ELFINS SPRING CAMP AT HEIGHT GATE: MAY 2014

The Hebden Bridge Elfins went on a spring camp from Friday 16th to Sunday 18th May at Height Gate. It was a wonderful weekend, full of sunshine, laughter, adventure and teamwork. Special thanks go to all the adults who helped out - Adele, Phil, George, Jill, Wayland, Donna, Graham, Joey, Jon and Mark - and to our Camp Clans - the Pine Trees, the Eagles, the Hares and Wisdom, a band of three Woodchips, Monty, Elsie and Otis - for all their hard work over the weekend.

We were truly blessed with the most remarkable weather; blue skies, sunshine and not a drop of rain meant we could be outside from when the Elfins rose - 05:55 on the first morning - until the sun disappeared behind Stoodley Pike. We flew kites, whittled, searched for pignuts, did some canyoning, sang around the fire, and played games...French cricket, British Bulldog, Camp Cluedo, swingball and lots more.

And what did the Elfins say they enjoyed most? Spying on the adults, falling in the river, spinning in the tyre swing and just simply being outside and free. Daisy said it was the 'best weekend she'd ever had', and Sam's mum reported that he'd 'clearly had the most brilliant weekend'. We captured 'The Good, The Bad and The Funny' on large sheets of paper which we revisited at group night on 5 June. All of this means that many of our Elfins will now receive their I Belong badges. A major milestone for any Woodie.

For me, the most inspiring thing is seeing our Elfins working and playing together in harmony, looking out for each other, and co-operating to get things done, whether it's setting the table for meals or, in the case of our little Woodchips, making a delicious pudding for the rest of the group. 

The Elfins at our spring camp were: Eli, Monty, Jo, Martha, Elsie, Lenni, Tom, Phoenix, Otis, Sam, Arlen, Macsen, Oliver, Alfie, Caleb, Daisy and Kaia. Thanks all for a magical, memorable weekend.

Who's up for more in the summer?

Blogpost by Rob. Thanks to Phil Cheshire-Neal for the photographs.

Hebden Bridge Woodcraft Folk is grateful for the support of:

GROUP NIGHT DIARY - Elfins Foraging - 8 May 2014

This week we took the Hebden Bridge Elfins foraging for wild food in Nutclough Woods with Jesper Launder, local medical herbalist and wild food expert.

We met at Nutclough Housing Cooperative who very kindly allowed us to use their community room, and Jesper led the group through the woods looking out for interesting edible things. Our Elfins learned to identify tasty and beneficial things to eat on the woodland floor and hiding in treeholes, including wood sorrel, turkey tail fungi, pig nuts and other natural nibbles.

Jesper is a really engaging presenter and he had the group fascinated by his knowledge and understanding of the natural environment. Most Elfins were keen to try new and unusual foodstuffs, although looking at George's face (second from bottom left corner) I am not so sure he shared their enthusiasm.

Having braved the rain and midges we gathered in the Nutclough Tavern for (ready made) watercress and nettle soup and a rendition of There's a Hole in my Bucket, a new song for the group, led by Rob, Eli and Monty. Some Elfins hadn't heard it before and it was great to spot the moment when they realised the funny ending. In case you don't know it, here's Harry Belafonte and Odetta doing the song way back in 1960:

And as usual, no Woodies group night would be complete without our closing song - Link Your Hands Together.

It was a great night - special thanks to Nutclough and Jesper.

GROUP NIGHT DIARY: Elfins Camp Kit List Activity - 1 May 2014

This week we used our Elfins group night to start out group on the journey towards their first badge - I Begin. This badge is awarded in recognition of Elfins having a sense of loyalty and belonging to their Woodcraft Group. We are going away on a residential in two weeks so decided to use the preparation of a group kit list as the theme for gaining the I Begin badge.


The I Begin badge is awarded on completion of 5 elements:

1. Six Weeks Membership - the majority of the Hebden Bridge group have done this
2. Draw or colour the Woodcraft Folk symbol - we're going to make a large one to leave at Height Gate
3. Be Helpful - Elfins always help tidy away chairs, set up snacks and prepare activities
4. Pass a Message - we'll do this at camp
5. Learn and participate in 4 co-operative games

We split our Elfins into 4 groups, got them to draw around one of their number on a large sheet of paper, and then supported them to work as teams to draw all the items they'd need to take on camp. Here are some pictures of them hard at work.

CIRCLE, CREED AND SONG

Every so often, we'll use this blog to give you a bit more information about what we do and why we do it. This entry is about the structure of group nights.

Ceremony and rhythm are really important aspects of Woodcraft Folk. Elfins take quite readily to ceremonies, their romantic appeal and uniqueness adding a richness and colour which may be absent from other aspects of modern life. That's why we ensure that a typical Elfins group night has a number of fixed events. They are:


Opening Circle 
This marks the formal start of the session. We sit in a circle and the group is welcomed by the leader for the evening. A talking stick is passed around and everyone is given the opportunity to speak their name and tell their fellow Elfins a piece of news from their week. The aim of the stick is to make sure that everyone listens to whoever has it, and that everyone is heard.


The Creed
The Elfin Creed is a declaration - a simple statement of intent or purpose which embodies the ideals of Woodcraft Folk. There's lots of different creeds that have evolved since the 1920s when Woodcraft was founded. You can read them here.
Hebden Bridge Elfins recite the version that was popular in the 1960s and 70s. It goes like this:

I will grow strong and straight - like the pine;
Supple of limb - like the hare;
Keen of eye like the eagle;
I will seek health from the greenwood,
Skill from crafts,
And wisdom from those who will show me wisdom.
I will be a worthy comrade in the Green Company,
And a loyal member of the World Family.

As Elfins settle into the group, they gradually grow to learn it and gain confidence in speaking it out loud.


Closing Circle
This is where we give final notices - like news about forthcoming activities - and say farewell. We always finish with the Woodcraft anthem 'Link Your Hands Together', with everyone crossing arms and holding hands with their neighbours (a bit like when you do Auld Lang Syne). It's quite a stirring tune with lovely words that capture the spirit of Woodies:

Link your hands together
A circle we make;
This bond of our friendship
No power can break.
Let's all sing together
In one merry throng;
Should any be weary
We'll help them along;
Should any be weary
We'll help them along.

Again, the words to all three verses a can be found on the Wikipedia entry.

GROUP NIGHT DIARY: Stone Balancing in Nutclough Woods - 10 April 2014

For our last group night before the break for Easter, our Elfins met at Nutclough Woods for an evening of larking about, stone balancing and a campfire. It's always great when the light evenings return and we can get outside and enjoy nature - that's what Woodcraft is all about after all. Here's some of the Elfins' creations.

It's great to see the Elfins get really engrossed in activities like this, ankle deep in river water, carefully selecting and balancing their rocks. At the end, we went round the sculptures and asked the children to tell the rest of the group about what they had made. There were some interesting explanations that wouldn't have been out of place at the Turner Prize.

At the end of the session we lit a campfire - and we also created this intriguing blend of primitive and modern. The LED display had been made at the previous week's group night with help from Dave Weirdigan from LED Fantastic.

NEWS - Elfins Group Spring Camp: Friday 16th to Sunday 18th May 2014

Getting outside, enjoying nature and camping have been at the heart of the Woodcraft ethos since its very early days in the 1920s. Find out more about that here. We aim to have group camps at least twice a year, once in the spring and once in the summer. We're really lucky to have Height Gate - one of Woodcraft's camping barns - right on our doorstep and this is where we'll be going next month. Want to know more? Then read on.



Who's it for?
This is a camp for Elfins. Parents to accompany younger kids (at least one adult for 2-3 children). Siblings welcome, last year the youngest ones mainly came up for Saturday afternoon and night, which seemed to work well.

Where is it? Height Gate, a fabulous Woodcraft Folk owned camping barn in a 17th century farmhouse in the shadow of Stoodley Pike. One mile up a long, rough track from the main A646 Halifax to Todmorden Road.

How do we get there?
Details are to be finalised at the planning meeting on 29th April at the Shoulder of Mutton in Mytholmroyd. All parents are welcome to come along.

We will meet on the afternoon of Friday 16th on the lane over from Eastwood CC near the old Forest School site, around 4.30pm. We will load camping gear into cars and walk up the hill to the camping barn. The walk takes about 1hr, very steep and hilly. We can bring tents if people want to camp, or stay in dormitories. There are four or five rooms, loads of space and places to sleep.

Why should you come?
We'll have campfires, loads of happy kids milling about, play silly games, sing folky, funny songs, enjoy good company, eat good food...all within a beautiful setting,

How much does it cost?
We received a generous grant last year from the Big Lottery Fund so are able to cover the cost of the camping accommodation. We need a contribution of £10 per person (child or adult) for catering costs.

Booking is essential and only to a maximum of 30. To add your names to our email list, please email Jennifer. We are already close to capacity for this camp but there are a few places left. We will need payment asap to confirm your booking. Cheques should be made payable to Hebden Bridge Woodcraft Folk.

For more information or to book a place please call George on ‪07967 270722‬

Welcome to Hebden Bridge Woodcraft Folk

Hello and welcome to Hebden Bridge Woodies' new web presence.

If you've ever tried to search for us on the web you'll know this is a long time coming. Hebden Bridge Woodies has been running for many years and our valley is home to Height Gate, one of national Woodcraft's camping barns.

We're going to keep this new blog up to date with all the important information for group members, their parents and other interested people.

Watch this space for news of our Elfins spring camping weekend, from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 May.

Blue skies (for the uninitiated, that's the Woodies sign-off).

Rob