnight stay at Marwell Activity Centre. A small group of Scouts hiked from Bishops Waltham to Marwell, where they joined up with the leaders and younger Scouts and camped overnight. The hike took a little longer than planned owing to a heavy downpour of rain leaving big muddy puddles along the route. The following morning the Scouts set off towards Winchester, with the older ones hiking in small groups (as part of their Hikers Badge) and the younger ones walking as one group with a leader. The older Scouts made very good time, with one group reaching their final destination ahead of the check point leader.

In the middle of October the Scouts and a few of the Cubs took part in the annual JOTA/JOTI event. This is a worldwide jamboree which allows Scouts from across the globe to chat to each other, either by radio (Jamboree on the Air) or by internet (Jamboree on the Internet). The Bishops Waltham Scout Group makes this a full weekend of activities, with the Scouts beginning with a night hike to the Scout Hut. The Scouts and Cubs then use the Scout Hut as a base, combining a sleepover with a night of socialising with each other and meeting new friends across the world. This year they chatted to Scouts from Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Brazil, Philippines and Malaysia (and possibly some others I didn’t hear about), and the Scouts are going to have an evening using these countries to create cuisine from around the world; I hope I’m invited to the tasting!

Other activities this term have included a quiz, with rounds including “the movies”, a picture quiz and general knowledge, interspersed with games (such as “knock the other team’s tower down with a Frisbee” and “head it/catch it”) to earn bonus points. The Scouts also painted firework pictures to decorate the Scout Hut for the Junior School’s fireworks display at the end of October.

The Scouts started November with a bonfire night event which has become a tradition over the last few years: “Flaming Catapults”.

This activity is a particular favourite, which requires teams of Scouts to design and build a projectile launcher from pioneering poles, a metal legged chair, rope and a bungee. A lit arrow is then shot at an unlit bonfire and the team who cause first ignition is the winner. Unfortunately, this year none of the groups managed to light the bonfire via catapult, although one team did get close, with a number of their arrows landing on target, but bouncing off before the fire could take hold. Better luck next year!