Issue 107 Issue 107 September 2016 September 2016
From the Courtyard
FROM THE COURTYARD SAC SCOUTS NEWSLETTER
GSL’S NOTE In this issue Cubs.. Superhero Camp Fun Day
Our Group Scout Leader tells us what’s on!
The Jig Saw
Ventures..
This year has been like a big jig saw for us. I had never anticipated how busy it was going to be espe-
Brotherhood Camp
cially due to the works on the new room next door.
Rovers.. Pulling Weight
I am glad to report that by October 15th the jig saw should be complete. The essential parts of the room will be in place, the commemorative plaque too and new room signage as well. We would have also successfully completely our summer camp activities, the trip overseas to Aosta, the pasta night and two team building events. All in all we should be proud of what we have achieved together to commemorate our Group's 100th anniversary.
15th October As many of you already know, on 15th October we shall be holding a thanksgiving mass at College and then we shall be unveiling a commemorative plaque at our H.Q. H.E. The President of Malta M. L Colerio Preca should be attending too for this important milestone. A gang show will be held at the
Coming up 100 Year Anniversary Celebrations—15 October 2016
college theatre after the unveiling ceremony.
Summer Camp In spite of all the difficulties we faced due to a lack of supporting leaders at camp we still managed to organise a successful camp for all. Kitchen duties were ably handled by our cook of yesteyear Stuart
SAC Turns 100— 19 October 2016
‘Ciappy’ Ciappara who ensured that noone goes hungry and shopping and menu were handled by a consortium of the able and experienced. Andrew Guza Agius was camp chief and coordinated all activities to ensure they dovetail with all section requirements. Well done to the venture unit for hosting 20 Sicilian venutres and rovers during camp.
From the Courtyard
GSL’S NOTE
Issue 107 September 2016
Finally I'd like to thank all leaders for their time, sacrifice and commitment throughout. Campfire was also a great experience and we hope all parents and friends enjoyed it.
Commemorative Badge The Group has prepared a badge to commemorate its 100th anniversary. It is a simple badge reflecting the College's colours. The dates reflect the year of establishment 1916 and 2016, the 100th year mile-
GSL’s note
stone. It will soon be available as a badge for members to buy.
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From the Courtyard
SUPERHERO CAMP
Issue 107 September 2016
Our Cubs have had a fun packed, super summer camp. Take a look at what they've been up to.
From the Pack
Day 1 At 9:30am on Wednesday morning, the cubs and their parents started to arrive at Għajn Tuffieħa campsite, all happy and eager to spend the next three days camping, with a ton of activities prepared for them! After whistling for the first Fall-In, the leaders took the cubs on a tour around the campsite. Afterwards, we escorted the cubs to the barracks to help them settle in. Later, we gathered at the flagpole where Akela referred to the camp theme and explained that points will be given via Superhero cards. After, the cubs played a series of superhero-themed icebreaking games. These were “What’s your Superhero Name”, Villain Tie-up and another two games. At lunch time, the cubs gathered around in the shade to eat their packed lunch.
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We then told the cubs to change into their bathing costume for Water Balloon Games. These were Balloon circle, towel toss, overhead relay and Balloon toss. The cubs had a fun time splashing water and throwing water balloons! Following this, on a rotational basis, the cubs performed a number of experiments at different stations. These were Pencil in a bag of water, Static electricity, Balloon and Water, and Cloud evaporation. After the experiments, the cubs went to gather their beach belongings and we set off to Golden Bay. On our way back, they stopped to buy ice-cream. On arrival, after the cubs dried off and changed, we gathered in the dining shelter for a superhero craft organised by Raksha to make Superhero masks! Dinner time arrived and the cubs had dinner, followed by duties. Night Games followed. We played a series of three games of Lighthouse and two of Find the Glow sticks. Afterwards, the cubs were dismissed and went to sleep, exhausted but happy.
From the Pack
From the Courtyard
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SUPERHERO CAMP
Issue 107 September 2016
Day 2 At 8:00am in the morning, the cubs were already awake and showered. After the first Fall-In, we did lumbering up, followed by breakfast. The ERFU (Emergency Fire and Rescue Unit) then came to visit and lecture the cubs. After an interesting demonstration about fire safety and rescue, indicating also all equipment on the fire engine, the cubs had a go to put out a test fire using fire hoses. Accompanied by fire fighters, the cubs took turns to put out the fire. Even the leaders had a go! The lecturer got out a highpressure hose (it resembled a cannon) and the cubs ran as water was sprayed in the air. After a group photo and a big thank you, the cubs went for a break. Lunch followed, and after they had duties. After, the cubs moved on to the Superhero Obstacle Course prepared by several leaders during the ERFU visit. Each Six completed the obstacle course and were timed. Proficiency Badges followed. The cubs could choose either Entertainer, First Aider, Athlete, Camper or Book Reader. After badge work, the cubs changed into their bathing costume to go down to the beach. With them, they also brought their water guns. At the beach we had a fun time spraying each other. Meanwhile, those who
From the Courtyard
SUPERHERO CAMP
Issue 107 September 2016
From the Pack
wanted could do the swimmers badge as well. Arriving at the campsite, the cubs went to shower and get dressed. Fire cooking followed. With a leader accompanying each Six, the fires started. Once it was time, the cubs were allowed to start cooking. The cubs enjoyed this and all took turns to continue “feeding� the fire. After, all the cubs ate and the area was cleared. Rama then gave a lecture about mapping and Map Reference (MR). A short hike followed, with the cubs leading the way, accompanied by two leaders. There were a total of 3 checkpoints and once we all arrived at the last checkpoint, we walked together back to campsite. On arrival, the cubs then played one round of the new Assassins game. Afterwards, Rikki Tikki Tavi served mocktails for the cubs, which she had prepared herself. Lights out followed.
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Day 3 At 7:45am the cubs were already awake and some had already showered. After giving the cubs some time to finish off, lumbering up followed. After lumbering up, the cubs went for breakfast and duties followed. After, we told the cubs to change into their bathing costume and bring their beach belongings. We then walked down to the beach and had a fun time there. After, we walked back to campsite. We then settled in the dining shelter, where Rikki Tikki Tavi prepared the next activity. This was Ready Steady Cook, and the cubs would be making homemade burgers! Rikki Tikki Tavi gave all the necessary details and instructions. With a leader accompanying each Six, the cubs began cooking. With the leaders ensuring that everyone was safe, especially with the gas stoves, a sizzling sound and the scent of burgers filled the dining shelter. After, the cubs prepared their burgers with every kind of sauce and ingredient they could add! After lunch, the cubs helped Rikki Tikki Tavi clear up.
From the Courtyard
SUPERHERO CAMP
Issue 107 September 2016
Water games followed! The cubs gathered in the cement area and Baloo and Raksha explained the water games. The water games were Water cup guns and Water Kingy. After a fun time splashing each other, the cubs had a gun shower. They then went to the barracks to get dressed and pack up their belongings. After, the cubs had the Superhero Action Training 20 Challenges, organised by Akela. The cubs then had time to practise for campfire stunts. A total of 3 stunts were planned by the cubs to be performed during campfire with many guests, including their families, in attendance. Later, we gathered for the last Fall-In. The winning Six was announced and the camp shield was presented to the Blue Six. The grand howl followed and the cubs were then dismissed to join their families for dinner and the traditional campfire which followed.
From the Pack
Blue Smoke - Michael Psaila Cub Leader
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From the Courtyard
Issue 107 September 2016
FUN DAY
Some of our cubs got to spend the day putting their scouting skills to the test.
From the Pack
At 10am, on Saturday 13th August, the cubs had already started arriving at HQ, excited for the day’s activities to start. Once all had arrived, they were told to place their belongings in the Troop Room and have a quick drink before the first game. We started off with the “stave” game and Powerball. After the games, all cubs settled in the Troop Room with a leader assigned to each Six. The next activity was Obstacle Course Building! Each Six had to come up with a design for an obstacle course and, after around 10 minutes, the cubs moved on to build their obstacle course. There were several designs and plans. All cubs had to use their pioneering skills and, once finished, a whole array of original obstacles was waiting for the cubs to enjoy. Each Six completed the obstacle course blindfolded and were timed. Then, everyone set off to dismantle the course, leaders watching out for everyone keeping safe, especially with spars. After, the pack had a quick lunch break inside the Troop Room and prepared for water games. With everyone changed, we commenced the water games. These were Cup to Bottle Relay, The Blindfold, Water Balloon Relay and Water Kingy. The cubs had a fun time splashing each other, and some of the leaders! After water games, the cubs dried up and had their afternoon break. We ensured that the cubs drink plenty of water besides applying sun block regularly. We then settled inside the Troop Room, where I performed three experiments and the cubs tried them out after I gave them all necessary instructions. The experiments were Balloon Rocket Racers, Magic Pepper Trick and Fizzy Fun, and all cubs were eager to try them out! After another break, it was time for the scavenger hunt! As soon as the papers were distributed, the cubs scattered and ran off to find all the equipment needed. Some, however, stayed on to perform the challenges. In the end, all papers and equipment were collected and the winning Six was announced. After another break, the cubs played Piranhas, Lions and Tigers and Cobra. Meanwhile, the leaders had the BBQ going and the food was being prepared. Once everyone ate, we carried on with a game of British Bull Dogs till the cubs’ parents arrived. It was evidently seen that the cubs truly enjoyed putting their scouting skills into practice! This of course gives an indication of what they’ll be doing once joining the Troop.
Blue Smoke - Michael Psaila Cub Leader
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From the Pack
From the Courtyard
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FUN DAY
Issue 107 September 2016
From the Courtyard
SUMMER CAMP LOGBOOK—BUFFALO PATROL
Issue 107 September 2016
All Patrols write a logbook after camps and long hikes to keep track of everything that’s gone on. The Buffalo patrol have shared their logbook of Summer Camp 2016 with us. Take a look at the extract below. Preparation—Thomas To be honest most of us scouts didn’t expect a camp this year because we had just gone abroad to the region of Valle d’Aosta (Italy). Summer Camp 2016 was one of the best camps we scouts have ever experienced because of the fact that it took a lot of preparation. The SPLs (Daniel and Paolo) had spent a big amount of time this summer preparing for this camp. A few weeks before camp the PLs and APLs had changed so the buff patrol was going to be led by Victor and me assisting him. Summer Camp was held in Ghajn Tuffieha National Campsite for the simple reason
From the Troop
that this campsite is so close to the sea. Because of its location we were permitted to do many sea activities like snorkelling, swimming races and rafting. Unfortunately only the ventures went rafting so it makes rafting (an activity which is held on St. Pauls Day) a unique experience and also an exciting one. The day before camp the PLs, APLs and ventures were asked to help load the truck for camp. It is impressive how such a small truck is able to carry such equipment and weight. But as expected only half the people which were asked had actually showed up. Jake, Andrew, Matthew (Zammit) and I were the only scouts to show up. Andrew left early (because it was his birthday) and is came late (cause I had to pack for camp). When they had finally loaded the truck Jimpey had come and he drove the truck to the campsite.
Day 1 — 12/09/16 — Thomas All the scouts were supposed to arrive at 10:00am but like always everyone came late. Paolo was the first leader to arrive so he was collecting all the money. The instructions of the leaders were simple first unload the truck and pitch the tents. Three patrols were instructed to pitch the tents and two patrols were instructed to unload the truck. This year the cubs were going to sleep in the barracks so we got their vangos. Two patrols slept in one vango (buffs with wolves) another patrol was going to sleep by themselves (as one patrol) (bulls) and the two remaining patrols (tigers with hounds) slept in the remaining vango. During this process many scouts had breaks even when they weren’t supposed to. There was quite a tragic accident were Guza had asked Alex (Siegler) to carry a box filled with 12 wine bottles to the kitchen, as he was walking the box tore and the wine bottles fell on Alex. He had some cuts but not too deep, he also had the good
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From the Courtyard
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smell of wine. When us scouts were instructed to have a break Daniel (Baron) has shouted out loud, “cake in the kitchen, first come, first serve” and naturally all the scouts ran to the kitchen. When we got to know that there was no cake we were all so angry. Little did we know that this was part of the venture code. When we had all rested and eaten lunch we had to put up the flagpole, dig up the washing up pit, build the camp gate, create drying lines and place dutbins around the campsite. The buffs were put
From the Troop
incharge of the flagpole. We had many square lashings and diagonal lashings to tie. Victor and I had learnt to tie diagonal lashing this came in hand in other activities in that same camp.
Following the construction of the camp gate, the buff patrol (like all the others) was given half an hour dedicated to a patrol meeting. Victor knew that this camp was dedicated to first aid so Victor and I gave the patrol a lecture about First aid they also gave them scenarios. (Little did we know that we would never have one scenario). After the lecture we were all so tired and exhausted we all needed a swim. Mani heard our prayers and took us to the beach. At the beach there were turtle eggs and obviously all the scouts ran to see them but they got told of by the lifeguard. The lifeguard also told Mani to take us as far as possible from the eggs. We were so glad to be in the sea, it was such a hot day. The leaders created something called the big swimming race, this is where all the scouts had to compete in one race and the winner could choose any item from the bar that evening. No sur-
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From the Courtyard
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prise, Victor had won since he is a trained athlete in this discipline. We scouts had all taken part in chicken fight and understandably the one sitting on Daniel (Baron) was always the one to win. After a couple of hours we packed dried up and walked back to the campsite. The first order the SPLs gave us was to run and get the washing kits. So all the patrols ran and the last to arrive would be the last to rinse and for all the camp the buff patrol was the last to fall in. So strictly speaking we were always the last ones for every activity. During showers the leaders (definitely Ciappara) were cooking our dinner we were so hungry and so eager because after dinner the bar would open so we could purchase more snacks. For dinner we scouts ate chicken with the side of potato mash. The food was so good all through camp for the simple reason that the leaders had cooked such a variety of food all through camp. After dinner the bar had opened so you would see scouts doing their duties with a can of coke in their hands or a handful of mal-
From the Troop
tesers in their mouth. Once we finished duties a surprise was awaiting us. We scouts all new what the surprise was, WIDE GAME! Our favourite night game. James decide to join in for the game. (He was a troop helper the previous camp because the SPLs were doing their o-levels gratefully he also helped in this camp). Traditionally we didn’t end up finishing the game since it is such a long (if played properly). Guza had suggested to take notes every night before we go to bed in which we did but there was a slight problem, the buffs left the notes in the patrol box which was left at HQ so we had to do this logbook without these notes. I was told by Victor to wake up everyone the following morning since he had broken his phone. Da y one had ended and I’m telling you it was exhausting but we still all enjoyed it.
Day 2 — 13/09/16 — Thomas My wakeup call hadn’t succeeded so we all woke up just before the flag up (thanks to the noise of the other tents). Unfortunately the Italians hadn’t joined us for that flag up, I was so disappointed because everyone knows that I love singing their national anthem. After flag up we started lumbering up. No one felt like running, doing push ups, sit up so on and so forth. But appreciatively the SPLs let us play kingie one of our favourite games. For breakfast we were given cornflakes and tea. Everyone felt like a cup of tea. Following breakfast we had an inspection Cons inspected the buffs. Once inspection had finished the leaders gave clear instructions, we had to build a tower where a leader should be able to climb up without the structure falling. All the patrols had five minutes to plan all the other patrols were sharing their ideas but we buffs wanted 11
From the Courtyard
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to give them a surprise. The patrol was going to build a tower based on the structure of the main gate which we had built so that came in handy. Thank the lord Victor and I had mastered the diagonal lashing and all our patrol knew how to tie a square lashing. We were bound to win and I’m sure we did. Other patrols didn’t go that well because only the buffs and wolves were safe enough to hold to weight of the leaders but ours was so strong that it held the weight of the whole patrol keep in my that we were seven. We had finished the task so fast that we even took a ten minute break.
From the Troop
Obviously after our moment of pride we had to dismantle everything which was really tiring since the sun was so hot. The buffs were the last to dismantle since we had such a big structure, other patrol had to help us .When we finished dismantling we all ran to the kitchen to eat spaghetti Bolognese… that was the best part of the day to many as t he food was so mouthwatering. When we were finished from eating we had to start duties. There were six duties to be spread with the five patrols and the unit. The duties were, washing, dining shelter, campsite, waste disposal and ablution block. The buff patrol had campsite, but there wasn’t anything to do and the other patrols didn’t need any help so we literally did nothing. A lecture was prepared by James that afternoon, he gave us a lecture on first aid. Many member took interest in this topic but some PLs APLS didn’t since they had already mastered that badge. No scenarios were given. The buffs were all so disappointed because we had dedicated so much patrol meetings to first aid, but you know it was a tight schedule. When James was done from the lecture each patrol had to prepare a stunt. Mattia was prepared and he had many good stunts to share with the patrol. In the meanwhile the PLs were coming up with their own stunt we all had high expectations. After about an hour of practising James decided that we should go and play volleyball because this camp we had taken a volleyball net. Paolo and James played but for some weird reason Daniel (Baron) didn’t. The team of Paolo ended up winning the league. When we finished the league the PLS, Luke and I went to collect the food we had brought for international evening the cost of our three courses were very expensive we hoped it was worth the money. The five dishes were, 12
From the Courtyard
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Mexican, Texan, Caribbean, Louisianan and Californian. We cooked nachos with cheese for starter, chicken quesadillas for the main course and Oreo cheesecake for dessert. All the patrols went well besides the hounds who cooked raw chicken. They had one particular member who was eating chicken and spitting out blood he was so scared that he’d feel super sick and go home but luckily he survived. After we all ate we went down to the beach and had a
From the Troop
troop campfire without a fire. The two best stunts were of the PLs and of the SPLs and James. The PLs created a story of all the memorable funny moments of Meli with the troop. The SPLs and James created a story of Patrice and me during fall in. This is because Patrice and I had many quotes and we used them all throughout camp. Mani also had some really bad story jokes but he told them in such a way that they turned out to be funny. Mani also created a new style to “WATTENCHU” this style was called Guza style. While we were joking around and having fun there fireworks started to appear they really made our day and after that we walked up and went to bed.
Day 3 — 14/09/16 — Thomas Matthew woke us up an hour before flag up some members of the buffs went washing up before flag up. This time the Italians had joined us for the flag up. They sung the national anthem, obviously I joined them it was probably one of the best moments of camp. It is such a pity that we don’t sing our national anthem during flag up. Lumbering up was pretty the same as the day before with the difference that we played British Bulldogs and not Kingie. Patrice and I started off as catchers and we ended up catching everyone with the help of Paolo and Baron. At the end of the game the went to all the patrols went to wash up we went to we just rinced our hair. We had to make our own breakfast, we had to use maltese bread, sliced cheese, ham and butter so we made sandwiches which were really good. Our first activity of the day was snorkling organised by Guza. On the beach we split up into two groups. The buffs and the hounds together and the rest
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From the Courtyard
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together. We split up to create safeness. While the other patrols went snorkling us buffs started diggind deep holes later the hound liked our idea so they joined us. After we finished our deep holes we buried ourselves in them, when Guza came to take our patrols, he had problems taking us out. We were buried to deep s all the leaders came to help. After fifteen minutes they got us out of the hole and they took us to the snorkelling zone. There weren’t many fish to see, which was quite disappointing. When we arrived at the campsite we took showers. After shower we were supposed to have the first aid scenarios but instead we had duties and badgework. While the buffs were in the kitchen Baron was creating fake blood while he was opening the kunserva, the lid exploded and the kunserva flew up to the ceiling. After lunch we had a lecture by Ivan Consiglio. Ivan was in the army for many years he gave us an interesting lecture about communication. We learnt the international alphabet which I’m will
From the Troop
come in handy. He thought us the salute method, which stands for, S-size, A-activity, L-location, U-uniform, T-time and E-equipment. This method comes in handy when calling for medical help. There also is a way how to tell the time, you must always say it in digital (when talking to professionals) and the number nine is pronounced niner.
After Ivan’ s lectiure. We had backwoods cooking .Just before backwoods three of our members, Mattia, Luca and Julian left camp. They all are students at San Andrea school. They left because of orientation day. All the patrols had to cook pork chops, pork sausages and potato mash. The first thing was to transport the tables all the way to the main enetrance. For the fire not to spread it was safe to dig a hole and it would also help the grill not to be at such a high level. It was best to cook on dying hot ashes and that’s exactly what our patrol did. While cooking to pork chops we marinated them with barbecue sauce. We were the first ones to start cooking, the first ones to start eating and the first ones to pack up. Before we went to sleep we played a game of wide game but this time with a twist. James chose five scouts and these five scouts were in a team with the SPLs and James. Obviously the team of the SPLs didn’t end up winning because they were too little no one really enjoyed for various reasons. In the first fall in after wide Luke Pace Moore fell and bruised his leg. At first he had quite a deep cut. That they the leaders had told us that on Thursday was the expedition everyone was scared. All the scouts were finding hard to sleep because they were excited for the next day.
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Day 4 — 15/09/16 — Victor Today the Buffalo patrol woke up easily at 6:45 am, flag up was at 7:30 so we had plenty of time to clean up the piles of clothes that had accumulated throughout the beginning of camp. It turns out we did a good job of it and everything looked moderately clean, well as clean as it can get whilst camping, which is a hard thing to achieve. The weather had been hot all week and Thursday was no exception it was blisteringly hot by the time it got to the first fall-in let alone the lumbering up! Lumbering up was different on Thursday, it was on the beach. For lumbering up we had 3 circuits of running, push ups, crunches and star jumps. Then we all rushed into the sea dying to cool down in the cool water. In the water we played several games, my favourite was the knock baron gown one (im not sure it has a name). We all then went straight up to the Ghajn Tuffieha campsite, we all were literally itching to have
From the Troop
a shower so James, Paulo and Baron set up the hose and we showered outside. After we had dried up Baron whistled fall-in to get our mess tins, the next fall in was to be in two minutes. During camp the Buffalo patrol had rarely become first to fall in, this was different, we were all hungry and so wanted breakfast. Breakfast was cereal and tea and was gobbled down in under two seconds! Everyone was anticipating the dreaded hike and so the whole day had a certain gloom over it. The weather had no mercy and was blisteringly hot. At lunchtime we were sweating more than eating which was weird. The buffs had kitchen duties and so it was time consuming. After duties we all fell in and were ordered to bring our patrols map kit to be checked. We then had a lecture about orienteering (which was needed). Then it was archery time! There were two types of bow: the Childs one and the older version which had a 26pound draw. A few arrows were lost and some found few people hit the target. Overall it was fun. Then the time came to prepare for the hike. The SPL’s gave us a list to base our packing on. Then we had showers. Before the showers I at least didn’t feel like hiking at all. But after I was alright we were soon ready to set off on the journey. The last fall in was to give us the checkpoint and when competition started. The maps came out ant everyone was on the floor setting the map; it was a back bearing any slight error would lead to a wrong checkpoint. We left last due to slight errors we were sure we were on metal. The first checkpoint was Manikata church, an easy one. We walked, we sang and we shouted. The next checkpoint was Selmun pumping station as meli put in and nauraly we became lost but 15
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soon found our way. The third checkpoint was an ice cream parlor in xemxija on the way Matia started to complain about a certain chest pain, well it got worse and on the road to xemxija we all had to stop to give time to Thomas to phone Mike. We had to continue and we soon got there. The next check point was mistrah bay. We took a detour and instead of going to mistrah we went to il bajja tal fekruna. Anyway in mistrah we ate supper and then set off again. Selmun palace was the next checkpoint. On the way Francis was so extremely slow that i missed the short cut because i was too busy egging him on. On the way up a hill Matia suddenly collapsed and started crying. He refused to let me put him in the recovery position and we ended up having to wait almost an hour for the leaders to come and pick him up. We then continued to selmun palace were we met up with matiwho was rucksackless we continued on to il parocca talmellieha and the to the malta natural reserve were there was no one and so we kept on going to
From the Troop
the red tower to set up camp. We herd stories of somepne hitting their hed but everything was a blur. Day 5 — 16/09/16 — Victor On Friday morning the buffalo patrol was a complete and utter mess. That was solely because we were crushed nobody had slept well partly because of stones sticking into our backs and also because our tarpaulin sagged onto us it was like a wet t-shirt. We woke up thinking that we still had to hike back to camp and so we were all pretty demoralized. We had our first fall in of the day in the middle of the ground next to the red tower. Then the word breakfast was called out and the PLs were asked to take bread, Nutella and a bunch of bananas from Meli, no one ate the bananas. After breakfast we packed up the last of our stuff and a fall in was whistled we were, as usual, the last to fall in and therefore the last to leave. James and Paolo decided to come with the buffs and the tigers. James was with us and so everyone walked a little faster, Andrew had about seven blisters and so with every step he was swearing under his breath. We reached the next check point, Riviera hotel, with no problems and were soon boarding the Comino ferry which was a surprise. The trip to Comino took about 15 to 20 minutes and was smooth. We were dropped off at Il– Bajja ta’ Santa Marija were there was a campsite that we could set up a temporary camp. The plan was to have a treasure hunt but we ended up rushing into the sea. After a while we started to compete between us and had races of running, swimming, plank we even had our own ironman challenge! It was quite simple but we had to repeat it until you were the last one 16
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standing (or in this case running) we then took trips to the extremely expensive kiosk to by slushies of cans of soft drinks. Lunch was buns and sausages or buns and nutella or buns and nutella and sausage (trust me people actually tried it). We then went to the beautiful blue lagoon, the water was cool and the waves made you think you were in a dream, a few elephant wars later we got onto dry land and journeyed back to camp slowly but surely. As soon as we got back to our makeshift camp we started to change and dismantle, the ride back to Malta was awesome because this time it was a power boat and at full speed it was tilted at a 40 degree angle because of the speed we were going. On the way back the driver of the speed boat stopped and gave us time to observe the natural cave formations on the coast of Comino, he even played music! We arrived in Malta and hopped straight onto a bus, everyone was so tired that we all just
From the Troop
dumped our rucksacks in the boot of the bus and so we ran out of space to put some rucksacks. The saint Aloysius collage scout group then journeyed back to the campsite where we collapsed, it was over. We were allowed to have showers; these were needed as to wash of all the sweat, salt and grime. After the showers the leaders gave us time to prepare our stunts for campfire this time is called stunt preparation. The Buffs idea was for a bunch of Sliema scouts to go to the zoo, the teacher (Thomas) who would ask the boys what they thought the animal was, the boys would say something completely wrong and then need help to guess the animal. When the boy finally got the animal the teacher would say “well done stupid” We had about an hour fine tuning our stunt and then the leaders whistled for fall in, and of course, everybody ran. People started to pour in and in less than an hour the Italians started to cook the food. Supper was couscous, tomatoes and chicken. The chicken was really good, they had cooked it on the grill and glazed it with a special barbeque sauce that Stuart prepared himself. The campfire itself was really nice, the Italians had joined in which made it really fun, their songs where different to ours but they used sounds and music in them. We started with the stunts of the troop, cubs and ventures i think that the show the cubs put on were really good and the best of them all was probably the one with Alex, Matthew, and Jonn, it was about a man who was walking in the countryside when he saw a little boy on his own and he thought that that shouldn’t be and so he went up to the boy and asked him if he has parents, the reply came “no they die... tractor” the man continued and asked if he has any siblings, he 17
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answered “no they die....tractor” this man was starting to feel sorry for this child and so asked him what are his hobbies and to that the boy replied “i like to drive (he stood up) de tractor” As usual we finished with a speech, thanks to everyone and to the Italians, then the Italian GSL spoke with André as a translator, he said that it was really cool (the camp) and that we were invited to Sicily the following year. And then we finished off with Kumbaya. We then had duties which we did in a flash in order to play wide game even though it was a short session it was fun and entertaining, we then all went back to camp and the troop collapsed onto their sleeping mats while PL’s had PLC and the PL’s could finally sleep. End of day 5 Day 6 — 16/09/16 — Victor After a very long and enjoyable 5 days, it was time to start packing up. We all had fun but it was
From the Troop
time to say goodbye. We started off by dismantling our tent with the help of the hounds, and
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after helping the Bulls. WE ATE PASTIZZI! Once we were washed up, we continued dismantling the tents and the other camp gadgetry. We all finished swiftly as a troop. We started loading the truck which again, we boarded a bus which would take us home. Alex, luke and pawlo helped with the unloading while the rest of us stayed to help with the loading. We loaded the cars with all our kits and before we knew it we were walking back to our homes.
End.
From the Courtyard
SUMMER CAMP LOGBOOK—BUFFALO PATROL
Issue 107 September 2016
My Experience at Camp This was my first camp as an APL, it was very different for many reasons. I had the chance to take the important decisions. I helped to lead the expedition. This camp is a camp i will never forget for the fact that had a new role and a new patrol. I love have important roles so this camp was a very special one.
Thomas Sciberras Herrera Assistant Patrol Leader
From the Troop
Buffalo Patrol
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From the Courtyard
BROTHERHOOD CAMP
Issue 107 September 2016
Our Ventures paired up with an Italian Venture Unit for a stunning camp program fitting of a 100 year celebration. This year's summer camp was a very particular one for the Venture Unit, and for various Reasons: Firstly, as part of the Centenary celebrations happening this year, the Ventures thought of having an especially jam packed Camp to close a very busy summer season. Second, this was the first camp and activity for seven of our latest arrivals in the Unit. Well done to Daniel, Paolo, Ben, Mathias, Thomas, Quentin and Antonio! Third, I invited a group of scouts from neighboring Sicily to join us for the duration of camp to share scouting experiences and continue to strengthen the bond between our two groups. Our Scout group first met the Scouts from Gela (Sicily) back in 1997, followed by a huge international camp in Malta in 1998. In the years that followed both groups kept in contact through regular correspondence and a few camping trips in Sicily. But it was time to re kindle the fire and meet once again. Venture camp was 6 days long. In all, 18 Maltese Ventures participated. Add to this the 23 Italian scouts
From the Unit
and leaders, that's 41, quite a crowd! During the stay at Ghajn Tuffieha campsite our Ventures had time and opportunity to interact with our foreign brother and sister Scouts. One must say that although the language difference was a big barrier, Scouting has its own way of bridging these gaps and differences were soon forgotten whilst singing some scout song or during scout games. It was also very interesting and eye opening for our Ventures to see that our Italian friends took scouting seriously and really abide by the scout promise and law day and night. We also observed their traditional ways of wearing uniform for flag up and flag down and were also invited to participate in a very emotional ceremony of investiture into the ventures, as well as a farewell for 3 of the ventures who had finished their time in Scouts. This camp was also great due to the activities we had. On Tuesday morning we all headed down to Gnejna bay for a spot of Kayaking. We all boarded upon single or double kayaks and headed out into the calm morning sea whilst getting to grips with the paddles and balance. With 30 kayaks all bumping into eachother, it was inevitable that, one by one everybody had their chance to get toppled over into the sea. Once all had grouped up at the centre of Gnejna Bay I led the way towards the cliffs to the south where
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From the Courtyard
ARTICLE TITLE
Issue 107 September 2016
we would explore the rocky coastline and visit a nearby cave. Passing through the rocky outcrops and amidst the huge boulders we could enjoy views none of us had ever seen, surrounded by crystal clear blue waters. As we headed further down the coast, the sea kept getting choppier due to the shallow waters. In fact upon reaching the magnificent cave, most young Ventures ended up in the sea again. The white cave, as we dubbed it, was quite an impressive sight. On our way back from the cave, we took the opportunity to ride the waves inwards whilst others took their time to explore the rocky boulders. At the end of the morning's activity, the kayak guy was kind enough to take our youths back to Ghajn Tuffieha on his speedboat which offered more beautiful sights. Wednesday was excursions day. In the morning we visited Valletta, here we showed our guests around our beautiful Capital. We saw the noon day gun at Upper Barracca, followed by a stroll along merchant street and republic street where some had a go at tourist shopping. In the evening, all participants were split up into mixed groups in preparation for the night expedition. This mapwork exercise took out teams on a trek through some local landmarks such as Lippija Tower overlooking Gnejna, ta Hagrat temples, Bingemma Chapel. Then the hike took a turn in the direction of Rabat
From the Unit
passing through Ghemieri Palace and Nigret. Arriving in Rabat at around midnight, all teams reached their
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final destination which was the Rabat Scouts HQ, who very kindly allowed us to use their HQ to sleep for the night. The next morning started early as all Ventures woke up and moved on towards Mdina where we held a treasure hunt inside the Silent City. This treasure hunt was a great way of seeing the sights of Mdina, it was also very entertaining as the photo challenges were quite funny. This activity was prepared by Luke and Johnny as part of their Systems of Knowledge project.
From the Courtyard
BROTHERHOOD CAMP
Issue 107 September 2016
Throughout camp our participants had various opportunities to try out target shooting and archery. These have proven to be quite popular activities and all Ventures take great care in learning all the safety procedures and tricks of the trade to try and get the best shot. As Malta and Sicily are home to some of the greatest eaters of the world, the cooking activities could not be left out. During the Maltese night, our Ventures prepared a feast of Bigilla', 'Patata l' Forn', 'Laham taz ziemel' and 'fenek moqli' which had all campers drooling at the smell spreading around the whole campsite. This abundant meal was followed by an amazing 'Helwa tat-Tork Cheesecake' kindly prepared for us by Ilaria. During the 'Notte Siciliana' we feasted on platefuls of spaghetti with sundries tomatoes, followed by mixed platters of home made produce such as marinated artichokes, salami, olives, bruschetta etc. all washed down with home made wine!
From the Unit
These activities are always a real treat and remind us of how close and similar our two islands are.
]One of the crowning moments at this year's camp was the campfire. Although our Group has always been famous for its campfire nights, this year's edition was exceptionally great. Campfire BBQ was a great success with guests and capers licking their fingers after the delicious BBQ beef and chicken delights. Campfire itself was very animated and I must admit i thoroughly enjoyed taking the lead once more during the night. Surely, one cannot forget the contribution given by the Italian Scouts who led a few animated songs as well as presenting us with a medley of music from all the regions of Italy. Fantastic. Campfire ended with a few touching words by Edward our GSL who reminded us about the importance of our turning 100 years old. Salvatore Vitale, President of the Scouts from Gela also shared this moment
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From the Courtyard
BROTHERHOOD CAMP
Issue 107 September 2016
reminding all scouts about their promise and how this should be followed through life, so that scouting can live on. He also reminded all parents that they are to help our young members in their scouting life. He also returned the favour by inviting us to visit their group next year to continue this scouting brotherhood. At the end of campfire, I on behalf of the Venture Unit was presented with a plaque as a token of friendship between the two groups. In return, Edward gave each Italian participant one of our 100 anni-
From the Unit
versary pin badges.
Summing it all up, this camp was a full experience. The unforgiving September sun made everything harder, but we still kept active all week. Putting this all together was a nightmare, but looking back it was well worth it and now myself and the Ventures have some fond memories to look back to as well as future scouting trips to look forward to!
Andre Brincat Venture Scout Leader
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From the Courtyard
BROTHERHOOD CAMP
Issue 107 September 2016
Below are some comments from our first time Ventures about camp: Quentin Falzon Summer camp is always an amazing time, and this year's was no exception. Amongst my favorite activities were canoeing through caves and enjoying a game of football with the visiting Italian scouts. By hosting them, I feel that our scout group was able to strengthen its intercultural ties through the exchange of ideas and practical skills. The camp was a great way to improve teamwork and self discipline whilst having fun. Paolo Bezzina This year was my first camp as SPL, therefore I was one of the young leaders in charge of the troop. It was a different experience being an SPL rather than a PL as, together with the scout leaders, you plan the program of the camp as well as help with the running of it. During camp you can see the patrols enjoying what you have spent loads of time to prepare which is quite a nice feeling. Overall I enjoyed every part of camp and am looking forward for the next one.
From the Unit
Thomas Zerafa Now I can call myself a Venture. I looked up the meaning of this new title and found that the purpose of Venturing is “to provide positive experiences to help youth mature and to prepare them to become responsible adults�. That is a huge responsibility on my shoulder but I am willing to take the challenge with the help of my friends and Leaders. During this summer camp, I had the chance to go Kayaking. I have to say that I had never been on a kayak before and knew nothing about what to expect. We left the camp early in the morning and arrived next to the beach where we found the canoes waiting for us. The sea was not that calm making it more of a challenge to row. But how much I laughed, especially when I ended up in the water not knowing how. From the start to finish this was a trip to remember and I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to experience it. Daniel Mifsud Baron This was my first camp as part of the venture unit and I am very grateful for all of the nice memories. During this camp I was helping with the troop so I didn't spend much time with the venture, but the little time I had with them I could say that it was the best time. The toughest part was the last day when we had to pack the truck with all of the camp equipment. It was very tiring but on the other hand I was having fun as all of the unit did their hundred percent and we worked as a team. I was waiting for the moment when after the truck left the unit sat down and had some well deserved rest. This year we had group of Ventures from Italy who joined our unit. They were very nice and outgoing people. As part of the venture unit I am very excited for the journey ahead of me. Antonio Scardino This camp was quite special for me as it was my first venture camp as well as the first in quite a while. Apart from the usual swims down at the bay and various activities related to scouting, this year we were joined by a scout group from sicily. They spent a week with us and participated in the various activities planned out by our leaders, namely a visit to Valletta and a treasure hunt in Mdina. I personally find it quite fascinating that within this one week spent together, we still managed to build strong relationships
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From the Unit
From the Courtyard
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BROTHERHOOD CAMP
Issue 107 September 2016
From the Courtyard
PULLING WEIGHT
Issue 107 September 2016
St Aloysious College Scout group are not known for doing tings in half meansures, even when the manpower is not optimal. Our last two consecutive team building events were smoothly exectued by a team much smaller than expected!
From the Crew
The first team building activity was co-ordinated by Timmy and myself for an IT company with around one hundred employees. As we took on this audacious task we headed to SAC Headquarters and put faith in our scouts in the hope that they had loaded the truck with the necessasy equipment. We tried to arrive an hour earlier than the volunteers at Ghajn Tuffieha to commence our quest to find 5 different metal tanks in order to safely light a fire. The task was a more challenging than we bargianed for as looking for these five tanks was worse than trying to find a needle in a....campsite. We persevered and eventually manage to find enough tanks. While we were looking for the tanks the volunteer leaders arrived earlier than expected and started to unload the trucks themselves with a coordinator ordering them around like blind sheep. I hastily but carefully organised what was needed for the activities while Timmy spent a good hour chopping four pallets due to the lack of wood in the area. Technically, we were not meant to help in the actual command task but rather oversee everything that was going on and give advice when needed whilst making sure all the equipment remains intact and is returned. Upon arrival of the employees we made sure that each group were capable of lighting a fire on their own whilst remaining in a safe environment. Once the fires started, the cooking began until everyone had their fill. After that, The command task began. While Timmy was in charge of keeping the time of rotation, I was constantly walking around the activities making sure they were being done properly whilst also admiring the crafty ways the participants managed to figure out the task at hand. Once the activities have finished only a handful of people were eager enough to transport the equipment back to the truck while I sorted out everything just right to fit everything nice and snug.
On the second day we had our annual team building activity with St.Martins College which consisted of raft building and food to be prepared from our end. This proved to be more of a challenge than the activity of the previous day as it was all organised and coordinated by us to create some ice-breaking games for the sixth formers. I was given the task to handle 2 different groups for raft building. The intention was to build a steady raft with 10 people on it soley dependant on the teamwork and physical strength to make sure the raft didn’t fall apart when in the water. The first group held on for a long time until the lack of coordination and weight displacement completely made the raft fall apart in the water. However it did help them to have a good laugh altogether and get to know each other. After lunch the first group I had were sent to the command tasks whilst my second group proved to be more successful then the first when the raft was finally in the water. As they paddled away from the shore until I realised I had to run after them because they drifted too far away so had to shout to call them back. The second group proved to be more cooperative than the first group I 26
From the Courtyard
PULLING WEIGHT
Issue 107 September 2016
had. As soon as they docked back to shore the raft was quickly dissassembled and loaded onto the truck where we bid adieu to the students and hoped they enjoyed their activity. Liam Curmi De Gray
From the Crew
Rover Scout
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