Cub Camp

General

At Cub Summer Camp 2023, each day will hold a new challenge and adventure to experience a little of the Wild Wild West for the Cubs and their Leaders and Adult Supporters. Are you brave enough for the challenge? There will be a prize for the best Wild West Themed Campsite so come prepared!

Each morning there will be a gathering (opening circle) for all participants at 8.30am with Bases starting straight after. One third of the participants (Cubs and Adults) will go to each Base area for a day, and then swap to another one the next day, until all three areas have been visited. Numbers for each base will be sorted by the Programming Team and identified by colours of a Name badge and lanyard issued on arrival.

The Main Daily Bases will be as follows:

Water – at a nearby River (accessed by walking)

Earth – at Camp (onsite)

Amazing Adventure – At two sites through the nearby Karangahake Gorge (Accessed by Bus). (The first bus for this base will leave at 8.15am each day)

The Tuckshop will be open from 4.30pm to 5.45pm each afternoon. It will sell badges, ice blocks, lollies and other snacks, which can be purchased with cash only. Cubs and Adults will have access to the Tuckshop most afternoons depending on the Base they are on that day.

Badge Swap will happen under the tree at Camp between 4.30pm and 5.45pm each afternoon, so bring all those spare badges, Group Badges and Zone Badges to swap with other Cubs and Leaders. King Louie will oversee this site to ensure swapping is done fairly. Maybe you might be able to get one of his special King Louie Badges in a swap with him!

There will also be activities each evening starting at around 7.15pm. 

Each day three ‘Cowboy or Cowgirl of the Day’ will be chosen by the three Base Coordinators, who will be treated like Royalty for the day. They are given a special Hat to wear, allowed front of the queue at the Tuckshop, first for everything during the day and their campsite will wait on them ‘hand and foot’. A competition will be held on the last evening to 'crown' the Cowboy or Cowgirl of the Cub Summer Camp.

Cub Summer Camp 2023 is going to be an awesome Wild West Adventure so don't miss out! We are looking forward to meeting you all on 10th January 2023 for heaps of fun. 

Camp Life

Cubs camp in Contingent groups based on Zones. The ideal Contingent has 36 youth members, 7 - 9 adults ( at least 4 Leaders plus Parent Helpers who actively participate on the bases), a Kitchen/H&S Adult (someone who stays on site and ensures meals are on time and the kitchen and site are cleaned) and a Contingent Leader (Coordinator of the Contingent). There is a dining tent and cooking tent for each contingent . Youth share tents within the Contingent perimeter. Adults are on site in separate tents. Adults do not sleep with any youth as part of the Health and Safety Policy. Portaloos are sited close to each Contingent and potable water is readily available.

Showers are available for Adults only. A daily swim is available for all Cubs and Adults.

Swimming Activity:

Swimming is a spare time activity and is organized by the Camp Director at the local swimming hole between 4pm and 5.30pm - a short walk from the camp. Due to numbers of Cubs and Adults, a time is allocated each day for each Contingent to swim. Every group of 4 Cubs will be supervised by an adult leader or helper from the Pack. The Adult must be able to rescue a Cub from the water if needed. There will be also a Camp appointed Life Guard to oversee the waterhole. For Safety purposes, if Cubs arrive at the Waterhole with less than 1 Adult per 4 Cubs - the Summer Camp Life Guard will only allow the appropriate number of Cubs to swim.

At the Waitawheta Camp, the swimming hole is under and beside a road bridge. Cubs may not jump off the bridge.

Cubs who cannot swim will be provided with a lifejacket before entering the water.

Cubs will be supervised by a leaders when walking to and from the swimming hole as this road is quite busy and the camp is on a 100km stretch of road.

Bases

Water Base: You will be active all day in and around water and may get very wet and cold. You will walk to the Base and back. Bring backpack, lunch, snacks, (supplied by Summer Camp and made on your Contingent site) filled drink bottle, Hat, Sandshoes (2 one pair will get wet), Raincoat, Warm clothes /Change of clothes, possibly a Wetsuit or Top, Personal First Aid Kit. A river is very different to swimming in a pool or at the beach - it can be slippery and has lots of rocks that can move so you need appropriate footwear and your need to listen to instructions carefully. 1 Adult Leader / Helper per 4 Cubs is required for this base along with the Camp Staff Base Coordinators.

• Kayaking - Learn how to use a kayak and fit a PFD properly.
• Tubing - Learning how to navigate the flow of the river.
• Environment - explore what is under the water in a river - you may find some gold!
• Challenge - working as a Team you will work to complete a number of waterbased activities before the other teams.

 Earth Base: Held in and around the Waitawheta Camp Site. All participants will remain on the campsite all day after the days Opening Circle. Cubs and their Adult Leaders / Helpers will take part in a number of challenging bases that will need participants to work together to achieve a successful result. Closed in shoes such as sandshoes are recommended for this base. Most of this base is held outside however a small portion is held inside. Some will be under canvas or in shade. Everyone should be carrying a filled drink bottle, wearing a hat, and raincoat if raining.

• Forget me Knot - Learn five knots, their purpose and put together a knot board to take back to your Cub Pack.
• Make a keyring, or a bottle sling or a good luck item to give away or all three with the knots you have learnt and more.
• Cub Summer Camp Theatre Company 
• Learn how to make and use a Lasoo
• Learn how to take a good photo with props
• Challenge Activity in Teams
• Burma Trail
• Flying Fox
• Confidence Course
• Cooking over Fire
• Make it across the Crocodile infested river

 Amazing Adventure Base: All Cubs and Adult Leaders / Helpers will be transported to the two Off site Bases (Karangahake and Waikino) by Bus and must be prepared to leave camp from outside the Quartermasters Store at 8.15am. There is a lot of walking on this adventure, while mainly flat the trails can be a little slippery or rough in places with some stairs so all participants need good walking shoes and it is recommended you wear socks (possibly 2 pairs at once). Everyone should be carrying a small backpack (school bag fine), with your lunch, snacks, filled drink bottle, Hat, Raincoat, Warm clothes, torch or headlamp and small personal First Aid kit. For alot of the bases you will be going through tunnels and caves so a headlamp or torch is recommended.

• Explore the caves and old mine relics while looking for your clue to complete the puzzle.
• Walk past the remains of 19th-century mine buildings and through a kilometre-long rail tunnel where you may see Glow worms and along the narrow river path all the time watching for the trail clues to find your way back to the start.
• A short walk with have you amongst the old Victoria Battery relics, riding on the Battery tram and exploring the century old underground roasting ore kilns’ tunnel.