Group Camp - Brownsea Island August 1st - 4th 2011

At the end of a Leaders meeting in 2009 we started to talk about plans for 2010 when Nick Davis, our then GSL, just lobbed into conversation that he felt we should raise the bar and 1^st Bartons should venture abroad!   Once I had composed myself I remembered a fantastic day I had spent visiting Brownsea Island that summer and I thought, well it is across water and it is the Birthplace of Scouting. I must admit the next year brought some varying emotions from excitement to panic this was not like any camp I had previously organised. That stretch of water caused me many headaches as I was limited on the size and amount of luggage and food I could take.  There was none of that taking something “just in case” and the luggage and menu had to be “flat packed” as I was limited on the number of food crates I could take (not much bread but lots of pasta).

On 1^st August this year all the planning came to fruition and 6 Cubs, 8 Scouts, 1 Young Leader and 5 other Leaders set off for Poole Quay to catch the boat to Brownsea Island.  It was an absolutely magical camp and once the day visitors go home at 5pm you have the island to yourself.  The wildlife was incredible we all saw Red Squirrels and we had a deer and peacocks that frequently walked though our camp.  The birdlife could be a bit noisy in the mornings but it didn’t matter.  I had been a bit anxious about how we were going to fill our time at camp but I needn’t have worried.   We were able to have a go at shelter building, pioneering on the campsite right next door to where BP had his first camp.  All the Cubs and Scouts spent 2 hours sailing, within 5 minutes of being on the water they were all professionals.  John, our BSL, introduced us to Geo - Caching plus we had our Scouts Own up at the Chief Scout's Stone – very special!

Now we have returned I wonder why I had been so worried about going, I have stored all the paperwork and I know how to plan such this kind of camp, so we will return to the island again sometime.  We haven’t got our International Badge on our uniforms yet but that seed is still slowly growing. :)