On the weekend of 19th September cadets from across Central Sector attend Youlby Sector camp to take part in a fieldcraft weekend aimed at new cadets to prepare them for more advanced level fieldcraft such as the TLC (Tactical Leadership Course) run by Thames Valley Wing. Cadets from 966 (Wallingford), 1861 (Wantage), 2120 (Witney), 2121 (Abingdon), 2267 (Brize Norton) and 2410 (Didcot) had a busy weekend learning a range of skills including striking a camp, field cooking, orienteering, camouflage and concealment and field shelters. This new knowledge was then put to the test with a night exercise to combine all their new skills and team building by working with cadets who they have never met before.
On the Sunday the cadets took part in a range of activities provided by the staff at the Scout Centre such as the outdoor climbing wall, Jacobs’s ladder and a number of team building exercises. Even with the wet weather on the Sunday the cadets were all in high spirits and gained a lot from the weekend. The weekend organised by Sector Commander, Sdn Ldr Breward allows new cadets under taking their first class training to learn in a practical environment.
In addition to the fieldcraft weekend 6 cadets from the sector also undertook the NNAS Bronze (National Navigation Award Scheme) where they were tested on their navigation skills on an unfamiliar route. The cadets had to demonstrate a good knowledge of basic navigation whilst out walking and also have a good theory of navigation principles. All the cadets that attended passed the award and can now look to complete their Silver award in the future.
The weekend was a great success for the cadets and all builds towards their Are you On Target cadet experience.
