Scouts - Snow Flake Camp (JANUARY 2013)

By Jaz Lee

APL of Falcons

As we arrived at Frylands Wood there was a big surprise because we had been welcomed to an astonishing amount of snow and ice. The time we had arrived there was about midday and we had to unpack our personal luggage and the storm heavens [tents]. We all new that it might be a bit hard to carry our equipment up a small hill, what would of made even trickier was that the track was smothered in ice and we slipped up and down the path from just walking on it, let alone carry the storm heavens up. A couple of other scouts went to fetch a trailer while we were having a small snowball fight. The trailer had now been pulled to the campsite the final time we all got into our patrols and had to set up our tents. The names of our patrols are named after a species of birds, of prey, for example my patrol is called Falcons there are also Eagles, Hawk and Ravens.

Our tents were set out are personal kit were in the tent there was a fire, so the scouts aiming for their silver dragon badge went to make a fire and a bivouac I am one of those scouts aiming for that silver dragon badge. Unluckily for me I had to stay behind and make a fire with the scouts which had never gone on a camp before, so we showed them in about enough detail how to get a fire going. Another scout and I took two groups of them and showed them how to make a fire not needing to use fire lighter so the other scout  told the new scouts what bark they should collect off a tree in case your not certain yourselves it is silver birch, look it up on the internet if you haven’t heard of it before! The idea of teaching the scouts how to start a fire worked but I didn’t really work when they attempted to do it by themselves. We ended up abandoning the fire. I walked up to where the scouts aiming for their silver dragon badges were, they were in a little pyramid shaped room it’s hard to say what it actually was, but we all wanted to sleep in it so that we could complete 2 challenges in one camp. But we were told that you can only complete one challenge per camp.

Challenge: Challenges start when you are aiming for your silver badge you need to complete 12 challenges, over 12 more months of camping to get your silver dragon badge, and then you have to complete another 12 challenges over another 12 months to get your gold dragon badge.

Dragon badge: The dragon badge is one of the most rewarding scout badges, it is when you go on a camp every month of the year when you get your bronze badge to get to move onto your silver and gold you need to do a series of challenges but you have to complete them or you don’t get the next dragon badges.

We all walked back to camp to receive our food before we had to head out to the massive field to play our night activity games. Dinner was pasta and meat balls, which was prepared by the new scouts. As we finished our delicious meal, we were told to prepare for tonight night activities. The night activity could be anything from a 5 mile hike or a game that would involve physical contact for anyone who would like to join in the game. 

Tonight’s game was different to any activity I had ever done in my time of being in 4th Streatham Sea Scouts. The aim was to get to the top a huge hill which was about ½ a mile away and get back without being caught by the leaders (Sparks, Mowgli and Sub). We were put into groups of 4, and you were to stick to that group. I didn't listen to that rule and became the first scout to get to the goal on my way to the finish, I came upon two leaders. All the other scouts seemed to be, either evading or had already been caught by the leaders. As we got back to our camp it had started to rain so a lot of scouts’ first instinct to do when it rained was gets to their tent before they got drenched in the rain water. We all settled into our tent and every scout got a good night’s sleep except me because if anyone in my patrol had to get out the tent for some reason - let’s say they needed to go toilet they would have to wake me up before they got out the tent so each time someone had to go somewhere they woke me up and then when they open the door of the tent my sleeping bag would get drenched in water.

We got up in the morning about 07:45hrs we got up to see there was not a single flake of snow and ice left the Iceland had turned into a plain and very muddy land. We finished off taking the tents down and loaded them into the trailer so we could load the equipment into the mini bus. We left like we had conquered Britain. – One of the best camps yet!

Cubs Harry Potter - Xmas Trip (DECEMBER 2012)

By Isabelle Marin-Curtoud

Sixer Green Watch

On Sunday the 9^th of December, a windy day, the 4^th Streatham Cubs met at Streatham common station at 2:00 pm. We were all ready to go and we were all excited. First we all got on a train and went two stops to Clapham Junction. Then we all got on another train to Watford Junction .  When we got off we all went outside to get on the Harry Potter bus which took us there. Then we got off the bus and went into the glorious Harry Potter experience. 

We picked up our tickets and queued up in line to enter and on the way to the entrance we saw Harry’s famous cupboard under the stairs.  When you entered first you went into a massive room and it had eight different screens showing the posters for the movies in different languages . The we went into the cinema, and they showed us a Video of Harry, Ron and Hermione welcoming us, before the Cinema wall went up to reveal the door way to Hogwart's. Finn got to push the door open as it was also his birthday and then we entered the extremely famous Great hall. Then the adventure began. We entered a room with lots of different props in it like

• The floating candles,
• The door to the chamber of the secrets,
• The magical stirring spoons in the classroom of professor Snape,
• The gates of Hogwarts,
• The wigs of the famous evil Lucius Malfoy
• and the … GRIFFINDOR DORMANTRY.

 Then you went into an outside bit were you could eat and get refreshments. We had a bit of our pack lunches. There was the night bus and the flying car and the annoying Dursleys house. Then we entered the creature apartment and saw the creepy Aragog then we entered the amazing  DIOGONALLY and we saw Olivander’s wand shop and Madam Malcums robe shop . 

Then we entered the drawing bit and we saw wooden models of some of the buildings. THEN… we entered a big black room then in front of our eyes is a model of… HOGWARTS. Then we entered a room with all of the people who made the Harry Potter. Then we entered the shop and had a few minutes to look to see if we wanted to buy anything. 

Then we left the experience and got back on the Harry Potter bus. We had to wait about 45 mins for a train from Watford Junction to Clapham Junction and then we had to wait another 25 mins to get another train from Clapham Junction to Streatham Common . We all arrived home safely at 11:24pm. It was a magical day that we will not forget. 

Tramp Camp & Mess Dinner (DECEMBER 2012)

By Matthew Howard

Eagles Patrol.

We arrived at the scout hut at 8.15pm on Friday 7 December 2012 we waited for everyone to arrive than we played games including table tennis. Before we went to bed we made our camps out of cardboard, tables and rope we then laid out sleeping bags out in our camps and then we tried to get to sleep but everyone was chattering and in the middle of the night one of the camps collapsed and they had to make it again.

The next day we took our camps down and had breakfast then a couple of us went to Iceland the shop and got the food for the mess dinner. Then we took the minibus and headed to the boat house. At the boat house we got dressed in our gear and life jackets and then took the boats out of the boat house and pulled them to the river bank. We then rowed the boats to a different part of the river bank. There were lots of different boats and I rowed in 2 of them. After lunch we then towed the boats and put them in the boat house.

Later we got changed in to our full uniform and had the mess dinner which consisted of Turkey and all the trimmings and it was delicious! Later there were speeches and toasts from all of older scouts and Leaders.  Later we changed into our ‘disco clothes’ and danced the night away until our parents came and picked us up. It was epic!

Cubs Secret Nuclear Bunker Camp (NOVEMBER 2012)

By Dom Walker (aged 10)
Grey Watch

When we arrived on Saturday afternoon we went into the bunker through a tunnel made from corrugated metal like a bomb shelter. We went on a tour of the bunker, outside it was like a farm or a common and it was in the dark so I kept tripping over and got covered in mud. We walked over a bridge into the night. It was weird because I had never been anywhere like this.

When we had our meal I helped to clear up. I really liked trying on uniforms including the hats of an ARP warden and a firefighter. We learnt that if a nuclear bomb is dropped the radiation would not travel more than 10 miles, and the toilets in the bunker are called heads like on a ship.

Our dormitory had dummies (mannequins) and the next room had a dummy with a bleeding knee which freaked most people out. It was like an episode of Dr Who where the dummies come alive. Some younger kids cried so we tried to make them laugh. When we were told that we could sleep in the Mess instead we all shouted ‘yes’ I was happy not to sleep with the dummies but some of the Scout leaders and older Scouts stayed in the dorm. 

After the tour of the bunker, we split into 3 groups, and went to different sections of the bunker to play some indoor wide games. The first one was having to get across the room just using bits of paper as stepping stones. The next was a radio challenge were we had to send and receive information over the radios to reproduce an shape that one half of our team could see. This was really fun. The last one was a rover game, where we had to be blind folded and lay on a skate board and go up the long secret passage way to collect items at the other end, while be directed by other members of our team. 

We went to bed at about 11pm sleeping on the floor with blankets and sleeping bags and some people were livelier than others.

Breakfast was cereal and beans or spaghetti hoops on toast – nice toast. Then we went outside to an assault course climbing on a high wooden beam, it was fun. Some people didn’t like the height but I really wanted to climb right up to the spider web. Then we went pioneering, crawling through pipes which was gross, it was wet and dark and there might have been rats.

I will always remember this trip, with relief and fondness. It is a good trip for Cubs but probably not for younger children and it would be even better without the dummies! 

Chilly Camp (NOVEMBER 2012)

Someone need to write this article please... 

Survival Camp (OCTOBER 2012)

Eleanor Pettem

A.P.L of Eagles

We arrived at the scout hall at 9:00 am on Saturday 13^th October. We left about an hour later, to go to Frylands Wood. When we got there, we put up tents straight away, ate lunch, and then did some bivouac building. I was with Harry and Ava when we did our bivouac, so Harry had to instruct us as he had a broken arm. Pretty soon, it started to pour with rain, and our bivouac fell down (the small part of it that we had made fell down). I think the other groups bivouacs were a success, and I could tell Ewan’s was, as his was right next to ours.

After the bivouacs, Estelle, Ava, Matthew and I started to cook dinner, working towards our cooking badges. We made potato and meat stuff. While we were cooking dinner, some of the P.L.’s had a go at gutting and cooking a fish. After dinner (and fish), we set some traps, and then headed towards the crater in one of the fields to play some games.

We played German Spotlights, and also a new version of man hunt. This was where a few people had to go and hide, and everyone else had to search the whole field to find them. It took quite a while to find Subs, and a few people walked right past him! When we had finished playing games, we headed back to the campfire to sing some songs, and a leader from another troop joined us.

Next morning, we ate breakfast (cooked by the same people). During the night it was very cold, later on we took down the tent, it had rained overnight, so we lay them out on a sunnier campsite so they could dry out. Then we loaded the van, packed up the tents, then headed back to Streatham. Over all lots of fun was had by all.

Great River Race (SEPTEMBER 2012)

Lewis Cox

(A.P.L of Kestrels)

On the 25^th of September the forth Streatham Sea Scouts set off on a race across London known as the Great River Race, it defiantly lives up to its name. The Scouts include: Myself, Ben, Ewan, Harry, Josh J, Johnny, Eleanor, Jake R and Mowgli as the cox. 

The Explorers (Freddie, Nathan, Mitch, Liam, Xander with Sub and Trick coxing) also took part in another one of our gigs (Thames Scout).

Friday 14th September

We arrived at the scout hall the day before and drove to the boat house, where we were briefed on the tide and safety in the boat. We went to bed early to get ready for the race (the excitement of the race kept us up a bit longer though).

Saturday 15th September

An early start, woken up with a daunting day ahead of us. This was my first GRR so I was excited to see just how the event ran. We were faced with a tire that after many hard years of tugging boats, popped into a useless layer of rubber. So with even harder determination to get this boat in the water we pulled our hardest and got the boat in and we were afloat by 07:00 hours. We had a tow by the Whaley across most of London and saw some amazing sites but in only a couple of hours we would be rowing our hardest the other way.

We arrived at the starting line. We got out the boat and looked around. They were offering free face paints so we all ended up with 4^th Streatham logo and iLTG on our faces (a lot of games were lost that day). After this the tide was rising quickly so we got back in the boat just as the last centimetres of shore were left.

The Race...

With might and determination we powered our way across the starting line and gave it all we could. It was an astonishing sight- more than 300 boats all in a small section on the Thames. Because of the fact that we were an under 14 crew up against fully grown men, women and Vikings. So we had a good head start and got to Tower Bridge before the sudden mass of boats starting flowing across the Thames for the hundreds of people on bridges to gaze down on us in awe. It was hard work. The water was all over the place and water was making our boat tip and turn. No wonder that 5 boats sunk before the race had even really begun. However in our gig we were safe.

We were making good time we were only a few minutes behind our set target. Though we were being taken over by boats left right and centre everyone had high spirits after the fist couple hours. I was surprised to see so many people in boats, one time I had to shout out to another boat as they were about to ram into our stern carelessly.

People started to get tired when we reached Putney. We were alone at this time, there were no other boats near us. We kept a steady row for a while more. We reached Richmond and we were attacked by vicious PIRATES! (Two men in a canoe and some water guns). We’d been slowly approaching this Viking boat for a while when we decided to put in some strength and overtake them. So not last but very close to last.

The tide changed on us, literally. So we had to row really hard to make any way. When we got to the last hundred metres and rowed with what little strength we had left and crossed the line. There was a massive crowd of people on the bank and it was really amazing to cross the line. It was defiantly better than I imagined. We completed the Great River Race in 5hrs 30mins and 45secs. Meaning we came third in the under 14’s class!!

The Disco

So after we got the boats docked up on the side. We went to the big marquee and had fun at the Disco. Lots of crews were in fancy dress. We danced for a couple hours, before everyone was so tired and we all went to sleep in our tents. 

Sunday 16th September

We rowed back and got the boats away at the boat house. We then headed home for a well deserved rest after a long weekend.

Thanks to the leaders for making this happen!

The Video...

Below is a video that we took of our epic journey during the race.