8th waterford, tramore Scouts. Home - Camps - Photos - Beavers - Cubs The Melvin This page contains information on Tramore Scouts first trip o the Melvin from 17th to 20th August 2000. Contents: The Melvin Log The Melvin Log. . . . by Stephen This year, between 17 - 20th August, 8th Waterford Tramore participated in it's first ever Melvin Competition. We set off early in the morning in 3 cars, Tom's, Mary's and Dara's. I was in Tom's car with Ruairi and Cathal. We went the Wexford, Wicklow route. We stopped in Bray for McDonalds but it was before 11am so we couldn't get fries but breakfasts. I had pancakes (well, underdone rubber) served with Syrup (used engine oil & sugar), which wasn't nice, even if we were hungry. There were nasty comments all around about the quality of the food and the price, but we were hungry so we didn't demand (much of !) a refund. This is where the problems started. We HAD to be at Larch Hill for 12 because that was the time of the Opening ceremony. We couldn't find it and Dara's dad was driving closer and closer to Dublin city which was worrying. When we got instructions on how to get there, we followed them. Eventually, we saw a sign, but Dara's dad stopped to ask Tom something, not knowing Tom was very close behind him (screeching tyres) and the auto-lock on Tom's trailer came on. We were left accelerating on the hill and not moving like in one of those movies where cars are stuck in mud. When Tom got out of the car, and turned off the auto - lock, the car started rolling backwards. Ruairi was in the front, and his knowledge of automobile braking devices was shown to the full by the bewildered look on his face when we screamed "Pull the f***ing handbrake" . Tom got in the car and pulled the handbrake. Ruairi still looked bewildered as if all of this was beyond him. When we eventually got to Larch Hill, our uniforms got inspected. We were all staring with amazement as portable scout-shops went around, almost weighed down with the weight of their badges. Let's just say our uniforms weren't exactly perfect to the full-stop. We moved our stuff down to our site but a few members of the patrol decided to "GUARD" our equipment from espionage agents from other patrols, which was a handy enough job for them. At this stage the heavens had opened, only pausing for the opening ceremony, and we all got soaked (except those minding our gear who had the shelter of some trees). When we eventually got our gear to our site (Bulls Sub-Camp , Site 9), we started assembling our site. Nick and Dara were generous enough to let us take some of their work while they played frisbee. Bit by bit the site came together. The tents sprung up, the gate got lashed, the boundary took shape, the dresser got built, the water filter became a liquid filtration device rather than a few pieces of wood and lengths of sisal and by this stage Nick & Dara had taken to whipping each other with whips made of bamboo and sisal. And after lunch, our site even began to slightly resemble le creme de le creme of Irish Scouting's campsites. The weather at this stage was playing tricks on us as every time we put on our rain gear the sun shone heavily and every time we took it off it lashed. After much hum-hawing the site was complete and there was a hell of a load of rejoicing from all parties. Ruairi and Dara started cooking a dinner of Pasta Shells and Burgers. However. . . . .
After dinner, we had leaders on site and they (Tom and
Mary) were impressed with our The first base was an intellectual one. Puzzles. The first one we did was spot the difference, which wasn't too bad. Then the real puzzles came, designs, moving blocks around to do stuff, transporting nuclear waste (water) from one bucket to another and loving David Hanlon (don't ask). Then we went marbles literally, and by the time we got back for lunch our brains were burning up. After lunch we went out into the woods on another base. This was called "Bring them back alive" and had an army theme. Nick and Dara were in heaven as they got to through acorns around without being given out to. We built stretchers, shelters, lit a fire/spark with flint and flew a kite (very low). Yer man the leader said we had great team spirit as we flogged acorns at an opposing team. When we got back we cooked dinner, Spaghetti Bolognaise (wait for it...) However . . .
After dinner was the public Speaking which Cathal and I did. And then: The sub-campfire. This fella, Cormac lead the campfire and he was a laugh ("Notice how my hand never leaves my wrist"). Lots of the sketched were funny. Especially the people in the site next to us who did "The Operation". We did a scouty version of the Bright Side Of Life ("Always use the cross country code on a hike/ Always pack your bag so it's gonna be light"). But then it started p***ing from the heavens so the last 3 sketches would have to be on the next day. We cooked popcorn for supper. However. . .
Then we went to bed. Slept. Etc. Got up the next morning and Matt and Andrew cooked us a fine fry - up. Then at nine we went on MORE bases. The mornings bases were physical challenges. Ropes and Wood and string and crates. We swung on ropes, Zip lined (Aaaaaaaaaggggggggghhh), swung from a pirate ship to a stena Link Express Service Rescue Ship while Shouting "Aaarrgh, Aaarrgh" and singing. We were in a maze with this French Freak beating us with a branch, we climbed, fell, Swung in tyres, swung out of tyres and basically tarzaned for a few hours. Then we had lunch of French bread which was spanking gorgeous and watched the last sketch ( a wedding). Then there was the last base. Footprints. A puzzle of Supernatural Origin. It was strange and at every base we had to show teamwork by singing songs and making human triangles / pyramids. It was bloody difficult near the end and we failed miserably at getting the last 3 answers right. Andrew busted up his foot on an obstacle course and spent the rest of the camp limping. After that base . . . . . . . . . DINNER!!!. . . . . . . TEST MEAL!!! Andrew and Matt were making us a stew. On a barbecue. Try as we might it was an impossibility to keep Nick and Dara from the fire. Poking it with sticks, papers and kicking it was there duty for the evening. Cathal and I had to scrounge spuds because we couldn't find ours. If he had his way Matt would have sent us out with a shopping list. Anyway the complete meal. Starter: Watery Watermelon and Yellow Pink Grapefruit Main Meal: Spanking Gorgeous Pot Stew with Mixed Spuds and veggies. Desert: Meringues with cream and Strawberries. Then we had mass, not in uniform before going to the campfire final. The acts were very good. There was this really funny Wizard of Oz Sketch. ("A man made of tin, a tin man if you will"; This is Dorothy's Dog Toto, Dorothy falls over Toto, Dorothy is unconscious, She wakes in a magical dreamworld. "I'm in a magical dreamworld, It must be Oz") Very Strange. A Sheep Dance, the Operation, and a Cinderella remade were also present. Cormac led this one with some assistance from others. Then we had supper. Tracker Bars and Crisps. And went to sleep. Sunday was the last day. We woke up and it was raining. We got up. We didn't have a Trek - Cart. We spectated and laughed as people got muddy and broke up their trek carts. It was badly organized and the route wasn't marked terribly well a lot of the time. We then dropped our site but Dictator Ruairi wouldn't let us make our sandwiches (This mightn't be the full truth). Packing tents and picking up rubbish and banging up pegs and untieing knots and becoming frustrated because knots wouldn't untie and getting penknives at knots that wouldn't untie and hiding the evidence in the bin. During this time Nick and Dara remade some whips, and played amongst the trees at the back of our site. In fact Tom was watching and he reckons Nicholas probably stood on the Coke can the inspectors docked us points for later. Then there was the closing ceremony which ran late. De La salle from Waterford won the Melvin and everyone was delighted for them. We didn't win anything and finished 50th. However, we predict if we had taken part in the trek cart race we would have finished about 45th . We got certificates for Campsite Safety and Public Speaking and badges and a big certificate saying we participated. Then we left for home. Again I was in Tom's Car with Ruairi and Cathal. However . . . .
The End.
Sometimes the weather's
bad, So always
use the Cross country code on a hike, Lifes a
piece of grit, when you look at it, So always
use the Cross country code on a hike, Always do
your best, try to be prepared, So always
use the Cross country code on a hike, When the
straps from your rucksack UP TO YOU! So always
use the Cross country code on a hike, |