4 May 2007 - Centenary Camp A Huge Sucess
Centenary Camp
Nine Scout Groups = One Great Weekend
One Thursday afternoon at the beginning of May 2007, a motley flotilla of vehicles began to arrive at Bramhope scout camp, near Bradford. Advance parties from Urmston District, in South Manchester, had crossed the Pennines in order to prepare the campsite for the District?s Centenary Camp, which was to take place that weekend.
By Friday morning, the advance parties were busying themselves in setting up the campsites. The air was filled with the sound of mallet on tent peg as they worked to pitch enough tents to house the 600 or so participants.Top of Page
Rome might not have been built in a day, but they didn?t have scout leaders co-ordinating construction. By mid-afternoon, the campsites were a sea of canvas, flagpoles and pioneering gateways. Mallets were put away and peace descended once more upon Bramhope.
The tranquillity came to an abrupt end with the arrival on Friday evening of the first coach, disgorging its cargo of very eager and excited Cubs, Scouts and Explorer Scouts at the campsite. The dam had burst and the next two hours saw wave upon wave of coaches pull up and deliver more campers. Bramhope was alive, with the sound of scouting.
Flag break at 09:00hrs on an overcast Saturday morning was followed by an hour of frenzied action by the organisers as they put the finishing touches to a smorgasbord of activities before a horde of over 300 cubs and scouts descended on the activity areas.
Treats on offer ranged from the adventurous (a high ropes course featuring a Leap of Faith) to the craft-based (woggle-making and branding), with all manner of inflatable lunacy inbetween. In addition, a challenge zone was set up to test the participants? scouting skill, ingenuity and ability to work as a team.
The explorer contingent were served up their own menu of off-site activities, ranging from raft-building and kayaking to mountain-biking and orienteering, although they were also given the chance to sample the on-site bases.
Soon the clouds burned away, to be replaced by bright sunshine. As morning turned to afternoon more coaches pulled into the car park, bringing more than 80 beavers whose annual Fun Day had been incorporated into the weekend programme. After an eagerly-awaited lunch, the beavers launched into the circus-themed bases.
An early evening campfire allowed the whole District contingent, from Beavers to Explorers, to come together and experience that most traditional of camping activities, before the coaches returned to whisk the weary day-trippers back to Manchester and the campers returned to their tents.
Sunday morning brought another round of activities. Once again, the inflatable games attracted crowds, in particular the human table football, wrecking ball and the eliminator. Everyone seemed to be sporting a personalised t-shirt or home-made badge and the tuck shop did a roaring trade.
Lunchtime was accompanied by a frenzy of packing before a final gathering for Scouts? Own and the lowering of the Union Jack signified the end of Urmston District?s Centenary Camp.
Tim Shaw One Weekend. No rain.
GSL 2nd Davyhulme
From Flixton Explorer Scouts
I would like to say, on behalf of 1st Flixton and Flixton ?Loki? Explorers, that the weekend at Bramhope was excellent.
It was well planned, all the activities were well thought out and everyone had a wonderful time. It isn?t often when the whole district comes together like this on a mass scale for fun and games, but when it does; it seems everyone has a really good time and gels together as we should.
I would be grateful if this email was to be sent to the rest of the team who organized the event and send them my best regards.
I am awaiting more pictures from the weekend and as soon as I have received more photographs they will be sent to you Sarah for you to work on and process for the District website/ promoting Scouting, plus more feedback from my group.
Soon my account and pictures of the event will be put on the 1st Flixton and Loki Explorer Unit website, I am working on it at present.
Big B.R.A.V.O to you all.
Regards
Chris Hansford
E.S.L Loki Explorer Unit
And Webmaster 1st Flixton Scout Group
www.1stflixton.ik.com
From the District President
These are my observations on the camp:
?It should have been obvious to any visitor that the Urmston District Centenary Celebration Camp was a huge success. To see members of all ages partaking of the numerous set activities would have brought a smile to any face. From just kicking a ball to climbing the North Face of the climbing contraption, it was all there to do. I have never seen a camp where there was so much to enjoy. Every ?base? was manned by enthusiastic staff, and they also were enjoying the tremendous atmosphere. A great number of campers, young and old, worked hard all weekend.
?Over 600 members and helpers camped on site. Some enjoyed very hard; some worked very hard. Camps such as this require much planning and preparation. Without effort and application you do not achieve. Here was achievement everywhere you looked.
?I cannot praise sufficiently the work of the organising committee; under the leadership of Jonathon Platt, they delivered for the District a camp to remember. To every person who input whatever effort, my sincere and grateful thanks.
?This camp deserves to go down in the annals as one of ?the great events?. Many a young member will reminisce over this weekend for many years to come. I am told that the total cost will have been around £20,000. I think every penny spent was worth it.?
I don?t think this is too over the top.
But since it was said that the ?news letter? will go out to the Press, I think it would be a good idea if the ?news letter? contained a financial account, and a list of supporting organisations which supported the event (i.e. sponsors, donators etc) and, possibly, the value of their contribution. The ?news letter? could be sent to each sponsor. I don?t know whether any groups obtained individual sponsorship; if there are, I can see no reason why they should not be also be included.
Many thanks for your personal efforts; please pass on my remarks to your helpers in the wider sense.
Regards,
Tom Porter
District President
The Centenary Challenge.
From the Organiser of the Challenges.
Congratulations to 1st Partington Cubs and 2nd Davyhulme Scouts ?Beta? for proving themselves our Centenary Champions!
As the Centenary camp came to a close and the Challenge winners were awarded their trophies I reflected on the Challenge Zone and how well it had worked. One of the things that impressed me most was the commitment shown by the cubs and scouts who were taking part. Whether they were part of the competition or not they were all joining in and having fun and this is what I hoped we could achieve. The challenge of scouting as it moves into the next 100 years is to continue to help the youth of today develop to achieve their potential. I feel that challenge is in safe hands. The cubs and scouts that I saw in the Challenge Zone, along with the leaders running the bases, showed an enthusiasm and commitment that filled me with pride to be a member of our association. My sincere thanks go to the District Leaders and all the Groups who organised and staffed the bases; with out your work our Centenary Challenge would never have been fulfilled.
Dave Smethurst
ASL 2nd. Davyhulme
Beaver Scout Activities
The day started busy getting all the activities set for the arrival of our District Beaver Scouts, the activities they would take part in during the day involved bouncy obstacle course, large push ball, parachute games , giant garden games , t shirt design, badge making craft activities and the magician.
After the coach ride to the camp site we all had our pic-nic lunch at Bramhope and then straight into our activities, the time passed quickly and soon we had to leave to join our own Scout Groups for our tea. After tea we went with our Groups to the camp fire, for most of our Beaver Scouts this was our very first camp fire. They certainly enjoyed all the action songs and sketches, not sure about the heat on the front row, but once a few of our younger members were moved things went great, although by now they were very tired. We all had a very good day and it became time to get into the coaches for the return home
Thank you to all the leaders who helped with the fun day and with the craft activities , a special thank you to the craft ladies who brought many different craft items for us to enjoy thank you to our magician for his show and a special thank you to Gill Cooke who helped me on the day setting up and clearing away , see you all next year.
Debbie Pullen
BSL 2nd. Davyhulme
To Jonathan and all the organizing Team Members
I have been asked on behalf of all 1st Flixton Leaders, helpers, Guys, Gals and ?hangers on? to say a big thank you, for all the time, blood, sweat and tears you have all put into the District Camp this weekend, which was much appreciated and thoroughly enjoyed by all, also my personal thanks to you all, it was great.
Dot Booth.
CSL 1st Flixton
From 8th Flixton Scout Group
Just a short message to say thank you for a job brilliantly done and enjoyed by one and all.
Steve Collier
SL and SIC 8th Flixton
From 3rd Davyhulme Scout Group
Just a quick line to thank you and your team for the hard work you have all put in to make the Centenary Camp the great success that it was. All our young members have had a great time and it was a camp to remember, which is what we all wanted it to be. Can you also pass on our Group?s thanks to the Leaders and helpers from the District and other Groups and the staff at Bramhope.
We hope there will be a review meeting which would give every Group the opportunity to give feedback and hear what others thought and then to use this experience to make District Camps more regular than once every 100 years! Now we have bought two large cooking pots we want to get the use out of them!
Yours in Scouting
Jim Field
GSL 3rd Davyhulme
Nine Scout Groups = One Great Weekend
One Thursday afternoon at the beginning of May 2007, a motley flotilla of vehicles began to arrive at Bramhope scout camp, near Bradford. Advance parties from Urmston District, in South Manchester, had crossed the Pennines in order to prepare the campsite for the District?s Centenary Camp, which was to take place that weekend.
By Friday morning, the advance parties were busying themselves in setting up the campsites. The air was filled with the sound of mallet on tent peg as they worked to pitch enough tents to house the 600 or so participants.Top of Page
Rome might not have been built in a day, but they didn?t have scout leaders co-ordinating construction. By mid-afternoon, the campsites were a sea of canvas, flagpoles and pioneering gateways. Mallets were put away and peace descended once more upon Bramhope.
The tranquillity came to an abrupt end with the arrival on Friday evening of the first coach, disgorging its cargo of very eager and excited Cubs, Scouts and Explorer Scouts at the campsite. The dam had burst and the next two hours saw wave upon wave of coaches pull up and deliver more campers. Bramhope was alive, with the sound of scouting.
Flag break at 09:00hrs on an overcast Saturday morning was followed by an hour of frenzied action by the organisers as they put the finishing touches to a smorgasbord of activities before a horde of over 300 cubs and scouts descended on the activity areas.
Treats on offer ranged from the adventurous (a high ropes course featuring a Leap of Faith) to the craft-based (woggle-making and branding), with all manner of inflatable lunacy inbetween. In addition, a challenge zone was set up to test the participants? scouting skill, ingenuity and ability to work as a team.
The explorer contingent were served up their own menu of off-site activities, ranging from raft-building and kayaking to mountain-biking and orienteering, although they were also given the chance to sample the on-site bases.
Soon the clouds burned away, to be replaced by bright sunshine. As morning turned to afternoon more coaches pulled into the car park, bringing more than 80 beavers whose annual Fun Day had been incorporated into the weekend programme. After an eagerly-awaited lunch, the beavers launched into the circus-themed bases.
An early evening campfire allowed the whole District contingent, from Beavers to Explorers, to come together and experience that most traditional of camping activities, before the coaches returned to whisk the weary day-trippers back to Manchester and the campers returned to their tents.
Sunday morning brought another round of activities. Once again, the inflatable games attracted crowds, in particular the human table football, wrecking ball and the eliminator. Everyone seemed to be sporting a personalised t-shirt or home-made badge and the tuck shop did a roaring trade.
Lunchtime was accompanied by a frenzy of packing before a final gathering for Scouts? Own and the lowering of the Union Jack signified the end of Urmston District?s Centenary Camp.
Tim Shaw One Weekend. No rain.
GSL 2nd Davyhulme
From Flixton Explorer Scouts
I would like to say, on behalf of 1st Flixton and Flixton ?Loki? Explorers, that the weekend at Bramhope was excellent.
It was well planned, all the activities were well thought out and everyone had a wonderful time. It isn?t often when the whole district comes together like this on a mass scale for fun and games, but when it does; it seems everyone has a really good time and gels together as we should.
I would be grateful if this email was to be sent to the rest of the team who organized the event and send them my best regards.
I am awaiting more pictures from the weekend and as soon as I have received more photographs they will be sent to you Sarah for you to work on and process for the District website/ promoting Scouting, plus more feedback from my group.
Soon my account and pictures of the event will be put on the 1st Flixton and Loki Explorer Unit website, I am working on it at present.
Big B.R.A.V.O to you all.
Regards
Chris Hansford
E.S.L Loki Explorer Unit
And Webmaster 1st Flixton Scout Group
www.1stflixton.ik.com
From the District President
These are my observations on the camp:
?It should have been obvious to any visitor that the Urmston District Centenary Celebration Camp was a huge success. To see members of all ages partaking of the numerous set activities would have brought a smile to any face. From just kicking a ball to climbing the North Face of the climbing contraption, it was all there to do. I have never seen a camp where there was so much to enjoy. Every ?base? was manned by enthusiastic staff, and they also were enjoying the tremendous atmosphere. A great number of campers, young and old, worked hard all weekend.
?Over 600 members and helpers camped on site. Some enjoyed very hard; some worked very hard. Camps such as this require much planning and preparation. Without effort and application you do not achieve. Here was achievement everywhere you looked.
?I cannot praise sufficiently the work of the organising committee; under the leadership of Jonathon Platt, they delivered for the District a camp to remember. To every person who input whatever effort, my sincere and grateful thanks.
?This camp deserves to go down in the annals as one of ?the great events?. Many a young member will reminisce over this weekend for many years to come. I am told that the total cost will have been around £20,000. I think every penny spent was worth it.?
I don?t think this is too over the top.
But since it was said that the ?news letter? will go out to the Press, I think it would be a good idea if the ?news letter? contained a financial account, and a list of supporting organisations which supported the event (i.e. sponsors, donators etc) and, possibly, the value of their contribution. The ?news letter? could be sent to each sponsor. I don?t know whether any groups obtained individual sponsorship; if there are, I can see no reason why they should not be also be included.
Many thanks for your personal efforts; please pass on my remarks to your helpers in the wider sense.
Regards,
Tom Porter
District President
The Centenary Challenge.
From the Organiser of the Challenges.
Congratulations to 1st Partington Cubs and 2nd Davyhulme Scouts ?Beta? for proving themselves our Centenary Champions!
As the Centenary camp came to a close and the Challenge winners were awarded their trophies I reflected on the Challenge Zone and how well it had worked. One of the things that impressed me most was the commitment shown by the cubs and scouts who were taking part. Whether they were part of the competition or not they were all joining in and having fun and this is what I hoped we could achieve. The challenge of scouting as it moves into the next 100 years is to continue to help the youth of today develop to achieve their potential. I feel that challenge is in safe hands. The cubs and scouts that I saw in the Challenge Zone, along with the leaders running the bases, showed an enthusiasm and commitment that filled me with pride to be a member of our association. My sincere thanks go to the District Leaders and all the Groups who organised and staffed the bases; with out your work our Centenary Challenge would never have been fulfilled.
Dave Smethurst
ASL 2nd. Davyhulme
Beaver Scout Activities
The day started busy getting all the activities set for the arrival of our District Beaver Scouts, the activities they would take part in during the day involved bouncy obstacle course, large push ball, parachute games , giant garden games , t shirt design, badge making craft activities and the magician.
After the coach ride to the camp site we all had our pic-nic lunch at Bramhope and then straight into our activities, the time passed quickly and soon we had to leave to join our own Scout Groups for our tea. After tea we went with our Groups to the camp fire, for most of our Beaver Scouts this was our very first camp fire. They certainly enjoyed all the action songs and sketches, not sure about the heat on the front row, but once a few of our younger members were moved things went great, although by now they were very tired. We all had a very good day and it became time to get into the coaches for the return home
Thank you to all the leaders who helped with the fun day and with the craft activities , a special thank you to the craft ladies who brought many different craft items for us to enjoy thank you to our magician for his show and a special thank you to Gill Cooke who helped me on the day setting up and clearing away , see you all next year.
Debbie Pullen
BSL 2nd. Davyhulme
To Jonathan and all the organizing Team Members
I have been asked on behalf of all 1st Flixton Leaders, helpers, Guys, Gals and ?hangers on? to say a big thank you, for all the time, blood, sweat and tears you have all put into the District Camp this weekend, which was much appreciated and thoroughly enjoyed by all, also my personal thanks to you all, it was great.
Dot Booth.
CSL 1st Flixton
From 8th Flixton Scout Group
Just a short message to say thank you for a job brilliantly done and enjoyed by one and all.
Steve Collier
SL and SIC 8th Flixton
From 3rd Davyhulme Scout Group
Just a quick line to thank you and your team for the hard work you have all put in to make the Centenary Camp the great success that it was. All our young members have had a great time and it was a camp to remember, which is what we all wanted it to be. Can you also pass on our Group?s thanks to the Leaders and helpers from the District and other Groups and the staff at Bramhope.
We hope there will be a review meeting which would give every Group the opportunity to give feedback and hear what others thought and then to use this experience to make District Camps more regular than once every 100 years! Now we have bought two large cooking pots we want to get the use out of them!
Yours in Scouting
Jim Field
GSL 3rd Davyhulme
IF ANYONE HAS ANY PHOTOGRAPHGS FROM THE CENTENARY CAMP CAN YOU PLEASE GET COPIES TO US FOR PUBLICATION ON THE WEBSITE