I finally got brave and organised a camp for the Guides. Since the beginning of the year the company has exploded with Guides bringing friends and friends bringing friends until I had to tell them no more friends.
I organised 3 of my more responsible girls to help collect the tents and camping equipment from Waverly Guide Hall. We tried for about two and a half hours to understand the frame tent and eventually gave up. I would have to try again at home.
Rays of Hope donated the food and transport and the district supplied the camp equipment (old but very serviceable.) We even found some old billy cans.
On Sunday I arrived at Trefoil Park at 8.30am. There was a miscommunication with the transport and the girls only arrived at 11.30 We started with the traditional horseshoe where four Guides were enrolled.
The uniform is in the process of changing from blue to navy and we had just been given some old blue skirts so we now have a good mix. I allowed some of the older girls who had blue sashes to swop their navy skirts to blue ones.
As it was a Sunday and a week since Easter we had a Guides Own focussing on the Cross and why
Jesus died.
.
We followed that with making some mosaic crosses for our craft badge.
After lunch, which I had precooked and brought in a hot box, the real business of camping started.
The tent pitching went fairly well. I had eventually worked out the system of the tent poles.
I taught the girls to make bedding racks out of tripods and long cross poles and they coped very well. I was pleasantly surprised.
The Guides really enjoyed the showers. They showered on Sunday afternoon, Sunday night and again on Monday before lunch. Several washed their clothes overnight.
Cooking supper over an open fire was great fun. Naturally the fires needed a little bit of TLC.
…but eventually did the job very well.
After supper we had a campfire which we all enjoyed. Then instead of staying to drink hot chocolate the girls made a beeline for the showers and spent about an hour noisily getting ready for bed. Like all Guides on the first night of a camp they took a long time and a lot of threatening, yelling and eventually praying to get them to settle down and actually go to sleep.
Breakfast was omelette in a bag which worked very well although one patrol’s fire battled a lot. Of course then there is always the tidy up job which I would say the Rays of Hope Guides are probably better at than other Guides I have been involved with.
Overall the camp was a success with the staff, me, my son, Chris (Grizzly Bear) and Kathleen, his girlfriend (Kitty Bear) all totally exhausted.
As a special treat, Kitty Bear gave each girl a homemade bag with a chocolate inside.
 |
| The Guides with their bags |
