I am a 13 year old
scout from 1st Yinnar, Strzelecki District, Victoria. During
my recent visit to Germany I visited the Stamm Adler (a Scout troop from
Friedrichstahl Stutensee). We were going to a Pfingst camp near Treeberg at the
Black forest. This a 5 day (10th to15th may 2008) region camp and several Scout
groups from the region attended.
On Saturday Morning we got in the car and
drove to Friedrichtahl, near Karlsruhe. As soon as we got there I didn't really
want to go anymore because I didn't know anyone. We left in a big bus just
after we packed everything in the trailer and bus. About 2 1/2 hours later we
arrived in the south of the Black Forrest, it was very warm but we managed to
get everything set up before dark, some Scouts played magic - something like
pokomon cards. On Sunday the program started, we had to go to our first
activity at 10 o’clock. It wasn't very easy for me because you had to match the
names to the states in Germany, the next activity was a bit easier, because all
that you had to do was smell and guess the substance, these activities ran
through the whole day, they were good, only problem was that they were tiring.
After dinner we had a campfire in the tent and sang songs and played games, I
went to bed only half an hour after the cubs. The second day we were all
awakened by the loud trumpet and bells that the leaders played, they were so
loud that they woke up the whole camp, not just our troop. The other leaders
banned Olaf (the Leader) from playing it too early! After I finally got the
hike pack that one of the leaders promised to lend me, we went hiking with no
tent. I was in front of the others nearly the whole way, at about half past 3
we arrived at a barn house to ask for direction, but because it rained too much
the owners let us sleep there for the night, it was very different to my usual
hikes. The forest had a different character, I never slept in a house on a
hike, we cooked all together (at home everyone cooks their own hike meal) So
that my group wasn't too early back we had a very big rest about 1km from camp,
the other group came back to camp about 2 minutes after us. Later, I was very
pleased that my feet didn't hurt (as in previous hikes). The next two days were
just like Sunday, although on Wednesday some other groups put on a show, I also
got invested into The Adler Stamm, so now I have a scarf of the "Bund
Deutscher Pfadfinder". I was very pleased. On Thursday it was time to pack
up (unfortunately). It kept on raining for a couple of minutes and then it was
sunny, that happened about 5 times but in the end it wouldn't stop- we still
had our Kitchen tent up. Finally we managed to pack it all up and go home.
This Camp was
different to any other camp I was on before, the tents are Black and in a
different shape. I’ve never slept in a Kote before or had fire in a tent like
we had in the Jurte. The tents where easier to put up, you just had to stitch
it together.
The language was
German and it was sometimes tricky. All age groups from Cubs to Rovers Camped
together.
I am very
glad to have gone on the camp and till next time (= =)
Max
