OAKHAMPTON –2014

ANNUAL CAMP

CLWYD & GWYNEDD ARMY CADET FORCE

How to survive Annual Camp

Getting ready for camp

Personal hygiene

Keeping your billet clean

Wash rooms, toilets, showers

Eating your food

Boots

Behaviour

Mobile phones

Tips and advice from other cadets!

Useful information for parents

inside!

Surviving Annual Camp Annual camp is the highlight of the ACF calendar, where all the training you have done through the year can be put into practice. Every year Clwyd & Gwynedd ACF goes away for two weeks to an Army camp somewhere in the UK. This year we are going to OAKHAMPTON – DEVON.

The aim of this information booklet is to get you prepared and ready for annual camp so that you can make the most out of it and enjoy it! Going to camp with a large group of people requires some basic standards from YOU the individual, like not making things difficult for other people, keeping YOUR things tidy, putting YOUR rubbish in the bins, YOU being at the right

place at the right time, are all simple but things that make camp easier and more FUN!

The secret of surviving an annual camp is to:

“work when you are supposed to, train when you are supposed to, rest when you are supposed to, play when

it’s your time and sleep when you’re supposed to”

All training and events will happen at the times stated, so if you’re messing around when you should be sleeping, you will lose out on your sleep, the training still goes on, just because you’re tired you won't get an extra hour in bed.

Annual camp will cost you £50.00 for the 13 days this includes transport, accommodation, food and all activities, the only other money the cadets should bring is their pocket money to spend in the evening when relaxing after the training day, you need enough for 13 days and possibly some visits out.

We do not tell cadets how much spending money to bring, but it will be collected off you on arrival at camp and you can then get small amounts out everyday, this is to avoid large sums of money left in lockers.

Before coming to camp change most of your spending money into one or two pound coins, this will allow you to get out a couple of pounds at a time rather than the ten pound notes you brought, which you might lose!

Getting Ready for Camp!

Making sure you are prepared for camp will make your life some much easier, things like marking all your uniform will a permanent marker, going through the kit list and making sure you have packed everything and have your spending money safe. Make sure your parents have got the address and contact numbers for you. You will travel to camp by coach, so a packed lunch and a drink would be handy

to have; make sure you pack your kit into good sturdy bags and not carrier bags. Misbehaviour on the coaches will not be tolerated and will result in the cadet being returned home straight away. You will wear uniform to travel down.

PERSONAL HYGIENE To be a switched on cadet, you need to be clean. You should brush your teeth, wash yourself with soap and brush/comb your hair every morning. Not forgetting to change your ‘smalls’ regularly. Also when you have been on exercise sweating a lot, or have cammo cream on, you should shower after the exercise.

You should wash you hands before having your food and wash your cutlery after to avoid stomach bugs. KEEPING YOUR BILLET CLEAN The place you sleep in is very important. You can spend up to eight hours there. Simple things like, keeping you kit in the locker/space provided, make sure your bed is made up in the correct way, putting your empty cans, sweet papers and rubbish in the bins that are in your billet. Every morning there is a room inspection, you will have to clean inside and outside your billet and other rooms that your billet uses, so why not keep it tidy as you go along. WASH ROOMS, TOILETS, SHOWERS

I'm sure you wouldn't like to wash yourself in a dirty sink, so clean it for the next person. All you need to do when finished; with warm water, just rinse the sink out. Use showers often and turn them off after you. Drying Rooms, keep them tidy, use them only for drying clothes, and remove your clothes when they're dry. As always leave the rooms, as you would like to find them. Don’t go to the toilets, showers or washrooms bare footed, that’s how you catch foot infections, use your

flip flops, trainers or slip your boots back on.

EATING YOUR FOOD You might not get your favourite food, but it is essential that you eat all of your food, at least most of it. If you miss meals you will become weak and ill from not eating, then you won't enjoy the annual camp. Sweets, crisps and pop are not proper food, but snacks. If you are a vegetarian tell your Platoon Commander so there are vegetarian meals available for you, and ask the kitchen staff for your vegetarian meal when you go for your meals. It is very important that you drink plenty of water, tea,

coffee or weak squash during annual camp. You're busy moving and training all day, you will be sweating. If you don't keep your fluid level up you will become weak, dizzy and likely to get headaches. You will not be enjoying camp. BOOTS If you get your boots wet, when you’re back in your billets, stuff them with newspaper and give them a layer of polish. Place them somewhere warm, not hot, not the drying rooms, not the radiators or the hot pipes in your billet. A good place is on top of your locker. If your boots dry out too quickly they will crack and break like hardboard, they will then be useless. They must be allowed to dry naturally. Changing the newspaper and putting more polish, thinly on them will help speed up the drying. When you put your boots on the next day, a white powder could appear on parts of your boots, don't worry this is OK, just put more polish on them when you get a chance. MISBEHAVIOUR

Any form of bullying or ‘picking on’ will be dealt with severely, which will lead to them being sent home and being kicked out of the Army Cadet Force! Bullying can be physical, verbal even by mobile phone! Cadets tend to trust each other; there is nothing worse than a thief in the cadets (or any organisation). Anyone caught stealing will be returned home and thrown out of the cadets. Stealing is

taking something without the owner giving permission or not knowing you are using it.

MOBILE PHONES Mobile phones are an excellent way of keeping in touch with home, you can bring them to camp however, you will have them taken off you and stored safely. You will be able to get them out in the evening but will have to hand them in again before lights out. The reason for this is to keep them safe and to avoid keeping others up all night with text messages!

*****A NOTE FOR PARENTS ON MOBILE PHONES***** Sometimes cadets get homesick or fed up with a particular activity and tend to phone home upset,

which can cause you as parents to get upset and worry; 9 times out of 10 they will get off the phone to you having poured their heart out and then 10 minutes later they are fine having a laugh again! So

before jumping in your car and shooting off to camp to pick them up, give the camp a ring and speak to the adult staff who will check how they are.

The number to ring is 07707585853.

Tips and advice from other cadets!

You can never

bring too many

tops to wear in the

NAAFI at night!

If you don’t make

a mess, it means

less time spent

cleaning up!

Pack plenty of

socks, underwear

and t-Shirts!

Try to bring as

much spending

money as you

can, I would say

about £45 - £50

If you ain’t gonna

wash your clothes

whilst in camp take

a black bin bag to

put them in!!

Make as many friends as you can,

they will be with you for life!! If you are having

any problems on

camp, speak to an

adult, they will help

If you are asked to

do something by an

adult or senior cadet

NCO, do it and don’t

back chat!!

Respect others and

don’t do to them

what you wouldn’t

want doing to

you!!

Annual Camp Packing Checklist

Below is a checklist for when you are packing for camp, don’t tick it until you are actually putting it into your bags. Make sure your bags are clearly marked and are strong enough to take the load and don’t use carrier bags as they tend to get ripped and lost. Packed Tick when Packed

CADET KIT Packed KIT MAINTENANCE Packed

All Issued uniform Boot Polish/Brushes

Boots (You will be wearing these!) Duster

PERSONAL HYGIENE Spare Laces

Towel x 2 (Hand & Bath) Spare Elastics

Bar of Soap Sewing kit, with spare buttons.

Hair Shampoo Washing powder. (If washing your clothes.)

Tooth Brush/Paste MISCELLANEOUS

Hair brush/Comb Knife, Fork, Spoon, Mug

Foot Powder Notebook and Pen/Pencil

First aid Plasters Watch

Deodorant Envelopes and stamps for writing home

Suntan lotion/lip sol 4 x bungees

Flip-flops for shower/toilets Black bin bag (for dirty washing)

Any medicine you may take Hangers for your kit (5 min)

CIVILIAN CLOTHING Padlock with spare keys (for locker)

Clothes for off duty in camp/visits NON ESSENTIAL (but useful)

Spare Underwear/Socks (lots of!) Norwegian shirt

Coat/Jacket Waterproofs

Sleeping clothes Pocket Knife

Footwear Torch

SPORTS KIT Sleeping Bag

Sport shirt/shorts/socks Webbing

Trainers or pumps Spare Boots

Company T-shirt Gas Cooker

Swimming costume Anything you want to take extra (add to checklist here!)

Tracksuit

DON’T FORGET YOUR SPENDING MONEY!