After a night of incessant rain, the explorers woke to find that their tents were dry, much to their surprise! Most of us enjoyed warm showers, except for a few who chose to spend a few more valuable moments in their sleeping bags, missed out on the precious hot water. #scoutcampproblems
Having finished breakfast we went down to the Chalet to see the Pinky’s (KISC volunteer helpers) Breakfast Show, filled with songs, dancing (often hilarious) and interesting scouting facts – one of our networks even won a KISC mug!
Quickly returning to camp to get ready for the rest of the day, we went on to the sports field for an aerobics session where we ‘enlightened’ the rest of the camp to our amazing dance moves. Jamming out to some classic tunes, we wasted no time in making a fool of ourselves. Hearts racing and significantly warmer, we were ready to start the day.
As it was both Swiss National Day and the 109th anniversary of Scouts, Kandersteg, the “permanent mini jamboree”, celebrated by supplying a full range of activities, from Zipwires to Museum visits. The entirety of the small village could not help but to get involved in the festivities, particularly as the Scouts outnumber the villagers.
Unbelievably, the sun made one of its rare appearances and the day was transformed. Sun cream and stupid hats became standard dress as the temperature rose dramatically, and we took the opportunity to dry everything from yesterday’s rain.
Whilst some explorers tried their hand at arts and crafts, such as making friendship bracelets, others stayed in camp to improve our floating flagpole and extend our camp sofa, easily making ours the coolest camp on site. The influx of visitors attracted by our pioneering proved very useful, as nearly everyone managed to trade scarves and badges.
Over an amazing dinner of pasta bake, Angus introduced the game of camp Cluedo, with more details to follow. Meanwhile, Mike arrived. For many, camp was now complete (Although Tom is still yet to arrive).
In the evening, we joined over 2000 scouts from 30 different countries in a ceremony to celebrate the Scouting values that we all share. Rousing speeches and heartwarming songs created a spirit of unity across nationalities as we celebrated the anniversary of the scout movement and reminded us why KISC was set up in the first place. Our march down to the village was punctuated by friendly rivalry with nearby groups, all accumulating in a spectacular fireworks display and an alpine horn ensemble. Pyres were lit on top of nearby mountains as we returned to camp, demonstrating the scale of these celebrations.
After a long and jam-packed day, weary explorers quickly retired, with the minimum amount of cake having to be used as bribes. Thoroughly enjoyed by all, this August 1st gave us a sense of exciting anticipation for what is to come.
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