Hereford and Worcester Scouts

With

Gloucestershire Scouts

Present

Rhydd Covert Scout Camp Site

Next to West Midlands Safari Park

Featuring:

Operation Bald Eagle

Night Event

hike with Activities

Trophy !

The Day Challenge

Numerous short Activity bases

Trophy !

Friday Night Challenge

Trophy !

Friday 9th Oct to Sunday 11th Oct 2015

Contact: Sarah Bennett

290 Chester Rd North, Kidderminster. DY10 2RR

All forms and information only available
online at

Closing date 21st September 2015

Operation Bald Eagle 2015

Venue: Rhydd Covert Campsite, Kidderminster Road, Bewdley Worcs DY12 1LF

(Next to West Midlands Safari Park)

PROGRAMME

FRIDAY 9th OCTOBER

12:00Site Opens – Set up Camp

18:00Book in and Register for Activities

One Leader please with all the paperwork for Troop (Health/shooting etc)

Friday Evening Team Challenge will be issued at this time.

21:00All Troops to be registered by this time – Registration closes

22:00Leader Briefing – One Leader from each Troop/Unit to Activity Centre

SATURDAY 10th OCTOBER

08:45Day Base Leaders to Activity Centre

Issue of Instructions, Equipment etc

09:30Last chance to hand in Friday Evening Challenge

09:40Flagbreak – Welcome – Instructions for the day

10:00Day Bases open

12:30LUNCH BREAK

13:30Day Bases resume

15:00Night Base Leaders & Marshalls to Activity Centre

Issue of Radios, Scoresheets, maps and other info

15:30Day Bases close

Day Base Operators take score sheets to control asap please.

16:00EVENING MEAL BREAK

17:30All Scout Teams to Ebury Rise with torches, suitable clothing and footwear

18:00Night Exercise will start when alerted by Radio

??:??Night Exercise finish times are broadcast by radio and subject to change

All Bases and Marshals to continue operating until stood down by Control

All Scouts on exercise MUST report to control and sign out before returning to their own campsite

SUNDAY 11th OCTOBER

10:30All Scouts to recreation area for instructions for litter picking etc

12:00Scouts Own

12:15Results and presentation of Trophys.

12:45Flagdown – Thankyous and Goodbyes – Operation Bald Eagle 2015 closes

As always the programme is subject to change without notice

V2

On your Arrival

You can arrive at the site at any time after 12noon on the 9th October.

Registration opens at 18:00

Your teams need to be present and registered before 21:00 on the Friday evening.

Please note, you may be setting up camp in the dark. Lighting is not provided.

Campers – enter the site via the dirt lane alongside the Safari Park entrance; turning left into Rhydd covert site. Marshalls will direct you. There is a one way system please comply.

Troop Leader–Register at the Activity Centre with full documentation. Wrist bands and the Friday Challenge will be issued.

Meet and Greet – Please make arrangements for someone to meet all your campers at the meet and greet area near the entrance to Rhydd (Ebury Rise). There you will be able to give the Scouts, YL’s and other Leaders their wrist bands to allow them down onto the main camping ground. Please note that parents drop off Scouts here and should not accompany them onto the main site. Scouts will need to carry their own kit.

Camping Ground Pass – No one without a Camping Ground Wrist Band or Temporary Pass will be allowed onto the Camping Ground. We ask that all Scouters help us in this matter, if you are unsure of any individual, please challenge them to show you their pass or wrist band, if not report them as soon as possible to any Marshal.

Temporary Crew – If you wish any adults to attend, free of charge, just to help erect or take down your camp then that is fine. They will be issued a temporary pass from an appropriate gate Marshal but must be accompanied by a leader with a full wrist band pass. Please note they must not arrive before 18:00 hrs and must then leave the site before 22:00hrs on Friday. On Sunday morning they must not arrive before 09:30hrs.

Camp Kit – Bulk Camp Kit (Vans, Trailers, etc.) will be allowed on site from 18:00hrs. Please note: Vehicles or trailers are not allowed onto the camping fields. Camping areas will be allocated when booking your place. If troops wish to camp together they should state this when booking to their places with Sarah Bennett.

Mini Buses – We encourage Troops to arrive in minibuses, as it reduces the number of vehicles. Note: Buses over 17 seats will find access very difficult if not impossible

Beware: At times vehicles may not be allowed to be moved from the main camp site, if you may need to move any vehicle please ensure it is parked in the parking area near the entrance, at Ebury Rise.
Important: Everyone must have a pass before entering any Camping field; temporary passes will be issued on the day, to people accompanied by an adult with a full pass.

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Paperwork and all that stuff:

Health Forms: Please remember that each Scout, YL and Adultmust have a completed health form. A copy must be handed in when you register on Friday night. Approved blank forms are provided online at our web site.

Nan Forms: must be completed and delivered to the appropriate District Commissioner a few weeks before the event. Partly filled out Nan forms are provided on line to help you.

Shooting Forms:may be required for this year’s event. Please complete and bring along.

In Touch: It will be compulsory for you to implement the “In Touch” process for your own Troop before you attend this event, the old style “Home Contact” scheme is no longer sufficient on its own. To assist you the organisers “In Touch” scheme will use the mobile telephone contacts provided on your booking forms to contact you in an emergency, we will also record the position of your Troop on the Camp Site. All main Marshals and organisers will be in radio contact and will be generally available around the Camp Site. All participants’ health and contact forms will be held centrally at reception and we recommend you keep a copy for your own use during the weekend.

During the night activity a full radio communication system will be in place together with an emergency mobile telephone number, which all teams will have. We ask that you emphasise that all teams and individuals use this system rather than “phoning home” for help as this has caused parents (and the organising team !) a great deal of unnecessary worry in the past.

What do we Provide: The campsite. First Aid cover, night exercise food and drink, day and night activities, camp badge, certificates and prizes.

Friday Night Challenge: The details of this challenge will be issued upon registration of your Troop. Your teams will have the whole of Friday evening to complete it, there is a Trophy for this challenge and the points count towards the Bald Eagle trophy.

Saturday Daytime Challenge: Thirty or more small challenges and activities. The points counting towards a Trophy and also towards the overall Bald Eagle trophy.

Night hike: A variety of bases to test Scouting skills as well as having fun. Teams move around the course visiting each action packed and challenging base. It is not a race. Scouts should not be accompanied on the hike unless there is a specific and agreed need to do so. It is recommended that Scouts have at least a basic knowledge of map reading, but this is not essential, the route being marked and marshalled with each team closely tracked. Only four Scouts from a team may take part in each activity.

What you need to provide:

Each Scout will need to come prepared for a cold wet (even muddy) event.

Personal Kit In addition to personal camping kit each Scout must have:

  • Hiking boots or very strong waterproof footwear.
  • Waterproof outer garments
  • A torch with spare batteries
  • Warm clothing including hat and gloves
  • Reflective jacket or significant reflective bands, to be worn OVER everything
  • Personal basic first aid kit.
  • Compass (minimum one per team).
  • A mug to be carried on the night hike for drinks.
  • Sun Hat ( you never know – be prepared !)

Troop Kit

  • Suggest you bring sufficient water for drinks etc. for your first night on camp.
  • Tentage for your troop
  • Cookers — open fires will generally not be suitable for this camp.
  • Food for the weekend
  • Personal washing point for Hygiene on your site. (please enforce)
  • Provision for first aid cover and equipment for your own contingent.

Toilets / Hygiene: Rhydd Covert camp site have separate flushing toilet blocks for under 18’s and adults with full wash facilities plus a limited number of showers all with hot and cold water. If necessary we will provide additional portable toilet facilities (tardis’s); please ensure that you enforce good hygiene practices at all times.

If you wish you may like to provide your own additional toilet facilities, but it is not essential. A basic Elsan disposal facility is available.

Water: We advise that you bring with you sufficient water for Friday evening. (Drinking, Washing etc.). There are drinking water stand pipes near to the sites.

First Aid: Each Troop is responsible for First Aid cover for their contingent although we do have a qualified First Aider on site at all times.

During the off site night exercise additional Qualified First Aid and Terrain Rescue cover is provided, contact being by radio from any activity base, main marshal point or via an emergency mobile number.

First Aid cover for dedicated OBE Crew only is at Reception or the First Aid room.

Personal safety: On the night exercise everyone must wear sufficient reflective clothing, fully visible at all times. All base staff and vehicles will be clearly recognisable as such. Roads will have warning signs and have regular vehicle patrols. Route maps will be provided to each team. Wrist bands or ID badges must be worn for the whole event. Main waypoints will be marshalled.

Who can participate?

Team membership is open to all fully invested members of your Scout section. Leaders, from your Troop, must also attend and be prepared to help in running OBE.

Scouts take part in the challenges in teams of 4 – 6 (only 4 taking part in each activity).

If you have exactly seven Scouts attending then we can make special arrangements.

If you have more than one team, that’s great but they cannot move around the event together.

Adults: All adults attending Operation Bald Eagle must hold current appointments and be recorded on the Scout Associations HQ database and provide their membership no.

Young Leaders: YL’s are allowed to attend to help at OBE, subject to numbers.

YL’s must be regular helpers at your Troop; they must also have completed Module A training. They must also be registered as YL’s within your district. Your Adult team is responsible for the leader supervision of your YL’s AT ALL TIMES during the weekend. They may not take part in the activities.

How to get there

Rhydd Covert Scout Camp Site and Activity Centre.

Rhydd Covert can be found on the A456 between Kidderminster and Bewdley, in North Worcestershire alongside the West Midlands Safari Park.

Also see OS Map No. 38. Grid Ref: SO 807 759

Latitude 52:22:51 North Longitude 2:17:06 West

For Sat’ Nav’ users please use the Safari Park postcode: DY12 1LF

The entrance to Rhydd Covert Camp Site is via the dirt lane (bridleway) accessed via the safari park slip road but located immediately before the Safari Park Drive (when approaching from Kidderminster). Travel up the bridleway turning left onto the Camp Site (please respect the one way system). If approaching from Bewdley you should drive past the main Safari Park turning; taking the next right within the cross hatched area to cross onto the Safari Park slip road (as if from Kidderminster).

For more information please visit the Rhydd Covert Scout Camp Site and Activity Centre web site at:

June 2015