Camping kings

20160925_171303000_iOSA group of Scouts from 1st Broughton Gifford & Holt Scout Group triumphed recently in the West Wilts District Maurice Gullis Camping Competition.

The six boys – Curly, Harvey, Alex, Digger, William H and G – demonstrated outstanding teamwork, organisation and cooking, as well as succeeding in a range of challenges. Of particular note was the way the team pulled together and the quality of the meals they cooked on an open fire. The competition has been run since the 1920s in memory of a Scout who loved camping. This was the first time we’ve entered.

Cooking up a win for BGH Scout Group

Scouts cooking competition winnersA team of BGH Scouts has scooped first prize in the district’s Best of British Cooking Competition.

Dermot, Ellen, William H and William K (right) wowed the judges with their menu of coronation chicken, fish & chips and Eton Mess.

Comments from the judges included that the coronation chicken was “to die for” (let’s hope not!) and they particularly liked William H’s origami table decorations.

Two weeks before the competition, the Scouts held a trial run for the whole troop. Some delicious dishes – as well as some interesting experiments! – emerged. Photos of the night are here.

Scout camp will never be the same…

Hardy woodlanders brave gale-force winds

Jubilee Woods work dayWell done to the dozen brave members and parents who turned up on Saturday for the work day in Jubilee Woods.

Despite horizontal rain and gale-force winds, we managed to clear a good length of ditch, using the hazel we felled as material to build a boundary fence to try and stop the cows munching the trees.

As it turned out, and despite Kaa’s intrepid claims to the contrary, there was such a thing as the wrong weather as proceedings were curtailed early because of the risk of venturing deep into the woods in such high winds. Apologies to anyone who may have turned up in the afternoon to find the site deserted.

Jubilee Woods is looking good now and we hope to use it for camping trips this year – in somewhat better weather.

Now we can carry on camping

Our group’s smart new tents are ready to keep members warm and dry during a summer of camping. The new tents – five ‘patrol tents’ and two mess tents – were recently put up for the first time on the Common by the leaders and some of the children. Many thanks again to Melksham Area Board for the grant of £2,300 that helped fund the purchase of the new tents.