Daviot Oldmeldrum Scouts Centenary Camp. 17th - 19th June 2016

Knockburn loch played host to Daviot and Oldmeldrum centenary camp last weekend. Full report from Mike Pickford, Group Scout Leader.

WOW!! What an incredible way to celebrate a hundred years of scouting in Oldmeldrum!

Although there was not as good a turnout as hoped - due to it being a very busy weekend, and we had to cancel the BBQ/Fun Day, (which was a shame because the weather and location was perfect!), over 60 young people from thee sections had an awesome weekend.

The facility at Knockburn is superb and with help of Tom, who looks after the site and the Aberdeen Sailing Trust, as well as our own experienced and innovative leader team, we made full use of every aspect of the site. Activities included hill walking, mountain biking, orienteering, kartie racing, football, circus skills, giant marble run, gravity rockets, water rockets, tennis ball mortars, sailing, bushcraft, backwoods cooking, mini sailing regatta, rafting, kite making, sensory navigation, atlatls..... This list is not exhaustive, but my memory is!

We were honoured to be joined by two former GSL's - Mike Bidgood and our District Commissioner, Keith Miller. Terry Will lead an amazing hour long campfire singsong, and even then, the Yella Canary was still noticeable by its absence!

We also had the naming ceremony for our refurbished sailing dinghy "Kyte", which has been a project undertaken by Lewis McGoogan, Adrian and Leask Maitland, with help from their Grandfather who came across from Holland to help!

Keeping us fed in the kitchen Davey McCartney performed his magic and produced the best scrambled eggs I've ever tasted!

A huge thanks to the leader team who all contributed to make it all happen, and to the parent volunteers who came along to help or to load and haul trailers to and fro.

My abiding memory of the camp will be the inclusion of all the sections. It was fantastic for the younger sections to see the more challenging adventures that await them in Explorers. Although operating individual activity programmes, they came together, had fun, played and shared meals, laughter and song. They continue to be my greatest inspiration.

With this quality at the very heart of our group, as well as at the heart of scouting, I am confident that they'll be doing just the same at the next centenary camp. I just can't promise to make that one though!