Troop Log entry for the 1965 summer camp can be viewed by clicking here.
Those attending Summer Camp (1965)
Scouters
S.M. Bob Miller (5 days), ASM John Nisbet (9 days), ASM Alastair Cram (5 days), ASM Michael Nisbet, ASM Ian Fraser (7 days), JASM Robin Crawford.
Curlew Patrol
PL R. McKnight, SEC. John Martin, Jim Barr, Ian Galt, Duncan Malcolm (4 days)
Falcon Patrol
PL Billy Gunn, SEC David Flockhart, Derek Phillips, David White, Peter Robertson
Seagull Patrol
PL Bobby McCallum, SEC Robert Morrison, Robert Beattie, Graeme McBride (5 days), Roy Fraser (4 days), Alan Anderson (4 days)
Seal Patrol
PL George Conway, SEC Gordon Paterson, Stewart Ross, Eric Taylor (5 days), Charles Stewart (9 days), Graham Patrick (4 days)
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The Scouts sailed to Tarbert from Gourock on the MV Lochfyne and were then transported to camp, which was about 5 miles south of Tarbert. Some of the older Scouts took bicycles and cycled there. The campsite was near Achnacarnan, but the exact location has still to be identified.
There was a heavy emphasis on pioneering projects and gadget making throughout the camp. As well as the usual camp flagpole and notice board, a tree house, Commando bridge and transporter (aerial runway) were constructed. However, the most impressive structure was a signalling tower - the largest pioneering project ever undertaken by the 70th (as far as is known). The most mysterious project to be constructed was a 'drinking water pool'.
There were numerous games of football, including an 'international' friendly against a Scout troop form Luton who were camping about 2-3 miles north of the 70th. During the 1960s, it was relatively common to find other Scout troops camping 'within range' of one's own camp. Baseball was also played and there may well have been other camp activities that were not mentioned in the troop log. It is certain that various Scout tests would have been passed in camp, although they are not mentioned in the log book. One example was Charlie Stewart passing his 8-mile hike as one of the tests leading towards the 2nd Class Badge. Unfortunately, Charlie seemed to celebrate this by falling off the transporter, resulting in him visiting the doctor in Tarbert and returning home the next day. It is also noteworthy that Duncan Malcolm passed his Tenderfoot Badge and was invested at camp - only the second Scout known to have that received honour. In the evenings, there were regular campfires where the Scouts tucked into cocoa and dumpling. There was also a special event where the Scouters invited those Scouts attending their first summer camp to a tea party. This is the first reference to what became the GSM's or GSL's tea party, and which took place at subsequent camps for many years to come.
Various out-of-camp activities took place. For example, some Scouts went on an overnight fishing trip on a trawler, although the details of that were not recorded. There was also a short evening hike to explore an ancient chapel on the hillside. Once the Scouts reached the spot, a ceremony was carried out to appease any ancient spirits that might be tarrying in the area. It is possible that Gordon Paterson and Derek Phillips did not complete the ceremony to the satisfaction of those same ancient spirits as they fell into a 'water barrel' on the descent downhill. It's not clear what a 'water barrel' was, but it might have been a drainage ditch as the two Scouts involved got wet. There is a short reference to a night hike involving the PLs. This might have been similar to the night hikes of previous summer camps where the PLs and Scouters hiked about 16 miles and returned just before dawn. However, details of the hike were not provided in the log book. Finally, there were at least two swimming expeditions during the camp and these were to the same bay and "island" visited in 1964.
On the Saturday, the Scouts had a night out in Tarbert where they either went to the cinema or got acquainted with the local cafe. Sunday morning involved another visit to Tarbert and a parade to Tarbert Church. The parents then arrived en masse in the afternoon to take their offspring away for a feed. Towards the end of camp, the Scouts undertook a service project for the farmer on whose land they were camped.
There were one or two mishaps in camp, such as Charlie Stewart's attempt at imitating a Seagull, when he was really a Seal. Another was the Curlew Patrol's kitchen shelter catching fire. Unfortunately, details on that were quite scanty and it is not known just how spectacular this turned out to be. However, it is interesting to note that at summer camps in later years, patrols were required to have two water carriers, one of which always had to be kept full in case of fire.
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