District Camp 2005

The Group joined the District for this year’s District Camp, which was held on the first weekend of June at the Dilston Scout Campsite, halfway between Hexham and Corbridge.

The camp was attended by around 93 young people and 25 adults, who took part in a fun weekend of activities.

On the Saturday morning, half of the camp went on a 2½ hour walk through the woods to the west of the site, where the Cubs in particular were fascinated by the giant nests of wood ants. Those left on site took part in a range of activities which included raft building for Scouts, miniature raft building for Cubs, obstacle course, backwoods cooking, branding on both wood and leather, and a range of games.

On the afternoon the groups swapped around with those who had done the hike in the morning trying the on site activities and visa versa.

After time for evening meal, everyone assembled on the field for the tug of war competition, with all the young people taking part. This was followed by a campfire to round of the evening.
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The Sunday morning saw us all involved in the Its A Knockout competition. After lunch it was nearly time to pack everything up to go home, but there was just time to fit in the Cubs miniature raft race. A team of Leaders got all the craft onto the river and everyone watched from the riverbank and the field to see which craft was first to make it under the bridge. Downstream of the bridge a barrier across the river prevented the lollypop stick, cork, and pop bottle craft from escaping, while more Leaders recovered them onto the riverbank. With nearly everything down and packed up the weekend was finished off with a short Scouts Own and closing ceremony at 3pm. ______________________________________________ #

Summer 2005 at Bowley

The 9th Scouts had a joint summer camp with the 5th Troop at East Lancashire’s County Campsite, ‘Bowley’, at Great Harwood between Clitheroe and Blackburn. #

The party departed Darlington on 13 August and drove down past Harrogate and Skipton in continuous lashing rain, which was still with us when we arrived at the campsite; oh the luxury of a covered area to unload everyone into.
On the first evening we took the Scouts on a walk around the 37 acre site, so that everyone could find their way around, and the site had a campfire. After the fire, some of the site staff offered to take the Scouts on a walk around the area.
On the Sunday the Scouts went off in Patrols to try the short ‘Yellow’ orienteering course, which still seemed to take them quite a while. Later they were involved in pioneering, with half building a swing, and half working on camp gates.

Monday had the Scouts split into two groups for onsite activities, and took part in air rifle shooting, archery, and used one of the site’s two assault courses. On Tuesday morning we were up for an early breakfast, and then loaded up to head off for Horton in Ribblesdale. Here we met up with instructors from ‘Alternative Adventure Services’, and then continued a few miles further north to the cave system at ‘Long Churn’. The Scouts were split into Patrols and were taken down different parts of the system, each party accompanied by a Leader and an instructor. Some of the Scouts were rather wet by the time they got back out, having waded through underground streams. They had also squeezed through a really small space known as the cheese press.

Wednesday was our backwoods cooking day, with work being done on saws and fires, and lunch then being cooked on woodfire. After lunch, two camp ovens belonging to the 21st were set up on the fires and used to bake our own bread. This was also probably the hottest day of the week with the sun beating down on the campsite. On the Wednesday evening we drove to Foulridge near Colne where we spent the evening on the Leeds Liverpool Canal with the ‘Pendle Paddlers Canoe Club’. The Scouts and Leaders took to the water in both kayaks and canadian canoes, with instruction from the club coaches. Everyone had a really great time, even those of us who took an involuntary swim.

Thursday was another early start as we again had to meet instructors from ‘Alternative Adventure Services’, this time in Gisburn Forest. This was for two half-day activities, with the scouts split into two groups and alternating between gorge walking and mountain biking. Having split up into the groups and getting sorted out with equipment we set of to have fun. The gorge walking group had a 15 minute walk through the forest, the last 5 minutes being off path dropping down through scrubby woodland into the valley of the Bottoms Beck. Walking up the beck brought us to a waterfall and plunge pool, where an aerial ropeway was set up above the pool. The party had to climb the side of the waterfall, and then come back over on the ropeway. The activity was finished off by jumping from the base of the fall into the plunge pool. The mountain bikers rode a 6 mile course around the forest on tracks and paths, greatly enjoyed by the Leaders who were beating the Scouts up the hills.

On the Friday morning we took all of the Scouts to the Pendle Ski Club, where the Scouts enjoyed a 2 hour private training session with the club instructors. Many of the Scouts had never been on skis before so the training started off from the basics, and by the end of the lesson they were all happily zipping down the nursery slope. Friday afternoon saw us back on the campsite where the 3 Patrols rotated around the climbing and abseiling tower, the orienteering course, and sorting out their personal kit ready for Saturday’s departure. The orienteering made use of the ‘Orange’ course, the longest course, chosen by the Scouts.

The climbing tower had a short climbing route, a longer climb to the very top, and an abseil back from the top for all those who had made it there. On the Saturday morning it was all hands to break camp, with kitchen and eating areas to clean down, and equipment to pack up and get loaded onto vehicles. Then it was goodbye to our resident swallows nesting in the roof of the dining area and away we went. We stopped off at Skipton where we took a short break to eat lunch and to allow the Scouts a short walk around and to pick up a few presents for home. Then a last run got us back to Darlington for around tea time. A busy, tiring, but brilliant week!!!

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Switzerland here we come!

Scouts from the 9th Troop joined others from around Darlington for a weekend at Commondale on the North Yorkshire Moors during the last weekend of October. These were the people forming the party for the District's trip to the International Scout Centre at Kandersteg in Switzerland during the summer of 2006. As well as sharing a few activities over the weekend with others who are going on the trip, they were involved in planning for the things they want to do during the 2 weeks in Switzerland. ______________________________________________ #

District Cub Camp 2006

Raven Gill
Commondale
April 28th to 30th 2006

On the last weekend of April a party of 72 Cubs, a large number of Leaders, Section Assistants and Fellowship members, a number of Young Leaders, and a few Scouts thrown in for good measure, came together for an active weekend at Cleveland County’s Raven Gill Campsite.

With the Training Centre being out of action, leaving the Jubilee Centre as the only indoor accommodation, a lot more people were under canvas than in previous years.

Most of the tentage had been erected earlier in the day by advance parties of Leaders, so things were ready when the Cubs arrived, for them to move straight in. Once everyone was settled into their accommodation, Cubs were taken on a familiarisation walk around the site so they knew where everything was. The evening finished with an in the dark string trail and supper, before it was time for Cubs to go to bed.
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On the Saturday morning the whole camp was swiftly breakfasted by the camps excellent catering team, then it was drive to get all the Cubs ready for a walk to Danby Lodge visitors centre. Lunch was delivered to Danby Lodge, where the Cubs had a play in the grounds and had a look around the visitors centre displays, and tried building a dry stone wall. The whole party was then returned to Commondale by train. #

Whilst all the youngsters where off site a number of Leaders, and Young Leaders had remained behind to set up things for the evening.

After returning to camp the Cubs were split into small groups, to start activities. Some of these fitted in with the ‘Knights Away’ theme of the weekend, with jousting, knocking down the castle, and a balance beam with pillow fight, along with branding and backwoods cooking.

The evening continued with our medieval banquet, costumed of course, by the end of which quite a few Cubs were starting to nod-off over the table, and where quickly ushered off to bed. The campfire was quickly cut down to just a few songs for those still awake, before they too went off to bed.

After breakfast on Sunday, the Cubs continued with activities during the morning, with some time being given over to the packing of bags. Before lunch the Cubs where all taken off-site to visit Commondale’s resident falconer, where they were told about the various falcons, hawks and owls. One of the birds was then flown, with Tina from the 13th being volunteered to work with the falconer. Before returning to the site, the Cubs were all introduced to a magnificent owl (see Newsletter front photo).

While the Cubs had been off-site with a number of the Leaders, it had given other Leaders a chance to pack up lots of the tentage and equipment. After lunch the last bits and pieces of packing were dealt with, and owners hunted for the items of lost property, before Cubs were handed back to parents in the middle of the afternoon.

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Kandersteg 2006

In the summer of 2006 our Scouts joined others from the District on a trip to the Kandersteg International Scout Centre in Switzerland. During the 2 weeks stay we took part in lots of activities. Take a look at the District's website for more info: District Kandersteg Trip

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District Camp 2006

Our Cubs and Scouts joined others from around the District on a brilliant weekend at the District Camp held over the weekend of 15 – 17 September, on Barneybeck Campsite at Redmire in Wensleydale.

Tents were set up throughout the Friday, with a few beating the rush and appearing on the Thursday evening, with the Cubs and Scouts arriving on the Friday evening in a fleet of coaches from Darlington.

The weekend was greatly helped by the wonderful weather. Saturday was misty for a lot of the day, but still warm, whist Sunday started of with a mist early on the morning which soon cleared leaving a red-hot and sunny day. In fact it was that sunny that hats, sun cream and lots to drink were the order of the day.

During Saturday there were a series of bases, each of 1¼ hours. Cub bases covered kite making, mini pioneering, communications, and a scavenger hunt walk. Scouts had bases working on pioneering, tent pitching, first aid, fires, and orienteering.

On the Saturday evening a really fun campfire was held; built by Ian Walley (complete with automatic fire lighting), led by Ken Dunne, and with lots of contributions of songs and sketches from the different Groups.

Sunday morning was spent on fun and games, with Cubs having a water slide, parachute game, giant 10 pin bowling (with human pins provided by the Young Leaders), and a football relay obstacle course, whilst the Scouts took part in a volleyball tournament. The afternoon was given over to dropping tents and striking camp, before the close of camp ceremony at 3.30pm.

As soon as flags were down, all of the Cubs, Scouts, and their personal kit disappeared onto the coaches waiting at the end of the lane, and were off back to Darlington, whilst the remaining Leaders finished off the last bits of the packing of equipment and loading of trailers.

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Scouting 2007

Read about what we and the rest of Darlington have been doing for the 2007 Centenary of Scouting Celebrations: Darlington 2007

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