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Halloween Camp at Crawfordsburn 2024

A small party of scouts met at Sydenham train station for the early service to Helen’s Bay. From there they made the short hike to Crawfordsburn scout centre carrying rucksacks, sleeping bags and no small supply of sweets. They were greeted by the leader party who immediately set them to work erecting their tents, fire shelters and digging out fire pits for the weekend’s camp fires.

Scouts were divided into 3 patrols, snow leopards, wolverines and honey badgers which provided a mix of experienced campers and first timers affectionately known as “grots”. The premise of team work is essential and skills are acquired throughout the camp, whether that’s keeping wood supplies stocked and kit dry or cooking a chicken korma on an open fire.

For teenage scouts, good grub on a cold and often wet weekend is essential for energy as well as comfort and the fire pit is the heart best of a good patrol and a good camp.

Along with the activities provided on site such as the zip line, climbing wall, abseiling, crate stacking etc essential axe skills are taught which will ensure safe use for future camps.

The chatter of scouts sitting round an evening campfire, whittling wood and telling tales of camps before is the lifeblood of new friendships with lads whom they don’t live beside or go to school with, but will carry the memories of a weekend in the forest as part of their passage to adulthood. The leaders young and not so young have the blessing of being able to influence and shape those lives and attitudes through scouting in the way Baden Powell intended.

Iain
Scoutmaster
4th and 24th Belfast Scouts
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