CAMP

THE

GUIDE

BIG

Education for Social Change Since 1925Woodcraft Folk

A WOODCRAFT FOLK PUBLICATIONCreated by Paul Bemrose & the Camping and Outdoor AdventuresWorking Group of Woodcraft Folk General CouncilDesign: The Campaigns and Communications team of Woodcraft Folk

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A Woodcraft Folk guide to organising camps for 300-500 participants.

A WOODCRAFT FOLK PUBLICATION

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PUBLIC AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES UNION

Preface: General Secretary, Public and Commercial Services UnionMark Serwotka

Introduction: General Secretary, Woodcraft FolkJon Nott

Content: Camping and Outdoor Adventures Working Group Authored by: Paul BemroseWide Games: Ghee Bowman

Design: Campaigns andCommunications TeamJess Poyner & Phin Harper

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Page 4

Page 5

Page 6

Page 7

Page 10

Page 12

Page 13

Page 14

Page 15

Page 16

Page 17

Page 19

Page 21

Page 23

Page 24

Page 26

Page 31

Foreword

Preface

Introduction

The beginning - the ethos of “Big Camps”

Organising

Camp guidelines

Local information

Finance

Camp Site

Villages

Central programme

Wide game for 500

Communication

Keeper of the Garbage

Keeper of the Provender

Appendix: Sample camp guidelines

Conclusion

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Foreword

Big camps are an important opportunity to celebrate the unity of our movement and the diversity of groups and individuals that make up Woodcraft Folk. Living together under canvas with members from other groups and Districts is co-operation in action, enabling us to experience the many and varied ways that we live out our shared Woodcraft Folk values.

For many young people their fi rst big camp is a pivotal moment in their Woodcraft Folk experience. A time when they really become aware of what it means to be part of a national, and international, movement. An opportunity to see how their local group activity links to the vision and values of the wider movement. And an opportunity to have fun and make new friends - in many cases, friends for life.

“For many young people their first big camp is a

pivotal moment in their Woodcraft Folk experience.

A time when they really become aware of what it

means to be part of a national, and international,

movement.”

This guide is a valuable tool for the volunteers who organise our camps, run our groups and without whom there would be no Woodcraft Folk. That this guide has been written and designed by volunteers to share the experience of the group of volunteers who organised the successful 2010 South East South West Big Camp is a perfect example of the Woodcraft Folk principles of co-operation.

I look forward to attending future camps organised using the wealth of experience and advice that makes up this Big Camp Guide.

Jon Nott

General Secretary,Woodcraft Folk

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Preface

It gives me great pleasure to write the preface to the Woodcraft Folk’s BIG CAMP guide. Woodcraft Folk has been a part of the labour movement since its inception, and my union is proud to be an affi liate. It is the only youth organisation to have, as a fundamental tenant, the belief that all workers should join a trade union.

That Woodcraft Folk is a modern social movement, there can be no doubt. Promoting co-operation instead of competition, arguing for peace against governments that seek military solutions, and calling for social justice - whether in defence of EMA or arguing for dropping the debt from developing nations, is all clear evidence of the progressive nature of the Woodcraft Folk.

Today the trade unions seek new ways of engaging with our communities and like minded

“Woodcraft Folk seeks to empower

young people; the trade unions

seek to empower workers. Our

constituencies may vary, but our

aspirations are the same.”

people in social movements across the UK and internationally. If we are to protect the welfare state, the NHS and education for all then we need to stand together. To paraphrase a famous trade unionist, “The cause of labour is the cause of Woodcraft. The cause of Woodcraft is the cause of labour.”

Woodcraft Folk seeks to empower young people; the trade unions seek to empower workers. Our constituencies may vary, but our aspirations are the same.

This guide is an excellent example of how to organise within a social movement and I heartily recommend it to you.

Mark Serwotka

General Secretary, Public and Commercial Services Union

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Introduction

This guide was conceived as a response to recent developments in the Woodcraft Folk in relation to organising “big camps”. The guide is not intended to be a blue print of “how to”, but does give the reader some ideas on getting started, things to consider and logistics. The guide is not a template for the large international camps, at which Woodcraft Folk excels, rather it is a guide for those organisers looking to facilitate camps at a regional or national level where the numbers are unlikely to be higher than 500.

This might seem an arbitrary fi gure – and perhaps it is - but this guide is based upon the experience of running 2 de-centralised camps; the South East Camp in 2008 and the Southern Regions Camp in 2010. At the fi rst there were 350 campers and at the second approximately 500. Hence, whilst it might be possible to utilise this method for larger camps, we have no direct knowledge of its applicability, although there is no reason to assume it could not be adapted to circumstance.

At the heart of this guide is a philosophy of independence, interdependence and co-operation. The camp structure above village level is deliberately kept to a minimum. In the past, the burden of “running” the camp and being responsible for village offi cer tasks has put an unreasonable load upon key activists. This often seemed to lead to demands for “big camps” as long as someone else organised them! Clearly, this fl ies in the face of the co-operative spirit and, rather than specialised functions at camp wide level, our answer has been decentralisation and a maxim that sought to empower Districts and underline a collective responsibility.

“Even in a time of elephantine vanity and greed, one never

has to look far to see the campfires of gentle people.”

- Garrison Keillor American writer and broadcaster b.1942

The maxim put simply is “No Volunteer, No Activity”. This is not to say that activists simply came forward. Sometimes the camp co-ordinating committee (CCC) had to identify people with the requisite skills and ask directly. Rarely, if ever, was the request denied.

It is a credit to Woodcraft Folk volunteers that these camps worked so well, and is a timely reminder of the power of co-operative organisation.

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“What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too

lightly”

Tom Paine

The BeginningThe ethos of “Big Camps”

So what is the ethos underpinning this guide?

It’s basically the Woodcraft Folk’s aims and principles distilled into simple form. The ideology of the camp structure can be summed up thus:

• The village is the centre of operations

• Everyone has ownership

• Decentralisation is the guiding principle

• No “Central Committee”

• “No Volunteer, No Activity”

What does this mean in practice?

• The village is the centre of operations:

It means just that. The village (equivalent to a District camp circle or a couple of smaller Districts camping together, somewhere between 60-100 campers) is the heart of the camp. It is the basic centre of administration, communication and delivery. This means food is ordered by the village, the programme is overwhelmingly delivered in the village, fees are paid through the village, and any central communications made through the village.

• Everyone has ownership:

The themes for a camp of this type are decided collectively. In 2008 the theme was discussed and agreed by participants at South East Regional (SER) gathering. In 2010 the co-ordinating committee put forward a number of suggestions and opened an online

8

poll in which any member could vote. In 2008 ideas for camp wide activities were debated and captured during an “open space” style activity, which was then used to inform the central elements of the programme. Villagers were asked to volunteer an activity they would run for others at camp – these included “Silly Olympics” and a central camp fi re, for example.

• De-centralisation is the guiding principle:

The camps are not without central characteristics in terms of organisation. But the principle is to keep central intervention to a minimum and to create a “free” space to allow the creativity and imagination of Districts and their members to have as full rein as possible. This means that the central programme is subordinate to villages’ activities, and as a consequence means that the central programme is informed by this tenet. In practical terms this means, as a general rule, that no more than one central activity takes place on any one day at camp. This allows villages to “do their own thing”, and co-operate together as desired.

• “No Central Committee”:

Often (perhaps out of necessity) at large camps, large bureaucracies emerge which are seen as remote from the membership and this fosters, however inadvertently, a sense of disempowerment. The philosophy of the “Big Camp” pulls in the opposite direction and as a consequence means that the camp co-ordinating committee (CCC) acts more as a midwife and less as a parent.

• “No Volunteer, No Activity”:

This principle can be dressed up in more liberal language, but the essence of the idea is contained in the maxim. It is no good identifying “what needs to be done!” if there is no one to do it. Too often members identify tasks they believe are essential, but do not offer to provide that service. This may be a matter of experience, confi dence etc. But the point is if there is no volunteer, can we do without it?

The classic example of this is central food ordering. Being the central KP can be a thankless and onerous task for a camp with seven villages. If no-one had volunteered (and we were fortunate that in both 2008 and 2010 excellent activists took on the role) did it mean the “Big Camp” was doomed? Of course not, each village could have made direct contact with The Co-op to make its food order and plan logistics. It would have taken more time out of the village’s

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• 14 Districts responded, which equates to 80% of Districts at the camp

• 87% of respondents thought the site was either excellent or good

• 89% thought it suitable for a large Woodcraft camp

• When asked if the camp lived up to their expectations, 46% said it exceeded them while

50% said it met them

• 98% thought the central fee was value for money

human resource – but would not be fatal to the running of the camp.

Likewise with ceremonies at camp (opening & closing) – these are “nice” activities, but not absolutely essential. If no volunteer had been found for these, then we would have done without. Would the camp experience have been less because of it? Maybe. Would it stop the camp from functioning? Like the issue of central food ordering, the answer is of course not.

In essence these elements foster a co-operative approach to camp. The assessment of camp participants has been very supportive – the online survey conducted after the 2010 Southern Regions camp found:

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This section on “organising” relates to the function of the CCC. The organising required by Districts/villages is covered elsewhere.

The fi rst thing to note about a CCC for a “Big Camp” is that the size is relatively small. In 2008 it was 4 and 2010 it was 7. The task of the committee is “co-ordinating”, or to put it in another way, it is a “commissioner of services”, not always the delivery agent.

The CCC, because of its relative small size, is able to conduct business through the media of e-mail and telephone conference - the latter usually no longer than an hour in duration. The meetings are chaired and notes kept with action points (who is to progress it and a time limit if required.) These are then put onto an action point matrix (what, who, when, by what date, actions so far) with a traffi c light system for each action (red: not started, amber: in progress, green: complete).

The CCC’s co-ordinating role consists of various aspects – but this depends on how much central activity is required. In 2008 and 2010, the following matters were dealt with by the CCC:

• Central programme: Designing the central programme, fi nding volunteers to organise activities, e.g. opening and closing ceremony, wide game, booking activities and working out a timetable to visit villages, setting programme budgets.

• Setting camp budget: The CCC was not responsible for setting the overall camp fee, this was left to villages. The CCC set the central fee. In 2008 it was £5 per head, in 2010 it was £10 per head (however in 2008 SER had a grant that covered the fees of visiting artists – in 2010 the camp did not receive such a grant). The CCC also set individual budgets for activities within the central programme etc – this allowed volunteers running events to have a clear steer on the anticipated maximum cost of their event.

“We trained very hard, but

it seemed that every time

we were beginning to form

up into teams, we would be

reorganised. I was to learn

later in life that we tend

to meet any new situation

by reorganising and a

wonderful method it can be

for creating the illusion of

progress, while producing

confusion, inefficiency and

demoralisation”

Caius Petronius Arbiter (AD 66)

Organising:

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• Collecting central fees: Part of the CCC’s role was to collect central fees and keep a running total of these, set against anticipated income (each District had already given the CCC data on the likely numbers attending).

• Collecting data: Various data were collected by the CCC as a clearing house and then certain information was disseminated to the villages – numbers attending broken down by age group, village offi cers and contact details, any people with disabilities attending and reasonable adjustments required, names of all adults attending, etc.

• Logistics: The CCC put together villages, as far as possible, according to District requests, with a view to trying to create villages of circa 70 people. Colours and numbers were allocated to the villages. Villages were also asked who they’d like to camp near (sometimes Districts that had often camped together were not in the same village, but were happy to be in the proximity of friends).

The CCC also determined which villages would share which toilet/shower blocks, and the staggered arrival and departure of Districts onto and off the campsite.

• Camp “goodies”: The CCC commissioned “goodies” e.g. in 2008 there were cotton bags for sale carrying the camp logo. In 2010 campers received a free camp badge, free camp wristband and camp t-shirts were sold. The designing of the logos for the camps was outsourced. In 2008 a general design was provided to the manufacturer who then worked up the full design as part of production costs. In 2010 the CCC commissioned an artist to design the camp logo. (In the end the CCC couldn’t decide between two designs – so both were used! One design was used for the t-Shirt and the other for the camp badge).

In 2008 and 2010 the CCC was fortunate to have Folk Supply on camp, assisted by the fact that a Folk Supply volunteer is currently a member in South East. However, should you want Folk Supply at your camp, then a conversation with them is essential on the logistics. It is unlikely that Folk Supply staff will be able to attend in person. In which case, you will need to consider who will run the shop at camp, where to stock goods securely, how much stock to purchase and the cost of carriage (and whether that cost is passed on or absorbed in the camp budget).

A customised “Woodie

Hoodie” One of Folk Supply’s most popular items was originally created for a BIG CAMP organised by DFs

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• Communications

This will be covered in more details in a separate section – as obviously this is essential to the success of the camp in terms of the de-centralised ethos we are seeking to promote.

What we will say here is that communications need to be:

• Timely • Contain correct facts • Concise • Clear – i.e. if an action is required, spell it out, and don’t hide it in subtle language!

Woodcraft Folk has literally hundreds of ways of doing things; clans, rotas, circles, fi res, ceremonies, costing camps, food philosophy etc. The “Big Camp” idea seeks to leave these as undisturbed as possible - however there is some need for consistency as the villages are also part of a larger community.

This requires an agreed set of guidelines. These should be discussed and agreed by the Districts attending. Bedtimes, quiet times and attitudes to Venturers can vary a great deal and require a degree of sensitivity. Sometimes the formulated wording needs to be suffi ciently loose to allow villages a range of options (see example of camp guidelines).

“Step outside the guidelines of the official umpires and make your own rules and your own reality.”

Phil Ochs

In 2008 SER signed off on the guidelines by email.

In 2010 SER hosted a weekend training event and Sunday was given over to the Southern Regions pre-camp which included SE & SW District representatives talking through the issues and proposing solutions.

Camp Guidelines

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It is helpful if the CCC can contact child services local to the camp and advise them that the camp is taking place. The phone number for this, local doctors, hospitals etc should be shared with members.

This was provided to each village as part of a camp handbook consisting of:

• Site map

• Arrival grid

• Village composition

• Programme Grid

• Central activities explained

• List of village offi cers and the CCC

• Site issues

• KP issues

• Treasurer issues

• Camp guidelines

“For having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged, by better information or fuller consideration, to change opinions, even on important subjects, which I once thought right but found to be otherwise.”

Benjamin Franklin

Vtopia Passport

At Venturer Camp 2010 all venturers were given “passports” which contained a detailed programme for the week as well as maps & extra info. Leaders were given more comprehensive packs which included contact details for key people on site.

Local Information

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Vennies At Venturer Camp 2010 the organisers introduced an artifi cial currancy for the camp. The idea was to level the playing fi eld making sure Venturers from low and high waged families were equally able to access the camp’s cafes. However the currancy cost a large ammount of money which had to be made up from grants.

“Many people are in the dark when it comes to money, and I’m going to turn on the lights.”

Suze Orman

Finance

The aspects of fi nance other than managing the central budget and grant applications for central activities fall outside the remit of the CCC. The villages were expected to utilise their skills in determining village income and expenditure. These responsibilities are primarily: • Responsibility for paying their site fees • Responsibility for paying their food invoices• Setting the village camp fee• Any other bills for goods or services engaged directly by the village

The CCC collects funds from Districts that are only for the central site programme and associated needs. The village is responsible for paying to the site the camping fees for their participants. This reinforces the message that the camp is decentralised and that budgets are the responsibility of the villages.

The same applies for settling food bills. In both these cases removing the administrative burden from the CCC allows them to focus upon camp wide issues and reinforces de-centralisation.

Camp fees for the whole camp were not centrally set. The CCC advised villages of the cost of the central fee, and the fee for camping. These were the building blocks of villages’ determination of camp fees overall. The variety in camping methods and costs vary so greatly that the CCC did not wish to be prescriptive. For example:

• Some villages were vegetarian, and their food budget was less • Some Districts have a “family” rate that assists larger families • Differing sliding scales for waged/unwaged are used • In some Districts DFs/adults pay less than the children

(sometimes just the “programme” element of the budget is subtracted) • Some Districts charge adults more than young people so

as to subsidise low waged campers.

The point isn’t whether these practices are good or bad. The point is that villages had the fl exibility to determine this for themselves. As long as the central activities were funded adequately, the CCC was content to let villages “get on with it”.

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“Camping is nature’s way of promoting the motel business.”

Dave Barry

Camp Site

The CCC in both camps identifi ed and booked the campsite, having completed a site survey and assessment of the suitability. Whilst it is the case that on a District camp you might be content with a fi eld and a standpipe, this is not necessarily suffi cient for a “Big Camp”. Ideally the site will have some infrastructure in place, and must be suitable for a Woodcraft Folk camp in terms of space (our circles are beautiful and poetic in their symmetry, but take up a lot of space).

In 2008 and 2010 the SE and Southern Regions camps used the following campsites:

Blacklands Farm • Plenty of space (we had 1 large fi eld with 5 villages) • Lots of on-and off-site activities • Shower and toilet blocks • Fire pits • 3 fi elds (one of them had 3 villages, the others had 3 villages) • Some on-site activities available

Lyon’s Copse

• Showers and toilet blocks • Fire pits • Lyon’s Lodge – used for food distribution, disabled accommodation and some indoor activities

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The villages were the centre of most activity at camp and the withdrawal of an overarching central organisation allowed greater interaction between villages.

All villages were expected to have certain offi ce holders:

• Camp Co-ordinators / Camp Chiefs • KPs / Food Co-ordinators • KGs / Sanitation Offi cers • Folk Marshals / Programmers

These offi ce holder’s details were shared among the villages and people were encouraged to email each other to share ideas, work on joint activities etc.

Except for those rules which affected the whole camp community, bed times for example, villages were free to organise their own rules. The same was true for budget setting and costings for camp. This led to a fair degree of differentiation between villages in terms of costs. However these differences proved valuble and Districts were able to learn by contrasting their different strategies to setting their fees. One size doesn’t fi t all.

The camp’s central programme was designed not to overwhelm village initiative, and therefore it was decided that the central programme would only include one activity per day- this gave the villages a larger degree of scope to plan and deliver their own programme. This balance between village and the central programme was at the heart of the success of these camps.

“I think when you’ve

travelled around a lot in

Africa; you understand

something that many people

here don’t recognize: the

extraordinary power that

is Africa at village level - at

community level.”

Stephen Lewis

Villages

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“Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.”

A. A. Milne

Central programme

As stated previously, it was the deliberate intention of these camps to ensure the central programme lay lightly over those created at village level. This formulation meant that as far as possible only one centrally organised camp event took place on any one day. Examples of central activities included:

• Opening ceremony • Closing ceremony • Wide game • Central camp fi re • Working with guest artists • Night time event (in 2010 this was called the “Illuminated Underworld”)

Sometimes artists were located in a central area, at other times artists visited the villages and worked in their circle. The central activities for 2008 and 2010 are outlined below:

Bushcraft Training

Part of the central programme at a Brighton Camp

2008

Progamme Morning Afternoon Evening

Sat Staggered arrivals

Sun Opening ceremony Campfi re Mon Heritage ceramics Heritage ceramics

Tues Gorillas Mask workshop Silly Olympics Wed

Thurs Wide game Wide game

Fri Closing ceremony Sat Depart Depart

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Fire Juggling

Part of the evening programme at DF Camp 2010

Caving

Part of the central programme of a Norwich Woodcraft Folk camp

The CCC often came up with the initial ideas for the overarching programme, but beyond the outline it was for the volunteer organising the event to set the parameters. The CCC was not prescriptive as to how an event should be organised, only that it be so. The opening and closing ceremonies in 2008 and 2010 were different, refl ecting the differing perspectives and interests of the volunteers who supervised the activities.

Diving

Central programmes can include an incredible range of activities

2010

Programme Morning Afternoon Evening

Sat Staggered arrivals Set up village

Sun

Prepare for

opening

ceremony

Opening ceremony

Mon Artists Artists

Tues Artists Artists

Wed Pea Fair Pea Fair Camp fire

Thurs Wide game Wide game

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The planning and execution of the wide game at the 2010 camp was the epitome of how a decentralized camp can work. The work was co-ordinated by a CCC member, but the execution involved everyone at camp.

The game was based on the theme of peace, and took the form of a quest to bring back “Eirene”, ancient Greek Goddess of Peace. The fi rst stage was to tell the story; a storyteller toured the camp with a musician the day before the Wide Game. He told the background tale to each of the 7 Villages, establishing the rationale and the broad mechanics of the game.

The next day, adults from each village set up several challenges in the wood or near their village. They had thought about and planned these challenges before the camp. Meanwhile the children and young people learnt more about the mechanics of the game.

After lunch the game started. Elfi ns, Pioneers, and Venturers in small groups went around the site from challenge area to challenge area, completing challenges and gaining stamps in their “Eirene Loyalty Cards”. This continued for about 3 hours – they also had to evade the War Demons who tried to capture them or trick them (these “chasers” add the dimension of excitement to the game - especially for older children.)

At the end of the day the whole camp assembled together to summon up the Goddess, having accumulated enough stamps to fi nd the 7 artifacts to conjure her return.

The game illustrated the need to do the following:

• Start planning early. This started about 6 months before the camp.

• If co-ordinating then consult widely and build a team. The theme, the story and the mechanics of the game will be stronger if they refl ect the ideas of the camp as a whole. On a large camp you won’t know everyone in the way you would on small camp, so try to talk to people from lots of Districts well in advance. Ask them about what they think the theme could be, about how the game could work, about what involvement they would like. In 2010 the co-ordinator was gathering ideas and communicating for several months before the fi nal idea emerged.

• Planning meetings - you will need a couple on camp,

“We don’t stop playing because

we grow old. We grow old

because we stop playing.”

George Bernard Shaw

Running a Wide Game for 500 people

2018

Teams DF members of the yellow team

with the people playing various roles or characters in the game. Build those in and inform people ahead of time.

• Build a sense of occasion from before the camp. Promote the theme via Facebook and email. Keep the mystery – don’t give too much away.

• Story-telling is a great way to draw the children and young people (and adults) into the theme of the game. Music and costumes help create a sense of occasion.

• Size of groups playing: in a quest-type game on a large site, Elfi ns will probably need an adult, Venturers clearly won’t, Pioneers may. Make it easy for the adults by thinking this through beforehand.

• Don’t neglect safety and child protection. You may need to put up hazard tape to mark boundaries. If you have the whole camp gathered together, think about aisles and escape routes, and ensure adults realise they’re still responsible for their children and young people, especially if there are surprises involved.

• No single individual can be responsible for hundreds of children and young people and their experience of the game. So ensure that the adults are as involved as possible in looking after their game-players and in planning and running the activities.

Costume Brighton Pioneers at a “Narnia” themed wide game

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Corporations and other organisations spend thousands of pounds on “communications”. It’s a subject everyone agrees is of primary importance, but it’s one that most often fails. However, the nature of our de-centralised ethos puts even more importance upon it.

It needs to be clear who is responsible for doing what. Failure to spell this out creates potential problems later on. For example, in 2010 the CCC didn’t adequately explain to villages that people needed to ensure Lyon’s Lodge rooms were cleaned by the users or their villages at the end of the camp. This led to rooms having to be cleaned by other villages camping near the Lodge and caused resentment that could have been avoided.

The main methods used to communicate were:

• Face to face • Email• Newsletters• Facebook/website • Telephone conference/telephone calls/texts• Runners

Face to face

Whilst this is often the preferred method of communication, the size of these camps made this diffi cult. In order to facilitate face to face planning, a pre-camp was held at SER gathering in 2008 and 2010.

Email

This method was used extensively, especially for reminding Districts and villages of their obligations (to send in certain data for example) or advising people of new information. It all helped to keep the camp and its needs in the minds of village offi cers and District members.

Email was also used by the CCC to pass drafts of policies, and to discuss and make decisions where intensive debate wasn’t required.

“Good communication does not mean that you have to speak in perfectly formed sentences and paragraphs. It isn’t about slickness. Simple and clear go a long way.”

John Kotter

Communications

22

Woodcraft.org.uk Website

The CoCamp Courier

Newsletters

These were produced for both camps, although there were also articles in the SER newsletter. The camp newsletter usually consisted of three or four pages and was produced two or three times pre-camp. The newsletter contained things like an outline of the central programme, village numbers and colours, lists of which Districts were in which village, a site map, lists for arrival and departure times etc.

Facebook/website

In 2008 the CCC set up a Facebook group to encourage members to join the camp group and to talk to each other. In 2010 south east Districts used the SER Facebook group instead. However, south west member Shirley Atkinson had her own website and created pages for the camp upon it; it included online food ordering, information about the camp, policies etc.

Telephone conferences/calls/texts

Telephone conferences were used by the CCC and convened every six to eight weeks. Conferences were limited to one hour and action points were followed up by email. Phone calls were used occasionally to chase up information etc. Texts were used between CCC members on an individual basis.

Runners

At camp the CCC wanted to avoid the need for Camp Chief meetings each morning and so these were effectively done away with. Runners would be sent out to villages or members of the CCC would seek out village Camp Chiefs and Co-ordinators to advise them of programme changes etc. Similarly if a village needed information, they could seek out members of the CCC themselves. In 2010, four of the seven villages had members of the CCC in them.

The New Woodcraft Folk website has a variety of features specially designed to help groups and Districts organise, advertise and communicate about events and camps. Training is available.

The CoCamp Courier showed what an effective means of communication a simple 6 page newsletter can be if done well.

26the

oCamp's

innovative

library structure

is facing

mounting

pressure from an

increased workload

and is feeling the strain

from a lack of volunteers. The structure,

trialled for the first time at this year's

CoCamp, has proved to be extremely

popular and useful to CoCampers, but

librarians are finding it increasingly difficult

to respond to demand.

“Some are finding it okay, but others are

struggling,” said Zoë Waterman, chair of the

CoCamp board. “I don't want to undermine

the work of volunteers because they're all

doing a great job, but I do see that some

libraries are under pressure from their

users.”

This paper can reveal that the situation isn't

being helped by them seemingly becoming

town crèches. Parents have begun leaving

woodchips in the town libraries, with no

supervision apart from by the working

librarians.

A librarian, who asked to remain

anonymous, said “We have lots of lovely,

liberal, free-thinking parents at Woodcraft

Folk camps, but co-parenting doesn't always

work when we don't have lots of parents here

and only have librarians. Woodchips are

being left at the library, but the librarians

can't look after them because they are very

busy.

“[The libraries] have turned into a kind of a

safe space because there's always people

around, but unfortunately it isn't really our

job [to look after woodchips]. It's absolutely

brilliant that woodchips are coming into the

library, but we would ask that they must be

supervised.”

The Librarians themselves are pillars of

enthusiam and are keen to remain open and

avalable to all ages. Ruth Yates from Red Oak

Library said: “Libraries are welcoming places

and everyone is welcome.”

The library resource, and all the resources

within it, have become a vital part of the

CoCamp routine. Councils may be cutting

funding to libraries all over Britain, but

this valuable entity can easily be sustained

by an increased level of volunteering.

>> >> Helping out one of the CoCamp teams

can be a really fun and rewarding way to

spend your time at CoCamp. Just a few

hours can take the preassure off

volunteers who are working full time and

beyond! Here, Emily from Blue

Cedar Library reads to a

couple of woodchips

enabling their parents

to attend the nearby

Palestine workshop.

Issue Fourwww.cocamp.coop

THE CO-OPERATIVE PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF CO-OPERATION #cocamp

Waspgate

Sport

hen going into the Bebop

Cafe everything seems

calm and serene; the smell

of home baked cakes,

coffee and milkshakes are in the air, it is

without question the place to be in the

evening! But behind the scenes all is not as

perfect as appearances make out. A series

of disasters has struck the Bebop, leaving

workers hot, stressed and covered in cake

mix! After the deeply upsetting and

angering experience - the earlier reported

theft of cake - things appear to go from

bad to worse.

A major disaster area seemed to be

battling the natural elements for victory

over sweltering heat, wind, dust and of

course wasps! The most traumatic problem

area was the wind...in one instance of the

afternoon baking session it blew a whole

table over...cake mix was everywhere! It

was carnage. The cakes (Raspberry and

White Chocolate Muffins specifically) were

ruined and had to be started again much to

the upset of all involved.

Due to a lack of volunteers and under the

pressure of constant demand for

refreshment in the evening programme

the workers have had to take drastic

actions in a desperate attempt to keep

their excellent cafe afloat. The most

controversial of which is the fact that

because of consumer demand, Tesco

products are being brought onto camp! A

full scale investigation therefore took

place of course...involving other cafes

active on the camp.

The Stolen Cake

Cuisine CorrespondentCuisine Correspondent

Cadan ap Tomos

Exploratory Journalist

W

C

The Pride March in full swing - Turn to page 4 for the Mest-Up special on sex & gender

How to volunteer with your Library & Cafes

InnovativeLibrary System

Sweats Under

Massive Popularity

the temptation of icing sugar; a necessity for their

assorted cake and sweet treats. Other cafes including

Chez Chenanigans and The Woodcraft Cafe have

managed to avoid sourcing from Tesco, but nonetheless

completely understand, saying in an emergency they

definitely would go to Tesco also.

The Bebop Cafe like the other cafes sources its milk from

a local farm, and most of its goods are from Suma or the

Co-op...However yet again disaster struck with a whole

order of food not arriving from the Co-op leaving them

in a predicament almost beyond comprehension.

Clearly, buying products from Tesco has caused a big stir

in the tranquillity of the claustrophobically hot and

stuffy CoCamp, but nevertheless it is blatant that the

Bebop needs help! Bebop needs YOU!

ocamp

SEX

>> Pages 4 & 5

Mest-Up guest

edit a special

report on sex

& gender

The wind blew a

whole table

over...cake mix

was everywhere!

Bebop resort to

value

At first this story appears to be horrific,

however ‘Hood in the wood’ admitted that

they also have been swayed by the Tesco

local convenience appeal, succumbing to

23

“Human society sustains itself by transforming nature into garbage.”

Mason Cooley

Keepers of the Garbage

The duties of the KG (or sanitation offi cer, if you prefer) refl ect the role at District camp, rather than that at an International Camp. Each village was responsible for its own recycling and rubbish disposal. The CCC gave advice on how rubbish was dealt with by the site. For example, at Lyon’s Copse there was no recycling and Scouts tend to require campers to burn as much rubbish as possible. This is usually because it keeps their site costs down. Many villages in 2010 chose to recycle anyway and took their waste to a local recycling centre, often sharing vehicles to do so.

Where villages shared facilities, shower and toilet blocks, the KGs were encouraged to liaise and work out a system between them for sharing the task of keeping the areas clean and stocked with toilet rolls etc.

This task is a classic example of co-operation between villages and caused no problems. In 2010 all cleaning materials were provided by the site and therefore there were no issues over who should provide them.

24

Keeper of the Provinder

The KP (or food co-ordinator) has one of the most diffi cult tasks at camp and anything that can ease the role is usually welcome. At the International Camp “CoCamp” villages could choose to have a totally different menu from the central one. It was a challenging system for village KPs and the Camp KP but was generally a success. This was not an avenue the CCC went down in either 2008 or 2010.

Initially, the CCC had expected that no one would come forward to co-ordinate the food orders, and had therefore expected villages would make their own arrangements. However, in both 2008 and 2010 an experienced member volunteered for this task and co-ordinated the food orders with the local Co-operative. This was undertaken in very different, but very effective ways.

In 2008 the food co-ordinator issued order sheets to village KPs, received the orders by a deadline and submitted them to the Co-op. The village food orders were delivered directly in boxes to the villages and each village received an invoice for food purchased, which it paid direct. Changes to orders were dealt with by village KPs directly with the local Co-operative.

In 2010 the food co-ordinator set up online ordering, and advised village KPs of the dates for delivery of dry and fresh produce. All food was brought to a central location to be checked and allocated to villages, who then picked up their delivery from the central point. Each village still received food invoices to be settled by them.

“I cook with wine; sometimes I even add it to the food.”

W. C. Fields

2524

26

Elfi ns - 8.30pm Pioneers - 9.30pm Venturers - 10.30pm

Camp Guidelines SE/SW Camp 2010

These guidelines were adopted by the CCC for the 2010 SE & SW camp. Some parts are drawn from guidelines previously agreed by General Council. They are broadly in line with Woodcraft Folk’s “Use of Drugs, Tobacco and Alcohol” policy passed by General Council in November 2007.

Section 1 - General Guidelines

Programme The camp leadership has a duty to ensure that there is good, appropriate activity both during the day and the evening and that adequate adult supervision is provided. All participants are expected to support the programme as agreed within the village.

Care of the environment Participants must note the need to care for our environment in all decisions and actions.

Council Circle Council Circles will be held regularly by each village.

Silence Cry It is expected that villages will be quiet from 1O.3Opm to 7.30 am. Events in activity areas should fi nish by 11.00 pm at the latest.

TIMES FOR AGE GROUPS TO BE BACK IN THEIR VILLAGES, UNLESS ON A CENTRALLY ORGANISED EVENT ARE:

Appendix 1

27

Village Health and Safety Each person is responsible for his/her own health and safety. All villages are expected to abide by basic safety rules and to ensure that they have clean sites. The site should be left as it was found.

In addition: 1. Only people on rota are allowed in or near the kitchen.

2. Hazardous substances and dangerous implements must be kept in a safe place.

3. Kitchens should have a fi re blanket and an extinguisher.

4. Structures must be checked out by adults before use.

5. There should always be one person in each village capable of driving at any time of day or night.

Safeguarding 1. All adults attending camp should be adult members.

2. Minimum standards of supervision:

• Elfi ns 1:5 • Pioneers 1:8 • Venturers 1:10

3. There should be two leaders with each group and where this is not the case, groups should be twinned in order to ensure that there are.

4. Any groups of children under 13 years going off-site must have at least two adults with them. Venturers will need consent forms if they are to leave the site unaccompanied.

5. All absences from the campsite should be notifi ed to leaders in the appropriate village. All young people should obtain permission from the village leadership to leave the site. Adults should always leave notice of their whereabouts. A signing-out book should be available to record unsupervised absences off site. Participants sign out, with an expected return time, and sign back in again when they are back.

6. When swimming, strong swimmers must be allocated to watch and oversee the swimmers.

28

Fires 1. Fires are only allowed subject to local regulations e.g. Lyons Copse rules.

2. Fire assembly points will be clearly marked and everyone in the village must be aware of the procedure in the event of a fi re.

Hygiene It is not only for health reasons but also good practice that the camp is kept as clean as possible and that standards of hygiene are maintained.

1. Rubbish should be bagged up at regular intervals and disposed of properly.

2. No holes are to be dug in the ground without prior permission of the site warden.

3. Everyone should wash their hands prior to meals and after using the toilet.

4. Villages should make arrangements for all campers to bathe/shower at least once per week.

5. No dogs should be on site except guide dogs.

Food Hygiene 1. Always wash your hands using hot water, soap and a nailbrush (a) before handling food (b) after visiting the toilet (c) after handling raw foods including meat and poultry

2. Keep all equipment and surfaces that may come into contact with food in a clean condition using hot water, detergent/steriliser and clean cloths.

3. Surfaces and equipment used for raw food, meat and poultry should be washed and sterilised before being used for anything else.

4. Keep high risk food ie meat, poultry, fi sh and milk under cool conditions until immediately before use.

5. Food should be consumed immediately after preparation and cooking.

6. Do not leave food in a warm condition at any time.

29

Camp Management 1. There will not be a camp committee overseeing camp, but individuals will be allocated various central tasks.

2. Camp leadership shall reside in the village camp co-ordinators/chiefs who shall jointly agree solutions for running camp not covered by these guidelines or Lyons Copse rules.

3. All Districts shall nominate two adults (one male, one female) to be called to participate in a grievance panel if requested.

The SE Regional Secretary shall convene any panel required and select its participants in accordance with these camp guidelines.

Section 3: Grievance, suspension and expulsion procedure

It is important on a camp, that people are respected and abide by an agreed Code of Conduct with consideration given to the Equal Opportunities and Safeguarding policies with regard to behaviour and language. At any camp, any problems or diffi culties should always be dealt with at a village level and the village co-ordinators/chiefs should be aware of problems so that they can be dealt with before they result in behaviour that is deemed to be unacceptable.

Adults lf concerns or accusations are raised about an adult:

1. They should be brought to the village co-ordinator/chief who should act as they deem appropriate - i.e. discuss it with the person concerned, discuss it with the village adults, or take it to the Camp Safeguarding Offi cer/General Secretary - unless the complaint is made against the village co-ordinator, in which case it should be referred directly to the Camp Safeguarding Offi cer/General Secretary.

2. Once informed, the Camp Safeguarding Offi cer/General Secretary will decide whether it is a camp matter and should be referred to the District leaders or camp committee or if it concerns unreasonable or unconstitutional behaviour in which case s/he will convene a panel of three people according to the national Dispute Resolution Procedure. (The panel shall not consist of people all of the same age, District or gender). The person who is subject to the investigation shall be entitled to have a friend or representative with them to speak on their behalf and/or take notes. The decision to expel someone from the camp is fi nal and not open to appeal. The decision of the panel on the future membership of that person shall be subject to the consideration of General Council.

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30

Any adult who has their membership terminated has the right to appeal at the next Annual Gathering. (Refer to section 6.2 (ii) of the Constitution). Behaviour that puts young people at risk may also result in a referral to an external agency e.g. Police, Independent Safeguarding Authority

Young People Young people can be expected to experiment but all adult leaders should remember that they have the ultimate responsibility for the safety of young people under the Safeguarding and Health & Safety policies.

On-site education may give rise to more problems for the majority, rather than solve the immediate situation for the minority. Exclusion from the camp may be the only way forward to benefi t the whole camp, so sanctions available must always include the possibility of sending home in the event of serious anti-social behaviour. It may also be necessary to refer the member to appropriate outside support agencies.

If accusations or concerns are raised about a young person under 18: There must be a named group of three adults within the camp leadership or camp committee, chaired by the General Council representative at a national camp who would deal with any behavioural or breaking of camp guideline issues. These persons should be nominated in advance, not all of the same gender and one of them should be independent of the camp committee. Within the remit of this grouping there must be natural justice to all parties and not just reliance on hearsay and second-hand information.

Natural justice can be defi ned as: “English legal system doctrine that protects against arbitrary exercise of power by ensuring fair play. Natural justice is based on two fundamental rules: (1) No accused, or a person directly affected by a decision, shall be condemned unless given full chance to prepare and submit his or her case and rebuttal to the opposing party’s arguments; (2) No decision is valid if it was infl uenced by any fi nancial consideration or other interest or bias of the decision maker.”

Really Big Camp

Woodcraft Folk’s huge international camp in 2001 seen from above

In Conclusion Our camps are organised to allow like-minded people to live together in a safe environment with mutual respect for one another and have FUN!

Woodcraft Folk & IFM-SEI85 Years of Co-operative Education

Education for Social Change Since 1925Woodcraft Folk

Woodcraft Folk House 9/10, 83 Crampton StreetLONDONSE17 3BQ

020 7703 4173info@woodcraft.org.ukwww.woodcraft.org.uk

Woodcraft Folk is the co-operative children & young people's organisation. Our work with thousands of young people is made possible through the ongoing support of many Co-operative societies.

Woodcraft Folk would like to thank The Public and Commercial Services Union for their ongoing support that has made The Big Camp Guide possible.

This guide has been created by the Woodcraft Folk Camping and Outdoor Adventures Working Group.

Design and layout by the Woodcraft Folk Campaigns and Communications Working Group. Proof reading by Chloe Darlington from Folk House.

Woodcraft Folk is part of IFM-SEI, the global federation of education organisations.

Woodcraft Folk is a registered charity in England and Wales (1073665) and in Scotland (SC039791)

Woodcraft Folk is the Co-operative

Children and Young People’s Organisation.

Woodcraft Folk runs hundreds of local

groups in towns and cities across the UK

where young people of all ages meet to

play games, make friends and learn about

big ideas from social justice to climate

change through cooperative activites.

Woodcraft Folk camps have been running

since 1925. They are exciting week long

adventues bringing together young people

from different backgrounds nationally and

internationally to learn together helping

build self confidence and knowledge of the

natural world.

To find your nearest Woodcraft Folk youth

group, visit one of our events near you or

to find out about volunteering with

Woodcraft Folk just get in touch using our

website or by calling the office.

See you soon!

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