For the third consecutive year we participated in Thriftwood #InTents# having great memories of the previous camps. With six leaders and 10 Scouts and 15 Explorers fully prepared and ready to go with new chariots and flags.
Saturday 10th August
With a light wind and blue sky we pitched camp, utilising the site electrical hook up to power the fridge, refurbished LED lighting system and power the Lidl quick-up pool pump that we didn’t get a chance to use last year. The opening ceremony on the Archery field got all +200 Scouts together and celebrating the start of the week, with the leaders meeting bringing all the leaders together and updated on the latest arrangements.
Sunday 11th August
Breakfast – Porridge the 5th Dartford cooked breakfast of choice, otherwise cereals, followed by bacon sandwiches.
Survival skill day including: Orienteering course as to familiarise all with the camp site, Cordage making from nettles, Fire lighting, Knife skills, Kelly kettles, Water purifications, and then cooking of either bread twists or pigeon breasts steaks.
Dinner – Sausage, Mash with Beans
Evening – A wide game hunting the site crew members hiding in the woods, in an endeavour to locate as many as they could find.
Monday 11th August
Breakfast – Cereals, Porridge followed by fried egg sandwiches.
Morning – Hydro Zone – All and everyone down to Sapper Lake for a great event of all things water: Kayaking, Canoeing, Water Rollers, Giant Slide, Bouncy Castles, Washing machine, Slip’n’Slide, Hungry Hippos, Bungee run and Giant paddle boards.
Afternoon – The Chariot competition was held on the main activity field with every group submitting at least one entry and competing in time trials in the arena. With the Scouts valiant efforts with their Mario cart securing overall third places, as well as Best Chart, ant the Explorers coming 1st in the Race.
Dinner – Pizza Night, home-made dough at lunch and then needed and added topping of their choice and then cooked in the wood fired ovens
Evening – Lip Sync Battle – This year the Scouts were enthusiastic to submit their requests early, ensuring they got in on the actions. With the Explorers winning with their version of the Spice Girls.
Tuesday 12th August
Breakfast – Even more porridge being requested with less cereals along with sausage sandwiches
Creative Challenge – Tie Dying, Tin Can candle holders, Glass Etching, Memory Wall, Pyrography.
Afternoon – Challenge – in teams of up to six completing various challenges as set by the service crew located trough the 98 acres of wood land.
Dinner – Ready Steady Cook in patrols – everyone opted for Fajitas’ although different ingredients for each.
Evening – Fancy Dress Disco for the Scouts and Explorers, with Ayla winning first place with her Queen of Hearts costume.
Wednesday 13th August
Breakfast – An early start of cereals and bread & jam, along with an assembled packed lunch.
All Day – Southend, Adventure Island – With an all-inclusive ride pass and a packed lunch, with all the fun of the fair, running between the rides, squashed sandwiches, fizzing drinks and candyfloss the day was quickly gone.
Dinner – Chips from the local takeaway Tommy Tuckers, with pies and sausages being cooked in the camp ovens.
Evening – A quiet night in camp playing Badmington, diving in an out of the pool and enjoying the camp fire
Thursday 14th August
Breakfast –
Morning – Rise Zone: Climbing, Abseiling, Jacob’s ladder, Crate stacking, Sky hi walk, Vertical assault course, Leap of faith, Potsman’s walk, Zip-line & Assault course.
Afternoon – International – African drums, Aboriginal dot painting, highland games, British sports day and Yoga with mediative breathing practice leaving a few in a deep sleep…
Dinner – Curry Night, a choice of Tikka-Masala or the leaders’ favourite of beef Madras with rice, Nam bread, relishes and chutneys.
Evening – TW’s got Talent – Several entries from our team, with Neal continue his career of stand-up comedy, M.K. & Ikea magic tricks and many more…
Friday 15th August
Breakfast – Cereals followed by Eggy Bread with Beans (Don’t worry there was also a porridge option).
Morning – Target Zone: Archery, Cross-Bows, Nerf Guns, Laser Clays, Axe Throwing, Cats-Splat, Speedshot, Air-Rifles, Clout Archery
Afternoon – Carnival and fun time: For the first hour all folk on the activity field running charity stalls charging 20p for Thriftwood partnered charity. With 5th providing shove ha’penny, drop a coin, and the three bucket challenge raising £35 for the local charity
Followed by all the camps activities being opened for a final have a go session, of the favourite site activities: Cave Bus, Kayaking, Paddle Boarding, Cresta Run, Zip line and inflatables
Dinner – Last night Spaghetti Bolognaise, using up the last of the camps food
Evening – Closing Ceremony where the winners of the weeks competition were announced. Followed by a traditional campfire hosted by Colin and Bradley. With us going back to our own camp fire to enjoy hot chocolate and cake and perform ‘Valhalla’ send off of our winning chariots as well as the camps notice board.
Saturday 16th August
Breakfast was served only after all the Scouts and Explorers had packed their bags, cleaned and vacated their tents– The last of the porridge and cereals, along with a smorgasbord of the remaining food.
Morning – Strike Camp and go home, leaving only our footprints, good memories and the pool (which we sold to the Scout Group that are camping on the site next)!
Thank you to the leadership team who made the camp possible, with its early morning, late nights, long days in both good and bad weather, providing a safe, engaging, experience for all out members. A thank you to the parents who drove the hire van there and back, helping with loading and setting up. As well as our executive members: treasure keeping our books and finances straight, the chairman as always supportive.
Until the next time
Paul Boreham
Group Scout Leader
Our thoughts and prayers with Marion and her family. A number of current and previous 5th Dartford Scouters celebrated the life of John White, who passed away after a short illness at the age of 86, at Thanet Crematorium and then with a reception at the Spitfire and Hurricane Museum, Manston. John and Marion retired to Palm Bay 22 years ago, but remained active volunteers with the Thanet Scouting Fellowship helping run District events, as well as part of the service crew at Marshside Camp Site as well as Spitfire and Hurricane Museum several days each week. Many 5th Dartford veterans will remember John from his 28 years of Scouting service with 5th Dartford & Dartford District totalling 50 years of Scouting. John was a good friend too many with kind, warm and supportive approach a true gentleman with a great sense of humour. 
With the incredibly wet weather we have had, it was unfortunate that a number of accommodation huts were decommissioned, however working with the camp site we were able to accommodate the Explorers in the serviceable village huts with alternative accommodation being provided for the Scouts in the Barcwood building by the fishing lake. 
This year we celebrated our 107th anniversary with our Birthday Parade on Sunday 3rd December. We converged at the hall at 10am where we formed up, and sorted out our colours to be presented, parading with our flags from the hall to the URC Church in Spitall Street, were we where warmly welcomed by the congregation. 
The advance party arrived at our pitch @14:30 and despite earlier rain our allocation was favourable and the weather was kind to us for setting up camp even if squelchy underfoot. More leaders and 15 young people, 6 of whom were first timers at Bisley, arrived after dark and stowed their kit before a team briefing where everyone was given a lanyard, map and an aid-memoir to help them to be in the right place at the right time for their events.
With ourselves enjoying at last year’s #InTents# at Thriftwood so much we rebooked again for this year. Having great memories of last year’s hot summer, we were over optimistic investing in an inflatable pool and new BBQs in preparation, which now seems a good future investment for the group’s events. With six leaders and 24 Scouts and Explorers fully prepared and roaring to go with our new site #4 which has an electrical hook up and adjacent to the archery field, close to the action.
After 10 months of planning and preparation the weekend finally arrived Air Camp 2023 – The Best Ever. With a total of 106 Scouts and Explorers, 22 of them representing 5th Dartford, descending to Old Hay Airfield, Paddock Wood. The weather forecast was for a heat wave, which was accurate for a change. There was unfortunate accident on the A21 causing road closures and some a 2 hour delay in their arrival time, along with many parents discovering the wonders of the app WhatThreeWords/// as opposed to post codes and car SatNavs.