One of the leaders from this weekends district cub camp sent this out via email its most definitely worth a read , Sally has perfectly summed up the highlights of the weekend not only for the Cubs but for us leaders as well! Why I go to camp…. Reflections of a Cub Scout Leader By Sally Strang Okay, so many of you count down to camp for different reasons to me. And really no sleep, good food and fun times are some of my very real expectations of a Cub camp. This weekend your Cub was one of 85 Cubs that attended the Sunset Coast District Camp. Each Cub (and Leader) headed off to Hogwarts excited and maybe nervous for what lay ahead. You can plan and prepare for months ahead of time and still not know how it will really pan out. This weekend was no exception…. The reasons why I go to camp are for the fun times and for the challenges and for the successes. I wish I could bottle up the grin on your Cub’s face when they tried something and it worked – they tied a knot on the raft and the barrel stayed on; they crossed the river balanced on a rope and made it across dry to the other side. Maybe the rope jiggled and they fell off into the water but still they smiled and had another go. I wish I could be everywhere all the time to see every Cub build a raft and get to the plastic duck in the middle of Lake Jones. I wish I could have watched every Cub on the aerial runway and seen their faces when they walked back. Can I just tell you that this particular aerial runway is (apparently) the longest one in the southern hemisphere – 300 metres over the tops of trees. You have to see it to believe it. For most of the Cubs it was their first time at Manjedal, some of the leaders too – you know what – every single one of them went on the aerial runway, every one of them experienced the thrill of the speed and the amazement of the height and the beauty of the natural surroundings –trees and blue sky as far as the eye could see and the sudden bump at the end to say you are finished… I wish I could bottle up the pride in their faces, the confidence in their eyes and show you. You would be so proud of them, I was. I tried to tell them how amazing they are, I tried to tell them to remember these successes – the challenge of a jump on the Confidence Course or how they helped a friend or slept in a strange dorm surrounded by unfamiliar people or queued to get food or washed their own dishes. So when times get tough – a spelling test or a tricky Maths question – that they will remember that they flew over the trees, they were brave, they worked as a team, they stumbled and fell and got back up again. I wish you could have been a fly on the wall (or should that be a bird in the tree?) and seen your Cub having a fantastic time. Yes, there were some mumbles and grumbles, yes there were a few “I can’t do that” statements, but with a little push, they overcame; with a word of encouragement and the example of another going before them; they gave it a go and when they succeeded they were able to move on more confident, more eager, more enthusiastic. So, yes I go to camp, not for rest and relaxation, but to experience the joy of success and share the teaching and learning in a natural environment amongst Cubs who may be small but are very tough and ready to take on the challenges we set before them. Thank you parents for trusting us to care for your Cubs and for allowing them to come on this camp, they will remember it for a long time. And so will I.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 12:42:41 +0000
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