The St. John Camp Cadet No. 4 (Tuesday 4th August 1953)

Favou rite Camp Chore is Night Guard Duty

SO many cadets have volumtecred fol guard duty at the Coro, nation Camp that we haye been asked to state that the list is now closed. No more volumfeers are required. Mhry, indeed, have already been turned away.

Guad duty has proved the most popular of all the fatigues that cadets are oalled upon to undertake, and, oddly enough, most vo unteers have plumped for guard, duty at night.

Or is this so very odd?

The efficiency of the guard5 is beyond question. For proof of it one has onlv to keep one's ears open as one walks about the camp.

At the post office. for instance, a Cadet was heard telling his parents over the telephone how much he was enjoying himself at Stubbers. Then he added: "It's just like a Prison campl There are guards everywhere."

Another cadet was heard to say in despairing dones: "How do we ger out of this Belsen?"

The object of the gu-ards, of course, is to prevent children straying from the camp. They are Posted at everY sate and carry out lheir duties so ihoroughly thai there is little chance of an-vone going out who has not been authorised to do so.

Plentv of opportunities to visit surrounding places of interest are provided bv the organised tours, but any Cadets lvho take Part in these have first to apply for tickets.

As a touching footnote the story should be told of a Party of Ambulance Cadets from Eire, who found themselves posted for guard duty at what seemed to thern a verY inconvenient moment.

As these Cadets were marching along in a body to take up their stations, it was announced by radio that Nursing Cadets from Eire were about to give a display of Irish dancing.

The guard thereupon broke into a jig of their own, and, *hen they were called to order. bitterly lamented that they were not able to watch the display.

"Boys Tidier thon Girls" She soys

tIaHE high standard of cleanliness r in the Coronation Camp apparently owes more to the boys than to the girls attending it.

The O.C. Antiseptics, Miss M. Durrant, said yesterday that, at any rate, the boys kept their wash-houses in a tidier state. They were also much more punctilious about dipping their hands, as instructed, after using the lavatories.

As one whose job is to prevent the spread of infection, Miss Durrant described the elaborate precautions taken, especially with food.

She told us that all uncooked fruit and vegetables were ff€ated with disinfectant before reaching the table.

As a fr-rrther precautions a preparation called qltaternary ommoniunt compound powder was put into the washing up water.

Only IrOOO Loaves loday please BakeP

\[O fewer than three thousand liraves of bread were delivered at Stubbers on Safiurday to last the campers over the Bank Ho iday.

What a lot of toast this would make!

The daily consumption of bread is a thousand loaves, whichi works o,ut at roughly half a loaf a head.

These figures alone give an idea Three whole sides of bacon were of the gigantic scale of the shopping carved up one day to provide them billand there are others equally with one rasher eaqh. Meat is doled revealing. out in hundredweights, and potatoes

For example, at breakfast one by the half-ton per day.

?.?li'T;,,11?o'ldf"r.r6to #;J: "3; A' .ro' other vegetabres' bv the iooirr"i """iiio", *t"n tt" ri'""" *u. time the camp is over' the. Cadets Ffi;r truaa"it. they tuckeA away will have .eatbn their\ way lhrough 330lbs. of it. a whole kitchen garden.

Neq,u Zeatonders cilrry South A n

ANYTHING BACK ON THE EMPTIES?

fTtHE mvsterious case of the Walk- I ing tent, reporled in our last issue. has been followed bY a still deeDer mvstery. whjch we shall call rhe'Case'of ihe Missing PYjamas.

Bridgade Private David Stevens, of Blackheath, and Cadet Supt. Jackson Taylor, of BeverleY- Yorks, were the viciims of an outrage which forced them to go to bed ni$ht-before-last in their underpants.

Bv what seemed a coincidence both Iouid, as they prepared for bed. rhat their pyjamas were missing.

Supt. Taylor's pyjamas reappeared rhe following afternoon in a rnanner that requires investigat.ion. They were found hanging from the branch of a blasted oak tree, about twentY feet above the ground'

The pyjamas belonging to Private Stevens made an even more remarkable reappearance. TheY were delivered to him in a highly-scented parcel, in which r.ras a card bearing the following message:

"Found in the administrative officers' tent (female section). We regret that they were emPtY."

Bit His Heod off?

Yesterday we awarded the Prize for slrange casualties tg the Nursing Camp.

Today we feel its only fair to tell the history of the follo*,ng entry irr the Ambulance CamP's Aid Post: "Bitten by Girl."

We set ou1 to interview Young William Pearce, who had suffered this indignity.

"Well, it was like this . " he began

But chivalry prevents us from quoting further.

off cuP

fN the competition for the Spring- r bok Cup. which was open to pairs from overseas contingents,and representative pairs from the Home Country, New Zealand gained first and second places. The girls beat the boys by seven marks.

Other placings were: 3, Rhodesia (boys); 4, Rhodesia and Cyprus (mixed); 5, Home Country (girls); 6, Eire; 7, Canada; 8. Cyprus (girls); 9, Kenya (girls). Dr. A. C. White Knox, Surgeon-in- Chief of the St. John Ambula,nce Brigade, who judged the event said that the standard of work was quite

good, but it seemed that most of the competitors were not used to the Home method of competition work.

He thanked the competitors and congratulated the New Zealanders on their success.

Capt. E. B. Cilberd (New Zealand) on behalf of the competitors, expressed sincere thanks to the Surgeonin-Chief.

The Springbok Cup was presented by Mr. M. A. Zoccola, Acting Commissioner of Witwatersrand, Southern Transvaal District, as a special trophy to commemorate the Cadet Coronation Camp.

KATH LEEN PATIENT (s) rs CADETS' AND MASCOT

A SMALL visitor we were pleased n to meet yesterday was hve-year- old Kathleen Wigley. mascot and patient-in-chief to rhe Stanford-leHope Nursing Cadets. With her was her three-year-old sister Helen; who acts as a first aid patient onoccasions.

They were brought to Stubbers by their mother, Cadet Supt. Mrs. Wigley, who told us that three girli from her Division were attending the camp. If her ovrn daughters had been old enough, tfrey would have been there, too.

Mrs. Wigley, like most of Yesterday's visitors, was ful1 of praise for the camp. Her only regret was that she had not been able to trace her three Cadets.

fHE Camp s own branch of Bar- -r' clav's Bank is in the neu s for the sec6nd day running.

A small boy walked in there Yesterday morning, asked for a twopence halfpenny stamp.

He was told: "This is not a Post office, sonny. it's a bank. The post olhce is next door.

"But loday is Bank Holiday. so the post offce is closed."

CALL AT THE PRESS TENT

and order for your friends not at the camp.

I. THE CAMP CADET

2s. the series post free

iz. rxr cAMP HAND

3d. to St. John members ! 6d. to non-members : (Postage 2d. ertra).

'L:

Meet Rene Herzog of Paris. He is our only European guest at Stubbers.

You can easily recognise him. His rucksack has a rricolour on it and his colourful dress consistS of an orange shirt, very short shofis and sandals.

Rene is in England to learn EngIish-which he aiready speaks verY well.

Aithough naturaliy not a cadet, Rene has already camped with usat the St. J.ohn Ambulance Cadet Camp at Sheringharn Iast year.

THE D;AILY PO,NTER

Jesus often told His truths in a .homely way so that the multitude ,could understand. All. of us must have known the pains of hunger and thirst at sometime and in our Lord's ,own prayer, we ask for the essential "'Give us this day our daily bread."

In the Middle East, in the heat of the desert, great thirst must have been €ommon among the Jews, thus they would know what it meant to hunger ,and thirst for water, and so for righteousness in a spiritual way-yearning, seeking and striving after righteouiiless.

And what is righteousness in the way Jesus meant it? It is the belief in right even beyond reason, the love of truth, justice, fairness, the supremacy of goodness and faith in life's eternal balance between right and wrong; yet it must be a livi,ng sense of rightness, not fanatical, a sense of right which can be adjusted and fitted in the ever-changing standards of life on earth.

And so those are blessed who fight for it, in their daily Iives and who. setting all else aside. put the princi- ple of righteousness highest in harmony with the world they live in.

These so biessed shall be filled, that is. their spiritual striving shall result in their eventual heavenly reward and indeed so often one sees the r-esult of the supreme effort for right being fulfilled on earth, for in thousands of instances throughout the centuries we see the ultimate triumph of good over evil by hunger and thirsting after righteousness.

Hospital corner

Atrf T Sunday's rush of minor l'ainting cases rhere rvas little activity in the Camp Hospital yestbrday.

Most of the girls admitted on Sunday were packed off back to their units. and by tea lime. rhe boys ward. into which they had overflowed, was completely empty again.

Only six beds were occupied in the tent reserved for girls.

Competition Results

I[ERCY has come in modern times ivr to be in some- wav connected with justice. In the sensitional rnur. der trials of today followed by ap- peals of mercy, meaning a mitiga- tion of sentence, there is no question that justice and the law have miscarried; the sentence is just, but even so, for one reason or another, an appeal is brought forward for mercy. The jury sometimes recommend the condemned to mercy.

, 'fhis is not charity, ilt seems to be the realization by ordinary men and women of the frailty of human nature and that while we know those sentenced lor crime have truly transgressed and must be punished, we also know they are God's children since we are all His and so we feel His mecy in our hearts.

We know in our hearts that both good and evil rage a continual battle within us and so the spirit of mercy rises in us. The words-"There. bur for the Crace of God. go l" have a real meaning. Shakespeare's words through Portia's immortal ljnes "The quality of mercy is not strained-it droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven" have for three centuries been beloved and repeated for their essential truth.

And these merciful ones shall receive mercy-this is surely in the last daythey shall indeed receive a merciful judgment of their lives when they stand before the Supreme Judge.

ONCE UPON A TIME

'pASSINC down Kirchen Row rhjs r morning we saw a little circle of spellbound cadets peeling potatoes and listening to Mrs. Burn. of plymouth.

Wondering which fairy story she was telling we moved nearei and heard her say impressively "and rt was very dark and cold and frighi- ening " Shivering with feaiful antlcrpatlon we sat down and absentmindedly started peeling potatoes.

Her story seemed to have a familiar ring but we could not put a name to it until we found she was telling the story of the W.V.S. in the war-.

Her audience were from Eire anrl had never heard cf the W.Y.S.

J

CTIILD WELFARB COMPETITION

r[HE final round ol rhe Child Wel_r fare Competition was judged by Miss Lane, S.R.N.

The result was: 1. J. Brown (N.69) 60 marks; 2, V. Gates (N.67) 56 marks; 3, J. Agnes (N.88) 52 marks. Possible marks 70.

ROAD SAFETY COI\IPET'ITIOfr

As rhe result of preljminary rounds the f-ollowing cdeis will compere in ,*rg finals: J. Jefferis A.7; J. Agnew N.88; J. Radford N.55: J. Jones A.2l; E. O'Brien N.6t; M. Callow N.65; B. Cheeseman A.5; E. Radford N.S-S. Vl. Jones N.80; t. Nash A.l6; C. Moore A.4-

The final competition will be held on Tuesday afternoon, August 4th, on the sports arena. The judges wili be members of R.O.S.P.A. WilI _ competitors please report promptly at 2.30.

FIRE FIGHTING COMPETITION

The final round will be held on Tuesday aflernoon. August 4th, on the sports arena. The judges will be members of the Essex Countv Fire Brigade. Will iompeting teams please report proinptly ar 2,30.

- CADETS_PLEASE NOTE

ll{R. RODI}A} witl take a shorr Ir course of casualtl make-up in the morn-lng at IU.30 a.m. continuing in the afiernoon at 2.30 p.m. 'fhii will be of special interest to all cade6 r',ho are keen on competitioa work, He will bc in the Nursing Cadetr Mess both morning and atrernoon. For those more artisticallv minded Mrs. Coryn of the Esse-t Rtiral Cont- nunity Council will give a demonstration on pottery making. She will hare an electric pottery wheel and wtll actually make bowls and vases for the cadets to see. She will continue for those who'are unable to get rhere rn the morning in the afternoon. She will be in the Entertainments Marquee at J0.30 a.m. and 2.30 p.m.

lf you are not keen on potlsr'y Miss Tom will be denronstraring basket making and string wr,rk in the 0fficer's Mess a4 10.30 a.m.

"Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain nrcrcy."

{'Blessed are rthey which do hunger and thiirst aftgr righteousnem, for they shall be filled."

Stronge Cargoes !

wASHING out an ambulance frbm the headquarters unit in London we found Supt. K. Morgan, of Monmouth Division, who is transport manager of the Suoplies Section.

He told us that he had'just delivered some coal for the kitchens. and was about to collect a mountain of fish pies for tea.

Mr. Morgan has handled some strange and varied cargoes since the camp opened. It is nothing for him to switch from carting meat or deIivering groceries and vegetables, to such an out-of-the-way task as humping a grand piano.

On Sunday, when a number of Nursinq Cadets fainted on the parade ground, his ambulance was pressed into service-for once-in its normal caoacity.

Naturally. great precautions are taken to ensure that anv food carried is not exposed to infeition. Whenever there is fresh food to be taken aboard. it gets a thorough cleantni out and is then washed do,vn with one of the better known disinfectents.

Most of the executive officers in camp work long hours and Supt. Morgan and his team are no excep- tions. Seven in the mornins rill nine at night is a normal day for thern.

GADGETEERS

'flOP marks for the neatest unit in r lhe Ambulance Cadets' Camp aqain went yesterday to Somerset. This county therefore retains the totem pole, which will be carried off at the end of the Camp by the unit. scoring the highest aggregate of marks.

The totem pole stood yesterdav outside one of the smartest tents in the whole camp. It was most neatly arranged and the gadgets trurlt out of twigs were an inspiration to all campers.

One of the iudges informed us that soecial points have been awarded for these gadgets because they were not slrung or lashed together in anv way. but depended for their stabilitl. on the interlocking of natural twigs.

Among the gadgets were a broom stand, shoe-racks. racks for plates and cutlery and cup-hooks. All bedding in the tent was neatly folded and clothes hung from the ridge-pole on coat-hangers in an orderly row.

p. OLDMEADOW ESQ.. (aged r l2j) is the youngest member of the Sheerness Cadet Band. He has been the youngest member for two years.

But yesterday whe.n we watched rthe band playing during the rehear. sal for Princess Margaret's visit, we noticed that Mr. Oldmeadow's age wasn't showing.

"No. 5" ordered Band Sergeant W. Gunn, and off marched the band to a tune we. in our unmusical way, had cal'led "that tune ,vhere the drumsticks go rattle, rattle."

After they had marched and counter-marched, playing lfrornr their repertoire of different marches;. the band dismissed.

We followed them to their tent with trepidation and asked whether they had been to many such occaslons.

Ono,

We have receiyed the follow,ing letter from Private D. J. Steveni, of L00 14 Blackheath Division:

"Today is a Bank Holiday all the banks all over the are closed.

I think Camp will its bank o

it very fitting make history

that

by

SLEEP VALKER

Y%::i,'1?;":;""'"i:: "Yx'f;

Clare Oxley, of Shawbury, was sunbathing in the middle of the afternoon when suddenly she saw an officer (who shall be nameless) emerge fiom the tent and wander round making odd signs and gestures.

Clare' stared aghast. Could the oflicer be mad? (she had heard that there was a looney ????? near the officer's home) or was she it.

"Are you alright." asked Clare in the approved S.T.A.B. style.

"Yes. yes," muttered the officer, "but I must get all the clothes in before they are spoilt by thg rain . it's raining so hard lhat they'll be ruined."

Squinting into the sun Clare wondered. Then she realised---the officer was sleep walking.

"Oh yes. w€ are often called out to play at big affairs like this," said' Cadet Officer D. Howard (Officer-inCharge of the band).

Mr. Gunn (who was looking for a bottle of Thawpit to clean his sheepskin). pointed out that the names of the big parades thev had been to were inscribed on the Drum Major's sash.

So we went to see Drum Maior A. Jacobs-he's the one who walks in front twirling the great mace. He showed us his purple sash with theCamp Flash at the end of a long list' of names. He told us that our flash would be there for ever.

The Sheerness band has become a by-word in the camp for smartnessboth of dress and marching.

We are prourd that our Coronati,on Ca,mp will remain on tthat sash, I)rum Major.

HORATIO TAKES A GULP

We have written .before of the determination and devotion to duty of our guards. But we are sure that you would never forgive us if we left untold the following saga.

At cocoa time. last night, the tallest W.V.S. helper was confronted by the smallest of cadets. He wanted to have a jug of cocoa for his guard. but he was told that it was impossible to have cocoa except in a cup.

"But." he pointed out. "we are on guard," and his cherubic face took on a mien of conscious gravity, "and we are guarding the road. We cannot Ieave our posts. Sb we will have to come one by one with our cups."

He got his jugful.

Make do and melt

\I/ALKTNG through the Ambulance

" ( amp yesteroay mornrng we saw two earnest young Cadets in deep conversation.

We decided to eavesdrop and pass on the information we gleaned in case it may be of use to you.

One Cadet was complaining that he could not get any orange squash at nieht. His friend, a practical type. said:

"That's easy-buy an iced orange lolly this morning, keep it in your mouth all day and by this evening it will be orange squash."

wfl

"Missing Pyjamas," now we are privileged to be the first to tell of the "Dream Walking."

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