How lucky am I? I was invited by 1st Carlton Colville Air Scout Group to visit their Scout Camp in Tibenham, Norfolk. The journey there and back was very worthwhile because not only did they serve me with both lunch and dinner, but also they let me fly!
The camp had been arranged because the National Air Scout Camp had been cancelled this year with the prospect of another not happening for two years. Rather than have the young people miss out on the experience, the SL and his team arranged for them to hold their own with three Leaders and 19 Air Scouts. In addition, the Group invited other Air Scout Units to join them. As a result, 5th Canvey Island came with three Leaders and 20 Explorer Scouts, 1st Colchester brought two Leaders, and 4 Explorers and 1st Cottesmore came with a Leader and 3 Air Scouts. Steve Bell, an experienced pilot who has given much time to providing air experience lessons to the youngsters, arranged to hold the camp at Tibenham Gliding Club airfield. Alex catered for the Leaders whilst the young people did their own cooking and took turns at helping the chef in the Kitchen.
When I arrived on Tuesday I found everyone enthusiastically involved in archery, shooting, air experience flights and other activities. In the evening some practised on the flight simulator programmes installed on the computers owned by the Group. As Steve Bell had managed to enlist the help of other pilots with aircraft on the Monday, virtually all of the young people had flown on the previous day. This left a couple of spaces in his programme. The County Commissioner for Norfolk was visiting the camp and he was taken aloft. The DC for Lowestoft, Peter Jarvis, was also visiting and he too had a trip. My turn came at the end of the flying day and Steve took me up for a flight. It was very exciting and I even held the wheel!! Having flown around for about 15 minutes, Steve took the Cherokee back to his storage shed at Old Buckenham, about six miles from the camp site. We helped park the aircraft in the hangar before returning to Tibenham. Steve told me that another pilot with his own plane hoped to be on site on the following day and further air experience flights would then be offered to the Air Scouts.
It was obvious how much the young people were enjoying the camp. The teams formed for activities had to consist of at least one Scout from each Unit and an Explorer of a certain age. It may not have been an international camp but integration was the name of the game. 1st Carlton Colville’s actions over this week are a mirror of what other Groups and Troops will have been doing round the County and it demonstrates just how inclusive Scouting is. The young people gain so much from the hard work and dedication put in by you, the Leaders. Whatever our role in Scouting, in uniform or in support, we should never forget why we are in the Movement. Young People First!