In 1907 Robert Baden-Powell (later Lord Baden-Powell), the founder of Boy Scouts held the very first "experimental" scout camp on Brownsea Island just off the southern coast of England.
109 years later, Boy Scout troop 245 from RAF Alconbury, England followed in his footsteps and held their own campout there as well. I went along with Alex as a "leader" because I knew we would never have this opportunity again to camp where Scouting truly began those many years ago.
The bus ride down was only a few hours, but we took a 2 hour side trip to visit the TANK MUSEUM!! This is the largest collection of tanks in the WORLD and we were told the museum has more tanks than the entire British Army.
Admission was free for the 6 of us who were current or former military (I like free) and reasonable for everyone else. Tank warfare doesn't have much to do with my everyday job, but once I entered the museum I found it absolutely stunning. I've never seen so many tanks in one place before, and these tanks were from all over the world throughout all the years tanks have been around. They had so many tanks I didn't even manage to see them all. Anyway, don't take my recommendation. Take it from this gaggle of 10-12 year old boys who said "THIS IS AWESOME!"
I wouldn't want to find myself on the wrong side of this tank.
As awesome as tanks are for young boys, they were easily distracted by one of several cleverly constructed hands-on toy soldier displays. Battle on!
Alex recognized the lettering on this tank so made sure he got a picture next to it.
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Eventually we found our way out of the tank museum. Honestly, I wished I had more time there because I didn't get to see all of the exhibits either because the boys slowed me down or because I had to backtrack to help one of the boys find his favorite hat he dropped somewhere in the middle of the museum. We found it. No harm done. Lunch outside the museum and then back on the bus.
Eventually arriving at the ferry to take us on to Brownsea Island where we would camp for two nights.
I think we were the only ones on the ferry over to the island that day. This was just one of several tourist/sightseeing ferries in the harbor.
When we arrived on the island, we were met by a gal with a cart where we loaded all our gear which then took us 100 yards to a Jeep with a trailer which took all our gear, minus the backpacks on our backs, the last mile to the other end of the island where the campsite was. And at the site we found... a big rock. Actually a sculpture set to commemorate the very first camp by Lord Baden-Powell.We took this picture at the end of the camp because we kept forgetting to get it until it was almost too late.
Oh, another ferry photo from on the way over. Yeah, Alex is pretty stoked.
We are hiking to the campsite. The boys all went ahead without the leaders so I decided to follow them thinking everyone was going to catch up. I kept up with the boys, and tried to make sure the older ones who ran ahead didn't fall into the sea or anything. I kept looking back thinking the other adults were coming up from behind and I even stopped to wait a while but they never showed. I didn't know where the campsite was so I just kept following the older scouts along with all the younger ones. Eventually we met a ranger who pointed us in the right direction and that's where we found the camp and the other adults who took the shortcut AND the truck. We ended up hiking about 1.5 miles (half a mile longer than we needed) but we knew the island pretty well after that.
When we arrived at the campsite the first thing we did was set up our tents. I set up my little popup tent next to some of the other adults. Alex and the scouts were off to the side away from us. The next we did after setting up camp was I watched as Alex and few of the other boys promptly ran down to the shore and got their boots and pants wet trying to puddle jump as the tide rolled in. Seriously, we had only been there an hour!
I'm suddenly remembering all sorts of things that I should write about but I don't have pictures for. Like how I volunteered to help with the cooking not because I was the best cook but because by doing so I could be in charge of making sure we actually ate at reasonable times. Scouts are great for many things, but thinking ahead to the next meal is not one of them.
On Saturday, the adults split up to take on various "stations" around the island and the boys would visit these skill stations during what amounted to a 3 mile hike. I taught how to splint and sling a broken arm at my station. For most of the day it rained. In between rain episodes I walked around the green waiting for the next boys' group to arrive. Sometimes waiting 30 minutes or more, so to keep myself entertained I ate junk food and watched the local rat population (ie peacocks) as they pestered me for food. I didn't give them any (well, I guess I did share my apple core with them) yet they wouldn't leave me alone.
Saturday afternoon, during a very short break in the weather, three of the boys had the privilege of having their Eagle Court of Honor right there on the exact site of Baden-Powell's camp. Of course the rain started up again in the middle of it, but no one minded as we witnessed these boys' achievement.
Seriously, the island was infested with these animals. And RED squirrels, we saw lots of those too.
I'll remember this trip with Alex and his troop for all the fun we had. I am proud to be his dad and for his choice to be a part of Boy Scouts. He doesn't realize yet how influential his time in the Boy Scouts will be in shaping his life decisions.
And how many people, at least Americans, can say they camped on Brownsea Island!? Yeah, we'll brag about that one. Sure, it rained most of the time and the midges came out in full force at times, and the peacocks were crazy (had 11 of them running around camp at one time), and most of the boys didn't even touch their mess kits because (and I quote) "we're too lazy to clean them". But I'll remember most of all the beauty of the full moon over the sound as the rain and wind dispersed late Saturday evening, and the laughter as the boys played manhunt (yet again), or how they enjoyed eating whatever they could carry in their hands and even said 'thank you', or the singing 'Frozen' on the bus (whoops, I wasn't supposed to mention that), and there's more but I can't remember right now.
But I'll remember this ....
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