Scout activity May 2021
By Dara Doherty, Patrol Leader
We started off with a short safety briefing where we discussed the dangers of rafting in the canal, including infections we may get if we have open wounds
We had spars, sisal and 4 barrels of air so we planned how we would make the raft. Once we had a plan we thought would work, we gathered the spars and sisal we would need to build it.
We started building the raft using square lashings. We took a small break to have lunch before we finished building the raft.
Once the raft was built, we carried it over to the edge of the canal. We were originally going to start by the ramp, but the swans were there so we had to move further up the path instead.
We gently lowered the raft into the water and got on. We rowed down the canal before returning to get out. Although the lashings were made well and the raft stayed completely intact, everyone got wet since 3 scouts decided to jump into the water and we were all splashed.
We returned to the scout den and changed into dry clothes. Some of us began to take apart the raft, while others built a fire and others walked to the shop to buy ingredients for the pizzas we were going to make.
While some people made the dough, others made the camp ovens out of cardboard boxes and tinfoil. We all put toppings on our pizza bases and put them on trays over the embers of the fire with the camp oven over them. Once the pizzas were cooked, we ate them and then made smores over the fire before tidying up and going home.
