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Summer Camp 1999 - Brecon |
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The Diary of Our Scout Leader The following was written by our Scout Leader, Simon: September 1998 PLC [Patrol Leaders Council] decide that they would like to go to Wales for the camp. October 1998 Go to Brecon and visit the farmer to see if site we used in 1994 was available. It was. Booked site. Write letter to all Scouts / parents, explaining details of camp, and starting of payment scheme (£15 per month). First Payment, deposit, due. Scouts to make a payment every month. December 1998 Confirm with other leaders / instructors who will be able to help on camp. January 1999 Try & Book Mini buses. February 1999 Look for instructors for Climbing & Abseiling, Gorge Walking and Pony Trekking April 1999 With Bob Weingarth & Adam Baker (SPL) Visit site, plus check facilities in local area. Bank, Supermarkets, etc. Book Swimming Pool. Pay deposit for Pony Trekking. Try and find someone to do Climbing and Abseiling as problems with person used in past who does not hold Scout Association Certificate. May 1999 Arrange for an Home Contact for camp. Complete Scout Association PC [Permission to Camp] Send of to District, with a copy of outline programme. Arrange with Group Treasurer to set up cheque cashing facility at local bank. June 1999 Receive permission from the DC in local area, alright to hold camp, arrange insurance for Cox Green School mini bus (£190) Book Lorry for equipment. Ask parents for help driving lorry. Arrange Van for shopping at Cash & Carry. Sent out Medical forms to all Scouts/Leaders, receive final payments for camp. (A record everyone going paid by the first Week in June) Start production of camp book, (Over fifty copies produced). Book contains details of camp. (30+ pages!). Friday 9th July PLC (Patrol Leader Council), to sort out final details and Patrols. 11th, 12th, 14th, 17th & 18th July Camping equipment in a real mess, try and sort it out, with help from PL's, APL's and various helpers. Problems finding some items!!!! Wednesday 14th July With Richard Noden (Who offered to help!), day at Cash & Carry, spent approx £1,300 on food etc. Friday 16th July Final details given to Scouts, answer Scouts/Parents questions on camp. Monday 19th July Scouts bring personal Equipment to Hall, Adam Baker (SPL) collects in pocket money. With help from Chris Page & her son Phillip, bind all the camp booklets - takes over four hours. Tuesday 20th July 12 noon due to meet up with John Bannerman, to give cash to for fresh food, plus details of collecting mini Bus. Finally get hold of John at 1.30pm his was on way to hospital with suspected appendicitis. Panic need to find another driver(s) to drive mini bus to Brecon, plus buy fresh food etc. After a lot of phone calls found two volunteers to drive mini buses. Phill Bristow could help us out from tomorrow to Sat 24th, then Barry Palmer could help us out from Mon 26th to Frid 30th. Next problem neither had the local authority Mini Bus Cert or were insured to drive the mini buses. Phoned DC, Scout Association HQ Information Centre, DC, County Secretary, DC and managed to get special permission for them to drive the Mini Bus. (Both experienced drivers of mini buses). Then contacted insurance company got additional drivers forms FAX to me, completed and returned. Contacted Tony Vickery TC's Trading Company who agreed to help out with purchasing extra items of food including milk and fresh meat. Spoke to Alison Bannerman, John was being operated on (Tues Eve). She had arranged for the collection or John's Food preparation equipment. Collected them this evening. Spoke to BoB Weingarth who agreed to look after the Food at camp and take on the role as Food QM. Finally get home at 11pm to start doing own packing and a few hours sleep, after sorting out a flood. Wednesday 22nd July 9am collect fresh produce from local shops etc. 10.30am go to collect van, load with food and personal gear. 11.30am the insurance company agreed to insure Phill Bristow & Barry Palmer to drive the mini bus. 12noon Adam Gurr and Kerry Baker arrived with lorry. Scouts who had finished school loaded lorry very efficiently, with help from Mark & Matt Weingarth. Managed to get 99% equipment in. When all older Scouts arrived depart at 2pm. (Must be a recorded the lorry was loaded before the departure time) BoB arrived with Cox Green Mini Bus, departed. Stopped at Seven Bridge Services. Took a short cut to site, lorry had missed the site entrance Richard Noden had to reverse half mile down lane. Lorry turned around in field, slight mishap. Arrive at site at 6.30pm. PL's organised and pitched marquees and Mess tents. Cooked Supper. Bed. Thursday 24th July Younger Scouts arrived at 1.30am. Phill Bristow driving St Marys School Mini Bus, had several problems including exhaust falling off. Patrols set up their sites. Friday 24th July BoB does Full Kit inspection - finds odd pack lunch buried in personal gear. PL's organise training. Afternoon Dam steam on West side of site - get a 7ft deep pool. Evening PL's dinner cooked by BoB. APL's in charge of patrol and organize their Patrols to cook evening Meal. Graham Stroud (Troop Instructor) and Pete Smith (Venture Leader) arrives to help with Day Hike up Pen-Y-Fan tomorrow. At flag down get court out by a surprised visit from Maidenheads District Commissioner Jane Taylor who had arrive to present me with the Bar to the Long Service Award. SPL's organize Wide Game. Saturday 25th July Morning Flag Break Chris Corbitt celebrated his eleven birthday. Mum had made large cookie, enough for every one in camp to have a piece. Younger Scouts leave for day Hike up Pen-Y-Fan. Older Scouts set off on overnight hike, and camp out on other side of Pen-Y-Fan. Younger Scouts returned in evening, had central evening meal. Sunday 26th July Younger Scout Central breakfast before doing personal training - Scouting skills. Weather rather foggy. Older Scouts returned from their overnight hike. Afternoon Spare Time Challenges, before Scouts Own Service, plus group photo. Evening Camp Fire. Monday 27th July Barry Palmer and Robert Harris arrive with mini bus to help at rest of camp. Day Gorge Walking at Dinas Rock, and swimming at Loonies Leap. Evening Wide Game organised by PL's. Tuesday 28th July Morning - Older Scouts Pony Trekking, Younger Scouts - personal training. Afternoon - younger Scouts Pony Trekking. PL's and APL's go into Brecon to do Shopping for Cooking Competition. Each Patrol produces a three course meal within a £16 budget. Rebecca Godfrey arrived to judge Cooking Competition, with Richard Noden. Winners Swifts PL Kevin Yearley. Wednesday 29th July Morning Camp Sports including Water Relay. Afternoon PL's Trading Post, with APL's in charge of Patrols. Evening While Scouts Cooking their Evening meal were visited by Brecon's Camping advisor to inspect the Camp. (All Scout Camp are inspected by the local District, this is to keep the camping standards high). After Supper - Camp Fire. Thursday 30th July Morning Visit to Brecon & Swimming pool, afternoon take down Patrol Tents. Evening BBQ. Mr & Mrs Bunce over due with lorry, send Barry to Brecon to guide them down country lanes in dark. Scouts spread out around field with torches, to guide lorry around field (Quite a sight to see forty touches directing a lorry around a large circular course). Friday 31st July Central Breakfast, break camp, load lorry, van and mini buses. Alan Bostock GSL from Furze Platt (They were camping near by), asked if we could help out and drive his car back to Maidenhead, as their Scout Leader Ray Tucker was in Hospital with appendicitis (We beat FP Again) Robert Harris agreed to drive his car. Pay farmer site fee. Bob, went in to Brecon to collect Fish & Chips for lunch. The final litter Sweep. Leave site. Get half mile away receive phone call from Barry he could not start the St Marys School Mini Bus, returned to site, found their was no water in the battery. Gave mini bus Jump start, started OK. Stopped twice on the way back due to it being very hot. Back at hall lorry unloaded slowly, so all equipment could be put away tidily. Matt Weingarth and Richard Noden announced the camp competition results (Which was a total of all the inspections, meals, cooking competition). Cobras PL Lee Baker Won. Saturday 1st August Clear and depose of any remaining food / equipment. Cox Green mini bus cleaned filled with fuel and returned to the school. August Pay remaining bills do camp accounts - over 110 receipts - spent over 5½K. Arrange for prizes for winning Patrol to be purchased & have Camp "Bill Hutt Challenge" Competition Shield engraved. 2nd September Patrol Leaders Council. Sort out with PL's where to go in 2000 . . . . They decided they would like to go to Cornwall Here we go again . . . . Special Thanks go to my to assistant Bob Weingarth for taking on the role of food QM at very short notice, and his help as assistant Camp Leader, Troop helpers Richard Noden and Matt Weingarth, for spending ten days at camp. Plus, GSL Rebecca Godfrey, Phill Bristow Duncon Yearley, Cub Leaders Robert Harris and Barry Palmer, Instructor Graham Stroud, Venture Leader Pete Smith, who all helped for part of the camp and Kerry Baker, Adam Gurr, Julie & Nick Bunce who helped with transport, John Bannerman for sorting out the Menu & Shopping List. Tony Vickery for helping with shopping before the camp, Derek Noden helping to repair equipment and providing the Nodddy Van John Brooker our home contact, plus everyone who helped make this years camp a success.Simon Wheeler Camp Leader
Camp Booklet - To view extracts of the Camp booklet each Scout received - click here Spare time challenges - The Spare Time Challenges were part of the activities at our Camp in Brecon. Each Scout had a copy in the Camp booklet to view the challenges - click here The Diary of Our Scout Leader - To read his diary - click here |
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