Centenary Camp 2007

Marple Scouts Report
Explorer Report

Space was at a premium as over 3,000 Scouts, Explorer Scouts, Leaders, Cubs and Beavers were crammed into Linnet Clough for the celebration of Scouting's centenary!

It was the biggest camp in the UK, and 1st Marple alone had over 200 people involved in Scouting up at the camp-site at some point over the long-weekend!

The camp started with a glitzy opening ceremony, with fireworks, exotic cheerleaders, great music and loads of light and colour, which created a carnival atmosphere! There were also over 100 people invested live on stage over the weekend, which was thrilling to watch and gave a poignant moment to think about what Scouting means to so many people across the world. You could tell that this was a party because there was even a dancing centipede!

On the Saturday and Sunday, the Cubs and Scouts were given tokens which they could use to go on some of the activities that the organisers had laid on. There was a "High ropes" course, which was so scarily high that even the Explorer Scouts were shaking with fear - (they still completed the course though!). There was also a skate-park, fun inflatables, mini quad bikes, a craft area (Where Marple's branding base went down very well!), and many more activities besides! Marple were also in charge of the Mountain biking!

In the evenings, we saw hundreds of talented people up on stage, entertaining us with a variety of songs, dances and sketches. The Camp-fire leaders were particularly enthusiastic, and got everyone singing their hearts out with their performances!

On the Monday, we had a Mega-breakfast and Mega-lunch, which everyone ate together - they managed to feed all of us in 16 minutes! The Scouts then had the chance to earn themselves a badge by completing a series of short activities. Marple were teaching everyone how to do a one-handed bowline knot!

The rain didn't dampen the spirits of the closing ceremony, where the organisers were given a huge round of applause, in recognition for all their fantastic time and effort, and their excellent organisation! The County Commissioner, John Smith rounded up the show with a few words, then hundreds of helium balloons were released into the air, and all too soon, it was time to go home.

It was a brilliant weekend, and one that many will remember for many years to come!





An Explorers Version Of Centenary Camp

Friday
Everyone met at the Scout hut for 6pm and eventually set of to Linnet Clough. After the initial tasks of sorting scouts and us explorers into tents, everyone received a wolves sub-camp T-shirt and Necker, which had to be worn for the opening ceremony.

We all then spent at least half an hour queuing to leave our sub-camp for the stage where the opening ceremony was to take place. When we finally got to the stage there was some music, a presentation of all the groups’ flags on site and then a speech from John Smith (County Commissioner) and some fireworks. When the ceremony had finished and Centenary Camp declared officially open it was back to our tents where hot dogs and burgers were put on, and the explorers disappointingly had to wait for the scouts to be fed before we could eat anything.

After a very late tea explorers headed to ‘Baloos’ Juice Bar’ to the Explorer only quiz. The ‘Marple All Stars’ stormed to an easy victory over all other teams by only dropping 3 points on the whole quiz. We were presented with an Aladdins monkey soft toy each as prizes, these were taken back to show the leaders and to celebrate a Marple win. It was then of to bed, unfortunately due to some noisy Hazel Grove Cubs next door to our tent some of us only got 2-3 hours sleep that night!
Saturday
The day started with activity wristbands being given out and the arrival of the Cubs. So off we went to do the activities and during the day they ranged from inflatables, crate stacking – a competition between Me and Andy Statham, Matt Wilson and Tom Saunders and Ian Ridgway Dan Williams, to see who could get the tallest combined height of towers. It ended in a draw between Ian and Dan and Me and Andy on 20 crates.

After we did some drumming and some crafts which included, Hama beads, drawing round left hands and badge making. One highlight of the day for the cubs was at lunchtime, when they thought it would be fun to chase me around the site to take my trainers and socks. All I can say is at least they had fun, that’s the main thing!

That evening me and 2 other explorers had to leave the camp and go to work. Whilst at work we missed a record-breaking camp pancake toss (beating Chief Scout Peter Duncans’ record) and some apparently really bad karaoke at the Juice Bar. We then returned at midnight for some Naan and curry and a quick bed.
Sunday
Another day of activities and beavers on site this time. As it wasn’t the warmest of days some of the explorers decided hot tubs were the order of the day with cocktails from the juice bar being delivered by Fat Scally. We stayed there all morning and only got out for a lunch of curry sandwiches!

In the afternoon we thought we should do some of the activities. We went climbing, where I won a drink off Tom Saunders from the juice bar for getting over the overhang. After this we thought air rifle shooting would be good but after joining the queue and realising it would take an hour to get to the front left for the tuck shop and the temptations of chocolate and sweets. For our final activity we headed to the craft tent and ‘painted’ glasses with pens.

With an hour or so before tea some explorers headed to bed and cards, whilst others started to prepare costumes for the highly anticipated Bin Bag Ball, which was to happen later that evening.

After tea it was the show of 100 stars, the show consisted of several bands, sketches, dancing and singing. Marple Matrix performed ‘Its Raining Men’ to the Gang Show routine so Sam Peach joined in from the audience. After the show finished it was time for the Bin Bag Ball.

At 10pm it started the activity all explorers on camp had been waiting for all weekend. Some people had obviously put in a lot of effort into their costumes unlike us from Marple who just stuck a bag over our heads (or two heads if you were Matt and Ian!) in the competition for ‘best dressed’ the winner was a whole suit completely made of bin bags. The ball however turned out to be just a disco in a very small tent! It finished with the song ‘Everybody Needs Somebody to Love’ by The Blues Brothers, so everyone was singing that back to our tents where some cards were played and bed.
Monday
Today started with breakfast with the whole camp, which only took 16 minutes to feed 2,500 people. In the breakfast bag there was a pan au chocolate, some fruit, a nutri grain bar and a yoghurt drink. Everyone sat round the stage to eat this. Here the mornings activity was announced – The Tenderfoot Challenge Badge.

To gain this badge you had to complete 10 activities. The activities ranged from knots, water rockets, decorating biscuits and cakes and badge making, and for a few Marple Explorers Mountain biking to take down route signs.

Then it was time for a mass camp lunch like the breakfast but since it had started raining the lunches were eaten at tents rather than the stage, so unsurprisingly it took longer than 16 minutes before everyone got there lunch. The lunch consisted of a bread roll and some soup, a fruit shoot and a chocolate biscuit.

Finally, the closing ceremony with some queuing thrown in for good measure. We had to wait for balloons to be distributed and others to make their way to the stage before we were allowed to go. After eventually getting to the stage the heavens opened and it rained, but still show must go on until finally the balloons were released and everyone thanked for coming and all the work that had been put in ‘back stage’. Marple then finished the camp with a song ‘Singing in the Rain’, this received some funny looks from on lookers. Then it was a swift departure for the majority but for Me, Andy Statham, Dan Kenny and Stu we became car pushers and rescued several cars before heading back to HQ and then eventually home.

By Ollie Hibbs - Explorer


See the Official Camp Website