Girlguiding Rastrick Annual Guide Camp
‘Camp Olympia’
Well August Bank Holiday, Bradley Woods, 2 Guide Units and Bernice Briggs it can only mean one thing... 4 days of rain?? But wait the forecast is changing... sunny intervals ahead, only light showers….. wait… it is changing again… rain confined to overnight… this can’t be true! Wey Hey! We are back and not a wet tent in sight! |
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4th and 5th Rastrick Guides camped together again this year from Friday to Monday over the August Bank Holiday. It was a little later than usual for us and this affected our numbers as many were on holiday, but we figured that camping with 22 girls instead of the usual 45 would be a doddle! Especially combined with us taking full advantage of all the new county camp equipment!
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Our site has never been so posh, with super cooking and store tents, fridges, cupboards and shelters. To cover all bases (and in light of our track record with weather) we also hired a marquee from Bradley Woods. Combined with our own new luxurious tents this was 5* camping (we might tempt our County Commissioner into camping yet!). |
Fittingly we chose the Olympics as our theme and as well as holding our own Olympic Games we made lots of international crafts. We also played on the fantastic low ropes course. Our Olympic Rings Wide Game challenged the girls to find the bases using compass directions and the climbing wall at Bradley Woods challenged everybody even further. It even saw its youngest ever participant give it a go, complete with helmet and harness! Well Benjamin wasn’t going to be outdone by all those girls even at only 23 months!
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This year we seemed to get the balance just right. Plenty of activities but also plenty of free time for the girls, who seemed to enjoy sitting in their tents playing games we had taken and doing the various camp challenges and quizzes to earn patrol points.
Camp was made a huge success with help of many people from within Brighouse and Elland Division. Tracey and Rachel from Elland Guides camped with us (they usually bring some Guides as well but this year our congratulations were sent to their other Guider Helen who had a baby girl, Dahla, the week before camp). Our Division President Jennifer Normanton came on the Saturday and Sunday and provided some fab catering. District Commissioner Janice and husband Max sorted out our evening meal for us on the first night and crucially kept us in coffee whilst pitching tents! Rastrick Rangers Alice and Sophie came and helped with the wide game and climbing.
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Brighouse District came up trumps as the Jordan trio of Fiona, Beth and Alice led a superb camp-fire, meaning that for once I could sit in the circle and take part! |
For once the weather was kind and striking camp went without a hitch and really quickly meaning that once the girls had gone at 3pm we were all home by 3.45pm! A record surely?
We are really grateful to be part of a very keen and supportive District and Division as all the extra help really makes a difference. We are all also very lucky to have supportive partners and families whose help is invaluable!
So another camp enjoyed by all and the count down to next year is on….
So watch out all you helpers for the diary dates!!
Sam Priestley
Guide Guider