May Camp 2015 (Croft-on-Tees)

On a slightly rainy Friday 15th May, our group departed to Croft-on-Tees for the second year running. When we got there, the estate manager kindly brought all the equipment and personal kit through into the field where we would stay for the duration of the weekend. Despite the random bursts of rain as we were erecting the campsite, we managed to get everything done swiftly thanks to Liam and Maverick’s tent pitching advice: "if it's not a right angle, it's a wrong angle".

After sausage rolls and assorted pastries for supper, the Scouts and Seniors continued pitching kitchens and wood collecting before bed.


After a 7:30am start on Saturday morning, fires were lit and morning flag break commenced. Bacon sandwiches were cooked and eaten as the Scouts and Seniors prepared for the arrival of the Beaver colony and the two Cub packs later on that morning.

Inspection took place shortly after breakfast during which Erika spoke some words of wisdom: “If you need to keep someone’s feet on the ground, you need to put responsibility on their shoulders”.

Shortly after inspection, that's when we heard the shouting and screaming of small children - and we knew the Cubs and Beavers had arrived. We all gathered around the flag where Alec Llewellyn, leader-in-charge, welcomed everybody to camp and where there was a going-up ceremony for members moving up to the next section.

The Cubs and Beavers were then split into three teams: Maddie's Mammoths (the best team), Maverick's Monkeys, and Liam's Loch Ness Monsters (the worst team) to compete in a number of relays including running, jumping, hopping, skipping and taking your entire team there and back holding hands. A game of three way football followed afterwards.

During this time, the Scouts cooked up a lunch of sausages, beans and bread rolls which Tuesday night Cub Elliot described as "very enjoyable". The Cubs and Beavers then got a visit from the game keepers who brought their dogs. Some Scouts hid a scented item in the field and the dog had to find it. However, when it was clear that the dogs wouldn’t find it Neil quoted "Well done!! The Scouts have broken the dog".

A game of tug of war followed where Maddie's Mammoths triumphed. Shortly after, the young visitors returned home after a very enjoyable day in camp. A Scout and Senior game of non-stop cricket was played to relax after a busy day looking after the Cubs and Beavers. Tea that night was spaghetti bolognese with apple pie for pudding.

Later that evening, we all gathered in the Senior kitchen for a campfire. Traditional campfire songs were sung such as: ‘Campfire’s Burning’, ‘The Great American Railway’, ‘Cow Kicked Nelly’ and ‘In the Quartermaster’s Stores (behind the door)’ and also some less traditional ones such as a mashup of ‘I Like the Flowers’, ‘Merrily-Sing-the-Donkey’, ‘John Brown’ ft. ‘Ging Gang Goolie’. After all the singing, we fell asleep.


We awoke early on Sunday morning for a breakfast of bacon grill and vegetable omelettes. Inspection was very quick and afterwards everyone helped to put down tents, dismantle kitchens and return unused wood to the forest. Camp soup was for lunch which had been cooking all morning.

Once everything was packed away, the estate manager arrived with his trailer to take equipment up to the van and we all made our way back to the HQ.

Written by Maddie Simpson - the least smelly Senior