Just home from a very pleasant evening out with some friends at the cinema over in The Big Smoke. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are genii there is no doubt. Much being rude about the odd inhabitants of the Big Smoke followed by funny film and then a beer in good company to round the night off. On returning home I remembered tonight was the night my girl was finding out the result of the orienteering competition she took part in 10 days ago.
First Saturday in the half term the four local Scout troops gathered up here on our Hilltop Town armed with an o/s map, stout boots, an adult in case of emergency and a good packed lunch. Each team (our troop fielded two) set their course, logged it with the base unit and then set off at the alloted times. In seven and a half hours the teams had to reach as many 'trig' points as possible. It was anticipated that a minmum of five miles would be travelled. I figured my girl would be lucky to manage that.
There were four in Princess C-W's team. Those girls walked over 18 miles and were back to base only six minutes outside their scheduled return. They hit all the trig points. They got incredibly muddy. Their grown-up in case of emergency (who came from another troop) said they were the most generous group of Scouts with whom he had ever hiked. (Plus the cleanest, those girls were rocking the alcohol gel!)
When CK picked her up that night she plaintively asked whether he had brought the car to pick her up. He hadn't. So wearing just waterproofs and a windbreaker as the rest of her clothing was muddy beyond belief, she hobbled home to a warm bath and the sleep of the exhausted. Her team leader (APSN) stayed on to watch the results tally and it is just as well she did because the 'Merlins' were posted as coming second.
According to APSN's calculations this was wrong so she demanded a recount and oversaw the each sheet as it was checked. Turns out she was right. Team Merlin, four little girls aged 11&12, knocked the stuffing out of the egos of all those big bluff Scouting boys (11-14) and
won the competition by a resounding six points!
If I didn't already love what the Scouting Movement offered my daughter I would now. She doesn't care that her friends met for lunch on that Saturday, she is too busy basking in the glow of having tested herself to the limit and succeeding and then WINNING the whole competition!
She is both brave and beautiful.
First Saturday in the half term the four local Scout troops gathered up here on our Hilltop Town armed with an o/s map, stout boots, an adult in case of emergency and a good packed lunch. Each team (our troop fielded two) set their course, logged it with the base unit and then set off at the alloted times. In seven and a half hours the teams had to reach as many 'trig' points as possible. It was anticipated that a minmum of five miles would be travelled. I figured my girl would be lucky to manage that.
There were four in Princess C-W's team. Those girls walked over 18 miles and were back to base only six minutes outside their scheduled return. They hit all the trig points. They got incredibly muddy. Their grown-up in case of emergency (who came from another troop) said they were the most generous group of Scouts with whom he had ever hiked. (Plus the cleanest, those girls were rocking the alcohol gel!)
When CK picked her up that night she plaintively asked whether he had brought the car to pick her up. He hadn't. So wearing just waterproofs and a windbreaker as the rest of her clothing was muddy beyond belief, she hobbled home to a warm bath and the sleep of the exhausted. Her team leader (APSN) stayed on to watch the results tally and it is just as well she did because the 'Merlins' were posted as coming second.
According to APSN's calculations this was wrong so she demanded a recount and oversaw the each sheet as it was checked. Turns out she was right. Team Merlin, four little girls aged 11&12, knocked the stuffing out of the egos of all those big bluff Scouting boys (11-14) and
won the competition by a resounding six points!
If I didn't already love what the Scouting Movement offered my daughter I would now. She doesn't care that her friends met for lunch on that Saturday, she is too busy basking in the glow of having tested herself to the limit and succeeding and then WINNING the whole competition!
She is both brave and beautiful.
9 comments:
WooHoo! Congratulations to your little sweetie! It sounds like they had lots of fun. Oh wait...I'm supposed to say...Girl Power!
Good for her!
I am a huge fan of the Guiding movement, for precisely the reasons you state. How many other places do girls get to go these days where it matters not a jot what you're wearing or what you look like as long as you do your best and are supportive of your pack mates?
Fantastic result and what a brilliant little girl she is!
OH YAY Pr CW!!!!!!!! You are awesome!
I cannot wait to tell my little Cub (sixer, in charge of five silly boys) Minx about your mahoosive hike!
Monster's just gone up to
scouts and is loving it. Minx is also due to graduate to Guides soon, and has told me cubs/scouts is so much cooler than Brownies cos you get to do so much more outdoorsy stuff :o)
Pls to be giving Pr CW a big cubs/scouts hug/lefthanded handshake from Minx. Kthxbai.
xxx
squeezy hugs from here...
You must be bursting with pride. What a sensational effort from those girls.
Ohh doing the happy dance for her. What an amazing effort and well worth the reward.
Oh well done her!
Hurrah for Princess Curly Wurly! Locket xx
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