We spent Saturday morning at a Film and Drama workshop run by Vic, one of the centre staff. The Cubs were divided into four groups, and after some direction from Vic, and considerable help from the Leaders with their scripts, each group was given a camcorder and let loose on his collection of costumes and props. 3 hours later we were treated to an unedited viewing of ‘The Toystory Massacre’, ‘The Simpsons’, ‘James Bond’ and ‘Star Wars’. We also discovered that Ross had invested considerably more time and effort into videoing Kaa from as many different angles as possible rather than actually filming the actors in his group! Watch out for the Oscar nominations next year!

After lunch, we ventured down to the lough for an afternoon of watersports. Due to the extreme cold, we decided not to take to the banana-ski preferring to attempt to keep as dry as possible in the Canadian Canoes. Not easy, when Cubs in the nearest boat are trying their hardest to splash you and the instructor is encouraging you to stand up in the boat and swap places! Dry once more, we just had time before tea for the wide-screen premiere of our film.

Undeterred by adverse weather reports and tales of substantial flooding of roads throughout North Down, 30th Pack held their final camp of the year at Crawfordsburn Scout Centre during the last weekend of September. We also had 6 Scouts from 30th Troop down for the weekend. Having settled in, it was off to the starting grid at the Main Cabin for a hotly contested slot-car competition organised by Colin and Sinclair. During the course of an exciting competition, in which the Cubs definitely outshone the Scouts, a surprise challenger to make it through to the final was 30th Kaa, Fiona, although she was eventually out-manoeuvred by the budding Michael Shoemachers and David Coulthards and finished a disappointing fourth. After this, we headed off on a midnight walk through the country park stopping off at the beach for a ‘sand castle building by torchlight!’ competition and were treated to the sight of some very unusual ‘erupting volcanoes’ and fortified prison compounds with ‘powerful searchlights’.

Many thanks to Chris and Colin and the warden’s team for a super weekend and to the Leaders from 10th Pack, Pamela, Jamie and Johnny, who came down to help for part of the weekend.

David, Jan and Fiona, 30th Pack

Camp Report- 30^th Pack at Gosford Forest Park, March 2000

30th Pack spent an action-packed weekend at Gosford in mid March. Despite the usual first night ‘excitement’ which continued unabated until almost dawn, we were up and raring to go by 8.00am on Saturday morning. After a game of football while Akela was burning the French Toast (again!) in the kitchen (once again he managed to set off the smoke alarm repeatedly this camp), we headed off to Gosford Karting for the rest of the morning.

Our would-be Eddie Irvines and Michael Shumachers had the opportunity to don overalls, gloves and helmets and try out their skills on the race track with varied success. Having watched him swerve off the track, skid on the sand and ram a pile of tyres, albeit at about 15mph, the Leaders are somewhat relieved that it will be at least another 7 years before seconder Paul can even think of applying for L-plates!! The Leaders also got behind the wheel, in faster karts, revving up to speeds in excess of 60mph. While our Bagherra, Jan, adapted to this with the elegance and finesse of Penelope Pitstop, Jonathan displayed all the cunning of Dick Dastardly to see off the challenge of his rivals, Alyn and Richard. How Akela ever passed his driving test remains a mystery to us all!

We then headed into Armagh for lunch and a stop at the Armagh Planetarium to complete the Astronomer badge with the help of our friendly guide, Julie Thompson. She certainly had a captive audience of Cubs: having invited the Leaders to relax over coffee in the café, she took the Cubs into a seminar room. When Akela ventured up later, he found his entrance barred by a combination lock on the door! Still, the Cubs found the session good fun and all passed with flying colours. Our tour also took in a star show at the Auditorium. The seats were very comfortable…too comfortable… and with the effects of sleep deprivation beginning to set in, Cubs and Leaders alike soon dozed off only to be rudely awakened by some very loud special effects at the grand finale to the show.

A dip in the pool at Orchard Leisure Centre soon revived us, and after tea we started out on a hike through Gosford Forest at dusk. Somehow Akela managed to get us all lost, following on in the best East CSL traditional established by Brian and Alex in November. We wandered for some time during which Jonathan attempted to draw unhelpful comparisons to the Blair Witch Project which certainly encouraged the stragglers to move a little faster. Then, quite unexpectedly, we turned a corner and found ourselves back home once more.

The rest of the evening was taken up with indoor games and getting ready for our Saturday Night ‘Talent’ Show. We use this term loosely!…never before in the history of East has so little talent been assembled on one stage on a single night (with the possible exception of a certain play in the mid 1980’s in which Dougie, Walter (VSL, 10th), Charlie (SL, 10th) and I starred for our Scout Entertainer Badge…which I’m sure Ian will remember only too well!). We had ‘music’ to rival bands such as Steps, Westlife and S Club 7, our very own Paul Daniels, and jokes that proved beyond a shadow of doubt that stand up comedy had just lay down and died!! How our judges, Fiona and Carolyn, found a winner amongst that lot is beyond us all.

On Sunday morning we were once again up early to get in some practice for the forthcoming District Cross-country Competition, before indulging in some backwoods cooking and invention of all manner of unusual camp gadgets. We then headed down to the river for a ‘boat-race’. Coaxing our flotilla of squeezy bottles, lollypop sticks and other assorted junk down the river to the finish, by fair means and foul, soon had everyone, Cubs, Leaders and especially Fiona’s dog, Tess, wringing wet! Finally, we headed for home with a brief stop at Oxford Island Nature Reserve en route. Many thanks to Alyn, Fiona and David, and to Carolyn (21st) and Jonathan and Richard (10th) for all their help during the weekend.

David and Jan, 30^th

Camp Report- 30^th Pack at Bushmills

30^th Pack spent a wet and windy weekend in September at Dunluce Guide House on the Causeway Coast (we will gloss over the fact that Akela with his renowned sense of direction got lost en route from Belfast and arrived via Toomebridge. Akela took comfort in the fact that Carolyn White, ACSL 21^st, had also lost her way so at least he wasn’t last to arrive!). Despite a series of games outside by torch-light followed by Hunt for bugs that ‘allegedly’ glowed in the dark, activities which certainly left the leaders exhausted, the Cubs, several indoor games later, were still full of energy at 2.00am!

After breakfast, it was time to go undercover for our spying mission into Portrush town centre. Each team had to collect 30 objects ranging from a kiwi fruit to a shoe-box to the most unusual souvenir for £1 without being seen by any of the other spies. The Cubs and Leaders went about this task with enthusiasm; our Football coach, Fiona, and her husband David with their team would have put MI5 and the KGB to shame- after revelations in the news about that sweet little lady who spied for Russia , we will be watching Fiona more closely in future! After lunch, of the packed variety, hastily eaten while sheltering from gale-force winds in the Dunluce Centre car park, we headed inside for the Turbo-Tour. Most of the Cubs queued eagerly for a second go but not Akela-reduced to a gibbering wreck at having endured a simulation of a fighter-plane crash landing (some of you may be aware that your Ed. is absolutely petrified of flying!). Having ‘done’ the gift shop, it was on to Maddybenny Farm for an afternoon of horse-riding. Alyn and David resisted all attempts from the Cubs and Stable-hands to accept the challenge of riding a beast aptly called ‘Stallion’ who snorted at them menacingly from his stable. Then it was to Waterworld to hurtle down the slides or man the water cannon or perhaps to massage a few weary muscles in the jacuzzi! We rounded off the day in Portrush with a massive meal in Shirley’s Diner. On the way back to the car park, we noticed an attendant just about to lock the gates of an amusement arcade and the Cubs begged him to open up again which he did. A few minutes later and after a ride on the Waltzer which lasted three times longer than normal and during which the attendant spun the Leaders’ cars mercilessly to the delight of the Cubs, Akela and Jan were looking an unhealthy shade of green and definitely regretting the decision!

Back on site, Louise and Richard (ACSL 10^th) made glove-puppets with the Cubs while Dougie (CSL 10^th) and Carolyn (ACSL 21^st) attempted to make trifle in the kitchen (can you guess which one added water to the custard powder instead of milk?) which had the other Leaders doubled up in agony (and that was just from laughing- we didn’t actually eat the trifle until Sunday!). We think that we have found Ulster’s answer to the ‘Two Fat Ladies’- perhaps Alex could put in a word at the BBC for a new comedy cookery show?

On Sunday morning, ‘Grey-Wolf’ (a.k.a Mark, a GSL from Antrim who is in the Forces) put the boys through a grilling kit inspection, and Fiona organised a gruelling work-out and run outside, before Cubs’ Own. We then spent the morning at the Giant’s Causeway and Visitor Centre before heading for home after lunch via the Riaida Leisure Centre in Ballymoney for 5-a-side football (Wesley and Dave beware, Fiona means business this year and has been getting in some early practice) and swimming.

Everyone had a super time at our last camp of 1999. We would definitely recommend Dunluce Guide House which has excellent indoor facilities and grounds for camping or outdoor games and is convenient to the Causeway Coast and Portrush. Many thanks to all who helped out over the weekend which made life a little bit more relaxing for Akela, especially to Fiona and David Thompson and our new mascot, Tess the cocker-spaniel, to Jan’s husband Alyn, to Dougie and Richard (10^th) and Carolyn (21^st South).

David, Jan and Louise, 30^th

30^th and 59^th Packs at Ballintoy, February 1998

The 30^th and 59^th Packs spent a very enjoyable weekend recently at Ballintoy Youth Hostel, attended by 28 cubs and 6 leaders. Many thanks to 10^th GSL, Ian Diamond for lending (and driving) the minibus, and to Paula’s friend Susie Barnes for all her help. Programme included a trip to Coleraine for trampolining and swimming, and a hike along the Giants Causeway (and an impromptu photocall among the rocks for a group of Japanese tourists). Highlights included Ian Fawcett’s worm hunt and race, Margaret getting up at 5.30am and rushing into the kitchen bedraggled and half-dressed to make breakfast when she thought that she had slept in when a cub banged on her door in the middle of the night, and Susie and Paula’s ‘Soup-of the Day’- faced with 3 dozen to feed and enough soup for about ten, they raided the local village shop, not admittedly used to selling vast quantities of soup, and bought every packet and tin in sight, regardless of flavour-the boys rated it a major hit -Bryson & Barnes ‘chicken broth with leek, and mushroom and cauliflower and broccoli and pea and ham and chicken noodle’ could soon be rivalling such greats as Campbells and Baxters! Remember where you heard it first- now is the time to invest in shares- why not contact their marketing manager/financial adviser 59^th economics whizzkid, Ian Fawcett, for more details and a portfolio!

30th Cub Pack in Fermanagh

30^th Pack summer camp was held in early August in the beautiful leafy environs of Cladagh Glen Scout Centre, near the Marble Arch Caves, in midge-invested wet and wild outer Fermanagh. The tranquillity of this picturesque setting, already shattered by the arrival en masse of the cub pack on the Thursday was further eroded by the appearance of reinforcements to the exhausted leadership team on the Friday in the form of Dougie, Junior, Pamela and Jamie from 10^th (Had Junior decided to bring Hollie the hound, this happy group, cramped into Dougie’s Ford Fiesta would have borne more than a passing resemblance to Enid Blyton’s ‘Famous Five …are lost in Kesh?’). Activities included a visit to the Marble Arch Caves, horse-riding at Castle Archdale and a double helping of watersports, first at Tudor Farm Watersports Centre on Friday and then at the Share Centre on Sunday.

While David was paddling furiously in circles in a canoe and going nowhere fast (must have been a faulty oar..yeah!) and Louise was attempting to get back into hers, having capsized for the umpteenth time, the cubs were having a great time in a ‘tube’ attached to the back of Martin and Paul’s dad’s speedboat. Not to be outdone, and in response to popular demand, David and Louise also had a go, and despite the valiant efforts of all in the boat to capsize them managed to cling on with grim determination. Once dry, it was off to the Johnston’s caravan - these brave kind people had actually volunteered to have a BBQ for us all that evening (well, we were taking Martin and Paul off their hands for the entire week!) The leftover burgers from the Group Treasure Hunt in June made a re-appearance and were washed down with gallons of weak orange. After this, it was off to hunt for worms as fishing bait. After a 1½ mile trek out of the caravan park and down a lane following our seasoned guides, Martin and Paul, who remained convinced that a multitude of the elusive species were to be found just around the next corner, and we eventually returned with one short skinny specimen as darkness descended. Not to be deterred, we shared out the worm and dipped our rods into Lough Erne, but nothing was biting in the dusk save the ever present midges!

Saturday, and Castle Archdale was the venue for our epic Incident Hike/Wide Game, ‘The Great Escape’ featuring David and Jamie as SS Agents, Andrew and Louise as Adolf and Eva Braun, John and Pamela as Renee and Michelle. The cubs adopted various disguises and aliases, the most original being ‘Jurgen Klinsman’ and ‘Swine-hundt’. En route, the navy team, led by sixer Ross Adair, together with Dougie, blew up the German base in the forest with candles and party-poppers, rendezvoused with the resistence, using the code word ‘The hike is almost over!’ to which Pamela replied with feeling ‘I fear it has only just begun!’, diffused submerged grenades on the jetty and sneaked across the border checkpoint into Switzerland. Meanwhile, the army team, led by sixer William Maher together with Junior, had misread the map, wandered out of the forest and stumbled into the middle of a wedding photo shoot (GSL, Ian Diamond please note: Junior cannot use a compass or find a grid reference!!)

Another highlight was caving, split over 2 sessions on Saturday and Sunday evenings, run by Marios from Corrylea Activity Centre. This saw us in boiler suits, wellies and industrial gloves, slithering on all fours through mud in a maze of narrow tunnels into a partially submerged cave. Super fun!

On Sunday morning at the Share Centre, we took to two boats for a sailing lesson. That old sea-dog, John, was up to mischief as usual, and started to teach the cubs in his boat to sing sea shanties. We still have not established whether John or Andrew was responsible for the following:

‘What shall we do with the drunken sailor (x3)… early in the morning?

‘Let him have a snog with Pame-l-a (x3)… early in the morning!’

The lady in question sat with a face like thunder in the opposite boat as it sailed by. Needless to say, a waterfight between the 2 boats soon followed, with our instructors aiding and abetting by manoeuvring the boats as close together as possible to ensure that all concerned were suitably drenched.

After this it was time to ‘man the banana-boats!’ The jetty took on the appearance of a scene from the movie, Titanic, as a sea of cubs in lifejackets bobbed up and down in the water. ‘Women and children first!’ cried Andrew and Junior as they threw Louise and the cubs off the jetty as quick as they could climb out of the water again. Captain ‘Murdoch’ Corry surveyed the chaos from the relative safety of the craft towing the banana boat. The funniest moment was when the leaders (Jamie, Junior, David, Andrew), while singing and doing the actions to YMCA, capsized and all tried to clamber on again on the same side of the banana at the same time, capsized again, tried exactly the same procedure on the other side with the same result. Pamela was in absolute hysterics watching from the boat!

We spent Monday morning swimming at the Lakeland Forum (except for John and David who went off to boil their heads and chat up the talent in the steam room!- didn’t those girls get a big disappointment when the steam eventually cleared!). On the afternoon our teams went on a spying mission in Enniskillen town centre, each team trying to hide from and trail the other, while completing a challenge to obtain objects ranging from a Dunkin Donut, and a Dunnes bag to a bus timetable and ‘evidence that you’ve been in a ladies fashion shop’ (the mind boggles!). On Monday evening we had our campfire, on which (former ACSL and friend?) Andrew had placed an effigy of Akela prior to setting light to the fire much to the amusement of the cubs. John, David and Andrew took turns to lead the campfire- according to Louise, the Three Tenors have nothing to worry about, just yet!

During the camp, the seniors also had the opportunity to build and sleep out in a bivvy, cook a backwoods meal, construct a kitchen shelter and table and undertake a night hike as well as some unforgettable ‘crystal maze’ style challenges set by Andrew for which they became worthy recipients of the ‘Most Ancient and Noble Order of Gilnahirk’ Award. Some of the juniors slept under canvas and successfully completed their explorer and camper badges, while the leaders were subjected indoors to the night-time antics of the mad Junior, who danced on the tables in his boxer shorts making gorilla sounds and gestures interspersed with Beavis & Butthead impressions! (we have since heard that David Attenborough is coming to Northern Ireland to film a special documentary!)

Finally, congratulations to the navy team who won the intersix competition [what possessed Andrew to buy pea-shooters (and peas!!) as prizes?- you just can’t get the assistants these days, can you?!!], to Ross Adair, who won the Cub of the Camp Shield and to Peter Rodgers who won the prize for best junior. Also, thanks to the 10^th Group for the loan of both their minibus and their AGSL (thanks John, we couldn’t have done it without you!!), to Louise for surviving the whole camp (and agreeing to come back in September!) and to Jamie, Pamela, Dougie and Junior for all their help and all the laughs over the weekend.

David and Andrew (30^th)

30th & 73rd Packs at Belfast County Cub Camp’98

Over 70 cub scouts from 7 packs attended the County Camp at Ardnavally from 25^th-27^th September including the 30^th and 73^rd Packs from East. East’s ADCs Deirdre Coulter and Harry Kissick did an excellent job catering for us throughout the weekend .It should be noted that they were definitely not responsible/guilty for the ‘porridge’ served up each morning- this apparently is one of ACC Steve Hoskins’ specialities! Most of the cubs and all of the leaders wisely stuck to cornflakes!! Nor should the steady stream of leaders hot-footing it to the nearby Maxol garage on Saturday (allegedly at the request of their cubs) to spend upwards of £20 each on chocolate and sweets reflect poorly on our Deirdre and Harry- there was no tuck shop at camp and Steve had banned 70+ cubs armed with £3 pocket money each from leaving the site! At least, that’s the official explanation! Incidentally, we also caught Margaret from 30^th ‘phoning home to beg her husband to help her escape from camp!!

Most packs had managed to pitch their tents before darkness descended on Friday evening and it was then time for a very active wide game which saw gangs of cubs giving merciless chase to the leaders in search of ‘coloured dots’ which they had to mark on cards that they had been given. The leaders breathed a collective sigh of relief when it was at last time for supper (and just before it would have become necessary to call in the paramedics!). Activities on Saturday included Mountain Biking, Abseiling, Orienteering and Archery. At lunch time, the cubs had the opportunity to ‘cremate’ their own French Toast outdoors before smearing it liberally with sugar and jam! (‘Cook your own or starve!’ it stated on Steve’s programme- the leaders opted for the latter!) The outdoor campfire on Saturday evening was excellent and notable not least for the sight of Caroline (ACSL, 21^st South) who was dragged up between Steve and David during a lively demonstration of Alice the Camel and for the antics of Margaret and Louise (30^th) as camels in a sketch in which they were flogged by among others ,30^th Cub Martin Johnston, while Steve put his heart and soul into the part of an Arabian Princess!

Sunday Morning, according to Steve’s programme was loosely described as ‘Water Olympics’; it took only a matter of minutes and a cast of nearly 100 cubs and leaders armed with 3 hose-pipes, a slippery slope, dozens of buckets and basins, plastic bottles, carrier bags, pots and pans, jugs etc. etc. before this descended into the Armageddon of all Water fights! Cub against cub and/or leader, and leader mainly against leader ! We shoved Andrew and Steve down the slippery slope , drenched an unsuspecting Margaret and Christine, extracted revenge on Robert by placing him in the large outdoor sink filled with freezing cold water, sneaked up behind Caroline, Lisa and Louise and tipped the basins they were holding over them etc. etc. ! Good, wet fun!

Many thanks to Steve for a super weekend:- here’s to the next! What about some more Packs from East next time around?

David and Andrew (30^th)

10^th & 30^th Packs

Slievenaman Schoolhouse, Mourne Mountains

The Sixers and Seconders of 10^th and 30^th Packs spent an action packed weekend in the Mournes from 12^th-14^th March, 1999. We all eventually found our way to Slievenaman, having left Belfast later than scheduled. David and Jamie groped around in the dark for some considerable time and with limited success trying to connect the gas cylinders and light the lamps and fires before Louise and Pamela took over and sent them off on a midnight walk with the Cubs while they made supper. Saturday dawned bright and sunny: the Leaders were treated to the dawn chorus of the ‘Lesser-spotted Cub Scout’ awakening us from a few hours of blissful sleep at 6.30am. After a breakfast of Akela’s now legendary French Toast, saturated in sugar and ketchup to mask the true flavour!, we started off in a convoy of cars on our journey to East Coast Adventure Centre. Half an hour later and having encountered a diversion at the end of the Slievenaman Road, Pamela was in Hilltown, David and Louise were in Warrenpoint, and Jamie was in Rostrevor and we were all frantically trying to communicate via mobile and public telephone! (Somehow, I don’t think John McKay will be calling on any of us to be examiners for the navigator badge!!). We eventually found our way to the Centre, where we spent an enjoyable day rock climbing, abseiling and canoeing. Many thanks to our instructors, especially Gordon and Ron who ensured that the Cubs had a super time. Then it was on to Newcastle, to invade the Amusement Arcades and for tea at Country Fried Chicken. That evening we had a few indoor games and a campfire at the Schoolhouse. Our growing suspicions that Akela is tone deaf and cannot sing a note were again confirmed on Sunday morning with a particularly tuneless (even for Akela) rendition of Kum Bah Yah during Cubs’ Own. Later that morning, we set off on a Hike to Hare’s Gap along with George Jackson (7^th) and Roy Lamont 3^rd)and faithful hound, Lassie:- many thanks to both for all their help and for the banter along the way. We rounded off the weekend by building shelters at Moneyscalp Forest.

David, Louise, Pamela and Jamie

Northern Ireland Cub Fun Day’99

Cubs from 10^th, 30^th, 64^th and 99^th Packs travelled to Co.Tyrone for this year’s Cub Fun Day which was held at the Ulster American Folk Park on Saturday 22^nd May. Highlights of the visit to the Park included Barn Dancing, candle making, singing in an American general store to the accompaniment of a yukalaylee, and in an 18^th Century Irish church to the organ, meeting a Red Indian squaw and clambering on board a replica of a ship that took the settlers to America. Many thanks to Sinclair Trotter , NI Field Commissioner, and to Iris Graham and the local organising team for all the planning that went into this event (though we did miss Dougie and Brian’s usual water antics at Fun Day this year- shame there wasn’t the chance for some wet and wild activities in Gortin Glen later in the afternoon!!).

30^th and 64^th Packs took advantage of the opportunity to spend the weekend in the Omagh area, each holding Pack Holidays from 21^st to 23^rd May; 64^th at a Scout Hall in the centre of town and 30^th at the Omagh District Campsite, Glasmullagh, near Mountjoy. We heard on the grapevine that Steve Hoskins also had a group camping in Gortin Glen, including quite a number of the smaller packs in the County and East’s ADCs, Deirdre and Harry who were catering for the weekend. 30^th Pack activities included trips to Aladdin’s Kingdom adventure playground, Omagh Leisure Complex, and The Ulster History Park. The staff at the History Park were very helpful and were a hit with the Cubs who much preferred this visit to that to the Folk Park the previous day. There was certainly more to do than we had expected in the Omagh area, and Glasmullagh Lodge, similar in many respects to Slievenaman, is a suitable venue for a Pack Holiday. I’d be happy to provide further information to any other CSLs who are interested.

David, CSL 30^th

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