Student Scouts and Guides organise mammoth event for local children named after the Kohoutek comet

By Patrick Sullivan, Film & TV Editor

On March 9, a group of over 20 University of Bristol students, along with two UWE students and other associated helpers, ran a day of Jurassic themed activities for over 200 local Scouts and Guides from across the South West.

One of the original co-founders of Kohoutek, Bristol alumni Gordon Dutton, who studied Medicine 1971-1976, travelled from Glasgow to be at Woodhouse Park, Almondsey for the second reinstated Kohoutek event, which he started in 1973 and named after the comet first sighted in the same year. In 2017, the University of Bristol Guides and Scouts Society (UOBGAS), headed by then Second Year Engineering Design student and current President, Shona Allman, resumed the tradition after an eleven year absence.

20 bases were designed and prepared in advance by a committee of five members: Shona Allman (now in her fourth year), Owen Jones (Second Year PhD, Communications Engineering), Amy Holt (First Year PhD, Cellular Molecular Medicine), Dominic Roe (Fourth Year, Aerospace Engineering), and Freya Upton (First Year, Engineering Maths). These included excavating (from sand) and piecing together 3D jigsaw dinosaur skeletons, building catapults (to fire water balloons), and creeping through rope mazes without ringing the bells on them.

In 1997, the theme of Kohoutek was also dinosaur themed, but the young helpers, aged 18-25, mixed it up by having each of the teams keep an egg safe throughout the day with the children coming up with names such as Eggbert or Shelley. The venue was two fields about 15 minutes north of Bristol city centre, just off the M5, and the 45 teams of children from different Scouts or Guides groups from Bristol, Bath, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire were allocated two or three to a base and changed fields either side of lunchtime.

Over 200 children began arriving at 9.30am on a grey and windy Saturday morning, ahead of the opening ceremony at 10am. They then started rotating round the bases, 15 minutes each, with regular breaks as the sun crept out for extended periods. For each activity, the student base leaders scored the competing teams on not only their ability but their teamwork and communication as well. Around a campfire at the end of the day, the winning team, 2nd Winterbourne Down Guides from the Frome Valley area, collected the trophy. Additionally, there was a special prize, a wooden spoon to match the original Kohoutek 1973 trophy carved by the original co-founder Gordon Dutton himself, awarded to the 62nd Bristol Scouts for their admirable teamwork.

‘It’s lovely to see the event taking place in exactly the same way as it happened 46 years ago!’ Gordon remarked upon seeing the continued running of his conception, based on the Cheshire Hike Scouting event. He discovered it was still going on after randomly googling ‘Kohoutek Bristol’ earlier in the academic year.

Jenny Rodgers, a First Year Engineering Design student, was running the excavation base and appreciates UOBGAS as a hobby alongside her studies. ‘[Kohoutek] has been really good fun. The kids seem enthusiastic. It’s nice to escape and get a breather from university.’

Kelsey (who was enrolled as a guide on the day), Rachir, Pepper, Bailey, and Grace (all aged 11-12), part of the 17th Eastville Park Methodist Guides from the Fishponds area, were in the competition 25 years after their leader, Lorianne, took part herself, aged 14 in 1994. Their favourite activity was the three-legged obstacle course. ‘We needed to listen and communicate,’ Rachir said. ‘Be kind to each other,’ another said. There was a special togetherness on show throughout the groups, and certainly no arguments between these five girls. What had they had named their cherished dinosaur egg? ‘Jeffy!’ they all exalted. ‘...with a silent “S”,’ Rachir added. So, would that be Sjeffy then?

UOBGAS, part of Student Scout and Guide Organisation (SSAGO), itself was only established again in 2015 by Georgie Joy and Harry Bradbury, who returned to help with the day’s event. Joy is currently volunteering at an international campsite in Switzerland, Kandersteg, which is a permanent jamboree. The 95th anniversary of the first University of Bristol scouting or guiding society was in 2017, making it one of the oldest societies at the University. Allman also formed part of the founding committee.

Kohoutek 2019 was entirely organised by the student committee, but they worked in accordance with the local Scouting and Guiding groups. Graham Brant, Avon Scouts County Commissioner came along to the event and was overjoyed at how UOBGAS had set up the event.

‘For us, it’s really important to involve younger people [students] and to integrate the University societies and get them to work with the local Scouting groups,’ he said. ‘ While many third year [students] already work regularly with them [throughout the year], [Kohoutek] introduces the first years who have just moved to a new area [to their local Scouting or Guiding community].’

‘It’s fantastic to get the Scouts and Guides together.’ Avon Scouts Assistant County Commissioner Andrew Phelps and leader of 1st Stoke Gifford Scouts Group noted.

‘It’s been a very well organised event and we’re grateful for the UOBGAS for arranging it for the girls,’ said Karen Butler, Guides County Administrator and Inclusion Advisor, also Leader of 1st Stoke Gifford Guides.

The final word has to be given to the hardworking students who ran the day. Shona Allman, after a long day starting by setting up and camping the night before and ending after 5pm, still had all the enthusiasm in the world. ‘It’s been a busy and rewarding event to run, promoting and developing leadership, communication, and teamwork skills not only in the Scouts and Guides participating in the activities, but also the [student] base leaders and organising committee. A massive thanks to all who helped and participated!’

Kohoutek is a special day, but it celebrates all the values UOBGAS display throughout the year helping in the community. ‘If you would like to get involved in similar madness, you can get in contact with [us]!’ Allman emphasised.

Featured Image Credit: Epigram / Patrick Sullivan

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