North East Wilts

Scout District

   
     

District Shooting Competition Weekend - 23rd - 25th June 2006

Rhydd Covert Camp Site

Friday 23rd June, 2006. Sixteen Scouts representing the finest shooters from four of the North East Wiltshire Scout troops, headed off up the M5 towards Rhydd Covert Scout Campsite in the West Midlands. This was to be the culmination of many weeks practicing their shooting skills in anticipation for the big final.

Why Rhydd Covert? Because it has one of the finest Scout ranges in the south of England, combined with a heavily wooded location that provides the Scouts with many opportunities to practice their Scouting skills.
   
We arrived late on the Friday evening, just in time to put up the tents before dark. The teams shared a single large dormitory tent and so the talk of tactics and strategy went on long into the night, until eventually someone got fed up and shouted at them to shut up and go to sleep!
     
Saturday 24th June, 2006. The great day finally dawns. The teams are excited and so awake early, the conversation resumes at about 5am to a background of lions roaring and hyenas barking. The site is right next door to a safari park! Breakfast is served early and soon the teams are into a final practice and qualifying rounds. Between rounds the teams learn how to make themselves new woggles as a few seem to have forgotten to bring theirs with them.
  The Teams  

Great Bedwyn:

George, Tom, Ritchie and Patrick.

Marlborough:

Liam, Tom, Michael and Liam.

Collingbourne:

Xavi, Tom, Sam and Dan.

Pewsey:

Jason, Tom, Jack and Jorden
       
  The Competition    
We have lunch and then the competition proper starts. The tension can be felt in the air. The early rounds are mixed teams based on qualifying scores during the practice. Slowly the teams are sorted into order and finally the best shot from each team comes together in a nail biting final round.
The targets are lined up, first at six metres, then twelve and eventually eighteen meters. Ten shots in each giving a possible total score of 300 points.
  The Results    

In first place were Pewsey who win the prestigious Frysol shooting trophy.

Second place goes to Collingbourne, third place to Great Bedwyn and fourth place to Marlborough.

Ramsbury did not enter the competition and so were not placed.
    Pewsey, the winning team, relax after the finals.
In addition to the team trophy there was a Top Gun Trophy awarded for the highest individual score. This goes to Jorden, also from Pewsey.
  The Trophy is proudly displayed.
Following the competition the Scouts wind down with an evening spent at the Devils Spittal. Once we get back from there an inter troop wide game is organised which is won by Marlborough. At flag down one of the Scouts in invested and then finaly the day is rounded off with a gathering around the camp fire and off to bed. The night that follows is a bit more peaceful than the first.
Sunday 25th June, 2006. We wake up in reasonable time and soon have breakfast sorted, then it's down to work packing up the camp. A final flag down ceremony during which the Scouts are each awarded the Master at Arms badge and it's off back to Wiltshire. A good weekend.