Welcome to 1st Durbanville Scouts
Springbok Camp
- Details
- Written by Ursula Wilbraham
WRITTEN BY NINA AGUSTIN
I was recently invited to help at Hendré’s Springbok camp, which took place at Hawequas from 24 to 26 June. We all arrived at Hawequas at around 11h00 on the Monday and spent the next few hours setting up camp.
Tara, Oliver and I were helpers and our task was to oversee the various activities of the patrols. Our first patrol activity was a series of base rotations where we taught basic first aid and knotting skills. This took far less time than anticipated, which meant that everyone ended up with quite a bit of free time.
By 17h00 everyone was hungry so we started supper preparations. Tara and I outdid ourselves in catering for all the special dietary requirements, whilst the others helped to make “potjiekos”. After dinner, everyone cleaned up and headed for bed because the wind was raging so fiercely.
By the next morning the wind had not abated so we started the day with a sheltered breakfast in Robert Hall. This was followed by campsite development activities for the patrols and a much-needed lunch. Thereafter, we prepared first aid incidents and campsite planning activities for the patrols. This was hugely successful and a big learning experience for the scouts. Afterwards, scouting activities alternated between free time and the cutting down of black wattle, which was to be used for the patrols’ backwoods shelters later on. They built phenomenal shelters but these had to be abandoned due to the extreme winds that once again blew throughout the night. Backwoods cooking began at around 18h00 and by 20h00 we were all seated around a little campfire.
Breakfast the next day was the same... windy and far too early for some of us. After breakfast, the patrols began to pack up and then everyone had a turn at Kim's game. By about 13h00 we were on our way back to Durbanville.
Despite a couple of hiccups, we all enjoyed this very relaxed camp. Well done Hendré!
Staffing at a Springbok Camp
- Details
- Written by Ursula Wilbraham
WRITTEN BY OLIVER MURPHY
Having attended many Scout camps over the last 5 years or so - including 2 Springbok camps, 5 first class camps and countless other overnight camps run by the Scouts - I have a good idea of what makes a successful camp. In most cases I have enjoyed all of them, so I was rather pleased to be invited to Hendré's Springbok camp this holiday. There were 23 Scouts on this camp including myself.
I was asked to help as “staff” along with Tara and Nina. We left 1st Durbanville Scout hall in a convoy at about 09h00 on 24 June for the Hawequas Scout Ranch in Wellington. Everyone helped to transport the equipment. Campsites were allocated at the “terraces” and the scouts were divided into three patrols of 6 each. The patrols set up their tents and campsites, while I and the other staffers set up our own tents and camp. After Hendré had briefed the patrols, we ate our packed lunches and commenced with base rotations that consisted of basic first aid knowledge and knots.
After base rotations, we did campsite developments where scouts were given a certain amount of time to build tables, bins, a border, a gateway and wash-ups. So far so good. However, the wind started to pick up just as we were preparing dinner (at around 17h00) and that made the working conditions rather unpleasant. The menu for the first night's dinner was “beef stew potjie“. There were a variety of special dietary needs among the 23 of us and all were catered for. Maybe not gourmet food for the vegetarians... but the beef stew was a success. We settled down in our tents after dinner, as the wind had worsened. The wind raged on throughout the night and our staff tent lost its tent poles, which meant an early morning start for us!
The new day started at 7am (for everyone else) just before sunrise. However, the fierce wind forced us to have breakfast at the wooden lodge. The day consisted of base rotations, a wide game and alien vegetation clearing near the river. The black wattle which we removed, was used for building the backwoods shelters. Unfortunately, we could not use the shelters as the wind was just too strong. Dinner was backwoods cooking for the patrols and the staff had a vegetarian potjie that was enjoyed by all. We used the leftover black wattle to build a small wind break around the campfire and most of us sat around the small fire during the evening. We all enjoyed bread with a bit of sugar on it as a snack (simple pleasures!) and then settled in for another windy night.
The next day consisted of playing Kim’s game and after a lunch of bacon and egg rolls, we deconstructed the camp and prepared for departure. The patrol headed by Zoe Le Roux (PL) and Matthew Stead (APL) with patrol members Reece, Stephen, Hannah and Luca, was declared the winning patrol of the camp. We arrived back at the Scout hall at around 14h30 and everyone helped to unpack. We headed home for that all-important hot shower.
Another successful camp completed! I wish Hendré all the best in his Springbok journey.