Frantic started life as a one-off activity camp for Godalming, Farnham and Haslemere Beavers, Cubs and Scouts to celebrate 100 years of Scouting in 2007, but due to its success, a second camp was held in 2009, when the camp was extended to include Girl Guides from Haslemere Division (covering Godalming and Haslemere). Three years later, the third Frantic took place on the weekend of 11 – 13 May, when over 600 Cubs, Scouts and Guides, from Godalming, Farnham and Haslemere, came together to camp in a field just outside Elstead. They were joined on the Saturday by a further 200 day visitors, mainly Beavers and Brownies. Together, with adult leaders, this meant that there were over 1,050 people on the site! Fortunately, after a week of heavy rain, the sun came out for the weekend and the site was dry, allowing everyone to enjoy all that was on offer.
Apart from a large range of activities including an aerial runaway, assault course, air rifle shooting, close encounters with reptiles and foraged food tasting, campers were able to enjoy a hog roast on Saturday evening along with burgers, fajitas, salads and even liver and bacon casserole with colcannon. One leader was heard to remark that having whole poached salmon as a choice for lunch on Saturday had set new standards for Scout camps!
Organiser, Assistant District Commissioner, Vicky Musk, explained,
“Putting together a camp like this takes a huge amount of time and effort, and I am indebted to all the support we have had from Scout and Guide leaders throughout the area. As you can imagine, setting up a camp, which is the same size as a village, would not have been possible without the support of a large committee made up of representatives from each district. It has taken a long time, over 15 months, to make sure everything worked properly.”
“In particular, we are incredibly fortunate to have the support of the Hampton Estate, who have provided us with a field in a stunning location. Both Sir Richard Thornton, the owner, who formally opened the camp on Friday, and his son-in-law, Bill Biddell, who runs the estate with his wife Bridget, have been incredibly supportive, and I would like to record my thanks to them here.”
“The camp takes place in a huge field normally the home to a herd of bullocks, but requires all the services we normally take for granted, like electricity, sewerage and fresh water, plus making sure that everyone has enough to eat. Sorting out the logistics in what is normally a field grazed by cattle is what Scouting is all about!”
County Commissioner, Roxanna Bostock formally closed proceedings on Sunday afternoon.
