Rayner Trophy 1960 Report
The following is the report for the Western Cape's Rayner Trophy competition of 1960:
Report
Route: Du Toitskloof to Bainskloof
The Rayner Trophy 1960 was held over the weekend 7th-8th May 1960. As a senior scout event the competition dealt with advanced scouting with the object of providing an adventurous, enjoyable and fairly tough weekend for the 15-18 year old age group. With this in mind it was designed on Venturer Badge lines with the emphasis on practical tests as far as possible.
Tests
A copy of the Instructions to Teams, Judges' Time Table, specimen mark sheet and the instructions to judges on the tests themselves is attached for information.
Venue
In an attempt to provide a new site for the competition over reasonably remote and tough country, but within easy reach of roads, the competition took place in the mountainous area between the top of du Toits' Kloof and the Bains Kloof Hotel. Commencing at du Toits' Kloof the teams were faced with several tests on their hike to the Krom Rivier Hut (near New Year Peak) which was kindly put at our disposal by the Paarl-Wellington Section of the Mountain Club of South Africa.
The competitors camped in the vicinity of this large hut which was used as a H.Q. and which would have been used for shelter had the weather turned bad. In the evening a night adventure journey with tests was included in the programme.
On Sunday morning, after tests, the teams left at intervals for a hike down the Witte River Valley, past the Upper and Lower Wellington Sneeukops to the Bains Kloof Hotel where the competition and hike ended.
The whole area had been carefully surveyed and explored by myself and assistants beforehand and as there was a thick mist on the mountains on Sunday, necessitating good map reading by the teams, a screen of judges experienced in mountaineering kept a close but unobtrusive watch on the teams and clocked them through the check-points to ensure that there was no straying. Each team was supplied with large-scale maps of the area.
Judges
Assisting me as judges was Mr. E.B. Bryant, Mr. Jock Ritchie and many scouters of the Scout Mountain Club from Cape Town and Somerset West. They carried out their duties excellently and the success of the weekend is due in no small measure to their cheerful and efficient co-operation.
Entries
10 teams took part and a couple of teams did not turn up. There is no doubt that those entering represented the cream of our scouting in the Western Cape.
Results
The competition results were as follows; -
- 2nd Green and Sea Point 145 ½
- 3rd Green and Sea Point 132 ½
- 1st Pine1ands 119 ½
- 1st Claremont 117 ½
- 1st Bellville 115 ½
- 2nd Claremont 110
- 20th Cape Town 104
- 6th Rondebosch 103
- 1st Naruna 91
- 2nd Plumstead 90
Standard
The spirit of the teams in rather adverse weather conditions (cold wind and heavy mist on Sunday) was very good and they carried out all the tests in a most cheerful and enthusiastic manner.
Tests on the whole were fairly well done. The logs could have been better but this was no doubt due to the rough country encountered and the heavy mist which no doubt channelled most of their energies into route-finding. I am not unhappy about this as the hike was the test and the logs were more in the nature of evidence of their activities. Plaster-casts on the whole were, however, poor.
Some teams were good on tests like Scout Law but others lost heavily. The throwing the lifeline test (from Venturer Badge) was not well done and it is obvious that all need much more practice at this. The standard of camping was good although>as there was not any rain) it was not possible to judge how they would have shaped under very adverse conditions.
Accident
A full account of this unfortunate incident has already been made to Headquarters.
Briefly, one of the tests involved wading across a stream on the suurvlakte away from the main path. Approximately 30 boys had crossed successfully when a sea scout from the 20th Cape Town trod on a piece of broken glass and badly lacerated his foot. The glass obviously came from careless picknickers and had lodged in a crack in the rock and was thus invisible from above.
The scout was taken on a kind of sedan chair made out of scout staves to the cars and was then taken to the Paarl Hospital by me for attention. His wounds were stitched and he was fetched by his parents.
Chief Judge: Colin Ingles