Western Cape Girl Guide and Boy Scout Camps
Before the Scout programme included girls, the separate Boy Scout and Girl Guide movements held a number of combined Camps and Hikes in the 1960's through to the 1990's.
The following stories, which relate to the Western Cape camps, were taken from the records available in their Scout archives.
There were however, also National Guide / Scout Adventure Hikes that came about as a result of discussions around modernising Scouting to provide stimulating and challenging projects for the older boy.
In the Western Cape and from the Scouting side much of the early organising and effort came from 'Bunny' Bennington whose creativity was amazing with his sketches, rhymes and puzzles. He was largely instrumental in creating the Eerste River Scout Campsite Gilcape where many of the Guide / Scout camps were held and of him it was said at the time, 'If you seek his monument, look around you'.
1967 - Friendship Camp - Gordon's Camp, Glencairn
12 - 14 August / Guides 47 / Scouts 46
This very first Guide and Scout friendship camp was initiated by the Girl Guide Movement. The Saturday morning saw some warm up games and in the afternoon an adventure hike visiting various bases with traditional Scout items, but in the evening a 'Bop' (as a teenage dance was then called) was held, starting at 9:00 pm and ending at 10:00 pm. Lights out was at 10:30! Sunday's activities included cake icing and carpentry.
In September there was a display at Gilcape and all the Guides and Scouts that attended the Friendship Camp were invited to the 'Gilcape Day' to display for the parents some of the stunts and activities that proved so successful on the weekend.
Then in October there was a reunion at the 6th Rondebosch Scout Hall. The Saturday evening programme consisted of the showing of 'cine' films taken at the Friendship Weekend and the Gilcape Display, together with other interesting activities at Gilcape.
1968 - Training Weekend - Gilcape, Eerste River
29 - 31 March / Guides 42 / Scouts 44
This camp was a follow up to the Glencairn Camp and once again the boys and girls co-operated well together and the girls especially enjoyed the more robust activities.
This report by Patrol Leader Geoffrey Fitter of the 1st Lansdowne & Crawford Scout Group recalls what a typical week end was all about: -
The weather was fine and use was made of the Towers, Obstacle Course and Swimming pool.
Whereas central cooking was used at Glencairn, on this camp Patrol cooking was introduced and was much enjoyed by the Scouts and Guides. Supper on the first night was a three-course meal, tomato soup, braised steak with vegetables, followed by guavas with evaporated milk which was all very tasty. At each meal we had to feed one of the Scouters or Guiders, and at this meal we had to feed the Camp Chief. After supper we made our way to the Camp Fire Circle, where we saw several films, the last Scout/Guide camp, pioneer courses, Gilcape day, and lastly a very interesting film on the Greek World Jamboree. The evening ended with hot cocoa.
The next day kept us busy with various projects, one of them being the making of an aerial runway, which involved fastening one end of a rope to the northernmost signal tower, and anchoring the other end to a tree, passing it over the top of sheer legs. The runway when completed was about 200 yards long, the whole, patrol then descended, using the runway.
A project new to many was the building of a Coracle. This is a vessel made from sticks bent to form the shape of a small boat and then covered with plastic to make it waterproof. Once completed it was then raced across the swimming pool.
We were kept busy all week end and all too soon we were breaking camp, this is always the worst part of any camp, especially when one has enjoyed it so much. The camp ended with a short Scout's Own service, and then a sort of tea party, during which we ate our home-made cake which turned out quite well, by this time many parents were waiting outside the training area.
After a final parade, we said our goodbyes and left the camp for home. We had made many Scouting and Guiding friends, and we had proved conclusively that Scouts and Guides could work together in the very best Scouting spirit.
In June they also held a reunion at the 6th Rondebosch Scout Hall where on the Saturday evening the reunion programme was preceded by the viewing of the photos that were taken at the camp. This was followed by patrol stunts and a film of the training weekend.
1969 - Leader's Weekend - Glencairn
10 - 12 October / Scouts 39 / Guides 40
The weekend started in Simonstown with an adventure hike before returning to Glencairn.
New to the camp was the making of Toboggans that were then used on the nearby sand dunes and making Puppets for a puppet show.
There were also 'Scout' stunts based on the recent Gough Island rescue that included smoke signalling and an improvised stretcher.
1971 -Training Weekend - Strand Scout Hall
4 - 6 September / Guides 40 / Scouts 40
The Strand Scout Hall was a new venue for the camp and with the beach nearby there was the opportunity to have many of the activities on the beach. Some of these included lifesavings, building sand castles and tug-o-war.
The camp was run on the 'tried and tested' formula of mixed patrols with patrol cooking. The weather was kind to the participants and the programme consisted of many stunts and competitions.
In addition to the beach activities the hall and grounds around the hall were ideal for the various projects. The highlight of the weekend was the patrol Shakespearean plays presented on the hall stage.
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Feeling their way on the blindfold trail
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Teamwork on the Fireman's Chair relay
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Building sandcastles on Strand Beach
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Testing the teams hard work
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Scout transporter in action
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Stilt walking, not as easy as it looks
1972 - Guide / Scout Weekend - Glencairn
2 - 4 September / Guides 40 / Scouts 40
For the first time exactly 40 Guides and 40 Scouts attended and these were formed into 8 patrols of 5 Guides and 5 Scouts each.
In spite of the pouring rain on the Saturday, everyone joined in the programs with un-dampened enthusiasm. The highlight of the day was Alan Couch's demonstration of Dutch Oven cooking. He showed everyone how simple it was to roast chicken and potatoes and to bake an apple pie. It really seemed no more trouble than preparing a bed time snack.
Then the patrols started preparing their supper. Each patrol was provided with a set of Dutch ovens. A large one for the chicken and a smaller one for the pie. Soon the whole camp was pervaded with appetizing odours as 40 Guides and 40 Scouts endeavoured to emulate Alan "Cordon Bleu" Gooch. Much, much later all this scrumptious food was devoured by ravenous Guides and Scouts down to the last pope's nose.
Sunday was devoted to an incident hike in the sand dunes. There were altogether 8 bases including tobogganing, first aid, obstacle course, and digging for buried treasure. The enthusiasm of the Guides was an inspiration to us all as they urged the exhausted Scouts on to ever greater efforts. In the evening each patrol rehearsed and produced an "international item" representing 8 different countries. The rest of us had to guess the country involved in each case.
Monday morning had everyone industriously occupied with various handicrafts. Giggling Guides with wiggling toes had their footprints permanently recorded in plaster. A vast quantity of wax was melted to make large decorative coloured candles. Many planks, dozens of nails and several sore thumbs went into the construction of a campfire "bankie" for each guide. Epoxy putty, buttons, nails, thongs and spray paint was used to make everyone a souvenir pendant.
So ended a weekend of unabated activity and good comradeship.
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Carpentry base - making a 'Bankie'
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Carpentry base - mind those fingers
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Carpentry base - the finished product
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Scout transporter
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Tobogganing at speed
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Tobogganing crash
1973 - Guide / Scout Weekend - Gilcape
1 - 3 September / Guides 40 / Scouts 40
After setting up camp on the Saturday morning, the afternoon was taken up with inter-patrol relays on the playing field.
On the Sunday after the Guide/Scout's own it was into working clothes with some of the tasks being paining of the barn, grass and tree planting and concreting the carport.
This was however interspersed with Scout activities like a Scout transporter and a drum raft. Monday relay races included a pyjama race and an egg and spoon race.
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Ever popular 3 leged race
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I hope this rope holds
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Moving the drum raft takes skill
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Concentration - all hands onboard
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Good turn painting the Barn
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Pajama race
1974 - Guide / Scout Weekend - Gilcape
31 August - 2 September / Guides 40 / Scouts 43
In spite of extremely bad weather conditions, a full programme of Scouting activities and Handcrafts was carried out.
The stardard and sucsesful formula was followed and on day two:- 'we went from one base to another doing various activities such as play-reading, chopping wood, building a tree hut, making jam tarts, erecting a slide, blindfold obstacle line, building a raft and then finally building a bucket cableway. In the evening, after our Guide/Scouts' own service, each patrol presented skits. The final item, performed by the Guiders and Scouters, was a mock on patrol inspection'.
The Scouts and Guides taking part all enjoyed the camp although they were cold and wet a good deal of the time.
1975 - Guide / Scout Weekend - Gilcape
30 August - 1 September
The highlight of this year's camp was undoubtedly the television base (Test transmissions began in May and Nationwide services in 5 January 1976) where patrols had each to rehearse and present a play using the contents of a lady's handbag as props. Although each patrol had the same props the eight plays varied from thrillers to comedies. The corner of the barn used as the studio became in turn a train compartment, hairdressing saloon, a bank and other ingenious sets. Each item was recorded on videotape. In the evening we all watched the playback at Gilcape's first television viewing.
A new feature this year was the night stunt where eight Guides were left lying in the pitch-dark bush with ghastly simulated wounds until rescued by their patrols. As the evening was freezing cold everyone learnt that "keep the patient warm" was not just a phrase out of the first-aid book.
The weather was cold but sunny for all three days of the camp. This certainly made conditions more pleasant than in the previous years for the 40 Guides and 29 Scouts who attended.
1976 - Guide / Scout Weekend - Glencairn
4 - 6 September / Guides 37 / Scouts 34
Once again, the mixture of starting the first day with a morning adventure trail, then afternoon games on the field and old movies, set what has become the normal pattern. As day two was a Sunday there was a Scouts/Guides Own, then bases for patrol stunts with the evening ending off with a concert. Day three was devoted to Handcrafts the included kite flying.
1977 - Guide / Scout Camp - Gilcape
8 - 10 October
A first for this camp was that one of the bases was an equestrian centre on the main field where Guides and Scouts could ride the horses. There was also Archery, a puppet shows and a campfire amongst the many other activities.
Gilcape closed in 1988 and Hawequas which was acquired by the Scout movement in the Spring of 1986 became the Area's prime camping ground. Situated just outside Wellington, nestled at the foot of the Hawequas Mountains it is in an area renowned for its scenic beauty. The farm has vast areas of fynbos, perennial streams, waterfalls, and was an ideal venue for holding the Guide / Scout camps. The few records in the archives do however reveal that Guide Scout camps were held every year at Hawequas from 1992 to 1996.
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Gilcape 1977 - Equestrian base - A little apprehensive
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Gilcape 1977 - Archery base
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Hawequas 1992 - Carpentry project
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Hawequas 1992 - Jamboree on the Air station
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Hawequas 1992 - Merry go round in a beautiful setting
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Hawequas 1992 - Rafting project at the dam
