Kanturk Scouts begin year with a wild night out
KANTURK Scouts started their new year with a blast when a group of 50 Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and leaders travelled to the Fota Scout Centre.
Inclement weather and the promise of Storm Branagh were not going to dampen the enthusiasm of this group of gallant Scouts, aged from 6 to 15 years old.
Two leaders and helpful parent Liam made an early start of putting up the tents. Busses arrived as darkness fell to the noise of the wild animals in the nearby Fota Wildlife Park and the scouts put up the rest of the tents before preparing for the night’s activities of a night hike and the campfire.
The scouts section finished their night by cooking backwoods style in the fire’s embers. The egg in potato meal, and the dessert of hot banana and orange with melted chocolate was lovely in the early hours of the morning, under the trees.
Saturday began with the rain pattering on the tents, waking those who got a few hours sleep. After raising the flags, breakfast was in order and then off to explore the area while going orienteering, pioneering and nature bases for the three sections.
A quick lunch and then it was all aboard the train to Cobh for a three hour Cobh Treasure Trail, exploring the history and grandeur of the town.
A hungry bunch of scouters returned back to the campsite and the Scout Section prepared the evening meal of spagetti bolognaise with garlic bread, to the delight of everyone.
As the weather was continuing to be favourable another campfire was organised. The senior Cubs practiced their fire-starting with flint, while others cut and chopped pioneering spars with saw and axe.
The campfire was another success with comedy sketches, ghost stories and campfire songs, sausages frying on the open fire and on the Swedish Fire Logs, and marshmallows melting on skewers.
Sleeves were rolled up after breakfast on Sunday morning to wash and mop out the activity rooms, toilets, showers, kitchen and dining areas before dropping the tents. Everyone then got a chance to do some final exploring around the site, play and catch glimpses of the wild animals in the nearby wildlife park.
Everyone had a wonderful weekend in Fota, and look forward to more activities through the scouting year.