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(c) School Journeys and Camps.
During the year several Departments undertook School
Journeys to different places for varying periods. The children
were accommodated in Boarding-houses or hostels, while some
went under canvas.
All children before going on a School Journey are examined
by an Assistant School Medical Officer, as to their fitness to
undertake the journey.
Holiday Camps were held during the Summer Vacation for
boys and girls, at Shoeburyncss and Isle of Wight respectively.
Here again all selected children were previously medically inspected
and dentally examined, special regard being paid to cleanliness
and freedom from contagion.
This branch of the Education Committee's activities is not
only greatly appreciated by the children who are fortunate enough
to go, but show results, from the medical point of view, which
make one regret that this scheme could not be still further
extended.
The following extracts from the reports of the respective
Camp Superintendents are of interest:—
Mr. Pannell reports—
Twelve annual camps have now been organised by the Education
Committee, and eleven of these have been held on the same
site at Shoeburyness. It will indeed be difficult to find another
field so well situated for camping, but the time has come when
such efforts must be made. Building operations and road developments
have rendered such a course necessary, and, furthermore,
a change is desirable if only because the camp will benefit
considerably by moving to new surroundings.
Attending these camps year by year one is apt to overlook
the gradual changes taking place, and it is only by throwing back
one's mind to some of our earlier ventures that one realises the
vast improvements which have taken place. In this organisation
the Committee have something to be proud of, and need not fear
comparison with any boys' holiday camp in the country; but
further progress can, and doubtless will, be made.
The camp equipment was taken to Shoeburyness on Friday,
17th July, all loading and unloading being carried out with the
least possible delay. Some two dozen willing helpers arrived
during the evening, and so well did the work proceed that the
large marquee, two smaller ones, and about a dozen tents were
erected by 9.0 p.m. On Saturday the wind was blowing with
almost hurricane force, and this made the work of putting up
even the small tents a very difficult matter. However, we were
justified in congratulating ourselves on the progress of the previous
evening, for the erection of the large marquee in such a
wind would have been highly dangerous if not almost impossible.
Despite such unfavourable conditions, the time taken to set up
the camp was a record.
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