Rediscovering the great outdoors

69th Scouts Katakanu-ing on the River Avon – © Sarah Milne

It’s not until we get all 26 Scouts together for an evening of adventure, bushcraft, wildlife and amazing teamwork that we realise how tough the last year has been.

Our young people have been remarkable on Zoom, camping from home and adhering to all our Covid safety rules, but it was awesome to get back to new challenges.

On his last evening with the 69th, Sam goes out with a blaze of glory – © Alex Hazle

Thursday 17^th June saw us paddle the mighty River Avon in Katakanus – super-stable craft that give plenty of water confidence but need teamwork to navigate. A kingfisher (namesake of one of our patrols), some ducklings and a proud pair of breeding swans called Ron and Hermione with their seven cygnets kept us company.

We were also treated to a welcome refresher on firelighting, going through fire safety and practising sparking with steels and flints. Who knew King Alfred’s Cakes made such useful tinder?

Thanks to the great team at Channel Kayaks for a wonderful evening and all our helpers. Scouts have now completed Stage 1 of Paddle Sports as well as covering more of survival skills, campcraft, adventure and outdoor awards.

We said a fond farewell this week to Sam Squires, who’s moving with his family to Devon this summer. Sam had the honour of naming his canoeing team for the evening (as ‘Team Monkey’). We wish Sam and the family well in their new home.

The evening was poignant for those of us who’ve been associated wifth the 69^th for a number of years after we heard the news this week of the sad passing in Dorothy House of Mark Payne, a leader in the group from 1999 and our Group Scout Leader from 2003–2014. Mark was also an instructor at Bath Canoe Club and led many a Scout kayaking session on the Avon in times past. Even after ‘retirement’, Mark regularly helped at our usual weekly Scouts sessions as well as organising the Scouts’ Lucozade stall at the Bath Half. We will miss him greatly.