Feature

Camping at Mouchak

Shamya Dey

CAMPING at Mouchak Scout Training Centre was an unforgettable experience of camping and also a big step forward for achieving our 'Standard Badge'. It was a two and a half hours long trip from our school to the camping spot and we were very exhausted, but it was the place worth going. Once there, we followed the track signs to our tents. There, we fixed our luggage and quickly got ready for the adventure.

We divided ourselves into groups and rehearsed our 'Patrol - Plays'. Our play was titled '26th March Black Night, Operation Searchlight'. The rest of the groups also had very interesting plays, songs and recitations to perform.

Some senior guests were there at the campfire to enjoy our plays. There was the chief guest, Mujahidul Islam Selim, who was the Troupe Leader of 5th Troupe (St. Gregory's High School) in the sixties, along with the chairman of the School Dr. Tanvir Ahmed Khan, the Principal, Tazeen Ahmed and other senior faculties.

We picked a shady spot under the trees in the big field beside our campsite to practice. Later, we had to cook our food and as it was something we did for the first time it proved to be a hard task. We used eggs in 'Khichuri' which was a new recipe made by us. The food was very tasty and it was our own hard work that made it more enjoyable.

Our campfire did not go well for it rained during that time but it was still a delightful experience performing our activities indoors. After a long exhausting day, we had a sound sleep. The next morning we went hiking. After hiking, we went to the jungle gym, played some games and cooked our food. Sadly, the time came when we had to pack up and set off for Dhaka.

Mouchak was a great experience for all of us and was truly a place where scouts bonded with nature.

(The writer is a student of Standard Five, Sunnydale)