On 20 and 21 March 2004 24 Cubs spent the weekend at the hall. The weekend was designed for first time campers to see how they got on and also to act as a warm up for Summer Camp. In the end we had 14 Cubs doing their first Night Away badge with the rest being more experienced campers. As well as doing our Nights Away we decided to complete the Art badge too. With it being Mothering Sunday weekend we had the ideal excuse to make some presents.

We started the camp with the first part of the art badge. This involved making a clay pot.

The Cubs seemed to enjoy rolling the clay into sausages and then using them to make their pots. Meanwhile Akela was lurking in the kitchen. They were supposed to be painted but unfortunately didn’t dry out in time. Everybody did well with their pots but we liked Jack’s one best.

On Saturday we had planned to spend most of the afternoon outside. However, the weather had other ideas and gave us a mixture of sunshine and showers. We went outside anyway and divided into two teams for a game of Pioneers and Indians. This was followed by a go at laying some tracking signs. We split into 2 groups and each laid some tracking signs for the other group to follow. By the time we got back from that a heavy shower had arrived and we decided to head back to the hall, thus abandoning the return match of Pioneers and Indians. However, Baloo did take a moment to take a picture of the two, rather bedraggled teams! Group 1 had been with Baloo and Mang while Group 2 went round with Akela and Shere Khan.

Once we’d had a drink and dried off it was back to the art badge by making cards for Mothering Sunday. Harry and Edward were working on their cards when they were snapped by Baloo.

After all that activity there was time for a bit of free time before dinner. Oliver was once again running the card school.

We’d asked Chil to provide the catering for camp following the great success of her food at Summer Camp 2003. When she agreed we only had about 15 names on the list. Now that there were 24 it meant that making shepherds pie was a bigger task than she had expected. However, the Cubs were very grateful and were soon lining up for their food.

We ended the day with a few songs around our indoor camp fire. Then it was time for a jungle book story and bed. On this sort of camp you don’t expect to get much sleep. Some Cubs are much better at sleeping than others but the ones that go to sleep first normally wake up early. This leaves the ones who were talking until the small hours fast asleep in the morning. Can you work out who this sleepy boy is? You can draw your own conclusions why he is still asleep when the others have woken up.

Before breakfast there was just time to do some posters to advertise Summer Camp which completed the art badge.Then Chil was back again having woken up early and cooked the sausages at home. After breakfast we had very little time before the parents arrived for Church Parade which was earlier than normal due to it being Mothering Sunday.