It was only in looking at next year, for the Troop Forum on 4 December, that we realised that 2014 had been a record year for camping in the Scout Troop. With considerable support from Hitchin District and Hertfordshire County, we had eight camps:

• Winter camp in February had Scouts from all over Hitchin working, and competing, on camping skills
• The County PACE (Patrol Activity Challenge Experience) in early May was a weekend packed with different activities, with Patrols organising, and catering for, themselves
• The District Activity Weekend later that month combined resources from various Groups to offer a range of opportunities
• Our own Scout Group’s family camp in early June was a chance to see what your Scouts, Cubs and Beavers have been doing, and try a few things yourself – parents rafting can get quite competitive!
• Our summer camp was in August at Phasels Wood, across the county near Hemel Hempstead
• We again entered a team for the County Born 2B Challenged competition camp
• In October, a small group took part in the County air activities camp, and qualified for three badges in one weekend
• Just to round it off, Hitchin leaders took a team of our Scouts, with others, to the County’s premier Scout competition, the Green Beret Challenge

2015 may not quite achieve the quantity, but many of these events will be back, and the quality should be just the same! Scouts are already signing up for the next running of the winter camp.