The Scouts get up to many exciting things. One of the most exciting is when they get to sleep out overnight. Whether that is at a full blown camp or just, like this one, a one-night stay at our local cricket field.
 |
| Sleeping (!) facilities are up |
Things got underway with the putting up of tents! Three tents, two for the boys in the troop and one for the girls in the troop, were soon put up (well done to the girls for being the first tent up - despite their being fewer girls than boys! Maybe the phrase is true about too many cooks spoiling the broth etc!) and the rest of the night's activities could begin.
First up was to get the fires lit! That's right - fire! That attractor of all scouts! It's strange how in all my years of Scouting the attraction of fire to scouts has never diminished! They all want to stand around it, stare into it, prod it with a stick or put bits of rubbish on it! But with the fires lit it was time to start the 'Camp Doughnuts'. With a recipe that will remain a secret (you will need to come and help on camp if you want to know the secret!), the scouts quickly mastered the art and were soon tucking into jam or chocolate camp doughnuts.
 |
| Scouts and fire! Cooking the camp doughnuts. |
 |
| Camp Doughnuts on the go... |
Then, still licking the sugar off their fingers, the scouts had a quick 'wide game' before the next part of their camp cookery - a demonstration of cooking in hay! A pot of porridge was prepared and slightly started, and then the pot was placed inside a box of hay and covered and then left overnight. I'm no scientist and I would struggle to give you the finer details but basically the porridge cooks from the heat generated by the hay.
Then, after a quick drink, it was time for the scouts to go to bed. Now, usually on a camp the scouts are very excited on the first night - so a little bit of late night chatter is accepted. But this night was different! At about 3.45am, (some of!) the leaders were woken by a couple of scouts stating that that they were going home!!! Bags packed... all ready to go! And virtually every other scout awake as well!!! At 3.45am!!! Once they had been sent back to bed, the leaders were now wide awake! So fuelled on a diet of coffee, they kept sentry, making sure every scout stayed in their tent until the required get up time of 7am!
When morning came, it was time for breakfast. But this was to be no ordinary breakfast for the scouts. It was to be a 'backwoods' breakfast. In scouting, 'backwoods' is a term used for cooking on a fire when you have no utensils or pans etc. So the scouts were cooking sausage, bacon and beans in tin foil envelopes place in the embers of the fires from the previous evening. And they all seemed very pleased with the outcome! And then it was time to try the hay cooked porridge.... hmmm... not as warm as it could be. But it was certainly cooked!
 |
| Porridge?! Cooked in HAY!!!??? |
Then it was time to drop the tents - trying to avoid the oncoming rain (it's a nightmare having to dry tents before we put them away!!)! With tents quickly dropped, their was still time for a spot of pioneering. So, in groups, the scouts made their own camp tripods (that can be used for holding kettles or pans over a fire etc) using hitches and lashings.
 |
| "So that bit of rope goes under here... and then over there..." |
As 11 o clock neared, it was time for parents to pick up their tired scouts. And with them all gone - it was then time for the leaders to finish clearing up before heading home. Most of those leaders spent the day either dropping off or struggling to keep their eyes open!
Assistant Cub Leader
www.224manchesterscouts.co.uk
