On Friday 20th July to Sunday 22nd July the annual cub camp for Fifth Dartford Scouts commenced. A group of scouts took part in a night hike to the campsite on the Friday night. This involved scouts and some helpful explorers acting as young leaders to take leadership roles within the group and allowed them to practice their map reading skills. The scouts, explorers, parents and leaders hiked for 6 miles and arrived at camp at around 11:30pm. Although some parts were challenging, particularly the navigation and map reading, all found the hike very enjoyable. The next morning the scouts left and the cubs arrived. Many activities were laid on for the cubs on the Saturday including backwards cooking, go karting and survival bracelet making. In the backwards cooking exercise the children made boiled eggs in oranges and melted chocolate in bananas as well as frankfurter sausages in spaghetti and other original dishes. After backwards cooking the cubs we’re given time to play their independent games of football on the field. Then after lunch some of the cubs made survival bracelets whilst others took turns to slide down the make-shift waterside making the most of the hot, sunny weather. In the evening the cubs attended mass and then returned to the camp to tuck into a bbq. After all the burgers had been eaten and the cubs plastic plates and cutlery we’re clean some wide games of manhunt we’re organised by the young leaders. Shortly after the cubs we’re sent to bed read for their next busy day of activities. On the Sunday morning after breakfast the cubs took part in two trails set up by the leaders. This required teamwork and using all their senses. Eventually the time came to pack up the tents and find the owners of lost property before the parents came to pick the cubs up.

Overall cub camp 2014 was a very successful weekend and a big thanks goes out to everyone who made that possible, particularly Delia Davidson who was in charge of running the weekend and achieved her night’s away permit.

Chloe (Johnston ESU)