Download pdf - explorers

The magazine for Explorer

Scout LeadersAugust/

September 2011

scouts.org.uk

Part of the team

Involving Young Leaders in

Young Leader training

Get readyIdeas for the start

of the new Scouting year

MUDDY GOODMUDDY GOOD

Events that challenge and entertain

BE PURPLE

Groovy T-shirts

EXPLORERSUPP_AUGSEPT2011_FINAL.indd 1 07/07/2011 11:53

for

Venture Abroad Holiday!Venture Abroad Holiday!Venture Abroad Holiday!Venture Abroad Holiday!Venture Abroad Holiday!Venture Abroad Holiday!Venture Abroad Holiday!Venture Abroad Holiday!Venture Abroad Holiday!Venture Abroad Holiday!Venture Abroad Holiday!Venture Abroad Holiday!Make it extra special with a

www.ventureabroad.co.uk01332 342 050 | [email protected]

in partnership with

www.ventureabroad.co.ukContact us today to � nd out more about our fantastic summer destinations and

what your Troop can experience in 2012.

Are you prepared

Destinations include:

Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Iceland, Croatia and many more...

blog.ventureabroad.co.uk

See for yourself what a Venture Abroad summer adventure is really like as you follow the blogs of our resort representatives based at De Kluis - Belgium, KISC - Switzerland and Sweden, home of the 2011 World Scout Jamboree.

forforAre you prepared

Summer 2012?

224 - Scout_Supp.indd 1 06/07/2011 10:34:46EXPLORERSUPP_AUGSEPT2011_FINAL.indd 2 07/07/2011 11:54

3scouts.org.uk/pol

Deputy UK Commissioner for Programme Graeme Hamilton takes an overview of camps, programme,

activities and involving young people

Summer’s well under way now and thousands of young people have

experienced the thrills of camps both in the UK and abroad. This ranges

from a first time Beaver Scout residential experience to the life-changing time

being had by those attending the 22nd World Scout Jamboree in Sweden.

I’ve had a great time getting out and about and visiting camps and events

wherever I can. The excitement, fun, friendships, and development I’ve

witnessed is a stark reminder of what makes our voluntary roles so special as we

guide and mentor young people through their lives for the few hours a week

that they engage with us.

We’ve now completed the recruitment for the various programme project

teams and the UK Programme support team. Thank you to everyone who

contributed to this effort. Everyone is now hard at work undertaking a huge

range of tasks to ensure that we have the right up-to-date support for leaders

across the country.

This is also a good time to let you know about a special project which will

appear in the October/November supplement. We’ll be including some ideas for

activities to run with your Unit to ensure that we get great feedback about what

they think could make the programme better.

We don’t want to run activities for young people without involving those

young people and this will form part of our drive for greater youth involvement.

So, be prepared and build some time in your programme during October or

November to run these activities and send the responses back to the

Programme team.

Around and about

Contents

Published by:The Programme TeamThe Scout Association, Gilwell Park, Chingford, London E4 7QWTel: 0845 300 1818

Contributions to:[email protected]

ADVERTISINGRichard [email protected] Tel: 020 8962 1258

For ease of reading, this supplement refers to all variations of ‘county’ groupings simply as County.

4 News and updatesOpportunities to speak up, trek the globe, network socially and involve young people

7 Be purpleBeen there, done that? Wear the T-shirt

8 Take your seatCostume drama at the Sedan Chair Rally, as the teams battle it out

10 Digital championsA Unit from Wales team up with Martha Lane Fox to teach old folks new skills

12 Start as you mean to go onProgramme pointers from Taking the Lead

14 Leading by exampleThe Young Leaders’ Scheme in Bolton

16 Outdoor expertsCotswold Outdoor encourages us to hike away

18 Dream teamThe last of the Jamboree Dreams series sees us speak to a member of the IST

COVERED IN MUDOur cover star is one of 300 Explorer Scouts who went the whole hog at West Lancashire’s County Explorer Camp. Held at Great Tower Scout Activity Centre, the mudfest was just one highlight of an action packed weekend that included rock climbing, caving, mountain biking and circus skills.

WELCOME

Hamilton

Summer’s well under way now and thousands of young people have

experienced the thrills of camps both in the UK and abroad. This ranges

all variations of ‘county’ groupings for

Venture Abroad Holiday!Venture Abroad Holiday!Venture Abroad Holiday!Venture Abroad Holiday!Venture Abroad Holiday!Venture Abroad Holiday!Venture Abroad Holiday!Venture Abroad Holiday!Venture Abroad Holiday!Venture Abroad Holiday!Venture Abroad Holiday!Venture Abroad Holiday!Make it extra special with a

www.ventureabroad.co.uk01332 342 050 | [email protected]

in partnership with

www.ventureabroad.co.ukContact us today to � nd out more about our fantastic summer destinations and

what your Troop can experience in 2012.

Are you prepared

Destinations include:

Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Iceland, Croatia and many more...

blog.ventureabroad.co.uk

See for yourself what a Venture Abroad summer adventure is really like as you follow the blogs of our resort representatives based at De Kluis - Belgium, KISC - Switzerland and Sweden, home of the 2011 World Scout Jamboree.

forforAre you prepared

Summer 2012?

224 - Scout_Supp.indd 1 06/07/2011 10:34:46 EXPLORERSUPP_AUGSEPT2011_FINAL.indd 3 11/07/2011 15:06

4 Explorer August/September 2011

news and updatesThe latest soundings from the Gilwell team, dates for your diary and chances to get involved. If you’ve got news, spread it via [email protected]

THE OFFICIAL SCOUT SHOP.

2011 © C

opyright The Scout Association

Charity no. 306101 (England and W

ales) and SCO

38437 (Scotland)

tel: 01903 766 921

4. Youth/Men’s Scout Activity Trousers101654 Colour: NavySizes: 11 - 13 years

£16.00101652Sizes: 30 - 60” waist

£27.00

Uniform key elements for Explorer Scouts/Air and Sea Explorer Scouts

3. Scout L/S Shirt101600 and 101587Colour: Beige (Explorer), Light Blue (Air and Sea)Sizes: XS to 4XL

£20.00

1. Scout L/S Blouse101598 and 101504Colour: Beige (Explorer), Light Blue (Air and Sea)Sizes: XS to XL

£20.00

2. Girl’s/Women’s Scout Activity Trousers101655Colour: NavySizes: 11 -13 years

£16.00101653Sizes: 8 to 36

£27.00

1

2

3

4

NEW!NEW!

404.1 - SS Scouting mag and sup ads aug/sep.indd 1 04/07/2011 11:07

Have you used Globe Trekker yet? Globe Trekker is an online interactive world map, where people submit their reviews of international trips they’ve been on. It’s a great way of sharing information on your overseas trips and experiences, or of finding out more about a country you’re thinking of going to. Reviews are left by all sorts of people – from Beavers who’ve been on a daytrip to France to Network members who’ve gone travelling in Australia.

If you’ve been on a trip and have anything good – or bad – to say about your experience, this is a place you can share it with others. Your feedback will encourage them to do similar trips – and there’s an option for you to leave your email address if you want other people to get in touch with you for further advice. Also if you have a somewhere you wouldn’t recommend – this is one of the only places where you can pass on this advice. Alternatively if you’re thinking about going abroad but are not sure where or how, you can browse the map. If you know where you want to go but want advice on campsites and activities – you can see where other people have been and what they thought.

This resource is only as good as the information provided, so the more reviews, the more useful it is for everyone. Check it out, and if you’re a globetrekker, leave a review.

www.scouts.org.uk/globetrekker

NEWS

Devon sentHave you spotted Devonian superstar Georgia, an Explorer Scout Young Leader from Barnstaple who features on page 20 of Scouting this issue? She led a Beaver Colony meeting using ideas from the Join-in-Jamboree resource, before setting off for Sweden as part of the Devon Unit.

We’d love to know what you thought of the resources. Please send your feedback to [email protected]

All profits generated from this site will be donated to The Scout Association, supporting their ongoing efforts of providing adventure and education for children and young adults throughout the UK.

Copyright © 2011 The Scout Association Registered Charity Numbers 306101 (England and Wales) and SC038437 (Scotland).

Be Purple is a new online

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‘Limited quantity.

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THE OFFICIAL SCOUT SHOP.

2011 © C

opyright The Scout Association

Charity no. 306101 (England and W

ales) and SCO

38437 (Scotland)

SCOUT SHOP.

tel: 01903 766 921

4. Youth/Men’s Scout Activity Trousers101654 Colour: NavySizes: 11 - 13 years

£16.00101652Sizes: 30 - 60” waist

£27.00

Uniform key elements for Explorer Scouts/Air and Sea Explorer Scouts

3. Scout L/S Shirt101600 and 101587Colour: Beige (Explorer), Light Blue (Air and Sea)Sizes: XS to 4XL

£20.00

1. Scout L/S Blouse101598 and 101504Colour: Beige (Explorer), Light Blue (Air and Sea)Sizes: XS to XL

£20.00

2. Girl’s/Women’s Scout Activity Trousers101655Colour: NavySizes: 11 -13 years

£16.00101653Sizes: 8 to 36

£27.00

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NEW!NEW!

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www.towntocountry.co.uk

YOUR CONFERENCE CENTRES

The Scout Association Registered Charity Numbers 306101 (England and Wales) and SC038437 (Scotland).

t: 0207 590 6909 e: [email protected]

t: 0208 498 5300 e: [email protected]

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NEWS

Now in its fourth year, Scouts Speak Up is your opportunity

to ask senior MPs the questions that you want answers to.

Each event will be held during the Conservative, Labour and

Liberal Democrat Party Conferences, in Manchester,

Liverpool and Birmingham.

Each event runs from 3pm to 5pm on:

• Sunday 18 September, Liberal Democrat Party Conference

– The Malmaison Hotel, Birmingham

• Sunday 25 September, Labour Party Conference –

Liverpool Hilton Hotel

• Sunday 2 October, Conservative Party Conference –

Deansgate Hotel, Birmingham.

A £30 travel bursary is available to youth participants.

To attend, email [email protected] with ‘Party

Conferences’ in the subject line.

Speak Up at the party conferences

LIKE THISDo you like Explorer Scouting? Are you on Facebook? If so, have you liked the ‘Explorer Scouts – United Kingdom’ page? When you’re next logged in, go to www.facebook.com/explorerscouts and click ‘Like’ to get updates, events news and questions direct to your news feed.

Faith and awareness events October/November

OctoberBlack History Month

World Blindness Awareness Month

1 International Day of Older Persons

4 World Animal Day

6 Dasera (Hindu)

8 Yom Kippur – Day of Atonement

(Jewish)

10 World Mental Health Day

13 Sukkot begins (Jewish)

19 Sukkot ends (Jewish)

20 Birth of the Báb (Bahá’í)

20 Shemini Atzeret (Jewish)

21 Simchat Torah (Jewish)

26 Diwali (Jain, Hindu, Sikh)

31 Halloween

November 1 All Saints Day (Christian)

5 Arafah Day (Islamic)

6 Eid al Adha (Islamic)

10 Guru Nanak Dev Sahib Birthday

(Sikh)

11 Armistice Day

12 Birth of Bahá’u’lláh (Bahá’í)

13 Remembrance Sunday (UK)

14 World Diabetes Day

14-25 Anti-bullying week

16 International Day for Tolerance

20 Christ the King (Christian)

20 Universal Children’s Day

24 Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur

(Sikh)

24 Thanksgiving Day (USA)

26 Al Hijira Muharram – Muslim New

Year (Islamic)

27 First Sunday of Advent (Christian)

30 Saint Andrew’s Day (Christian, Bank

Holiday Scotland)

SpandangulousA youth empowerment event organised by Greater London South East County is the subject of an in-depth feature on page 32 of Scouting. Spandango covered DofE, the environment, international Scouting and organising projects. Explorer Scouts who attended went away knowing a lot more, though no-one seems to have known why it was called Spandango (not that we’re complaining).









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Take your seatIn a cross between Ben Hur and the Wacky Races, Sedan Chair Rally

is an enduring event open to Explorer Scouts, Network, Rangers and

Sea Rangers. It’s one for the creative and competitive at heart

A lex Attridge is a member of the committee,

and sees the Sedan Chair Rally weekend

as a chance to enjoy the sporting side of the

race and encourage teamwork. ‘The initial

challenge, usually addressed before the weekend, is to

design, build and decorate the sedan chair. Chairs and

costumes are judged on a number of criteria prior to the

race itself.’

The essential task is to carry a member of the team

around the rally course on a sedan chair. This is a catch-all

term for a man-made vehicle which can be as simple

as a stretcher or as complex as Thunderbird 1.

It’s all in the chairThe official guide to building a sedan chair states:

‘A typical design for a chair frame is a seat supported by

two poles on either side running back to front and one

running side to side. This allows four to six people to carry:

one person each side and one or two at front and back.

This combination gives good stability, but can be wide and

less manoeuvrable though the trees.’


21 – 23 October 2011,

Hertfordshire


9scouts.org.uk/pol

This gives a hint towards the choices and compromises

required in the game of sedanchairology.

Before setting off, chairs are inspected and judged

according to the following criteria:

• Safety – Must be safe for persons in chair, carrying

and anyone else

• Strength – Must be able to carry person in chair

• Stability – Should be stable when carrying

• Weight – You have to carry it and a person (plus

any decoration)

• Manoeuvrability – You need to get around the course.

Then there’s the race, run across the campsite, involving

obstacles, checkpoints and a dubious ‘water feature.’

Beyond that, there’s a devilish quiz, other sport tournaments

and the full range of campsite activities.

The event is planned by a committee of 12, with input

from Network members and past participants. For Alex,

the highlights are ‘the Friday night quiz, which is always

popular and an excellent opportunity to meet new people.

Watching everyone in the water base during the race is

good fun. The teams enter “Bert’s Pool” and hopefully

make it out again.’ The rally attracts entries from all over the

country, usually about 275 in number, but they are always

on the look-out for new competitors. And in case you think

this sounds a bit competitive for a Scouting event, rest

assured there is a fancy dress party on the Saturday night.

SEDAN CHAIR RALLY



Digital championschampionschampionschampions

The Explorers teach skills to residents at De Clare Court (top left, top right, right) ; with Martha Lane Fox at the National Digital conference in London (left, above)


11scouts.org.uk/pol

De Clare Court in Haverfordwest was the setting for an unusual Scouting activity, as the Carreg Las Explorer Scout Unit from Pembrokeshire ran online sessions with tenants at the retirement housing project

The Explorers are part of a nationwide initiative

– Race Online 2012 – which aims to get the

estimated nine million people in the UK who

have never used the internet before, clicking,

browsing and surfing their way to new skills.

Community service‘I heard about Race Online through my work,’ says

Explorer Scout Leader Mike Beckett. ‘I thought it would be

a great thing for the Unit to get involved with, and we

registered with the Go ON Adopt scheme, which connects

community groups and volunteers with digitally excluded

groups like care homes. Through that, we’ve adopted De

Clare Court, and been in to run sessions on computing

with the tenants.’

Race Online is the brainchild of Martha Lane Fox, who

came to prominence as the co-founder of lastminute.com.

She hopes to recruit a new wave of ‘Digital Champions’

through the scheme. At the media launch, Martha shared

the stage with a Carreg Las Explorer Scout, Jonathan. She

said: ‘Using the internet can be useful for all sorts of

things; employment, education, saving money. We’ve got

a real shot if we join up those people who do use the

internet every day with the nine million who can’t.’

New frontiersLinda Sutton, a tenant at De Clare Court, is grateful for the

way the Explorers have set to their task: ‘We really

appreciate being shown how to enjoy the internet and all

the new pleasures it can bring. Something that I was

basically afraid of is being taught by the best group of

young people that I have met.’

Gregory is one member of the Unit who’s been leading

from the front: ‘It’s good that we’ve been training people

at De Clare Court how to use computers. Some stuff has

been quite basic, like typing and how to use the mouse,

but also other things like how to use email and get in

contact with their family.

‘It’s very important to allow them to contact other

people in the outside world. Often people go to

retirement homes because they don’t have the support of

their families close at hand. Being able to go online and

use things like Skype can really help them to stay in touch

and know what they’re doing.

‘Being a digital champion is definitely a good feeling.

The knowledge that you’ve helped someone is great.’

Programme opportunityJoining up with Race Online 2012 will open up a barrage

of programme possibilities for an Explorer Scout Unit. Your

young people will have the skills at hand to make the

uninitiated communities tech savvy in no time. Being

connected with a local retirement home or care provider

to do something practical and meaningful could lead on

to a lasting partnership.

Here are five skills your Explorers can teach the digitally

disadvantaged:

1. Email – How to pick a username, password and security

question; how to compose and send an email;

managing an address book; attaching files.

2. Video – How you can learn about an interest through a

video sharing site; browse DIY tips on Youtube; learn

about birds through video clips on rspb.org.uk.

3. Search together – Introduce search engines by finding

out about an older person’s interests and searching the

internet together. Point out websites that you know are

good and explore the results, discussing what you’re

doing.

4. Shopping – Older people may not have as many needs

for items personally, but they will want to buy presents

for family and you can show them how to save money.

The concept of auction sites like eBay and price

comparison websites is one you can explain.

5. Family – Registering on social networks or using tools

like Skype can keep people connected. Show how to set

up a webcam and upload/download photos. From

seeing great-grandchildren grow up to talking to a

distant relative, the internet can be a source of joy to

someone who previously felt cut off.

To sign your Unit up as digital champions, register at raceonline2012.org. To adopt a home go to www.go-onadopt.co.uk

join the revolution

BEST PRACTICE


For many, September is seen as the start of a new Scouting year.

With that in mind, what better time is there to get your Explorers

thinking about what they want to achieve over the next

12 months and how Scouting can help?

Start as you mean to go on

The Explorer section aims to support young

people in taking the lead in all aspects of their

Scouting, from planning their weekly

programme to gaining new skills and generally

being involved in the direction of the section as a whole.

By doing this, Explorers will gain and improve upon a

myriad of skills, which will look great when applying for

college courses, universities and jobs.

Have a look at these ideas from Explorer Scouts: Taking the Lead to help get your Unit thinking about what being

a Scout can do for them and their CV. At the beginning of

the year, have a chat with your Explorers about what they

want to achieve and how it will help them in the future:

What does your CV say about you? As a starter, get your Explorers to think about what

attributes employers may wish to see on an application

form. Split them into small groups and give each one a

different job title. Get the groups to come up with a list of

important characteristics that someone may need for that

role.

Examples of job titles might be:• Teacher

• Architect

• Bank manager

• Nurse

• Tree surgeon

• Dentist

• Farmer

• Journalist.

Ask each pair to feed back their answers to the group as a

whole, generating a list of common attributes which

employers want to see. Use the ‘What Employers Are

Looking For’ list below as a guide to help make sure the

common attributes list covers everything.

What employers are looking for:• Appropriate professional knowledge

• Teamworking skills

• Communication skills

- Written

- Spoken

- Electronic

• People skills

- Leadership

- Motivation

- Delegation

- Persuasion

- Negotiation

• Analytical problem solving capability

• Organisation/planning/prioritising skills

• Decision-making skills

• Initiative

• Friendly, personable manner



13scouts.org.uk/pol

Programme to go

• Enthusiasm

• Reliability

• Flexibility

• Computerliteracy.

QualificationsScoutingisagreatwaytogainnationallyrecognised

qualificationsthatwilllookgreatonanyapplicationform.

Somemayevenhelpdirectlywithafuturejoborhobby.

Herearesomeexamplesandhowtogoaboutfinding

acoursenearyou:

• FirstResponseCourse–FirstAidisalifesavingskilland

looksgreatonanyjobapplication.ContactyourCounty

TrainingManagertoarrangedeliveringacoursefor

yourExplorers.

• DofEAwards–ManyofyourExplorersmaybe

undertakingDofEprogrammesanyway,butemphasise

howmuchtheycanhelpwithCVs,andwhatgaining

theAwardmaymeanforthefuture.Formore

information,visitwww.dofe.org

Working with othersInavastmajorityofindustries,employeeswillbeexpected

toworkaspartof,orlead,ateam.SupportyourExplorers

inimprovingtheseskillsbygettingtheUnittoworkwith

anothercharityonaprojectorcampaign.Examplesmay

include:

• The Woodlands Trust –Beginatree-plantingproject

inyourlocalpark

• Bat Conservation Trust–Buildbatboxesaroundyour

localcommunity.

Preparing for the interviewInviteaparentoranotherScoutingvolunteertoconduct

aninterviewwithamemberoftheUnit,asiftheywere

applyingforajoborcourse.Askthemtoconductthe

interviewinfrontoftheUnit.Ifyouhavetheresources,

tryandvideotheinterviewtoreviewatalaterstage.

Aftertheinterviewasktheguesttohighlightsomekey

points.Thesecouldinclude:

• Theimportanceofpreparationfortheinterview

• Theimportanceofappropriatedress

• Demonstratingthatyouhavekeyskillsforthejob.

AquestionandanswersessionshouldfollowtoallowUnit

memberstocoveranyoutstandingissues.

All of these activities, plus many more, can be found by searching for ‘Taking the Lead’ on Programmes Online



Leading by exampleAndrew Collier first got involved in the Young Leaders’ Scheme two years ago, and has had recent success with involving a current Young Leader in the training team. This is his story

I was taking a break from front-line Scouting, filling

in at various Groups on an ad hoc basis, not really

sure where best to give my time. Then my District

Commissioner asked if I’d like to get involved in

District Explorers, specifically developing the Young

Leaders’ Scheme. This seemed like a great idea as many of

our Explorers were already helping out at their old Groups.

Then last March, joy of joys, our County team ran a

residential weekend to get through the whole scheme and

we promptly packed our Young Leaders off. Three days

later, we got them back; tired, happy and certified.

Whole in oneAround New Year, my County (Greater Manchester North)

again mooted the idea of a residential weekend, so this

time I jumped at the chance and got involved straight

away. The weekend was promoted relentlessly throughout

the various Districts and we ended up with 38 candidates

(up 50 per cent on last year). Thanks to great support from

volunteer trainers, we were able to run simultaneous

sessions for two groups of 19 throughout the weekend.

We put a lot of effort into the format to avoid a dull

experience and judging from feedback from the Young

Leaders, we achieved quite a lot of our aims. In particular,

we had a hilarious time when the young people took it in

turns to run activities they had planned and the rest of us

pretended to be Cubs, Scouts or Beavers as circumstances

dictated.

One of their ownA stand out member of our team was one of our own

Young Leaders. Ciara had attended last year’s weekend

and wanted to come to this one to support her friends.

Seeing an opportunity to swell the ranks, I promptly

seconded her on to the training team. She was able to

provide very useful assistance to the candidates during

their training tasks, offering insight from her own training

and subsequent Young Leader experience.

She was also very good at giving us instant feedback and


15scouts.org.uk/pol

YOUNG LEADERS

WHAT CIARA SAIDHaving attended the course last year, I chose to go to this year’s initially to support my friends, as I knew what sort of activities they’d be taking part in and thought I would be able to give them some tips.

Once the course was underway, one of the things I found was that some of the Young Leaders felt more comfortable asking me questions about certain aspects of the scheme, whereas they may have been too shy to ask one of the ‘grown-ups’. Also, I feel that I have benefited by going again as a leader because, without realising, I put into practice some of my leadership skills. It has definitely helped me understand that whilst certain elements of being a good leader come naturally, there are others that require practise

The course has given me a real insight as to how much work and dedication goes in to just one weekend for the benefit of members. Participating in events is always fun from an Explorer point of view but I’ve also come to see that it is just as much fun being a leader.

If you have a canny way of offering the Young Leaders’ Scheme, tell us about it. Email [email protected]

on occasion dived in to help with presentations and

training games.

Having someone in the same age group who had already

completed the modules made it so much easier for some of

the new trainees and helped us ensure we delivered training

appropriate to the age group. For anyone considering this

route for implementing the scheme, I heartily recommend

including at least one Young Leader on your team.

Becoming the normAs providers of the course, we found the residential weekend

quite exhausting (we all have full time jobs) but very

rewarding. We now intend to have a core training team

available for future courses so that our Young Leaders’

Scheme becomes as normal a part of County support as the

adult training provision. To help realise this, we’ve created a

new role. The County Young Leader Adviser, Jon Atkinson,

will be working closely with the Assistant County

Commissioner for Explorer Scouts, Stacey White, in

developing the scheme further and running future courses.

Having attended the

be taking part in and


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6-8 January 2012

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Outdoor expertsAs sponsors of the Hikes Away Staged Activity Badge, Cotswold Outdoor is the ideal place to visit for equipment, advice and great discounts for your Scouting adventures

The Hikes Away Staged Activity Badge is a

fantastic opportunity to get your Unit out on

the hill and excited about hiking. Whether on

foot or by bike, hikes away give them the

impetus to find all there is to offer in Britain and further

afield.

Use the badge to undertake different levels of hikes or

journeys depending on their level or ability. As sponsors,

Cotswold Outdoor would like to ensure that the correct

clothing and equipment is readily available to Explorer

Scouts and their leaders. The advice that Cotswold

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Cotswold Outdoor has over 60 stores nationwide. Call 0844 557 7755 or visit cotswoldoutdoor.com to find out more.

more info

DISCOUNT OFFERScouts receive 15 per cent discount* and Scout Leaders receive 20 per cent discount* at Cotswold Outdoor.*Not to be used in conjunction with any other offers or discounts. Discount only valid on production of a leader’s appointment card or neckerchief.


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6-8 January 2012

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Jamboree Dreams

Since UK Units were formed we’ve been tracking Jamboree participants from all over the place. Now they’re in Sweden where the dreams are becoming reality. To finish off our series, we spoke to John Ryan, who has travelled to Scandinavia to be part of the International Service Team

Why did you apply to be on the IST?I truly believe that international Scouting makes

us unique among youth organisations and I’ve

been interested in extending my Scouting

for a long time.

What is your experience of Jamborees?I went to the 20th World Scout

Jamboree in Thailand as part of the

IST and had a great time. I met some

incredible people, and I’m still in

contact with some of them today.

What are you hoping to do on the IST?To be honest, I really don’t care what I am

doing when I am out there. We have been

told that we may not find out our role until

we are on site. That should keep things

interesting.

What do people say when you tell them you’re effectively paying to work for two weeks?When I tell them how much it costs, I often

get a look. Then comes the question of simply

Dream team

IST facts6,899 volunteers from 105 countries. 701 from the UKJobs on the IST range from medical doctors to IT specialists.Follow the World Scout Jamboree on Twitter (@UKContingent/@jamboree2011) and online at www.worldscoutjamboree.se

‘Why?’ When I explain about Jamborees and what

happens, you can tell they are jealous.

How do you think the Jamboree experience might change you as

a person?I hope it changes me! I am not one of these

stubborn people who think it won’t change

them. I hope it influences me to be more

tolerant towards life, and gives me an

opportunity to slow down and think about

things. Ultimately I want it to be invigorating.

I hope that I’ll come back brimming with

enthusiasm, ideas and of course stories

of a fantastic event.

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