9/10 Camp

Paying it forward

by Kat Girbau (Year 9 Coordinator) and Ashleigh Greaves (Year 10 Coordinator)

We set off early Monday morning for Anglesea and arrived at the Eumeralla Scout Camp to find it shrouded in mist, as it would be for most of our time there.

This didn’t dampen the students’ spirits however, as they embraced the activities and shared in new experiences. After settling into cabins and getting to know our camp leaders, students split into mixed year-level groups and headed to their first activity. In the evening we gathered in the hall as a whole to share a communal dinner before dividing into teams for Trivia.

The days that followed saw students come together to share meals and then break into groups for the daily activities. With a wide range of experiences on the agenda, from meditation to mountain biking, surfing, mini Olympics and team challenges as well as hiking to pristine waterfalls within the Otway rainforest, there was something on offer for everyone.

It was humbling to see students encourage others to keep going, or to take on a new challenge; constantly supporting one another and sharing in the joy of a new skill learned. This was particularly evident with students cheering on others as they stood up for the first time on a surfboard, and offering reassuring words after an inelegant fall.

‘Paying it forward’ was a key component of this camp. All students participated in a beach clean-up, collecting rubbish and leaving the places we visited cleaner than how we found them. In the evenings there was always a group of crafters (both students and teachers) sharing their skills and making joey pouches for a shelter the Year 9s plan to visit on the upcoming Year 9 Experience.