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Over 60 Scouts, from all of the District’s Scout troops, enjoyed this year’s activity camp at Bentley Copse.

On Saturday the scouts were kept busy with pioneering, climbing, archery, air rifle shooting, frisbee golf, lighting fires, a wide game and a campfire.

Leaders from the District ran all of the activities. Mouse and Tim helped Paul who supervised the climbing in spite of a bad back. Jonathan led the pioneering activity constructing a circular obstacle course from A-frames, ladders, beams and ropes, Chris and Kevin ran the shooting, and Neil the archery. Quentin and Charlie taught fire lighting ready for the cooking competition on Sunday. Craig and the 2 Rydes Hill young leaders, David and Stephen, organized the Frisbee golf.

On Sunday, nine teams entered the backwoods cooking competition, which was judged by Kevin from the Bentley Copse service team and won by a team from Stoughton. A Scout from Stoughton also gained his master at arms badge over the week-end.

Thank you to the 20 leaders and other adults, who helped at various times from 9 am Friday to 6pm Sunday, particularly Richard Cant and Mouse who complained that it was still dark when asked to help with breakfast. They both helped with transporting the mess kit and the shopping (including 160 eggs, 160 sausages, 8.5 kg of chicken, 24 loaves of bread, 32 litres of UHT milk, 24 litres of milk) that we managed to squeeze into Richards pick-up. Amazingly there was little left after Richard and various leaders had fed everyone.

The County Scout Expedition Challenge is an annual event for teams of between 4 to 6 Scouts from the same District. This year the challenge was held from Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd May and the ten teams, including a team of 6 from 2nd Guildford scouts, completed 2 hikes of about 18km on the Saturday and 9km on Sunday.

Scouts work hard to complete the challenge. Apart from hiking, they pitch their tents each evening, cook all their meals on lightweight stoves, and each evening they complete their route plans for the walk the next day. On Saturday and Sunday mornings they cook their breakfasts, pack up their tents and other kit and set off on the hike.

Competition teams carry their food, stoves, tents and sleeping bags and walk without a leader between the checkpoints. Mobile phones are used if they get lost or are late to arrive at checkpoints. Training teams have a leader with them and only carry their lunches and emergency kit.

This year’s route was circular starting from St John’s Seminary in Wonersh, to Bentley Copse for Saturday night and back to the seminary on Sunday. At the end of the weekend teams were hot and tired as they inspected their feet for blisters and cooled off under the trees.

Father Jonathan gave a guided a tour of the seminary including the library and chapel. Richard Shortman, the County Commissioner, presented with teams with their certificates. The 2nd Guildford team got a silver award again and is already planning how to get extra points and a gold next year.

On Sunday 21 March, Scouts and Explorers took part in the 28th annual Surrey Scouts Cyclo Cross competition at Ranmore camp site. This year, eight Scouts and two leaders from 2nd Guildford entered the competition.

Each year the course seems to get longer and this year participants were challenged by the addition of a hairpin bend as well as the uphill finish. As usual the course was soft but the weather was fine so spectators were not as wet and muddy as the Scouts and their bikes. All enjoyed themselves and Jack even dismounted mid-race to pose for a photo.

As with all Scouting activities, it is taking part that is important, however winning is very satisfying and Craig, Tom and Elliot were delighted to win medals presented to them by Paul Iverson, the new Assistant County Commissioner for Surrey Scouts.