Flags Displayed at The Den

These camps (and in a few cases simple day trips to France) have been a mainstay of the Group’s international activities for many years. Some have been run for just a single section, Scouts or Explorers while others have been undertaken on a much larger scale and involved other groups from Hampshire and neighbouring counties. The driving force behind many of these was the late Sandy Sclater (known to everyone in Scouting as Sparks). He was a Scout Leader and Explorer Scout Leader with the group from 1985 and was instrumental in organising many of these camps. His mantle later fell on the shoulders of Matt Collins who was Group Lead Volunteer until 2026.

In 2019 Scouts and Explorers attended a camp at the Scout village of Zellhof, near Salzburg. Unfortunately, the start of this camp was seriously delayed by over a day due to airline problems. Once they were solved the camp was memorable for many positive things: the weather; white water rafting, canyoneering, cycling, high ropes, dinghy sailing, cultural visits, etc; fellow campers from across Europe; the location and of course the young people taking part.

An Explorer cycle camp was held in Belgium in 2005. Banderlogs travelled by train from Calais to Courrière near Namur for the first part of the camp. At Courrière the Belgian Scouts have a camp site and a hostel in a beautiful chateau. There were many adventures and learning experiences including a mass puncturing of tyres as the hedge at the campsite entrance had recently been trimmed and there were thorns everywhere. Only one person escaped that fate. One lad’s bike failed mechanically – he had unwisely bought it from one of the others who simply wanted a good bike, another failed abruptly after an incautious gear change wrecked his derailleur. After Courrière the party moved to Anseremme near Dinant in the Meuse Valley. Their time was spent visiting the imposing castle and the most moving monument to the notorious massacre. A less sombre day was spent rail-biking. Unfortunately, the group’s ultimate destination, Luxemburg, remained an aspiration throughout the camp.

With France being our closest international neighbour it is perhaps not surprising that it has been the Group’s principal overseas Scouting destination. Some of the visits have been simple day trips, a night spent near Dover camping (Kingsdown) or in a Scout hut (Shepherdswell and Plumpton) allows an early ferry and a full day exploring on foot or cycle in the Calais and Dieppe areas – the Field of the Cloth of Gold, St Omer and Arques. One other visit was a vehicle-based long weekend camp at the French Scout Centre at Jambeville from where the Scouts explored Paris, including an ascent of the Eiffel Tower. The return journey called at the Canadian Great War memorial at Vimy Ridge where Canadian guides led the Scouts through the soldiers’ tunnels.

With Portsmouth being the closest channel port to Alton a number of trips have also started there. The troop went to Le Havre and rode over the huge Seine bridge reaching Honfleur. On many occasions it has been to Caen and cycled to numerous historic sites and memorials: William the Conqueror’s tomb at Caen; the Bayeaux Tapestry; D-Day related sites such as Pegasus Bridge, Arromanches, Port-en-Bessin; the huge and moving British, Canadian and American war cemeteries. These latter trips were usually joint ventures with other local and not-so-local Scout groups and were based on camp sites at Martragny (between Caen and Bayeux) and Bayeux itself. One Banderlogs trip was based at a Scout HQ in Caen itself – local French gastronomy featured strongly and a number of novel meals were prepared and eaten.

A week long Scout summer camp was held in May 1998 at the Lough Dan Scout Centre in County Wicklow. Lough Dan provided a number of classic Scout activities, water-based, climbing, mountain walking, exploring and a visit to Dublin. Another visit to Ireland saw Banderlogs cycle from Dublin to Enniskerry, also in County Wicklow in February 2002 where the accommodation was the cosy Irish Girl Guides’ Memorial Hostel and a Youth Hostel in Dublin. This was a much shorter camp, it took almost as long getting to and from Dublin via Holyhead as was spent in Ireland.

Banderlogs spent two weeks in Italy in July 2005. Time was spent in Rome visiting various tourist spots: the Colosseum, the Catacombs (to cool down) and the Vatican before moving to the little village of Gioia dei Marsi in the Abruzzo region. A final move was then made to the Italian AGESCI Scout centre, Brownsea Park, at Villavallelonga where groups from all over Italy were found.

Banderlog Explorers spent a week in a Scout-owned forest cabin at Movatn near Oslo following a week in Sweden. This provided opportunities to explore Oslo with its rich history and the cabin’s deep forest setting.

Banderlog Explorers visited Stockholm and camped on the Scout-owned island of Vässarö in 2006. That trip was combined with a week spent in a forest cabin near Oslo – two countries in one trip! In 2012 a second, shorter camp was held there just for the Scout section. Vässarö activities were both water and land-based: sailing, sauna and swimming, tracking and trails, bivvying, teamwork. A floating back-packers’ hostel in Stockholm was the base for the Explorers while the Scouts stayed in a historic central Scout HQ.

Kandersteg International Scout Centre is a historic Scout site. Scout use dates from 1923, and it has always provided a multitude of opportunities to meet Scouts from all round the world and take advantage of its magnificent Alpine setting. A party from Third Alton travelled to the Kandersteg sometime in the 1960s. I have not been able to find any details of this trip other than they travelled there by minibus and the leader was Harry Crossley who was one of the drivers. In more recent times Scouts have returned to Kandersteg twice, once in 2014 and again in 2017.

There is a long-standing realtionship between Hampshire Scouts and the Kaira Konko Scout Project in The Gambia. It is well worth following up on how this project has evolved as it is virtually self-sustaining nowadays. Hampshire Scouts still support and visit the centre after some thirty years. Mon Spiers, Felicity Chapple and Nicky Guy who were all leaders at Third Alton at various times were able to visit, support and sponsor the project.

The flag displayed separately at the west end of the Den and was made by Felicity.

Explorer Scout Mark How took part in an expedition to Malawi in July and August 2009. This was organised by Hampshire Scout Expeditions who spent six weeks at the National Scout Centre at Makawawa Camp. From there they rebuilt an orphanage at the nearby village of Songani Market. They also worked on another orphanage at Blantyre, spent time trekking in the Mulanje Massif and visited a game reserve and Lake Malawi.

In 2015 Hampshire Scout Expeditions organised a trip to Tanzania. From our group Toby Pascoe was selected. His mother Jackie, one of our leaders and a local GP, also went as the group’s medical expert. Two year’s later Emily Pascoe and Holly Ebdon completed a similar expedition and Holly’s mother, Alison, also went as a group leader. The Scouts worked on three main projects, a school, a medical centre and a camp site, all in widely dispersed rural locations. After their work for the Tanzanian Scouts everyone was able to have a few days’ well-earned relaxation on safari and by the ocean. For both expeditions the full teams camped at the Den and formed work parties to work on the old railway embankment.

The Explorer Belt is a challenge of a lifetime. It is a chance to take part in a ten day expedition that brings a real understanding of a different country, its culture and way of life. Scouts develop this understanding by travelling through their chosen country, working as part of a small team to complete a series of projects and most importantly by meeting local people. It is an experience and an achievement that is to be remembered for the rest of your life.

In 2024 Lexi Grinstead undertook a twelve day expedition to Denmark. There she met many Danish Scouts and undertook some 10 major projects which included comparing the cultures of Denmark's five major cities, meeting local people and completing a series of surprise minor projects alongside a self-chosen major project. Lexi’s was to find out why Denmark is ranked the second happiest country in the world.

Jack Gardner took part in an Explorer Belt expedition to Estonia in 2018. This was organised by Hampshire Scout Expeditions and consisted of six Explorers. The trip started in the capital Tallinn and each member had a personal budget of €130 for the whole ten days. They travelled to Viljandi county where they completed one of their projects – to appear in the local newspaper.

World Scout Jamborees are held every four years and have been running for well over a hundred years. Older Scouts from virtually every country in the world attend and this gives everyone a rare opportunity to make friends, experience other cultures, understand their host contry and many more things too. Places are greatly sought and there is a tough selection process which Scouts have to go through. Once selected there is also a significant amount of fund-raising to do. Jamboree costs are high but this means that Scouts from very poor countries can be helped attend.

Ben Roots was chosen for the Hampshire contingent for the twenty-third WSJ in Kirarahama, Yamaguchi in western Japan in 2015. There were six programme modules: Global Development, Culture, Science, Community, Nature and Peace – Ben visited Hiroshima. There were also extra free time and ceremonial activities.

Fyn Duncan was one of thirty-six Hampshire Explorers selected to attend the 2023 WSJ in South Korea. Exceptionally this jamboree was visited by extreme bad weather, heat-waves and typhoons and thousands had to be relocated at very short notice. It was certainly memorable but not for the usual reasons.