Gilweroo Activity Camp

Twelve Scouts from 6th Melbourne enjoyed several fun and adventurous activities over the weekend including Mud Sumo Wrestling, Air Rifles, Canoeing, Archery, Giant Mud Slide, BMX Biking, Rocket Launchers, Abseiling, T Shirt Printing, Slot Cars, Volleyball, Challenge Valley, Pyrographics, Sock Wrestling, Clay Modelling, Movie and Disco to name but a few.

We had a very impressive camp site, having its own picnic table and fire pit as well as being close to the amenities, great for after the muddy activities.  Our able bodied camp master and caterer, Craig Morton, cooked up a storm with the help of our Scouts making Paella in a makeshift pan over our open fire.  Everyone enjoyed it immensely but we just couldn’t get through the 2kgs of rice.

Abseiling
Abseiling
Sumo
Sumo
Mud Slide
Mud Slide
Challenge Valley
Challenge Valley
Air Rifles
Air Rifles
Air Rifles
Air Rifles
After the Sumo
After the Sumo
Sumo Wrestling
Sumo Wrestling
Mud Slide
Mud Slide
Tattoos
Tattoos
Paella for dinner
Paella for dinner

Cohen Shield – Silver Pennant

Congratulations to the Raging Rabbits patrol led by Alex Marum as patrol leader with Michael Davis, Kenneth Wong, Sofia Lambert and Lucy Churches on attaining a Silver pennant at the latest Cohen Shield camp.

The patrols competed in navigation, cooking, first aid, Scout skills and construction to build their competition points  as well as other activities like JOTI/JOTA, canoeing and crate stacking to keep them busy.

JOTI - Jamboree of the Internet
JOTI – Jamboree of the Internet
Our own camp fire
Our own camp fire

 

JOTI - Jamboree of the Internet
JOTI – Jamboree of the Internet
Celebratory ice cream in Riddles Creek
Celebratory ice cream in Riddles Creek
Accepting the pennant
Accepting the pennant
JOTI - Jamboree of the Internet
JOTI – Jamboree of the Internet
The camp site
The camp site
Canoeing
Canoeing
The melon helmet - take 2
The melon helmet – take 2

 

Cooking for a guest
Cooking for a guest
canoeing
canoeing
Our own camp fire
Our own camp fire

 

Halloween Night

A night of Halloween preparation where 4 fantastic pumpkins were carved by an assortment of characters, orange tea light candles and Vampire lollipops made followed by a spooky evening supper.

Fun packed night had by all.

Tassie Tigers
Tassie Tigers
Razor Wallabies
Razor Wallabies
Penguins
Penguins
Falcons
Falcons

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GACO Troop Camp – Noonameena

A great weekend was had by ten of our Scouts at Noonameena Scout camp in Lauriston. This is a fantastic camp site with a permanent shelter and cooking facilities, though we used the dutch ovens on a campfire on Saturday night to cook a roast beef and veges. The river running through the property allowed us to fish, though unsuccessfully and encouraged two of the bravest to swim in the chilly water on Sunday afternoon while many others had accidental swims while crossing on makeshift bridges. On our hike to the Lauriston Dam we encountered a Shingleback lizard, wallaby remains and a fresh wombat hole. At the dam we spent time in the sun eating lunch, skimming rocks and playing at the waters edge. Monash Venturer unit were camping here also and organised a wide game for us and enlightened us in how to play the card game spoons.DSC04254   DSC04258    DSC04265 DSC04278DSC04319  DSC04303   DSC04291 DSC04285   DSC04322 DSC04326DSC04329   DSC04359 DSC04344   DSC04332DSC04347

Survival Camp – Castlemaine

Congratulations Jack C, Jack W, Quinn, Michael and Rudy who camp home in one piece from Survival Camp in Castlemaine. On arrival in Castlemaine the Scouts were given a map and had to use it to navigate their hike into the camp. Once there, they chose sites to build shelters from sticks and coffee bush that would keep the weather off them should it turn cold or wet. The weather was reasonably kind to them and it didn’t rain but it was cold and dropped to only 1° Celsius overnight. They cooked on an open fire, which they had to keep going 24/7 meaning they had to take turns at night to tend the fire and ensure it didn’t go out. They scavenged for their food by locating hidden skewers in a dry creek bed and using only a billy and dutch oven as cooking aids managed to cook over the weekend a whole Red Snapper, spam stew, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, potatoes, carrots, damper, dumplings, boiled eggs, and tea. Fun was had and skills learnt in collecting and treating water to drink, mock bush fire and fire fighting exercises and water testing of the bush shelters. A bush bashing hike on from the ‘Monk’ back to camp enabled them to show great navigation skills and team work as did the air crash first aid scenario where they rescued an injured pilot and carried him to safety on a bush stretcher then ensured their own rescue by using reflective emergency blankets, smoking fires and semaphore.
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6th Melbourne Wins Operation Night Hawk

Lerderderg Night Hawk parade with the winning patrol front and centre.
Lerderderg Night Hawk parade with the winning patrol front and centre.

On 13th & 14th September, the Scouts participated in a Regional Event called Operation Night Hawk, a patrol hiking competition designed to test night time navigation skills.  This was the first time Operation Night Hike has been run in Victoria.  The event was run by Lerderderg Region in the grounds of Eumeralla Scout Camp, near Anglesea.  Many troops from across the western suburbs of Melbourne were represented in the 33 patrols, totalling about 160 Scouts.  Weather was mild, as the sky was cloud-covered and there was no wind.  However, the full moon was obscured and as the Scouts found, the navigation maps were tricky!  Our patrol, lead by Henry, was the last scheduled starter at 8:10 pm and they did not return from the 12km navigation exercise until after 1 am.   We were encouraged by reports from Henry that everybody contributed their skills, the patrol stayed together, worked as a team and they only got ‘geographically embarassed’ once.   Imagine our surprise and delight to hear the results at the Final Parade the next morning – our 6th Melbourne patrol had won the inaugural Lerderderg Operation Night Hawk competition!!!   Congratulations to the patrol of Kenneth, Sofia, Nathan, Yo, Kai and Henry.  They can feel very proud of their team effort in representing 6th Melbourne so successfully.  Below photos are from the Final Parade. Click on an image to enlarge.

Waiting for the results at Final Parade6th Melb wins the prize for activity stunt at base 3.P1050366

Elated 6th Melbourne Night HawksP1050377

 

 

Walter Murphy Hide Hike

Seven of our Scouts hiked in Eumerella to defend our Walter Murphy Hide Shield over the weekend. It all started with a pleasant 15km hike from Bells Beach to Eumerella Scout Camp. While they crossed the hike finish line last they ranked well on all three bases, first aid, navigation and blind folded tent pitching, kept together as a cohesive group while hiking and encouraged each other to get to the end. Cooking on trangiers was a first time experience for many of them but they managed to whip up a hot snack after the hike and a good meal before playing a wide game using GPS’. Our group also initiated the campfire getting it gong with a flint and steel, and lots of blowing. A great rendition and teaching of the ‘I like the Flowers’ song to the group cemented them as skit favourites. Good placing in several activities on the Sunday helped push them to the front of the pack and to take out the shield.

Congratulations Fynn, Henry, Kai, Kenneth, Michael, Sofia and Yo (named Doodley Deedle Dums for the hike) on successfully defending the shield and bringing it back to 6th Melbourne for us for another year.

Doodley Deedle Dums about to finish the hike
Doodley Deedle Dums about to finish the hike
Doodley Deedle Dums at the hike finish
Doodley Deedle Dums at the hike finish
Eumerella Camp Site
Eumerella Camp Site
Lighting the Fire
Lighting the Fire
Chapel for Scouts Own - Eumerella
Chapel for Scouts Own – Eumerella
Match Towers
Match Towers
Final Parade
Final Parade
Winners!
Winners!

 

 

Stradbroke Cup – Gold

Easter weekend saw three of our Scouts compete in the Stradbroke Cup Camp at Treetops in Riddells Creek as part of a mixed patrol with 1st Milliara.  A rainy start to the weekend and setting up camp but fun had by all with some good tip and tricks learnt and shared by the mixed patrol for future competition camps.  Rudy especially happy after winning the Easter hamper.

Congratulations Alex, Michael and Rudy on achieving a GOLD pennant and co-holder status of the cup.

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Fitzgerald Cup – A Parents Perspective

The Fitzgerald Cup is my first experience of competition camping.  I found the weekend dirty, dusty and hard work but also a very interesting experience.  The camp is designed for the kids to take responsibility for everything with little help from leaders or parents. I’m the no-muck-around, get-the-job-done type of person, so it was a challenge to stand back and let things happen.

Now a few days on, I have had time to process things and want to share with you some the things I will be taking away as a parent.

These kids are capable and they are learning to build their confidence.  Each time the patrols did something their confidence grew.  Even when the cooking looked more like disaster kitchens instead of Masterchef they did a great job.

It’s always amusing at the wonderful flare for the dramatic that kids have. The weekend was hard work and tiring for our two patrols and emotions and un-operative, oppositional and defiant behavior was in full swing. What I saw was that the kids were unsure, uncomfortable and under pressure.  When the time was spent working through some issues, things calmed down and progress happened.  Learning patience takes time and I’m grateful to the all the leaders who offer their patience and help.

An important one for my scout is that he thinks making mistakes is not OK which at times means he doesn’t give things a try.  The weekend confirmed to me loud and clear to not give up on telling him mistakes and failing is OK.  It’s how we learn to do it better next time.  ‘Practice makes progress, not perfect!’  We need to keep reinforcing this with our kids because it builds resilience.

Communication, Communication, Communication!  As capable as our patrols were, communication was the hardest task.  Being open to what was being said, not interrupting, not making judgment and talking nicely to others was difficult for everyone.  In time our kids will learn these skills and in the mean time we can also help them practice attitudes of friendliness, support, goodwill and acceptance of others as a way to help them learn how to interact and communicate with others in positive ways.

I got dirty, slept on a deflating lilo, worked hard and was exhausted but what a great opportunity to be with a team of young scouts and two dedicated and patient leaders.  Thanks Karen and Enid.

 

Written by Danielle Marum

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