St. Catherine's Summer Camp

Summary of Summer Camp at St. Catherine's (1935) - Loch Fyne

Attendance

Scouters                ASM A.Ian Dunlop, ASM John B. Hardie.

Troop Leader        TL Alan Hardie

Patrol Leader        Eoin Steel

Second.                  Lawrence Harvey

Scouts.                     John Telfer; Ian Munro; Alex (Sandy) Campbell; William (Billy) Inglis; Victor Clark;

                                Archie Brown; James McNeill.
Also camping           Reverend A.R.R. Reid (for 3 days)

 

The location of the St. Catherine's  campsite in 1935 was at Ardno farm on the north east shore of Loch Fyne. A sketch map of the camp was provided in the Troop Log along with a photograph. The latter  suggested that the campsite was uphill and to the east of the farm. However, the sketch map is more in keeping with the camp being beside a river and quite close to Loch Fyne, west of Ardno.  Compared with the previous year's camp, there was a significantly higher attendance involving ten Scouts and two Scouters. The majority of the campers took the ferry (King George V) from Princes Pier to Inveraray, then boarded a smaller ferry to cross Loch Fyne to Black Rocks (St. Catherine's). The exceptions were T.L. Alan Hardie and P.L. Eoin Steele who disembarked at Dunoon and then cycled to the campsite. 

     The Troop Log provided a more detailed account of the camp compared to the retrospective reports provided for the two previous summer camps. As far as activities were concerned, bathing and trout fishing were particular popular pastimes, as well as sun bathing and tree climbing. Various games of cricket, rugby and football were also played. In addition, there were various hikes and climbs within the local area although details on these are sketchy, apart from a couple of walks to Carndhu via Arkingklas. The first of these involved the Rev. A.R.R.Reid, John Telfer, John Hardie and Lawrence Harvey although the Troop scribe seemed indignant that they took bicycles with them. It is also known that John Telfer and Victor Clark climbed the 'hill behind the campsite'. The description of this is rather vague but it might  have involved an ascent of Cruach nan Capull (1854 feet). Another activity that was identified involved 'Engineering manoeuvres on the river' which would have been some kind of pioneering project. However, no details of that were  provided. A similar project took place at the 1936 Summer Camp where a diving platform was constructed and so something similar may have been created here. 'Blanket  tossing' proved to be a popular in-camp activity which presumably involved the Scouts  hurling another Scout into the air using the blanket and hopefully catching him when he returned to earth.  Lawrence Harvey was reported as having the record, which suggests that he was hurled the highest. Another interesting activity was a potato fight with uncooked potatoes, which sounds rather hazardous. More time was spent picking up bits of potato afterwards than in the potato fight itself.   Other in-camp activities included 'Chariot Racing' and  'Tournaments'. No details on this were provided, but the latter might have been on the lines of a Highland Games with various activities such as Tug o' War. The chariot racing may have involved constructing a a very rudimentary chariot consisting of three wooden spars lashed together in a triangle. The rider would then stand on the base of the triangle as the Scouts dragged it over the ground.

    A particular highlight of the camp was a Mock Trial which appears to have been a popular activity during the 1930s. This was described in great detail in the Troop Log and involved Scout Archie Brown being charged with watering the milk down when collecting it from the farm. Ian Dunlop acted as judge  while John Hardie and Alan Hardie acted as the Counsels for the accused and the Crown respectively. The rest of the Scouts were either jury members or witnesses. Archie Brown was found guilty on the basis of five damning pieces of evidence: 1. There was a greater  volume of the milk in the milk can than there should have been. 2. A leaf was found in the milk can which Victor Clark identified as a leaf he had earlier thrown into the river. 3. A discrepancy in the times between Archie Brown leaving the farm and arriving back in camp.  4. A baler of water. 5. Archie Brown's great desire for milk.

    A rather peculiar activity was identified as 'Manoeuvres- Herr Hitler - Infantry Cavalry - Mechanised Arm - Herr Hitler inspecting'. This might have been some kind of Wide Game. Hitler was certainly prominent in the news during 1935 having retaken the Saar region from League of Nations control in January, and announcing German rearmament in March, in violation of the Treat of Versailles.  It is worth noting that the Troop Log stated that during the three days that the Rev. Reid spent in camp, he took a film which included footage of the aforesaid 'manoeuvres'. Unfortunately, it is not known whether that film has survived. 

   Finally, it is clear that Scout training and badge work were carried out during the camp with several Scouts passing 2nd Class Fire and Cooking, and 2nd Class Ambulance. 

     There were a couple of downsides with the camp. Firstly, there were several rainy days, one of which involved a deluge that lasted all day on the 10th of August - identified as "The Great Flood". This caused the river to rise three feet. Secondly, the midges were particularly bad. On one occasion, Eoin Steele and Alan Hardie cycled to Inveraray with the intention of camping overnight at Furnace. However, the midges proved so bad that they returned to camp that evening. There is a good chance that the midges at this camp were a prime factor in the Troop choosing to have their next Summer Camp in Perthshire.

    The final day saw the camp being struck during a heavy rainstorm, before the equipment was transported by lorry to the ferry at "Black Rocks". On reaching Inveraray, everyone boarded the 'King George V' back to Greenock.