8th Letchworth Scout Group

We met at Tesco in Baldock late on Friday night. At 11.30pm it was already way past time to sleep but instead we were faced with 50 very excited, enthusiastic and LOUD scouts and explorers. After counting them, checking them, loading their bags and then loading them, we were ready to board the double decker coach and head off to Scotland for a week of fun and activities. They sang, they chanted, they talked and then sang again, all the way up the M1 and M6. The only thing they didn’t do was sleep! We arrived in time for breakfast and the Network (already on station- and having had a lot more sleep) took over, helped them unpack and find their way about – a day of team building activities followed giving the scouts chance to get to know the other scouts from the district who they would be with for the rest of the week.

For the next six days a routine was set. We were all up early, everyone in their activity gear ready for flag break at 8.00am. This was the start of the daily entertainment – with everyone craning their necks to see what item had been misappropriated the night before and found it’s way up the flagpole – to be revealed as the flag unfurled! The DC’s bike and the ADC’s umbrella (not really appropriate kit for a scout activity week!!!) were two of the acquisitions! The weather stone was checked to see what the day would bring then into the station for a filling breakfast

The scouts then split into their patrols and went off with their activity leaders for the day. They did day hikes in the mountains, overnight hikes and camped out in the mountains (waking up to find they were camping in the middle of a cloud), they did kayaking, white water rafting, sailing and mountain biking. We had torrential rain, gale force winds and even sunshine. The streams coming down the sides of the mountains turned into raging torrents and the loch was rougher than the open sea at times. Unfortunately we weren’t able to do the canyoning as the water was too rough. None of it mattered though as we still enjoyed it all. At one point the met office forecast hail, sleet, thunder and lightning but luckily they got it wrong and it turned into a beautiful sunny day with views for miles from the tops of the hills.

The scouts came back to the station after each day’s activities and were met with homemade cakes and drinks made fresh by our fantastic group of volunteers who came and cooked all week for us. It was then time for the scouts to clean up, shower and change into uniforms for flag down and dinner at 6.00pm.

There was a short ‘breather’ after dinner when the duty patrol helped with the clearing up then it was time for evening activities – climbing, swimming, archery, shooting or for those on hikes the next day, route planning and kit checks. By 9.30pm the last minibus was back on the station bringing in the last groups from their evening out. The catering team (still working hard after 15 hours) had hot chocolate and biscuits ready before bed and ‘lights out’ at 10pm (ish).

The leaders then had a chance to collapse in the armchairs in the sun lounge, chat about the day’s activities and sort out final preparations for the next before crawling into bed – ready to do it all over again in a few hours time.

What a week! Everyone had an amazing time, had fantastic fun, achieved goals, found new things they’d never done before and enjoyed them and made new friends – four years time we’ll be off again!