NavFest: Beach 2025

 Today, a small but determined team participated in this year’s NavFest: Beach. This year, the starting point was at Point Malcom, Semaphore Park.

The team took part in some navigation and map planning activities before sitting down to plan their route. Deciding on team name provide to be challenging.

 

Eventually it was sorted (We are Here For The Ice Cream) and so was the planned route.

 

We headed off, but unlike others, the cubs did not run, and we think that was a bit of a relief. It ensured we were able to stay as a group from the get go.

 

Over the course of 2 hours, the group covered a distance of 7 ½ km, which included a stop for ice cream.

 

Once again, the team came in about the middle of the field, with a score of 460 points. Not a bad effort and certainly continually improving on the points gained, as well as improvement in their map reading skills. This alone makes doing NavFest a worthwhile activity and we are looking forward to doing it again next year. 

 

Group Camp 2025 - Final Day

 Today, getting up was a bit later than yesterday. But it was a full night of sleep!

 This morning’s main activity was the Tube Slide! It was certainly a great way to expend some energy.

 

Once the youth members had their fill of running up the hill with the tubes, and sliding down, we headed back to the Bunkhouse, to start packing before lunch.

 

While having lunch, and finishing packing up, Baloo was busy counting Camp Cash. This is the group’s camp version of patrol earing points to be the winning camp patrol. Baloo then makes a Camp trophy with the winning Patrol Name and patrol members listed on it.

 

Soon, parents were arriving and it was time to do the closing of camp. This included the announcement of the winning camp patrol. We are wondering how long it took for the youth members to fall asleep in the cars on the way home.

 

 

 

Group Camp 2025 - Day Two

 As expected, it was an early start to the day! First Day of camp, what can we say? Always an early start on camp!!!

 Once we had sorted breakfast, it was time to head over to Challenge Hill, done in the patrols they were sorted into the previous evening. From there, we headed up to the top of Cardiac Hill, to do some tree Planting. This had been organised by Woodhouse, and our group had included it as a part of our group camp program. We think they had more people than they had initially planned on, as the trees were planted so quickly.

While the Cubs, Scouts and Venturers were tree planting, the Joeys were on a youth led Joey Hike. They even packed their lunch to go. We hope they had a awesome time

 

These two activities took us to lunch time, and we certainly appreciate the Parents who attended to help in the kitchen.

 

The Joeys returned not long after lunch and, in their patrols, they went out and did some orienteering around Woodhouse. We stayed back in the Bunkhouse, as we had a bit of a late-night last night, and this little sheep needed some rest to recover.

 

As a group, we attended a combined Story Telling and campfire session, run by Woodhouse at 4pm until 6pm. Agan, it drew a crowd, although I suspect our group was most of that crowd!

 

Once we had tea, the group headed back out to the campfire for the evening, to relax. Slowly over the course of the evening, the youth went to bed…

 

Group Camp 2025 - Day One

Tonight, we arrived at Woodhouse Activity Centre for the bi annual all section group camp. While it was cold, it was not raining and that is always a good thing. Better to be cold and dry, than cold and wet! Especially when putting up tents for those who opted to sleep outside. Others took the dorm options.

 

Surprisingly, it was a relatively early night for the Cubs and they were asleep a lot early (compared to some!) than Scouting person assumed they would be for the 1^st night of camp. We are sure it is going to be a good weekend. 

 

 

Club Sleepover at Hall Pt One

 Today, we headed to the Scout Hall for a sleepover. The initial plans were to sleep in tents on the grass area. However, the weather was not playing the game today. Extremely windy and a LOT of rain.  

 As a result, the decision was made that we would be sleeping inside the hall, instead of outside in tents.  

 

Even though the weather was generally terrible, there were periods that allowed for activities to happen. As a result, we still managed to cover how to light a fire (and keep it going), cooked food on a BBQ and some games inside the hall to burn some energy off before bed. Everything that needed to be done outside was completed before the hail and strong winds came back with a vengeance.  

 

We did have activities to do while inside of the hall. The leaders had back up plans for the indoors, for situations such as this. It was a part of their training, that they need to have a backup plan in case things happen (such as bad weather on camp).

 

It was not long before everyone was bedded down and asleep for the night.