The Scout Group has been very busy over the past couple of months, applying for grants to enable the perches of much needed camping equipment. The reason for this is partly due to the success of our expanding Cub Pack, and the lack of sufficient equipment to enable them to go camping. But also because of our success in scouting standards, and our continued achievements in both Cubs, and Scouts, other groups in the Wyre arrear want to use our facilities. This has resulted in 1st Gt Eccleston, to some existent becoming a centre of excellence in scouting skills. So in order for us to provide our services for other groups, and to improve the quality of experience for our own members, we had to expand our equipment. For some time we have wanted to perches a tepee, because it must be every young persons dream of camping in one of these, and living like an Indian? Well 1^st Gt Eccleston now have two, and a number of young people have already realised their dreams, both Cubs and Scouts.

BACK WOODS WEEK END

After being offered the use of a wood by a local landowner, the scouts used the opportunity to practice their back woods cooking, and camping skills. Once more we were able to use part of a grant to perches new equipment including 10 bashers to sleep under, cooking pots and pans etc. During the camp it was decided to split the Scouts into to smaller groups (Patrols) and to let them do all there own site preparation and cooking. Myself and Alan, our new assistant Scout Leader set up our camp, far enough away as not to intrude on them, but close enough to be able to help if they wanted, we also had two of our young Leaders camping close by to help. Each Patrol was given a large waterproof sheet, to use as a kitchen shelter, and all the cooking was to be done on fires, which had to be lit with flints. The first meal was fish with vegetables; each patrol was given a trout and a herring, which had to be cooked in foil.

It wasn’t what they were cooking that was important, it was what they had to do to cook it, from gathering the wood, to cleaning up at the end they all had to work as a team, and there’s no better way to learn were food really comes from, than having to gut and clean a fish. For tea they had corned beef ash, and once again each Patrol was given the raw ingredients separately, but they decided to work together and do one big pot, which we were told was really nice. Its not all work because after tea they played a wide game, finished of by roosting marshmallows over the fire and telling jokes before going to bed, or should I say going to sleep on the ground under a waterproof sheet? Up early next morning at 6.00 gather and chop wood, make the fire, have breakfast, clean up, make some gadgets etc and prepare lunch, sausage casserole and freshly baked bread over the fire delicious. Obviously there was a bit more to the camp than just that, but the mane thing was everybody learnt some thing, and will carry the memories for many a year. But best of all they all enjoyed it, and for one young man it was his first night away from home.

COUNTY RALLY

Things were a bit different this year at County Rally because unlike other years, this time it was held during the same weekend as the Lord Darby Regional Scout skill competition. We all look forward to this camp because it marks the beginning of the Scout year, with well over 800 Scouts attending from all over the County, besides its one of the best camps the scouts attend with the emphasis being on fun. They had decided to take one of the tepees to camp in, and also use it as an opportunity to try out our new dinning shelter, and cooking equipment. Another advantages to this camp is, you can put the tents up the day before, so when you get there on the first night there’s no tents or equipment to unload and set up. We had nine scouts camping with six going to the Lord Derby competition held in Cumbria on the Saturday.

Normally the first night is usually spent getting thing ready, and deciding who, and what activities we are going to attend? During the weekend there are knockout games of volleyball and tug-of-war, with other things including archery, shooting, mountain biking, assault course run offs, cooking, chess, and even a sedan-chair race not to mention all manner of fun activities etc. But this year because we were representing West Lancashire the following day, and leaving only three Scouts on site it meant they were unable to do any of the team activities, because they were for teams of six, the others had the eliminators during the Saturday so the only people doing them on the Sunday were the ones that had got through. Fortunately there were other things to do but somehow it took the edge off it this year, nevertheless everybody enjoyed themselves. The Patrol that represented the County in the Scout skills competition came third just one point behind second, well done Fox Patrol third in the North West of England.

The Acorn Challenge

Earlier in the year 1^st Gt Eccleston represented Wyre District Scouts, in the County Scout skills competition the Acorn Challenge, having qualified by winning the Collins Trophy the year before.

As with other years they would be competing against some of the best Scouts in the County which meant they would have to draw on all the Scout skills learnt over the past months practising if they were to win. The competition consists of different Scout bases designed to test them on a range of skills, loosely based on First Aid, Survival, Pioneering and Orienteering. This year it was, in their words more interesting, with them having to do a lot more hands on bases to test their practical skills, rather than just answering questions. What they like about this type of thing is, you not only get the opportunity to test the Patrols Scouting knowledge, but also their ability to work as a team, and it’s an ideal way of learning new skills. Another interesting thing is seeing how other Leaders teach their Scouts, and learning different ways to do things. Again this year we had a very young team with a couple of the Scouts having only just been invested (joined) but despite this we came first for the seventh time, that’s not bad for a small group like 1^st Gt Eccleston.

District Camping Competition

Once more 1^st Great Eccleston Scouts put a Patrol in for competition weekend, hopeing to do as well as last year and bring back five trophies, but most of all being a young Patrol they wanted to test their Scouting ability. As with previous years they had spent a number of weeks preparing and practising, but this time because some of the Scout attending had not been with the group for that long, so they would have to work extra hard if they were to do well, because they would be up against older and more experienced Scouts in the other Patrols competing. Its not an easy compotation to compete in, because during the week end they would be tested on a number of things apart from their overall camping ability, all theses things would test their Scout skills and more, because there would be tests for cooking a three-course meal, Backwoods skills, the best spare time activity, And a Trophy for the Scout with the best Scouting spirit during the camp, but for some unknown reason this year, without telling the Scouts they had decided not to award the tent-pitching trophy, leaving a total of six scouting trophies to compete for. Each Patrol is given a place to put up their camp, and then from the word go the judges are watching their every move, including periodic inspections of tents and equipment. They have to cook all their meals, and provide a balanced menu and cleaning/activity rota for the weekend, and keep to it. So the first thing they have to do on the Friday night after unpacking, is put up all the tents and unpack and stow all the equipment in preparation for the flowing morning. Saturday they start by making their breakfast during which, and before, they continue to prepare their camp, next is the first competition were they have to complete seven scout bases in-between make their lunch. Later apart from continuing with the site preparation they have to cook a three-course meal of their choice for seven. After that it’s the turn of the more theatrical ones to perform a campfire sketch or song, before super and more camp cleaning etc, and then to bed, but not before a final inspection by the PL and ALP. (Patrol Leader & assistant Patrol Leader) Sunday up early, continue preparing the site whilst making breakfast, and gadgets this year in the rain, then off to cook dinner on an open fire by the river without utensils. Return and start packing up whilst trying not to look tired and keeping smiling, finally the presentation and back to the Scout Hut to unpack, before going home for a bath and sleep not necessarily in that order. Well how did they do, the biggest surprise was they came second in the overall camping, but first in the scout skills, first in the three course meal cooking, first in the Back woods, and once again Lauren was awarded best Scout at camp, the first girl to win it last year and this year the first person to win it twice. Well don Gt Eccleston

Another day on the television

Once more the Scouts were on the Granada news with Fred Talbert, this time demonstrating how they became the World record holders after building a trebuchet with a power output of 170.8kgm or 1,240lbft. Fred could not believe his eyes when he first saw the eight meter tall trebuchet, it’s difficult to describe what something so big really looks like over the phone, and when we told him that not only did it work, but it was capable of throwing a small bag of sand over 70 meters he could hardly wait to see it in action.

We all had a great time including Fred re-enacting that record braking throw, but during the demonstration we managed to break the original projectile, so hastily we had to make a replacement. Unknown to us at the time it was slightly lighter than the first one, resulting in it (to the horror of Fred, and the camera man) going that bit further. Wanting to get a shot of the projectile coming towards them, they placed themselves at a safe distance away in relation to where the first projectile landed, and started filming. But to our horror it continued in its flight beyond the expected point of impact! you should of seen the look on there faces.