AUSSAGS Photos

Lancaster Rally (Feb 2004)

The last weekend in February saw the Aberdeen University Student Scout And Guide Society (AUSSAGS) attended a national camp down in Lancaster. This was an event organised by the club in Lancaster on behalf of the Student Scout And Guide Organisation (SSAGO). Having received strange looks from people as we strolled towards the station, well we were walking through a blizzard with a lot of camping kit on our backs, we boarded our first train of the day. Having been impressed by the fact the Dee had frozen over and that the first greenery we could see was just north of Dundee, we muttered about how warm Lancaster would be (forecasted overnight temperatures of 0 and -1). We arrived at Edinburgh to sunshine and set off in hunt of food. By the time we got back to the station it had started to snow, at which we concluded the snow was chasing us and Lancaster may not be quite so warm as first thought.

Any way we finally arrived in Lancaster mid afternoon, met up with some of the folks from Lancaster and got transported (by bus and minibus) to the campsite. Since we were the first ones there, that is apart from Lancaster, we pitched our tents and started talking with the folks from Lancaster. It wasn't long until other clubs started to arrive and pitch their tents. Having marked out our spot with the Saltire, so as St. Andrews could find where we were, we promptly got asked why there were two bits of bog roll suspended between the trees.. Once all the clubs had arrived, eaten and booked in the campfire got started, and that's just about all I can remember from Friday.

We got up bright and early Saturday morning to find that the tent was colder than outside (how?) and the site warden had a blow torch to the pluming so as we could get running water. A wonderful cooked breakfast and lots of coffees, later we had the opening ceremony and started off on a wide game. The wide game lasted all morning, had 8 bases and was approximately 3 miles long. Having managed to navigate the course and arrive back with nothing more than bruised pride, I'd managed to fall off a stile and land square on my backside, we found that our team had in fact won.

After lunch we all went out on our choice of activity, choosing from: White Scar show caves, Ingleton waterfalls walk, Lancaster Castle, Maritime museum, Blackpool, Orienteering, 10 pin bowling, pub crawl or brewery trip. We then all 'attacked' Lancaster's campus for food and a barn dance. Having spoken with the band providing the barn dance we managed to get some Scottish tunes in as well as the English ones. At the end of the dance we got coached back to the campsite for a camp fire and that's where it all becomes a bit hazy from the alcohol.

Anyway we woke up on Sunday morning to see clear blue skies, accompanied with thought of "do I want to go back to the white stuff?". The SSAGO AGM then took place, discussing various items including which clubs host the rallies next year. We (that is St. Andrews and Aberdeen) had decided to put in a joint Scotland bid for next year. So we and possibly a few others will be organising the rally for February 2005, only one problem the English clubs were all complaining about the cold, except the weather in Lancaster was truly tropical.

The text is from the article we submitted to the Gaudie for inclusion on their societies page. The only change is that the part at the end containing the address of this site and the SSAGO site (a link is to the left of the page) has been omitted.