District How Cup Competition 2004

The How Cup Competition is an annual camping competition open to patrols of five or six Scouts from all the Scout Troops in the District. This year the competition was held over the weekend of 2nd–4th July 2004 at Downe Activity Centre near Biggin Hill.

Eight Patrols, representing six Troops in the District, arrived at Downe between 6:00pm and 7:00pm on Friday evening. The competition started with a uniform inspection and pitch allocation. Troop leaders were then allowed to help the Patrols unload equipment and kit. Following an equipment inspection, the Patrols were left on their own (monitored by the judges) to set up camp.

Friday evening started cool and overcast and it was not long before a light rain started to fall. All the Patrols had some canvas up when, shortly after 8:00pm, there was a downpour. It was at this point that one Patrol discovered the bag labelled “Niger” actually contained the canvas for a mess tent while another Patrol watched as the hollow over which they had pitched their sleeping tent filled with rain water.

At about 9:00pm, after the worst of the rain had passed, all the Patrols (over 40 Scouts in total) assembled in the leaders’ area for flag break and introductions.

Saturday morning started much brighter. The Patrols prepared their breakfasts for inspection between 8:30am and 9:00am and then prepared their sites for the main inspection of the day. While this inspection took place, half the Scouts tried the Adventure Course while the other half went swimming in the open-air (and unheated) pool. Luckily the sun shone.

After lunch, two pioneering challenges were set: one involved green canes and thread (construct a mini camp gateway) while the other required spaghetti, jelly babies and a raw egg (build the highest structure that could support an egg). There followed a second activity session with swimming for one half and grass sledging for the other.

At about 4:00pm, the Patrols started preparation of the main meal of the camp, a three-course dinner. Pasta Bolognese was the popular choice this year. A wide game followed dinner while the final site inspection of the day was carried out.

Sunday morning again started bright but the weather didn’t look settled. One Patrol, quite sensibly, decided to pack their sleeping tent while the sun shone. Unfortunately, this was against the rules of the competition. Despite their best efforts to re-pitch the tent, this mistake cost them marks.

While the judges were busy with the morning inspection, the Patrols were sent out to complete the Downe orienteering course. After lunch, the Patrols struck camp, most managing to pack their canvas dry before the rain started.

PlaceTeamPoints
1st3rd Beddington267
2nd3rd Carshalton235
3rd3rd Carshalton215
4th1st Wallington210
5th1st North Wallington208
6th14th Wallington183
7th5th Carshalton147
8th5th Carshalton118

The full results of the competition are available on a separate sheet in PDF format.