The 1st German Scouts Troop situated in Parktown had one of their scouting competitions of the year in Heidelberg.
The troop, made up of three girls and five boys took part in the Strauss Shield Camping Standards competition.
According to patrol leader, Daniel Oberholzer, half the competition is about cooking and soft skills such as first aid and navigation and the other half is pioneering, which is building structures using ropes and poles.
“This year, seven patrols took part from four different troops in the area. Our patrol consisted of eight people in total. The responsibilities were shared among the Scouts, with a patrol leader who kept things running smoothly. A 10-seater dining table, three tents, a prep table and lots more had to be built all in one day,” explained Oberholzer.
He added that it wasn’t easy because of the heat, with temperatures up to 35°C, which could sap one’s strength and dehydrate them.
“Every few hours there was an inspection. Lots of different things were inspected including how stable and correct our constructions were, how tight the knots were and whether we had finished on time,” said the patrol leader.
According to the patrol leader, the Scouts were in charge of the food preparation and the cooking competition.
They prepared a three-course meal for two judges and the rest of the patrol to enjoy. They made soup, bread, schnitzel, crêpes and lots more from scratch. Everything that was cooked, had to be cooked on a fire.
On the last day, they received the results and the Germans won with all the hard work paying off. Oberholzer said, “The 1st German Scout Troop has won the competition for quite a few years in a row and the Scouts are confident that it is going to stay that way for years to come. After all, our Scout troop is one of the only troops who had prepared for the competition like professionals.”
Details: 1st German Scouts, email Thomas Helmrich at germantroopscouters@gmail.com
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