German Pfingst Camp

 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