Issue Issue 9999 November & December2015 November & December2015
From the Courtyard
sac scouts newsletter
From the Courtyard feature of the month
HAN SOLO WAS A SCOUT! With Star Wars: The Force Awakens coming out this Christmas Season, here’s an interesting scouting fact our readers surely didn’t know! In 1957, Harrison Ford — long before portraying that hero from a galaxy far, far away — played a heroic role much closer to home. That’s the year the man who would become Han Solo served as camp staff at Boy Scout Camp Napowan in central Wisconsin. Ford, who turned 15 that summer, worked in the nature area as an instructor. There even is a canoe paddle at Camp Napowan in the dining hall with Harrison Ford’s name on it. Jonathan Howe, an Eagle Scout who served as camp staff at Napowan for six or seven summers remembers that during one of those summers he staffed with a young man named Harry. Howe remembers Harrison Ford as a “good guy — a bit on the shy side.” On days off from camp, Howe and Ford would head to the nearest town to “kick off our shoes and get away from the campers for a day,” Howe said. Howe had no sense back then that he was hanging out with a future movie star. They were just a couple of Scouts who loved the outdoors. “If someone had told me when we were there that Harry was going to become an actor, I don’t think that would’ve been on my radar,” Howe said. The two had fallen out of touch when, in 1973, Howe saw the film American Graffiti and spotted a familiar face. “That’s Harry Ford, my God!” Howe remembers thinking. The first Indiana Jones movie came out eight years after that, with his former fellow staffer playing a role that didn’t really surprise Howe.
From the Courtyard
HAN SOLO WAS A SCOUT!
Issue 99 November & December2015
After all, Ford’s time as a Scout “in the outdoors sort of led him to have a natural affection for playing a role like Indiana Jones,” Howe said. Harrison Ford, former Scout Harrison Ford was a Boy Scout; that much we know. The BSA’s national headquarters doesn’t keep historical records on Scouting ranks earned, other than Eagle Scout. But multiple online sources say Ford was a Life Scout — the rank immediately below Eagle Scout.
Feature of the Month
So while I can’t say so definitively, it would be fitting for Ford to have earned Scouting’s second-highest rank. After all, Indiana Jones was a Life Scout — as confirmed by young Indy’s uniform in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Indiana Jones’ Scouting status makes even more sense when you remember that The Last Crusade was directed by Eagle Scout Steven Spielberg. Harrison Ford, snake charmer Remember how Indiana Jones was deathly afraid of snakes? The man who portrayed him was basically the opposite. Ford taught the Reptile Study merit badge during his summer at Camp Napowan, according to the June 1994 issue of Boys’ Life magazine. “Unlike the Indiana Jones portrayal, he was fine handling a snake,” Howe remembers.
Harrison Ford, real-life hero Cody Clawson was a 13-year-old Boy Scout in 2001 when he got lost near Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. It was raining and sleeting that night, so Clawson — wearing only a T-shirt, shorts, and sandals — slept in a cave and was missing for more than 18 hours. When he woke up, he heard airplanes and helicopters flying above. “I started looking for an open place that I could signal them,” Clawson recalls. “I used my belt buckle to reflect the sunlight.” That’s a skill Clawson would’ve learned in Scouting, no doubt. And guess who spotted the signal and landed? Harrison Ford. After Ford landed his helicopter, he said “good morning” to Clawson, who says he will never forget that voice. “The way he said it reminded me so much of his role of Han Solo in Star Wars. Then I was like, ‘Oh my God, Han Solo has just rescued me. How cool is that?'” After Ford flew Clawson to a makeshift search-and-rescue headquarters, Ford had one more message for the boy. “When we landed, Harrison Ford came over to me and said, ‘Boy, you sure must have earned a merit badge for this one.’ But I told him I’d already earned this badge last summer, and he laughed.” Cody admitted he was a little embarrassed by the incident but added that he was very popular with the kids on camp when they found out who rescued him. He said: “The kids asked if I got an autograph but I told them, ‘No, but I got a hug and a handshake, and that’s better.'”
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From the Courtyard
GSL’s note
Issue 99 November & December2015
Activities The last two months have not been extraordinarily busy however a number of activities were held which I am sure you will read about further on. In November the troop and venture unit held Operation Bulwark Shield in Gozo and a week later also got the opportunity to visit HMS Bulwark while in Malta during the CHOGM event. The Rover crew also organised an eventful bicycle expedition during the first weekend of December and somehow whatever they do is never a dull moment. HQ maintenance You may have noticed that once again we are working in the courtyard. We have a professional on the job this time round who hopefully should be ready by the end of the year.
GSL’s note
Meetings and Annual Subscriptions Our last meeting for the year is on Wednesday 16th December. Members please ensure subscriptions are paid by the second week of January as we have to submit our annual census to the National Scout Association. Uniforms Some progress has been registered on this front as a decision has been taken with regards to how the new uniform will look like. The design in the images below has been chosen as the favourite in the recent elections. We shall provide more information once we know more about where when and how it will be available.
Congratulations I would like to congratulate our AGSL Mark Borg and his wife Michela as they got married on December 12th. We wish them all the best for the future. Christmas greetings I would like to say thank you to all leaders and members and their families for being part of our group. I wish all of you all the best for the Christmas season and a happy and prosperous new year.
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From the Courtyard
GSL’s note
Issue 99 November & December2015
GSL’s note
Scouts and Ventures enjoyed an exclusive visit onboard HMS Bulwark during her recent stay in Malta for the occasion of the CHOGM Meetings.
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Ongoing HQ works: the Courtyard has been recently stripped of its many layers of paint to give it a nicer and more ‘rustic’ look. All in preparation for the SAC Scouts 2016 celebrations!
From the Courtyard
CUBS’ CHRISTMAS PARTY
Issue 99 November & December2015
The Cub's Christmas Party was held on 16th December, replacing the usual Halloween Party that was not held this year. Mike (Blue Smoke) and I (Hawkeye) were put in charge of planning the games. On the day of the party we were helped in overseeing the games by Rama, Kaa, Tabaqui and Akela. As our first game we hid chocolate Christmas tree decorations all over the grounds, including in the trees and soil, and the cubs had to find as many as they could. This game proved to be a success even though the sun was setting so it became quite dark, and the six who found the most decorations won. Other games included Pass the Parcel and ‘Grab the Santa Hat', which was a festive take on a game that the cubs are familiar with, ‘Grab the Bacon', where one person from each of the two teams is called out and has to grab the hat in the middle and run back to the rest of his team without being caught by the other person. The last activity involved three stockings. One was filled with sweets, while the other two were filled with rocks (‘coal'). Each person had to stick their hand in the stocking that they thought had the sweets. If they were correct then they got to eat the sweet. If they put their hand in one of the stockings filled with ‘coal' then they were left with nothing.
From the Pack
Throughout the party the cubs were continuously fed food courtesy of Chil and Bagheera.
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The party proved to be a success as the cubs seemed to really enjoy themselves.
From the Courtyard
BLUE SMOKE
Issue 99 November & December2015
From the Pack
Meet Michael Psaila—Blue Smoke
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After having joined as a leader in training with the pack last October, I am currently working on my Social Responsibility Program (SRP), a project aiming to contribute to society by working voluntarily with any organisation; a project organised by the chaplain of St Aloysius College Sixth Form. Starting with St Aloysius College Scout Group way back in 2007 as a cub (currently I’m a venture), I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to contribute to the scout group. I must say that I’m happy with the way things are moving, and I feel that a strong bond is growing between me and the members of the pack. Apart from organising games and activities, including the last Christmas party, I feel that it is my responsibility, as a future leader, to interact and form a bond with the members; that is how (I believe) they will start to trust me and look up to me as their leader. I also aim to make the meetings more enjoyable and of course try to include everyone in the fun. I do face difficulties at times, especially when trying to bring some order in the pack when they’re over-excited. Nevertheless, I always look forward to the Wednesday meetings. Of course, helping out with the pack has given me a great opportunity to put my leadership skills into practice. I believe that this will help me out in the future in my studies and in the workplace, including working with other leaders and colleagues. This is an opportunity to grow in maturity and understanding. I look forward to working with the pack for my Systems of Knowledge project in the upcoming months and maybe remain a cub leader in the future.
From the Courtyard
CHRISTMAS DISCO PARTY
Issue 99 November & December2015
From the Troop
Meet James Caruana—Troop Helper As of October I began my Social Responsibility Program with The Scout Group. This project aids students attending the College sixth form to give back to society and aid the community around us. I was given the role of a Troop Helper, I must say that I am very happy with the contribution that I am giving to the organization. I feel that I am learning a lot from the Troop Leaders which will help me progress as an individual and also as a member of our Scout Group.
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This role helps me interact more with the scouts and also helps create a sense of leadership. Being a few years older than the scouts helps create a bond that that I will cherish as they would start to look up to me. The sense of leadership that I am harnessing will surely benefit me in the near future. I am also the chairman of the Venture Unit. In the near future I wish to help the leaders organize several scouting activities which will help our young troop improve their scouting knowledge.
Troop Disco Party—by Francesco Gove` SAC, the best scout group in Malta. SAC creates the best activities. One of them is the Christmas party. The Christmas party is challenging, fun and exciting. Here is what we did. First we did a three legged race. Each patrol had to tie their legs to each other and try to walk. Now you think they have to walk straight but the SAC leaders made it challenging. Each patrol had to walk sideways. Trust me it was hard. After all that walking sideways, falling to our faces and screaming it was time to eat. The food was delicious and, believe me when I say delicious I really mean it!!!!! We had some drinks, cheesecakes, sausage rolls and much more. There was music while we ate but hardly anyone danced. Next we played the famous game Kingy. After that we had a real disco. This time everybody danced. The lights were awesome. The room was dark with a mix of green, red and blue lights. DJ Mike put on some good tunes. Some consisted of hotline bling, up town funk and YMCA. In conclusion everybody had a good time and SAC put on the best Christmas party ever. We hope that this Christmas party would get better and better each year.
From the Courtyard
FIRST VISIT TO NEW CAMPSITE
Issue 99 November & December2015
The next two write ups refer to the new campsite in Zebbug. This is still a ‘work in progress’ and soon enough you will hear lots about it!
From the Troop
Scouts Activity day—Daniel Busuttil—SPL
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9:00 am Everyone starts to gather at headquarters in Birkirkara. When everyone arrived we divide into two groups, the first group left with Bernard and Mike in their cars and the second group waited behind with James Caruana who kept us laughing by telling jokes. When Bernard and Mike came back the last group left with them and drove to Zebbug where we discovered this would be our future campsite. 9:30 am We gathered together outside an old broken down farm house and divided into small groups to clean it up. Two groups took to sweeping and emptying the two rooms of the farmhouse. Another group took to taking what was emptied from the room to a designated area outside. The other two groups cleared the areas outside from rubbish. 10:30 am We assembled back into patrols after a tour of the fields. Then they gave us two tasks to complete; to make a pyramid and a trapezoid out of staves and ropes. Then we went to play a game of football in a distant field. 12:00 pm After the football match we set up in an opposite field to start outback cooking. First we took our supplies like our food, wood, a hoe and an axe etc. Then we split the teams into different tasks. Someone went to get tinder, someone chopped the wood, someone prepared the food and someone dug the hole for the fire. 12:30 pm Then we started to build the 'homes' for the fires to burn. But there was nothing to start the fire with so we had to wait half an hour for the leaders to go home to get matches. In that half hour we decided to play kingy and British bulldogs. 1:00 pm The leaders have arrived with matches and everyone takes a while to start their fires. After some time we manage to get our fire started. The cooking has began ( it takes a bit of time). Everyone has wraps with sausages and sauce. 2:00 pm We clear up and start packing everything into the cars. We put out the fires and fill up the holes. Then Mike gave us a surprise: We had to walk it back to headquarters! 3:00 pm We arrive at headquarters and start unpacking everything and washing the pots and pans. Then we play a game of football. 4:00 pm till 5:00 pm We all go our separate ways. (Wait for our parents to pick us up our walk it home).
From the Courtyard
FIRST VISIT TO NEW CAMPSITE
From the Troop
Zebbug Campsite—Gerald Sammut, Buffs PL Our new campsite in Zebbug consists of three large fields and two rooms. The rooms have been cleared by us scouts on Monday 28th December. The fields are very spacious and are in need of a trim, as various grasses have grown very long. It clearly shows that the place has been abandoned. Very old items were found in the rooms and all the furniture has been eaten through by insects. The shelves were falling apart and many animal droppings were swept off the floor. The campsite is surrounded by a rubble wall and a footpath right beneath it. Only a few problems are encountered, water and electricity are not available (till now) and that the van doesn't pass through the narrow road which leads to the campsite. But overall it is good campsite for our group.
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Issue 99 November & December2015
From the Courtyard
HMS BULWARK COMPETITION
Issue 99 November & December2015
This year’s Bulwark Expedition took place on the 14th and 15th of November, and as has become tradition, the Venture Unit took part along with the Scout patrols and the Swieqi Girl Guides. One would wonder why, after having endured this leg wrecking activity for 5 years, the Ventures would want to participate in such torture again. But it is in fact the cherished memories of such ordeals that makes one want to experience more of them! The Ventures participating in this year’s Bulwark expedition were: Craig Bonello, Lorin Grima, Daniel Pace, Jonathan Pace and Daniel Busuttil. Joining them, were the girls from the Swieqi Rangers. Being a competition, this activity always has a certain degree of mystery around is as patrols wonder about which destinations the hike will take them to. This year’s edition was definitely so, since upon disembarking from the Gozo Ferry, Scouts Guides and Ventures alike were surprised to find that they were to get onto a Bus which would definitely take them somewhere far away!
From the Unit
The bus did in fact take them all the way to Gharb and this is where all the teams got the clue to find Checkpoint one. Excitement and anticipation could be seen on all the Ventures’ faces but this soon turned into fear and horror as they realised their checkpoint would be nothing less than Gordan Lighthouse!
Having started the hike in third position the Ventures set off at a brisk pace determined to gain the coveted ‘first in every checkpoint’ streak. They therefore resorted to a skill honed by many a venture before them.. Cross country hiking. Walking across the unspoilt countryside around Gordan hill was beautiful and soon the Ventures arrived at the foot of the Lighthouse where they could admire the beautiful view all around them. Soon though it was time to head towards their next destination; Zebbug Church. With another devastatingly high hill ahead of them the Ventures chanted motivational songs to keep them going through the countryside. Along the way the Ventures found the time to socialise and be gallant to the Rangers who, not being used to the Unit’s high standards of hiking needed some help to follow the trail.
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From the Courtyard
HMS BULWARK COMPETITION
Issue 99 November & December2015
From the Unit
After Zebbug, the Unit carried on towards Victoria where, feeling the first signs of hunger, they wasted no time to head towards the eating checkpoint: Gozo General Hospital. Here the Ventures savoured the sweet taste of success and hot dogs as by now they were way ahead of the other patrols and thus could afford an extended break. When it was time to leave, the Ventures soon cleared up their area, and having taken their customary group photo set off towards Xewkija Church. At each checkpoint all teams were given tasks and sheets to tests their scouting skills and knowledge. During the test at Xewkija, our Ventures began to observe that the sun would soon set and thus knew that soon they would be reaching the sleeping location which was still unknown.
After having handed in their tests and set the route , the Venture Unit was soon off towards Ggantija Temples. Here they were in very high spirits thanks to their well guarded ‘first place streak’ but misfortune was soon to strike as the clue to the next checkpoint, the sleeping location, was incorrect and the troop leaders had not yet realised this! So off they went, following the map in the wrong direction, oblivious of what they were doing! One by one the following scout patrols arrived to the actual sleeping site, which seemed very suspicious to VSL Andre who soon found out the Scouts had ignored the map completely and were following road signs and asking for directions instead. After a few angry phone calls it had transpired that the Ventures had reached Marsalforn and were now supposed to turn around and walk all the way back up to Xaghra. This was very bad news to break and soon one could hear the Ventures (namely Johnny) shouting all the way up the hill and making mass murder plans that even ISIS would shy away from. Soon enough though the Venture Unit, followed by equally angry Rangers were back on the right hill and reluctantly walked into the sleeping area amidst the boos and mockery of the Troop. The boys set up their bivouac in a well sheltered area and after having windproofed themselves got ready to cook their chicken curry rice. Having eaten and done some more Venture—Ranger fraternisation, the boys were soon all in their sleeping bags charging their batteries for the day ahead.
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From the Courtyard
HMS BULWARK COMPETITION
Issue 99 November & December2015
On Sunday Morning, we all woke up to Baron’s unnecessarily loud voice. Soon the whole area was buzzing with life as all the Scouts got out of their sleeping bags and into the cold. Why? Nobody knows the answer to such mysteries.
From the Unit
Reluctantly, the Ventures too got out of bed and whilst some of them took care of breakfast, some others dismantled their bivouac. Although still having mixed feelings as to how the previous day had ended, the Ventures were soon to be happy again when the Leaders Committee (following a night long debate) decided that it was only fair that the Unit be ‘forgiven’ that last checkpoint, and were to start the day’s hike in first place again, as after all it wasn't their fault. This was a real morale booster which manifested itself in group hugs and squeals of joy. Charged by this good news the Unit took the lead in organising the Scout patrols to do a thorough cleanup of the sleeping site and once this was done the checkpoint instructions were given out. With reborn confidence in Craig (our Mapwork Guru) who ably led the gang throughout the expedition, the Unit was soon heading off towards their next checkpoint; Xaghra Church. Having missed mass there, we raced against time towards Ta’ Hamet church where we arrived with ample time to make ourselves presentable and sit down for mass.
Following mass, the Expedition was resumed and our hikers were sent to the ex heliport where they were tested on their knowledge of knots. This was a piece of cake for our Ventures however there was more drama along the way as some of the girls just could not keep up with the boys’ fast pace and were refusing to carry on with the expedition. This was soon sorted out with our boys remembering their manners and gallantly offering to carry the girls’ packs. Upon arriving to the next checkpoint– Kenuna Tower in Nadur, the Unit enjoyed a well earned long break. Here we all found out about the accident that had happened at a party in Paceville the night before. Following a few calls back home, we were glad to know that none of our youngsters were involved in the accident, a close miss since some of the Ventures and Rangers had actually planed to go to that party! This stop was our day’s eating checkpoint and Lunch was Gozo Timpana. While enjoying the great view from up here, the Ventures, Guides and Scouts also found some time for photos and to complete their first aid practical tests.
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From the Courtyard
HMS BULWARK COMPETITION
Issue 99 November & December2015
From the Unit
By now it was clear that the expedition was heading towards Mgarr harbour and as the boys worked out the route for the next couple of checkpoints they sadly realised this adventure was coming to an end. Soon enough in fact the Ventures and Rangers were on their way down to Ghajnsielem Church and then on to their last stop.
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At Mgarr Harbour they celebrated their arrival with what few snacks they had left in their packs. A bitter sweet celebration, since soon they’d be boarding the ferry back to Malta and leaving this beautiful island behind them , cherishing the new friendships made and confident of their return next year for a new adventure.
From the Courtyard
VENTURES ON THE GO
Issue 99 November & December2015
Mosta Bridge Abseiling Marathon
From the Unit
On the 21st of November our Ventures took the plunge in the name of Charity, taking part in the Abseiling marathon at Mosta Bridge which was organised by our friends from Mosta Scout Group. Being something we don't get to do so often, the Unit decided to go for the Zip line which crossed the valley alongside the bridge. This turned out to be quite a fun and cool way of giving our best wishes to Zarby on his Birthday.
Venture Unit Christmas Party The Unit Christmas Party was held on the 19th of December. All unit members gathered at our HQ for some hours of fun in each others company. Having set up our own home cinema in the Cub Room we had a great time watching the latest Scouting movie. Meanwhile we treated ourselves to all sorts of treats as well as delicious Pizza. Special mention goes to our Drinks Manager Daniel Pace who took care of the supplies for the night.
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From the Courtyard
ROVERS LAN PARTY
Issue 99 November & December2015
Day 1 – Saturday 7th November 2015 ‘They assembled from all sides, one after another, with arms and horses and all the panoply of war’ - Anna Comnenus, The Alexiad As has become yet another yearly tradition for the Rover Crew, the weekend of 7th and 8th November would be host to an activity at SAC HQ, namely, that of a LAN Party. The games to be chosen were Call of Duty 2 and Call of Duty 4, and the activity was agreed to commence on Saturday late afternoon and conclude on Sunday evening, with Rovers coming and leaving according to work and other commitments.
From the Crew
The group that set the ball rolling on Saturday was composed of around six Rovers, who with great foresight had decided to put all the electricals and other equipment necessary in place on the previous Wednesday meeting, so that we could get down to the serious business of virtually slaughtering each other as quickly as possible. It must be said at this point that some of us were more proficient at this at others, as our very own Emanuel Lewis could demonstrate, as practice does indeed make perfect. After a couple of hours of happily firing away, a quick food run was in order, and we took a break whilst we nourished ourselves so as to recommence battle. Due to noise and other restrictions this did not go on for much longer, at we soon turned in to rest and ready ourselves for another wearying day of combat. Day 2 – Sunday 8th November 2015 ‘This is not the end. This is not even the beginning of the end. It is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.’ – Winston Churchill Sunday morning saw us rise blearily to our feet, some of us more quickly than others due to a newly-arrived member’s rather insistent knocks on the door (the said other Rover who had shot out of his sleeping bag did not leap out quickly out of fellow feeling for the Rover on the outside, but rather because his head had been touching the door whilst he was in a prone position). Complaints and grumbling stomachs met and dealt with, we once again got down to the serious business of waging warfare, only this time in a more modern setting as we switched to Call of Duty 4. Bolt action rifles exchanged themselves for automatic sub-machine guns, and the forests of Europe became the sandy dunes and towns of the Arabian desert. This day would see up to 10 Rovers at various points slugging it out against one another. Combat would continue on throughout the day, spaced out by various intervals and breaks. A number of types of games including Capture the Flag, Team Deathmatch and others were tried out, with the teams at first randomly divided and then later divided so as to provide the maximum amount of balance possible to the game, which provided the players with closely fought encounters and individual duels across the battlefield. The most notable game that would stick in the participants’ memories would be a win in Capture the Flag, where the winning team would at first go 2-0 down before resurging and winning 3-2 in the final seconds of the round. As night started to fall it was decided to start packing up and outing away all the electricals used, before all the members packed up their own laptops and computers and bade a farewell to one another.
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From the Courtyard
ROVERS BIKE HIKE
Issue 99 November & December2015
From the Crew
Once upon a time, a bunch of people (only one of whom owns a bike), decided to go on a bike hike. The result was a lot less dramatic than one would have expected. A few scrapes were sustained, but nobody needed to be carted to an emergency ward to have their skeletal structure realigned.
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The story began at SAC HQ, where the attendees were told they were off to Gozo as planned, but then were blindfolded and taken to Cirkewwa in the cars of the support team. Except, surprise, surprise, we found ourselves in Zurrieq. There had to be a bit of a storyline to the activity of course. A simple, "Here's your directions to the next checkpoint, off you go!", would never do. So we began following a series of clues and instructions that would have one believe we were some special forces group trying to outwit the devious rebels that had seized power. The route took us from Zurrieq to Hagar Qim, to Lapsi. In order to avoid the 'rebel checkpoints' we took a rather picturesque route, hard on the legs, but manna for the eyes. Feeling quite accomplished and Lance Armstrong-ish, we quickly figured out the next checkpoint after Lapsi, which turned out to be... Laferla Cross. Keep in mind that this was us coming up from the back side of that hill... not along the Dingli plateau. Any feelings of, "Hey we're actually good at this!", were not so much extinguished, as entirely disintegrated, like a match hit with a water cannon as we tried to force our thighs to work on the pedals. Needless to say... a portion of the hill was completed with the bikes over our shoulders. From then on it was relatively plain sailing as we coasted along Dingli Cliffs. Only to find out, that the bag with phones and wallets that had been confiscated from the participants, had been somewhat misplaced. After several miles had been added on the odometers of the three support cars, frantically retracing the routes we had just taken, the bag was happily located, and tensions eased. The upshot of that severely frustrating event, was that as we cycled to our next checkpoint, daylight was fading, and from atop the cliffs we witnessed the most amazing sunset we had ever laid eyes on. A spot of nighttime navigating followed, in places that for the most part lacked government lighting and very surprisingly, no churches, that staple of scouting navigation, were visible. This, in the small country roads, proved a tad challenging, but we prevailed by packing away the map and relying on dead reckoning. After another steep climb this got us to Rabat, and we progressed into Mdina, where from atop the bastions, we had to figure out a semaphore message being waved to us from the valley between Mdina and Mtarfa. Shelter was provided, at the end of the day, a stone's throw away in one of the poshest abodes we have ever been in throughout our scouting careers. As opposed to a tent / bivouac and tea on a camping stove, as is the norm, the organisers had secured a little retreat house, part of the St. Agatha's school complex, run by the priests of the M.S.S.P. This came complete with two bathrooms, a full on oven / hob and several bunk beds. There was even a much coveted memory foam pillow! Scouting had really come up in the world! In true form, we left the place absolutely spotless, and the next morning after breakfast and enough time to get our creaky legs moving again, we set off on the last leg of the activity. The best bits had obviously passed, but nonetheless there were a few very pleasant rides we took through the country roads sur-
From the Courtyard
ROVERS BIKE HIKE
Issue 99 November & December2015
rounding Rabat. Our eventual destination was SAC HQ once again, and we arrived just in time, apparently, to 'save' one of our comrades from being executed by the bumpkin rebels who had lost their ammunition and were looking for it in order to load their weapons.
From the Crew
It was, all in all, a very enjoyable activity that brought out several aspects of scouting. The physical challenges, the teamwork required to surpass certain obstacles, and the different areas each member showed skill in. And not least, the fun of participating in an activity that takes you away from hustle and bustle of everyday life, and provides the pleasures of the great outdoors! We're all still boy scouts, despite the years that have elapsed since our last legendary Fearless, (now Bulwark), Shield challenges.
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