26th Milton Keynes Coniston Cubs laid down their gauntlets and accepted the challenge of having as much fun and completing as many mediaeval-themed activities as possible at their first ever MK Scouts District Cub Camp under canvas at The Quarries Scout Campsite. For some Coniston Cubs in the pack and for Parent Helper Amit, this was their first-time camping as part of Cubs.
Arriving at the 26th MK Settlement (camp site 10)
The theme was ‘medieval’. Coniston Cubs were amused to arrive on Friday and firstly discover that their ‘medieval manors’ (tents) were named after medieval mythical creatures of yales, basilisks, monoceroses, mermaids and wyverns. Coniston Cubs were also joined by Knowles Cub, led by Cub Leader Vincent, who are part of the 26th MK Scouts Group.
(Akela was originally going to name the tents with names of the knights of the round table, but ADC Claire Harris rightly pointed out that Akela may have got more than she bargained for if she shouted: “knights gather around!” at a medieval camp; it’d be like shouting “Cubs!” at a district Cubs event.)
Thanks to the MK District Scouts team the arrival of Cubs in ‘medieval wagons’ (minibuses) at their designated time slot went as smooth as clockwork, and their bags were transferred to their settlement even before their arrival. After everyone got their bedding and bags setup, it was time for orientation, hot choc and food around the campfire with songs and stories and bedtime for Cubs.
Starting the Day with a Hearty Feast
Bright and early the next morning, Cubs were delighted (understatement) to receive a hearty and delicious breakfast of fresh-made pancakes with caramel sauce in a squeezy bottle, cereal, choc brioche rolls and fruit. It was a feast fit for kings and queens.
Many thanks to the MK District Scouts team, again, as they did a brilliant job of cooking possibly 500+ pancakes on outside stoves for everyone at camp!
Once fuelled up, Cubs were rearing to go for a fun-packed day of medieval themed activities.
Tricky Tomahawks!
The first activity of the day for Coniston Cubs as part of the Anglo Saxon tribes was tomahawk throwing, which involved throwing small metal tomahawk axes towards targets. Well done to Max for his excellent throwing technique, as he was the only Cub in our Coniston Cub pack who managed to get his tomahawk to embed in the target! It was a tricky activity and required skill because if not thrown correctly, the tomahawk would just ricochet off the target.
Meet The Vikings
After an exciting start to the day, Coniston Cubs met some Vikings. Activities included making a medieval coin based on the coin design of an old Chesterfield Viking tribe, learning about games and board games from the Viking period, feeling the weight of chainmail armour and dressing up as Vikings to re-enact battles. Coniston Cubs liked the idea of making a coin to take away as well.
At the end of camp, Akela asked the whole Coniston Cub pack what their favourite activity was…. The answer was “everything”, followed by “Vikings” as a very close second contender.
Fire, Food and Fun
Well done to Oliver, Makenzie and Frankie for showing such incredible perseverance at fire lighting and teamwork. All Coniston Cubs eventually managed to get their little fires going using flint and steel.
Coniston Cubs had their packed lunch back at camp and then went to explore other activities, including interviews with Bucks Scout Radio and then active games of coconut shy, running around and targeting balls in the bucket. Parent Helper Amit did a fantastic job of leading and regulating the coconut shy activity to ensure that only the screen or coconuts were hit by the heavy wooden balls.
It was then time for the medieval bear craft activity. Coniston Cubs were really surprised that they could adopt a ‘bear’ (or other cuddly toy) and use card, gems and fabric to adorn them with crowns, swords, shields, and outfits. There were some very regal bears with crowns and many warrior animals with swords and shields.
Tuck Shop, Catapults & Archery
Fruit and cordial were always available to Cubs throughout camp, but by this point Cubs chose to refuel by buying a plentiful supply of sugary sweets and drinks from the Tuck Shop. After munching their weight in sweet treats, Cubs made their way to pioneering to build catapults and then archery.
Dinner & Disco (or Rubik’s Cube Solving)
Dinner was jacket potatoes followed by brownies with ice-cream. Coniston Cubs who still had lots of energy to burn went to the disco, whilst some chose to chillout at camp and play/learn how to crack the Rubik’s Cube. Cubs Oliver and Mason demonstrated their skills, whilst Frankie and Vincent learnt how to solve a Rubik’s Cube for their first time :0)
End of An Epic Adventure
After an amazing day of adventures and activities, there was a campfire led by Scouts/Explorers. Coniston Cub Arpit performed in front of everyone at the campfire, so a big well done to Arpit.
Everyone had a great time on this MK District Cub Camp, and camp pack up and cub pick up by parents on the next day were as smooth and seamless as the initial drop-off on Friday. The greatest shout out goes to the MK District Scouts team for organising such a legendary event.
THANK YOU.
