Writing Competition for Girls – Jo, 13 Years

Jo is 13 years old. This was her entry for the 2012 Jump! Mag Writing Competition

 

 

 

I’m a scout and I go on a lot of camps every year. My favourite is a camp called Bivouac. It is a back to nature camp where we learn all sorts of useful survival skills and is great character building.

We set of very early on Saturday morning and travel, without tents, to the Forest Of Dean. We then build our own shelter and a fire. We cook all of our own food but we aren’t allowed certain foods because they are too processed.

There are four years to complete, Training, Assessment, Junior Leader and Junior Staff. On Training you are taught how to build your Bivvy (shelter) , how to make your own implements,  how to start a fire and keep it going, and how to cook on a fire when you don’t have any pans.

We were also taught basic first aid and other things you would need if stuck in the wild.

On Assessment we are tested on all the things we learnt last year. This time we have to do it by our selves and get points for skills in:

Building a Shelter

Building a Fire and keeping it going

Food you prepare

Identifying which are the Edible plants (you don’t have to eat them)

Direction Finder (2 methods)

Water Filter

Site Clearance

I’m not old enough yet to have completed the other two,  but hope to return next year and the year after.

This is a really fun thing to do and you find out a lot more about yourself and what you’re made of by challenging yourself like this.

 

Jo

Birmingham

Aged 13

 

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