On the 16th of July, young people and adult volunteers from the Southern Europe District came together in the Pyrenees at Griébal Scout Centre for five days full of activities at our district camp. Organized by James from 1st Madrid Scout Group, the camp included hiking, rafting, canoeing and canyoning along with free time at the camp for young people to mix and become acquainted with one another. This encouraged them to speak English, French and Spanish with each other and the adult volunteers, creating the opportunity to learn different languages within the camp and out on the activities.
Griébal Scout Centre itself is an ancient village which was established around 1100 where the inhabitants survived farming olives in the surrounding foothills. The village consists of a church with several houses and buildings in a history-steeped hamlet that is undergoing restoration. The centre of the village, approximately the size of half a football pitch, is fully restored with other buildings in various stages of repair. Including a nearby monastery thought to be haunted. Campers had the opportunity on the first night after dinner to tour the village and learn a little about its history, including its abandonment in 1964 when farming became no longer viable following the construction of a reservoir at the bottom of the village. In 1989 the village was gifted to the Spanish Scouts Organisation, who turned it into a camp and set about restoration.
When away from the camp the young people and adult volunteers were able to enjoy every activity run by the impressive instructors who took their time ensuring that everyone was able to take part.
I have been a worldwide raft guide for thirty years and today was a special day to remember, not because of the danger or challenge, but the quality of the kids who listened to my instructions and enjoyed themselves. They formed a team that was a privilege to lead and share time with.
Activity Instructors
From the very start the young people were saying how much they enjoyed all the activities, particularly the water activities, and it was very clear at the end of camp during our closing ceremony that they all had fun, enjoyed themselves and were wanting to take part in another district camp.
I can’t wait till we can do it again, I had so much fun, and it was great to start learning another language while on camp.
Finally, it’s worth thanking James for his hard work in organising the camp to ensure that it ran as smoothly as possible and was an amazing experience for the young people and adult volunteers in attendance.
