Troop 401 Outdoor Derby at Gilwell Park

The Outdoor Derby took place from the 9th to the 11th of November at Gilwell Park. We did six activities, which were pioneering, orienteering, hasty search, axe work, fire building, and shelter building. These were all worked into a competition which was very fun.

On Friday afternoon we loaded the equipment onto the Add Lee car. Scouts walked to South Hampstead and took the train to Gilwell Park. We pitched our tents and set up event shelters.

The next day we cooked our breakfast. The Phoenix patrol made sausage and the Martians made eggs and sausages. The competition judges also judged our originality, taste of food, and teamwork for breakfast, lunch, and Sunday breakfast.

Then we did our first activities

The Phoenix patrol had to create a shelter by using only natural materials. It was supposed to be able to fit all of us and built only fro m trees, leaves, and branches.

The Martians had to chop wood for a fire they would make in the afternoon.

The Nighthawks patrol had to find David H.by doing a hasty search.

After each patrol had done each activity, we cooked our lunch. One team had mini pizzas and the other had grilled cheeses with ham. The mini pizza was made with tomato sauce, sausages, lettuce, cheese and tomatoes.

After our lunches were judged and we had cleaned up, we did our second set of activities. The Phoenix patrol had to create a bridge by using pioneering poles. The Martians had to make a fire by using the wood they had chopped earlier in the day.

The Nighthawks had to do an orienteering route.

The afternoon activities were abruptly stopped by a thunder and lightning storm. Each patrol had only managed to do one activity in the afternoon. We then went to a marquee, which was conveniently close to our campsite. We played football and worked on our requirements.

Due to the rain we had to cook our food in the marquee. We had a campfire at the end of the day. The fire was a lantern and this was all in the marquee. Then we all went to bed.

The next day we packed everything up after we ate breakfast. We had a Remembrance Service at the Gillwell Oak at 11 o’clock for the people who died in WW1. We went back to Lockaway, unpacked the equipment and went back home.