After months of preparing and getting a team together the 11th Sept arrived.
First and most important job Shopping -  Tesco here I come armed with 1 Wife a long list and a shopping trolley we went forth -2½hours later with a sigh of relief we load the goods into the car now home for lunch.

Arrived at Overstone 3.45 ready to get the rooms laid out before the young people arrive the first arriving at 6 with team member (Dad)
By 7.15pm.  29 young people and most of the team assembled and shown sleeping quarters for the weekend.

Our weekend started with a wide game followed by Star gazing John Brown a well know star gazer from Northampton and a long time Scouter gave us a slide show and then the exciting part a look at Jupiter through his Telescope and what a site, unfortunately the cloud caused us a problem and only half actually saw the planet.

Saturday full English to get us started, then onto our bases Gadget Building, Fire lighting, Bivvy Building and Backswood cooking – during the cooking session young people prepared chicken and vegetable parcels for open fire cooking for lunch – great success everyone finishing off with Chocolate Banana for pudding.
Washing up cleared and stacked away we started on the afternoon bases Site Challenge course, Map and Compass, Craft and Patrol tent pitching.

Dinner  of Sausage, Mash (Real potatoes) and beans – cake and custard – after which the young people washed up and stacked away.

A wide game in the dark then ensured followed by a truly inspirational Camp fire the young people took to centre stage and showed us the true spirit of a Camp fire ( Gang Shows eat your heart out) did someone mention toasted marshmallows in biscuits – Yes -wow this is good we heard say several times and what’s this we hear young people actually asking if they could go to bed they were tired - all in all a truly fun filled day –

Sunday another full English and all ready for another action packed morning – Kit layout first followed by “A time for reflection” Young people were asked to depict their favourite part of the weekend in natural material from within the woods – pictures of camp fire, star gazing map reading  and the challenge course were depicted on the ground Great stuff – the session was finished of by decorating round a tree stump again with bands of raw material this was fantastic to have seen 29 young people working together to one end.
Our bases for the morning were Kubb a challenge game between teams, dismantling the bivvies and Horseshoe throwing -a lighter part to our weekend., but still needing the team to work it.

We finished our weekend with a working Ploughman’s lunch and our Sixer Forum
Where the young people were asked for their ideas and thoughts -  a very interesting forum with plenty of materials for future camps - meetings etc.

My thanks to the young people for making the weekend such a worthwhile event
To the leaders of all the groups concerned your young people were a credit to your group and to Scouting.
To the leaders who gave up their weekend Paul, Phil, Georgina, Clair,, Irene, Ray, Marie (1st Corby), Chrissie and Margaret for doing the cooking and Gillian from Wellingborough District for doing the Reflection.

Here’s looking forward to 2010

Patrick
District Cub Scout Leader.