Introduction
In 1959, the 70th returned to Blairmore for Easter Camp, having camped there the year before. The attendance at the camp was as follows.
Leaders: SM Ian Blake; ASM Bob Miller; ASM Sandy Whiteford; ASM Jim Harvey
Patrol Leaders: Kenneth Conway; Brian Elliot; Trevor Jones; Hamish Rankin
Seconds: Jim Blair, Stuart Scott
Scouts: Ian Fraser; John Moore; Alan Conway; M. Hodge; Philip Dry; Roger Hardie; Ronald Weir; Laird McFarlane
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Patrols
Unfortunately, the log books do not record how the Scouts were split into separate patrols. However, they provide a sketch of the campsite, which identifies three Patrol kitchens and identifies two of the patrols as the Seal Patrol and Duck-Billed Platypus patrol. Photos suggest which Scouts were in each Patrol, and this has been confirmed by surviving receipts and notes that also identify the name of the third patrol.
Mouse Patrol P.L. Trevor Jones, Second Jim Blair, Tommy Dow and Roger Hardie
Seal Patrol P.L. Ken Conway, Second Stuart Scott, Michael Hodge and Philip Dry
Duck-billed Platypus Patrol P.L. Hamish Rankin, P.L. Brian Elliot, Laird McFarlane, Ian Fraser, John Moore and Alan Conway
General overview of the camp
As in the previous year, the Scouts took the Maid of Ashton passenger ferry from Gourock to Blairmore Pier, where their heavy equipment was loaded onto a lorry and transported up to the campsite, along with the Scouts. The tents were erected and the midday dinner was cooked over a primus. In the afternoon, the rest of the camp was set up – kitchen shelters, latrines and flagpole.
Activities included a walk to Kilmun (along the forestry commission road, returning by the main road), an ascent of Kilmun Hill, an evening walk to the Ardentinny café, and an ‘owl hunt’. No owls were caught, but Bob Millar almost got clobbered by everybody else for making owl sounds. Camp games included football. Campfires were also held each night and at one of the campfires Bob Millar made pancakes which were devoured by the Scouts and a couple of visitors – Mrs. Conway and Wolf Cub George Conway. On the Sunday, there was a Scouts Own led by Ian Blake. Stuart Scott and Philip Dry left the camp for a couple of days to complete their First Class hike, at the end of which Philip discovered a ‘weighty stone’ at the foot of his rucsac. One of the highlights of the camp was Philip Dry swinging on a rope and unintentionally falling into a burn. The log book stated ‘He was absolutely soaked from the knees down (he fell in headfirst).’ Another highlight as far as Roger Hardy, Michael Hodge and Alan Conway were concerned was that they all passed their Second Class Badge in camp.
The weather over the first four days was very good, but heavy rain fell on the fifth day and some of the tents succumbed to rising ground water levels. Consequently, the midday dinner was cooked in the Scouters kitchen and Bob Miller decided that the younger Scouts should return home that afternoon. In the evening, the traditional camp dumpling was cooked by those remaining in camp. The camp was dismantled on the final day (April Fool’s Day) with the help of Trevor Jones who returned with his younger brother to help in the clear up. This was only the second camp where the Scouts had been flooded out.
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Report
Click here for the camp report provided in the Troop Log.
Click here for the camp report provided in the Fox Patrol Log.
Click here for the Overview of Easter Camps.
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