Erecting a tent is not always as
easy as it looks.
Derek Franklin
Keeping several hundred children happy during the school holidays is not
always an easy task. To prevent boredom setting in the children and teenagers
living at the Father Ray Children’s Home, Children’s Village and the Drop-In
Center got together and all went off to camp for several days.
They did not have to travel too far, they stayed on campus, but they did welcome
several instructors from a local Scouting organization whose job was to keep
everyone busy. The children, boys and girls, young and old, were divided into
twelve teams and together they learned new skills, experienced new activities
and worked together as a team.
Cooking was done in the open air over campfires. Unfortunately, several of the
teenage boys, who obviously know more about survival than the experienced Scout
leaders, decided that their camp fire would light quicker if they cut up a
rubber bicycle inner tube and set it alight: everyone was surprised the
resulting smoke could not be seen as far away as Beach Road.
The fried chicken was cooked and ready to eat within minutes, while the baked
potatoes took several hours longer than the expected fifteen minutes to cook,
but in the end it all tasted delicious.
On the morning of the second day the campers all set of for a five kilometer
trek through the ‘jungles’ of East Pattaya. The children were exhausted upon
returning back to base only to have to face the Tunnel of Doom; a tunnel made
through piles of tree branches and with one teacher smearing their faces with
white paste and another sprinkling water through a hosepipe it was all a bit
messy. Soaking wet, with aching feet and a face covered with white paste, most
lay on the ground, too tired to move.
But the best fun was saved until the end of the final day when the children had
to complete an army style assault course. Climbing rope ladders, gliding down to
earth while wearing a harness and racing through tires and under rope nets with
team members screaming encouragement was, according to the children, the best
fun they have had all year.
Fifteen minutes cooking time turned into three
hours.
The boys were in charge of cooking the chicken.
Made it!
The baked potatoes were delicious, eventually.
Gliding back down to earth.
Several children needed help from the older
residents.
Surviving the Tunnel of Doom.
The dirtier the children were the happier the
instructors were.
Exhausted, dirty and wet, but still happy to pose
for the camera.
The result of attempting to light
a fire using rubber.
Everyone had a great time at camp.
The race is on.
