Get In 2022

Postscript

What a Weekend

And in a weekend, Get In 2022 has been and gone.

But what a weekend. Goodness knows how many volunteer hours coming together to deliver a weekend of activities for around 3,800 young people. Supported by adult leaders, parent helpers, Warwickshire's county Scout team, and event staff, for a weekend community of around 5,200 people.

Did You Know #1

Get In! is a weekend activity camp for Warwickshire Scouts, which runs every 4 years with the previous camp in May 2018. The entire membership of Warwickshire Scouts is invited. From Beavers through to Network and Leaders. And looking back at some of those 2018 photos, it's great to see the continuity. Beavers have become Cubs, Cubs have become Scouts, Scouts have become Young Leaders, and Young Leaders have become Adult Leaders. And three of our Adult Leaders from 2018 were at 2022.

Did You Know #2

Planning County Camps takes years for the event team. Our own planning began back in September 2021 after the first version of the event manual was issued in August 2021.

District Camps also take a lot of planning. Rugby District has already booked the camp site for 2023's planned Rugby District Cub Camp and are gathering ideas of numbers to make sure it's viable. We hope to have around 150 young people on camp.

Getting Ready for the Opening Ceremony

Friday Night

I think it will be a long time before those of us who camped Friday night will forget the buzz that night.

After the opening ceremony the young people returned to their Group camps, and although it was supposed to be quiet time from 11:00 pm I don't think it ever got quiet. Ever.

With Get In 2022 being the first County Camp granted permission since lockdown began, the anticipation and excitement was too great. Imagine 1000s of whispered conversations under canvas (and some not so whispered).

Saturday Morning

Dawned way too early. More than a few Leaders were already anticipating the very tired young people we'd be seeing Sunday afternoon.

After a breakfast of fresh fruit, cereals, bacon and egg rolls, it was time for the Beavers to arrive, and then time for the activities to begin. To avoid crowding, Get In is split into a number of Zones, this time six. Each Scout Group is given wristbands, one of six colours, and that determines which Zone they can visit in the six activity slots. Four on Saturday, two on Sunday. A camp the size of Get In is able to offer opportunities that would take us as a Group years to match.

This year's activities included: Cave art; Making crowns; Weaving sticks; Fire-lighting; Making rope, Vinegar volcano experiment; Steam train ride; Throwing "Angle" axes; Paintball shooting; Paddling Canadian canoes; Coconut shy; Inflatable assault course; Climbing wall; Team wooden skies; Five animals; Panning for gold; Drumming; Sumo suit wrestling; Painting a totem pole; Decorating clog woggles; Steady hand game; Team caterpillar track; Space hopping; and Mad science lab. And that isn't a complete list!

Did You Know #3

Beavers have to be accompanied around Get In. Which typically means we need at least three adults with them. Then if one adult has to return with one Beaver to camp, there are two adults to maintain safe (in terms of safeguarding) ratios with the Beavers. The Cubs and Scouts are allowed to explore Get In by themselves, but know that they'll always be 6th Rugby adults in the activity zone. Identifiable by their neckers. Hence all the activity photos feature Beavers.

Rope Making

Steam Train Ride

Paintball Shooting

Sandwich Preparation

Whilst the majority of the Beavers, Cubs, and Scouts are out and about in the (morning) activity zones, and the breakfast clean-up is over, it's time to think about lunch. Which is sandwiches, which means (with 52 people on camp) a lot of bread to be buttered. And sometimes we have the help of one of our young people.

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Cup Tower

Once lunch is complete and the young people are back in the afternoon activity zones. It's time to clean-up and wash-up. Including around 52 cups. Again. Which can get a bit repetitive, so the cup stacking challenge is a nice little diversion.

Climbing Wall

Panning for Gold

Sumo Suit Wrestling

Saturday Night

We had our "pasta buffet" with the young people able to choose from pasta; mince; veggie mince; veggie sauce; and cheese. Apple pie or chocolate roll with \ without custard for pudding.

Then it was time for the evening activities. And the Leaders got chance to complete some adventurous activities. With Fruitbat and Donna completing firewalking!

Funnily enough, the Beavers, Cubs, and Scouts started drifting off to their tents for bed without much prompting!

Fruitbats Firewalk.mp4

Fruitbat's Firewalk

Starting the Fire

Getting the fire ready for Saturday night. When the young people have gone to bed it's time for the adults to sit back and enjoy biscuits and cheese. Lots of cheese.

Time for a Chat

Even though there's always something to do, there's still time for a simple chat.

I Knew Him as a Beaver

When the Group camps together it's great to catch-up with young people you first knew as Beavers who are now Scouts and helping the Beavers.

Escaping the Composting Toilets

Did You Know #4

Environmental awareness continues on camp.

All rubbish is separated into actual rubbish and recyclable, and the event has skips for each. Our single use plastic cups are recyclable.

And this year Get In had composting toilets which the Beavers had a go at.

Whilst there were showers available on camp (does anyone expect a Beaver \ Cub \ Scout to shower on camp?) there were limited washing facilities, so all brushing of teeth was done with a cup of water. And in some cases a cleaned finger when toothbrushes had mysteriously gone missing.

Plus the fact that we have to fetch all water from a tap highlights to the young people how much water we go use.

Sunday Morning

Surprisingly, some of the tents had to be told to get up! Another breakfast of fresh fruit, cereals, bacon and egg rolls. Time for the young people to pack their kit. Challenging in some cases when kit had been dispersed as thoroughly as possible. You wouldn't believe how effectively a shoe can hide in a tent. Then it was time for the young people to head out to the activity zones. Back at camp the process of cleaning up after breakfast began, and in parallel the sad task of breaking camp.

Time for a Quick Break

Watch Out for Collapsing Tents

Steady Hand Game

Team Caterpillar Track

Space Hopping

Sunday Lunch for Tired Young People

Sunday Lunch

All too soon the activities are over and exhausted Beavers, Cubs, and Scouts return to camp for their lunch. Fortunately, blessed with good weather again, we were able to eat lunch without needing shelter on the field. Which soon turned into "sleep quarters" for some of the more exhausted members of the group. And after the official closing ceremony it was time for for our own ceremony. Three of our Beavers being awarded their Nights Away 1 badge. And one of our Scouts being awarded their Nights Away 35 badge. An incredible achievement. Finally it was time for parents to be let onto the campsite and take their tired young people home.

Big Thanks

To:

Our adult helpers: Donna; James; James; Martin; and Waye.
Our young leader: Kaa AKA Lucy.
Our leaders: Abbey; Fruitbat AKA Ruth; Oak AKA Ann-Marie; Shere Khan AKA Samuel; and Toad AKA Sean.
Last and definitely not least, our GSL: David, who does an incredible amount for our Scout Group.

This Is Us: 6th Rugby Scout Group: Get In 2022

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