Dragnet Camp 2013

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Over the weekend, 19th - 21st April 2013, the Scouts had their annual Dragnet camp. This is where they spend a weekend camping, with the focus being on a all day hike on the Saturday, during which the Scouts are tasked with 'Operation Dragnet' and are hunted by the hunter patrol which varies from year to year, sometimes including PL's or occasionally APL's, but always, and this year exclusively Young Leaders and Leaders.

For the first year since Dragnet started, I was unable to attend the entire camp, due to the fact that I now work all weekend, however I was able to get someone to cover my shift on the Saturday, meaning I could attend the main activity.

I arrived at about 9am, just as the patrols were preparing to leave and after the patrols had headed off, we quickly followed, ambushing the last patrol almost immediately as we left the campsite.
We then drove into Marshfield and had some drinks (and the leaders had breakfast) at the tea shop where James' fiances (now wife), Hannah, worked as she was helping on camp.

Throughout the course of the day, the Scout attempted to hike from our campsite at Rock East Woodlands, to the other side of the M4, and back again without being intercepted. For the most part, they managed this despite some navigation errors and our success as a hunter patrol to intercept them.
We managed to intercept all of the patrol numerous times, with one particularly good site, at the top of a hill just below Cold Ashton.

After the Scouts had completed the hike, we returned to Rock East Woodlands for fish and chips before I had to leave for work the next morning.