Australia & New Zealand Outdoor Adventure Forum

I had my first camp out training in our front yard. It was a political candidate’s streamer that I pitched for a tent. It fell 3 times before I was able to let the stick hold it firmly. I was 5 years old and my father just let me do my thing. I was to sleep in that makeshift tent because I was aspiring to be a boy scout at that early age. But when darkness fell, I preferred to sleep in the bedroom with my brothers. On the next day, my older brother gave me some tips for a better positioning of the tent. That first experience taught me that pitching a tent needed technique.

On my next ventures with a real pup tent, it was easy sailing for me. And the boy scouts were surely amazed that I knew how to cook barbecue and how to start a fire with a match (later on our scoutmaster taught us how to make fire from bamboo shavings). It was really fun to learn camping and it’s more fun if you have the passion.

It is still fresh on my mind when I undertook a basic training as a troop leader of our school. It was a very strenuous 3-day outdoor training conducted by our provincial Boy Scout Council. We were trained on the how to organize a troop which is composed of 4 patrol. We were grouped according to our patrol. I belonged to Carabao, our national animal before. It was the first that I was assigned as a cook. I wasn't a good cook. I was afraid that my co-Carabao patrol members would be eating a half-cooked boiled rice.

Well, as a boy scout who is resourceful. I devised a plan and when it was our dinner time everyone appreciated what I'd cooked for most of the boiled rice was uncooked or half-cooked. They never knew that I'd hired a woman who cooked for me. However, it was the worst and memorable training I ever attended during the last day.

In ther morning of that day, we called out to assembly in front of the school where we held our training beside the flag pole. Every patrol was called and then gave their patrol call. I was surprised that my name was special mentioned and called me in front. The senior patrol leader shouted at me and accused me that I'd a violated one of the major rules in the camp. I was forced to pack up and told to go home. I didn't ask any question for it's not allowed to ask question. It's like in the military: obey first before you complain.

I went directly to my tent. I grabbed my already packed things and went straight to the school gate. I was really troubled why I was treated that way. All of them were busy. I tricked them. I didn't go outside the gate. Instead I hid in one of the school classrooms. One of the trainers noticed that I wasn't outside the gate. One or two trainers kept on looking to my whereabouts. After 20 to 25 minutes I supposed, I got from the room where I hid. They fecthed me and brought me back to my fellow scouter-trainees.

The leader-trainora asked me why I was sent home. I replied no. He didn't say anything nor explained it. Instead, everyone sang a happy birthday song. Everyone came closer to me, gave me tight hug and a warm greetings of happy birthday. I forgot that day was my birthday. Instead of harboring hate to them, I was very thankful for their being thoughtful of such natal day of mine.