Brandon's 1st Beaver Camp at Belchamps

This weekend Brandon enjoyed his first Beaver Camp night away from home at the Belchamps Activity Centre in Southend. I was supposed to be camping overnight with him as a parent helper, however I was double booked and have spent 9-5 on both Saturday and Sunday doing part 1 of my level 1 FA coaching course. After I finished on the FA course yesterday I headed straight over to the camp so that I could still help out for the evening until all the boys went to bed and also to check Brandon was OK. To be honest I thought I had no chance of making it home that evening as was expecting the tears from Brandon if I did not stay at the camp. But to my amazement he was more than happy for me to go home and I was more than happy not to sleep in the camp given that I had an early start and another long day on the FA coaching.

 

During the week leading up to the Beaver camp we have enjoyed some stunning weather for early Oct, but sods law the day of Brandon's first camp and boy did the heavens open up. I felt so sorry for all the boys. By the time I eventually arrived at the camp the Beavers had done a nature hunt and some indoor archery and were just finishing on the obstacle course. Brandon had taken a fall on some slippery wood and was absolutely caked in mud and crying. So I arrived just at the right time to comfort him and clean him up, but then he did get very clingy to me for a while and would not participate on the pre-dinner fun games.

 

We all had dinner in the lodge and Brandon ate surprisingly well finishing off 4 bowls of shepherds pie followed by a yogurt. Then after dinner and cleaning up everyone got their boots, rain coats, blankets and torches ready to head out for the camp fire sing song.

 

Brandon all ready for his 1st Beaver camp with a rather heavy and rather large ruck sack.

 

I think his bag is a bit heavy as he can barely stand unassisted with it on his back!

The Beavers starting on their nature hunt around the site.

Great picture of some of the Beaver group chilling on a rock during a rare break from the rain.

Brandon, Zac and Harry in the lodge.

The camp fire was lit by the totem pole ready for the night time sing song.

 

All the Beavers wrapped up and enjoying their camp fire.

 

Brandon and Zac keeping warm.

Once the camp fire was over the boys all headed back to the lodge and settled down for a hot chocolate and a cookie before cleaning their teeth and getting ready for bed. I think Brandon finally went to bed about 9:15 and so I headed home to get my head down before the FA course the next day. Brandon was sleeping in a bunk bed which was a bit of a worry, but fortunately he was ok. We heard that all the kids woke at something like 6:15am which is quite early for Brandon, so having returned from camp he is very, very tired and went to bed very easy tonight.

 

Overall I am really pleased that Brandon went along to the Beaver camp and had such a great time. It is a real little adventure for him and gets him to experience new activities and have a night away from Mummy and Daddy with his friends. Whilst I enjoy helping out with the Beavers, I think it actually did him more good by me not staying at the camp overnight. So with his first camp completed there is one thing left to do, and that is a job for Tina to sew on all the new badges he would have earnt during this weekend!