Training weekend 2009

Last year saw the district's first Training Weekend. Then three people tried the first BASE training course. We were the first District Training Team that ran the course. Although not many participated, we believed in the concept of running a whole weekend, with a smorgardsboard of training courses.

Annica explaining the importance of the Scout's code of conduct, yellow card, our social responsablility for children's wellfare and what to do in a crisis situation.

This second annual training weekend took place in Varberg's scout hut. It's an absolutely lovely place, at the end of a birch wood planted at the turn of the last century for the leisure of the people of this little coastal town. In the wood is also planted some rarer trees, which is marked out with plaques, little paths crisscross the airy forrest floor and larger, tarmaced paths make the beautiful wood accessible for everyone.

Your scribbler demonstrating the organisation of the scout movement locally, nationally and internationally.

The hut is more of a chalet. In it's hayday it must have been a wonder of luxury! The Cub's den in the attic has 9 little cubbyholes along the wall for the sixes to hide away in and at least 40 sq. meters of open floor, there are dens for at least 20 scout patroles on the bottom floor (which are now mostly used for storage, as the group is considerably smaller now than in the late 50's), and in the boy's toilet the remains of an urinal with an optic flushing system, which started when someone (taller than 110 cm) walked through the door. Of course it has been painted and decorated during the years, but all renovation has been very lovingly and carefully done, which has left so much of the old charm and atmosphere.

The Safe Outdoors group cooked lunch for all on the Sunday. A yummy noodle wok made on a giant murrikka, the Same frying pan.

We ran the weekend on a drop-in basis, as the new courses are built on modules that you can collect. On the Saturday we had 12 participants in the workshops, most from Varberg, which could be considered a growth from last year with about 400%! As last year we had a chef from Swedish Gilwell on loan, who held a workshop on outdoor baking and also cooked our evening meal, that was followed by the Camp fire workshop participants holding a great camp fire in the pouring rain. Next year we will be in Falkenberg, my home town, and our aim is to do BASE, SCOUT1 (next step for leaders) and PATROLE1 (training for scouts age 12-16) + lots of fun workshops!

Your humble narrator learning to do rope tricks, overseen by Stefan, who confesses himself to be more of a pine-cone-and-twig-kind-of-guy than a sailor.

All in all the weekend was a great success! Thanks to everyone who helped make it so, by just being their lovely selves! This time photos are taken by Thomas Forsman, which means that I am in some of the pictures.