Camping with Scouts  - Andre’ Cassar

From the 30^th October till the 1^st of November, I went a three-day camping with the scouts. We made many things! Amongst the cubs and their leaders there were some from the school which I attend.

            On Friday, the Xaghra Scouts Group met the Victoria Scouts Group at around 3.45pm to get the 4.30pm ferry to go to Malta.  After half an hour we arrived at Cirkewwa and we carried our heavy luggages.  There we found the minibus waiting for us to take us to the Campsite of Ghajn Tuffieha.

            Arriving at the campsite, Akela showed us where our area was and we did the Akela’s Corner.  We emptied our luggages in our tent.  We still had one hour free time to begin the activities.  After finishing the planned activities we went for dinner.  Then we went to the Arena and we made the opening of the National Cub Camp by doing the flagbreak.  Then we had a bird show.  Following this, we spent till 11pm dancing and singing together.  Then we did the flagdown, and all the groups together with the Commissioner formed a circle into the Arena to say thanks to God for the beautiful day he gave us.  We directed ourselves to our tents to prepare to sleep.  Before sleeping, my three friends and I spent some time chatting together.

            That first night I woke up at quarter to four and even my friend Julian woke up.  After speaking to our leader we spent the rest of the night playing UNO until the others woke up too.  In the morning we got ready for another day.  We went to have breakfast at around quarter to nine.  During this day we had the Joined Activities.  I had the opportunity to win 2 badges to put on the scouts baseball cap.  We participated in crafts, games and dancing.  I made 5 crafts.  These were a coaster, a painted bag, 2 crocodiles made up of pegs and an abstract design on a handkerchief.  With the commissioner’s whistling, everyone gathered together for the midday lunch.  In the afternoon we again joined in for other activities and shows.  After celebrating a mass we had dinner. After we had the campfire, which was like a Halloween party since it was Halloween night.  After a lot of shows, plays and sweets throwing, we made the flagdown and formed up a circle for the prayer and were ready to sleep. 

            Today was the last day of the camp.  We woke up and had breakfast.  Meeting in the Arena, we were told that we were going for a hike.  During the hike we followed several signs which we had to write down to learn them.  We took some photos in front of the cliffs.  We walked along the cliffs.  When we reached the planned destination we stopped to eat our packed lunch.  We walked back to the campsite to collect all our things and had something to eat.  We gathered into the Arena to prepare for the closing of the camp.  We made the flagdown and the camp was ended.  Then, we went back to the tents and got out everything out of the tents so that we pull down our tents. 

            At around 3 o’clock we left the campsite towards Cirkewwa to get the ferry.  It was a nice experience attending this National Cub Camp as we met other cubs from other Scouts groups around Malta and Gozo. 

National Cub Camp 2009 [In Maltese]  – Daniel Refalo

            Mill-Ġimgħa 30 t’Ottubru sal-Ħadd 1 ta’ Novembru jien ħadt sehem fin-National Cub Camp ta’ din is-sena. Konna b’kollox madwar 300 cub minn Malta u Għawdex. Mix-Xagħra konna 4 cubs u 6 leaders.

            Morna Malta mal-Vapur tal-4.15. Jien kont eċitat ħafna għax dakinhar inzerta għeluq snieni. Kif wsalna fil-campsite frixna l-lozor fuq is-saqqu u qghadna nilagħbu l-Uno ta’ Julian sa x’ħin sar ħin l-ikel. Wara l-ikel kulħadd ħasel il-platti tiegħu u morna għal Halloween party. Wara li għajjejna ninzfnu, morna fil-kamp biex norqdu. Jien u Theodore rqadna mill-ewwel imma Julian u Andre’ ma setgħux jorqdu.

            Is-Sibt filgħodu qomna fis-7.30, ħadna il-breakfast, ħsilna l-platti u morna għall-Eco-Adventure fejn għamilna ħafna attivitajiet li għandhom x’jaqsmu mal-ambjent. Wara l-ikel morna nistriehu fil-kamp. L-attivita’ li għamilna wara nofsinhar kienet li għamilna xi krafts bħal fajjar (catapult) u lgħabna xi logħob. Wara morna ninħaslu bl-ilma kiesaħ silg, ajma xi ksieh! Għal xis-sitta smajna quddiesa, kilna u filgħaxija gġamilna campfire. X’ħin morna lura fil-kamp, irqadna mill-ewwel.

            Il-Ħadd filgħodu ma stajtx inqum u kellhom jitfghuli l-ilma biex qomt. Wara li ħadna l-brejkfast morna mixja twila fuq l-irdum fejn intlifna. F’nofsinhar kilna il-packed lunch li kienu lestew. X’ħin morna lura fil-campsite ġbarna l-affarijiet tagħna u lestejna biex nigu lura Għawdex.

            Din kienet esperjenza mill-isbaħ għaliex ħadt ħafna gost!

National Cub Camp 2009 [In Maltese] – Theodore Cutajar

            Kien il-weekend fl-aħħar ta’ Ottubru. Il-Gimgħa tlaqna lejn Malta, għal Campsite ta’ Għajn Tuffieħa ma sħabi l-cus u l-leaders. X’ħin wasalna poggejna l-affarijiet fit-tinda. Wara kellna show sabiħa tal-għasafar. Ftit wara kelna l-ikla ta’ flgħaxija mbgħad qadna nisfnu u nqassmu il-ħelu. Is-Sibt kellna quddiesa u wara campfire. Il-Ħadd morna hike fejn imxejna mixja twila. Tlajna għoja u għadna nimxu wara it-track signs. Lura mill-hike kelna lunch imbagħad wara ġbarna l-affarijiet tagħna u tlaqna lejn Għawdex. Għalija kienet esperjenza tal-ġenn!

 To go directly to NCC 09 Photo Album click here. 

Xagħra Scout Group for the 2^nd year held a JOTI (Jamboree Over The Internet) Station between Saturday 17th October 2009 (7pm) to Sunday 18th October 2009 (10am). We are proud to say that this was the only JOTI station in the Gozo District :)

Leaders, Rovers, Ventures, Scouts, Link Badge Cubs & Gold Arrow cubs all participated in the event. The event was held in Ta' Giljan Maisonette. The Station was equipped with both chatting by text and also using TeamSpeak which provided the participants to make voice conversations with other scouts around the world. There was also a live webcam hosted on this site so that scouts from around the world could see the Xagħra Scouts live!