Greville Summer Camp - Dorset 2011
23 Jul 2011
By Sam
Our summer camp this year was in an amazing location a mile from the coast in Dorset. When we arrived at the site we got into our patrols, Falcons, Panthers and Lions. We worked together in our patrols for our camp competition where we were awarded points based on inspections, behaviour, meals and various other things.We set up camp by pitching the tents and creating various gadgets that would help us during the week such as a saw horse and a dresser for the washing up. We got to bed and got a good night's sleep (well some people did!).
On Sunday we finished setting up camp and then after lunch we walked down to the beach at Charmouth, through a field of very inquisitive bullocks. At the beach people went fossil hunting and most of us went in the sea up to our knees. We went back to the site and cooked our evening meal. Before bed we played a big game of rounders on the sloping field next to our site.
On Monday we cooked our breakfast as we did every morning on camp. Andrew and John took half the troop and made a zip wire that had some initial problems as James Ward will know. Chris took the other half and built a dam in the stream that ran through the site that made the stream 3 feet deeper. Both groups were swapped over and they finished off each others projects. People then swam in the pool and the rest went on the zip wire. Then a few of us chose to go on a river walk half way down to the sea and back.
The next day we drove in the minibus down to Weymouth. Half of us went exploring and the others went on a jet boat. We then swapped over saw lots of mad people tomb stoning, although some of us nearly missed our boat trip as the bridge started lifting just as we were about to cross.
On Wednesday we went for a hike up to Golden Cap and had our lunch at the bottom. On the way back most of us went for a swim in the sea. We then went back to site in mid afternoon to prepare for our presentation meal. Panthers chose a Mexican theme and all wore sombreros, my patrol, Lions, chose a 'stranded on a cannibalistic island' theme and Falcons had fruit as their theme.
On Thursday we went to Bovington Tank museum in the morning. Then we went to Splash Down in Poole (I think we enjoyed it much more than the leaders!).
On the last night we had a BBQ with Fetcham who we'd done activities with at their camp (in the field next to us). Each patrol performed a song that they'd practiced earlier in the week around the campfire. The campfire included a barbecue; our songs, plum duff and many guests including all of the Fetcham leaders.
On the Saturday we packed up our camps and gathered around the flagpole to hear who the winner was, which turned out to be my patrol Lions, with Falcons in second place and Panthers in third.
Overall it was a great camp, we all had a lot of fun and we're really looking forward to next year which will be just as much fun.
Pictures to follow shorlty
Submitted: 22 Oct 2011
1stbookhamscouts.org.uk)