A Scouting Experience

As a scout I went camping a number of times and grew to love it as a teenager. My favourite memory of my time under canvas is a Patrol Leader and Deputy Patrol Leader camp. It was the only time that we didn’t have the scout leaders with us, so we were able to work to our own time scale. Usually, my Dad, who was the Scout Leader, always referred to as Skip, would wake us up earlier than we felt was entirely necessary to prepare breakfast. Interestingly we did wake up at a very similar time, but the tea making and breakfast preparation over an open fire built up with wood was more relaxed than usual.

The whole weekend was a chance for us to use our skills and our experience in a much more laid back atmosphere. We were proud of our troop and of each other’s abilities and we spent the whole weekend in a way that reflected that. We never let our standards drop because they were so ingrained in us and we felt like we would be letting our leaders as well as ourselves down if we did. Over three years we did a lot of camping but that weekend was the best time we ever had. We couldn’t have done it without the training and discipline that Skip and Bosun, the marvellous Jim Taylor, had given us, but we proved to ourselves that we were scouts of the highest quality and we had a set of skills that gelled together perfectly. Well over 40 years later I remember that weekend like it was yesterday and I always feel like it was pretty much perfect.