After getting the phone call I went to see what was wrong, and when I got there the district had provided them with all the things they considered needed, and they were happily getting on with the competition, and surprisingly they came third in the Scout Skills not bad for a Patrol with the highest award held, being the Scout Award. (The first award gained as a Scout)

So what had gone wrong! Lack of communication between myself and the District team, on finding there was a competition and before sending out a Patrol should I have got more information, but on reflection (and I still stick to this over sixteen years later) the A, D, C, Scouts on receiving our application should have been to see me considering it was our first District camping comp, (especially as I had no one to refer to) but again he also was new to the job, regarding the equipment there was no less than our previous camp, but in comparison with the other Patrols it was sparse, to say the least, but they were all cooking on gas and not prepared for cooking on an open fire, our meals were simple warm up things from a tin, barbecued burgers, sausages, and sandwiches or salad, no need for a cooking tent, The camp as I imagined it would be as a back packing camp using gadgets made at camp, they never got a chance to cook on a fire. As a Leader it was said (but not to me) I acted irresponsibly sending Scouts on a camp with little equipment, and expecting them to cook on a fire in a nylon tent, which in reality was intended as a store tent.

What happened reminds me of a Scouting Joke, while on a Patrol hike when asked? Have you brought the compass, the Assistant Patrol leader replied, “of course I have” but why you want to draw circles up here is beyond me?

Now if we look at this beyond the funny side, and consider it really happened, whose fault would it have been, the APL the PL or the Scout Leaders? Think about it, and if the hike had been organised by the District would you’re answer still be the same, and if the consequences of the mistake was the Patrol were lost on the moors! Would you’re answer still be the same, the reason I am dwelling on the subject is that without the proper support, and training, mistakes can be made at all levels, so never imagine that the obvious, is obvious, and consider both sides.

At this point I was introduced to the District team, and District Leaders Meetings, the most important and supportive part of Scouting a new Leader can get, if he is given the information in the first place, I can never over state the ‘help and support’ given to me by the Assistant District Commissioner Scouts, but for the moment I will continue with camping competitions.

The Scouts, Assistant Leaders, and myself learnt a lot from that first introduction to District competitions, and not long after we found ourselves representing the District, at County camps, after coming second, and then first, at District level.

The degree of success at competitions especially camping will depend on the amount of work you put in, hence the old saying you only get out what you put in, and that’s true of most things, ‘the Patrol camps became practice camps’ and time was spent at troop nights making gadgets, and working on programs for camps, including activities, menus, and equipment, but the most important thing is learning to “work as a team” all the things mentioned earlier about camping, need to be practiced, and more than ever ‘acted upon’  its no use having a good menu if they cannot cook it, also having a good programme, if there’s not enough time to complete it, practice and more practise, is the only way to improve at camping, also during all this practicing consider the equipment you are using, and can it be improved, and do you need it all, and remember all this work can contribute towards the various “Scout Awards”.

You can contact other Troops that have entered previously, and ask them for advice but don’t, be surprised if they don’t answer all your questions, study the competitions list of rules, to see how the points are allocated ‘if you have not got one then you need to get them’ you’ll never win without the rules, remember my mistake,