Week-End Camp On Whale Island: Boys' Brigade And St. John Cadets

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 33, 31 March 1948, Page 5

Week-End Camp On Whale Island: Boys' Brigade And St. John Cadets

About 40 boys, members of the Boys' Brigade, Ist Whakatane Company, and the St. John Ambulance Cadet Division, spent the Easter week-end on. Whale .Island. Camp commandant was Capt. Te Hira Fergusson, of the Boys' Brigade, assisted by Mr Wm. Abbott and Camp Sergeant-Major Jim Chadwick. ■

The party left the wharf in the Port, Whakatane under Capt. Carey at 6.30 a.m. Friday, and disembarked their gear by dinghy at Boulder Bay. Once ashore, the boys were split up into fatigue parties and had their camp erected and the first meal served by noon. The days were spent swimming, fishing and climbing. There was more fish than the camp could consume, and" some of the boys had great fun herding up the goats on the island.

Though the St. John cadets had plenty of scope to show their paces in treating minor cuts and bruises, there were no accidents to mar the outing. Saturday night was stormy, and three of the tents were blown down, but the only one occupied was that of the officers, who had to seek shelter in the marquee at 3.15 on the Sunday morning. The other tents flattened were the Q.M. store and the St. John first aid tent, but both were of good material and none of the supplies suffered damage. . r The boys broke camp on Monday afternoon about 3 o'clock and spent until 7 p.m. on the fishing, grounds, where the good sailors enjoyed good fishing and the others were not in a fit state to enjoy anything. Crossing the'bar at 8 p.m., the campers were soon on the way home with a fund *. of anecdotes to tell their parents and • a resolve to take the first chance of ; repeating the trip. '