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Summer 2006
This term saw us honing Scouting skills as well as Zodiac camping.
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Thursday 20th April 2006 : First meeting of term
Our
first meeting of term started with a meeting where we had to design a
poster meant to entice new members to the Unit or to Scouting. Time out
was taken for individuals to check up on Award progress and camping
records.
28th - 29th April 2006 : Night at Fordell Firs
Six
Explorers and Alan spent Friday night at Fordell Firs. We had met on
Thursday when Alan sent us off to buy food, which we did well within
budget! We arrived on the Friday evening and decided that we would all
(except Alan) sleep in the 'cave complex'. We then played frisbee and
hung around until supper time, after which Alan sent us all to bed! It
was a pretty uncomfortable night and it was interesting to wake up to total
darkness - it is surprising how much light there is in a tent in the
dead of night. On the Saturday, we got up, had flag break and cleared
the cleared the caves of sleeping bags and so on before exploring in
the caves for a while. Then we had brunch and were picked up to go home
at around lunch time.
Thursday 4th May 2006 : Scouting skills - pioneering models
The
evening started with Alan introducing David to us. He and his family
have just moved up from Cheshire and where he was an Explorer Scout
Leader with the Tsunami Explorer Scout Unit. We then divided into three
teams and instructed to design and build towers using garden canes and
sisal. Some training was required on square lashings! Towers were
judged on aesthetic quality, stability, quality of lashings and
similarity to the original design. Niall's group were clear winners.
Thursday 11th May 2006 : Scouting skills - tents and camping
We
were locked out of the halls to begin with, so Alan threw us some tents
to try pitching on the lawn in front of the church. We then went inside
and pitched the three-man tents. Alan showed us the design of his tent
and then we were told to design our own and make models of them with
cloth, needle and thread. The boys designed a covered hammock and the
girls a fancy frame tent with sleeping areas to either side.
Thursday 25th May 2006 :
Thursday 1st June 2006 :
[to be completed]
Thursday 8th June 2006 :
Thursday 15th June 2006 :
[to be completed]
Thursday 22nd June 2006 :
[to be completed]
Thursday 29th June 2006 :
[to be completed]
30th June - 1st July 2006 : Camp on the coast at Kingsbarns
Five
Explorers and four leaders (Alan, Mop, David and Ian) left Braid Centre
on Friday evening, two plus Ian off to Longcraig (where Ian was on duty
that evening) for some kayaking, the rest over the Bridge to Fife.
First stop was the TESCO store in Dunfermline, where all the
necessaries for the weekend were bought and then up to Kingsbarns where
we pitched camp. Then down to the beach where we gathered wood and lit
a fire on the shore, partially to keep warm in the wind and partially
to discourage the millions of sand flies that inhabited little holes in
the sand. The fire was beginning to die when the others appeared, so it
was revived and the leaders made hot drinks for everyone.
In the morning, Mop left while we went off in the kayaks, in two shifts
of four, paddling down the coast, swapping over boats at sea and
paddling back again, exploring the rocks (though not too closely) en
route. Once all the tents were packed away and the kayaks stowed, we
made our way back to Edinburgh.
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