12 Scouts from Earley Troop attended the Kent Scouts Survival Camp at Ross Wood Camp site, with a total of 48 Scouts taking part.
On the Friday they pitched their tents and made friends with all the other attendees, and then was introduced to the Kent County leadership team, who put them in their patrols for the weekend and then taken on an orientation tour of the wooded camp site. Hot chocolate and cake was provided during the briefing of what was to be expected over the weekend.
Saturday pitches were chosen by each patrol to set up camp, erect shelters and light fires. Knives skills where practice with making tent pegs and digging sticks, which were used to pitch the shelters. Then with steel and flints provided for the ignition system for fire all the tinder and kindling was collected by the Scouts with feather/fire stick coming in to their own to start their cooking fires. Once sufficient fire wood was collected supplies were provided of chicken, vegetables, along with fruit, biscuits and chocolate buttons as a desert. After a hearty meal, a game of Manhunt was in order until dusk, where all retreated to their shelters for the night.
Sunday fires were rekindled and breakfast cooked, and then for tutorials on First-Aid, Water Purification, Signalling and Hygiene prior to clearing away, ensuring that all that remained was foot print, and good memories.
The Scout Survival Badge was presented, along with an emergency whistle and para-cord bracelet already for knotting.
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.
After a few years off, we assembled a team of 5 Scouts and 8 Explorers who had completed the NSRA YPS target shooting course to once again compete at the National Scout Rifle Championships at NSRA Bisley. We were once again blessed with good weather and a good pitch location. Below are a few pictures from the weekend.
