Family Camp 2009 Report
Over the weekend of the 25th - 27th September, 88th Manchester
held their annual Family camp with a gathering of 22 families and 90 adults
and children on site is was truly an action packed weekend.
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Friday night saw the first families arrive and the leaders setting the Mess tents and communal cooking area up. After the families and leaders had settled in it was straight into the first activity, which was the CD reflective challenge wide game. The object of the game was to find the reflective CD's dangling from the trees with your torch and follow the clues to the treasure, a large box of quality street chocolates. |
Saturday morning saw some of the children up bright and early I wondered was that because of the excitement of the day's events to come. First activity was a team game of rounder's dividing the camp into two teams and was a closely fought game.
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Next on the agenda were 12 challenges to complete.
1. Crocodile March |
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Saturday morning and yet more families arrive bringing the grand total to 22 families, our largest family camp so far.
After lunch with the sun still shinning it was back to the
activities which consisted of kite making, blind trail, water cup challenge,
orienteering and canoeing with special thanks to Keith our Group Scout
leader who spent 4 hours in a canoe. The ATC who were camping on the site
wanted to practise camouflage techniques and invited the children to find
them. They spent 30 minutes trying to find the soldiers and really enjoyed
putting on camouflage paint too; some still had the paint on their faces
when they went home on Sunday.
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Saturday evening we were joined by more families, who had come up for the BBQ and Campfire. A special delivery was made in the evening by Postman Pat, who delivered a full size post box for the wide game. Thanks Alex. |
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For the wide game the camp was divided into 4 equal teams red, green, silver and gold. The object was firstly to find the stationary and collect a post card then find the stamp machine and stick your coloured stamp on the post card and then post it - simple. However the stationary, stamp machine and post box were all moving around the campsite only staying in one place for a few minutes before moving and all in the dark, great fun.
After the wide game we all made our way to the campfire circle where
Keith our campfire leader led the campfire an evening of songs and sketches.
Saturday night was finished off with the parents joining the leaders for
a social in the Mess tent where a lot of silly games were played and Daniel
Paul upheld the male honour against the females in the cereal box challenge.
The fun and laughter was briefly interrupted by the ATC, when they decided
to hold a mortar attack with some very loud bangs and flashes lighting
up the night sky.
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Sunday dawned to another lovely day and after breakfast the family challenges began. On the agenda this morning was a vertical kims game, sheep pen herding, blindfolded balloon popping, low ropes course and A-Z scavenger hunt. There was also the opportunity for families to complete some of the challenges they missed on the Saturday. |
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Well all good things have to come to an end and it was soon time to pack up camp and leave for home. The leaders took time out to enjoy their lunch and a well deserved drink in the warm sunshine and waved goodbye to all the families that attended the weekend.
I must personally thanks all the leaders that assisted me in running another successful family camp Keith, Helen, Ben, Kevin, Rowena, Peter, Brian, Dawn and I almost forgot myself (Alan).
Results:
CD Wide Game - Lowe Family
Post Pox Wide Game - Gold (37) Green (44) Silver (45) Red (50)
Paper Tower Challenge - King Family
Orienteering - Paul & Knowles Families
Water Cup Challenge - Hartley & Holiday Families
A-Z Scavenger Hunt - Paul Family
Woodland Farm - Charlton Family
Sheep Pen - Brogan Family
Vertical Kims Game - Moss & Paul Families
Created October 09