1974 - Switzerland
In 1972 it was decided that our three-yearly foreign expedition would be in Switzerland. Fund raising commenced and all through 1972 and 1973 plans were formulated and the boys were informed.
In the summer of 1973 Switzerland was visited, after our Scottish summer camp, a site was chosen and preliminary medical arrangements were made in Thun, Kandersteg and Zurich. A charter agreement was entered into and all plans were finalised. Then came the petrol crisis and the costs escalated out of all proportion to normal increases.
At an emergency meeting in January 1974 it was decided to continue the expedition even though this meant that a further £4,000 to our expected budget costs had to be found. A further charter was negotiated, Switzerland was again visited where fully detailed medical lists were issued to all hospitals.
The party consisted of:
Scouts from Disabled Troops.....................50
Venture Scouts from Disabled Troops.........13
Staff........................................................34
Cooks......................................................5
Scouters..................................................18
Total.......................................................120
The total number of wheelchairs in our party was 41.
Over the course of the next 15 days, the boys got the chance to build gateways to their camp, horse riding, campfires, pioneering, visiting Kandersteg, climbing a mountain (in a cable car!), cowboys and indian day, day hike, visit to Zurich and shopping.
