Category: jamboree journey

Jamboree Merch

On my unit’s latest Jamboree camp, Evolution, we got our new unit hoodies. They contained our name, our unit badge, our unit number, tea bear and the Scout Fleur De Lis.

We also received our unit’s ‘Jamboree in a bag’ which included a flag from each hosting country: Mexico, USA and Canada, maple syrup, a sombrero and many more bits. The idea of this is to go around to local scout groups and tell them about the Jamboree in hope they will grasp the opportunity when it is available to them.

In a ransom with one of the organisers of the UK contingent, we had to return a previously ‘borrowed’ tea bear cut out in order to be given our own UK contingent necker and badge. We were told to sew our UK contingent badges onto our uniform above the membership badge on your left chest, with the tea bear level NOT the tea cup.

My mum figured the best and easiest way to sew it on was to use a sewing machine and hence used white thread around the bottom of the badge and blue thread around the cup. Other people in my unit have been ironing them on which is one of my pet peeves of badges even though the badge is iron on after quick wash.

On our camp, we also received our fundraising badges and my own personal participator badge which has already been sewn onto my right arm on my uniform underneath all of my unit name tags, district and county badge and my Young Leaders badge.

I hope that some of this information is useful and I am willing to swap my unit’s badge with my blog readers.

Evolution: #stravolution part 2

Many apologies for not posting on Sunday I’ve been very busy recently – apparently one of my jamboree unit has a secret blog and I’ve been trying to figure out who! I’ve also been visiting family-a big shout out to my Grandma ‘Happy Birthday’ it was great to see everyone at your party. One of my cousins couldn’t make the party she was in hospital having my new 2nd cousin.

So last week I posted about helping out at Strategy well this blog post is all about Evolution. It’s similar to Strategy but is for Explorers, Network and their Guiding counterparts.

There were 15 bases including moving a flag pole, an assault course, the caving bus, don’t buzz the wire, axe throwing, belay systems, catch the bean bag in hat, total wipe out and move the golf ball thought pipes. It was a hot and tiring day but our patrol leader kept us motivated and we managed to visit 14 of the bases.

The evening entertainment was a band called The Lost and they were good.

There were several jamboree units there and I’m quite jealous of Unit 82s hoodies, they look great. Unit 82 also took along a paddling pool – seriously cool! I’m also very envious and secretly hoping we steal the idea of the woggles that Unit 81 have.

The food this weekend was yet again delicious and I loved the curry, but didn’t get free chips this weekend 🙁

We got to sleep in some tents from the last World Scout Jamboree so I didn’t need to take my own this time. I think I must have scared away all the spiders as even though I came prepared with my peppermint tea bags I didn’t discover any.

How did we do? We didn’t win but my patrol were in the top 30 out of over 100 teams which I think is pretty good given this is the first time we’ve done something like this as a Unit. It’d be great to do it again next year, maybe I’ll have worked out who the secret blogger is by then.

Strategy: #stravolution part 1.

My Mum says how times have changed since she was a Venture Scout as the last words she said to me when dropping me off at camp this weekend were “have you got your charger cable?” Does she not fully appreciate the Scout motto! Well she certainly does now as next time I go camping she’s threatening to get the plumber in.

Before I write about this weekend, let me tell you about last weekend, when I helped out at Strategy, a event full of activities and challenges aimed at Scouts and Guides. I thought I’d use this blog to give you an idea of what that involved.

I arrived on Friday evening and, after pitching my tent, went to find a job to do as this was a working weekend. Unfortunately there were no jobs to do at the time so I went and explored the site and then investigated the disco. After a tiring evening (I had come straight from school) I went to bed.

We had an early start at a quarter to seven to go and get our breakfast, before working on the packed lunch conveyor belt. We then packed our day sacks ready to ‘man’ the bases.

For the morning I was at the Catapult base, at this base participants could score up to 100 points by catapulting 5 tennis balls and 5 soft balls into a variety of targets like buckets (an automatic 100 points), a paddling pool (20 points each) and a roped off area (5 points each) with bonus points if they ‘accidently’ hit one of the Young Leaders.

After lunch I moved bases to a giant “buzz wire” game. This time they had two minutes to complete the challenge to earn 100 points, but lost points every time they made it buzz.

I helped checked off the wristbands of each person as they came through for dinner and then had other tasks such as being on “hand sanitiser duty” and giving out pudding. After dinner was over I helped out in the café, scooping ice-cream onto waffles and taking payment for ice-cream cones. Even though I was on the ice-cream stand I somehow ended up eating free chips.

Once our set tasks were over we played with an American football someone had brought (well the Jamboree is in the USA) and generally wound down.

When we got back to our tents my Spidey-Senses kicked in. One of my tent buddies had left the inner tent unzipped and we’d been invaded during the day. My skill at spotting spiders no-one else had seen was incredible and we finally got to sleep.

After another early start on Sunday I helped run an “Escape Room” style challenge where they had to solve the puzzles to open a bike lock. After lunch we helped pack up until finally I was rescued and got to go home and rest. It was a lot of rest which is why my blog was so late last week!

The weekend was a good chance to catch up with some of my Jamboree Unit and also find out more about what to expect for when we came back this weekend to take part ourselves.

To end part one of this tale you’ll be pleased to hear that, thanks to a battery pack and the previously mentioned charging cable, my phone just about had enough charge until I got home.

A weekend of (fun)draising

So since Friday I have been fundraising all weekend. I have officially decided that after 7 months of fundraising it is not fun anymore so I’m am changing the name. I shall now call it draising! – to take away the fun of it.

On a positive note, I have nearly raised half of my final total of £4,000. I am also going on two camps over the next two weekends with my county and Jamboree unit.

Whilst draising, I have been in the cold, the rain, the wind and the sun. I have been to my District’s AGM where I talked about my Jamboree journey so far, displayed some of my photos and sold some of my craft items. I managed to talk to some of the ISTs who had been selected and talked to them about the campsite.

I have also met the Dulux dog, Peppa Pig and someone whose father helped to organise the UK Scouts going to the 13th World Scout Jamboree in 1971 to Japan which got evacuated for two days because of a typhoon (hoping this won’t happen to me when I go to the 24th WSJ).

A massive ‘shout out’ to all those who have helped me so far – I really appreciate it.

#UK24WSJ

Anyone else been to a consultation day?
Because I have …
And I’ve seen some kit ideas, but I’m not allowed to tell you as it’s super secret!
I can tell you that when we got there we had pastries for breakfast and M&S sandwiches and crisps for lunch as well as as many Percy Pigs that I could eat. Yum.
I also had the opportunity to go ‘Speed Scouting’ a bit like speed dating but no date at the end ;-(
We created a graffiti wall of ideas for the post event and even took part in our own dragons den pitching our ideas on HoHo.
They asked us what activities we wanted in our jamboree in a box so we could teach Beavers, Cubs and Scouts about the Jamboree.
I had a fantastic time contributing to the jamboree and eating the M&S sandwiches ;

-)

#youshape #uk24wsj

It’s a long way to West Virginia, it’s a long way to go

Today while I was shopping in an outlet shopping centre I spotted another WSJ participant, busy cycling his way to West Virginia to aid his fundraising.

His Mum was very happy to share fundraising ideas especially as she is a fundraising expert having been through it all before with the WSJ to Japan with her older son.

A big shout out to Unit 77 and good luck with your future fundraising.

Catch Up

I managed to complete my #UNPLUGGED week without getting a perm and singing 80s songs at the top of my voice. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be.

To catch up with my jamboree story I recently held a quiz night and have signed up for more bag packs.

I have also been selected by my unit to attend a consultation day with the UK’s unit team. I will go along with my other representatives in my unit and we will meet up with other units in our region to help make some of the big decisions regarding kit etc.

I have also come up with some more fundraising ideas, including an Easter raffle at my school and another with my Scout Group and have started to make kumihimo bracelets and paracord people. We’ve been on the lookout for Easter egg offers in the supermarkets and thanks to Hobbycraft having a 20% discount day which enabled me to buy craft supplies.

 

My first Jamboree badge

The post came and there was a letter for me. I opened it and inside was a letter about the jamboree.

It confirmed my place and told me that the Bear mascot for the UK contingent was holding a special gift for me. It was my very own unit name tape badge for my county unit for the 24th World Scout Jamboree. Happy sewing Mum! (She’s a bit OCD when it comes to how badges are sewn onto my uniform – but that’s less sewing for me)

I’ve also found out that 3 others from my Explorer unit have got places along with Backpack and Shorty.

The Long Wait

I waited for what felt like eternity to get my email.

The first weekend after the camp came around and there was no email.  The next day, we got an email saying they would tell us by the following weekend because it was a difficult process.

The email finally came on the Wednesday night when I was asleep. My mum came rushing into my room and woke me up to tell me the news.

I got a place!

I was overfilled with emotions but, I was very confused. It was late and, so I thought it was all a dream.

The next morning it hit me. It was real. I would be going to America in 2019 and I could not believe it.

Selection Weekend – Day 2

I walked down to breakfast with Shorty and her explorer friends. We managed to skip the breakfast queue accidently and did not realise until we walked down to the campfire circle and spotted that there was a queue, Whoops. We ate breakfast quickly and then I went back to my tent to pack.

My patrol for today were all in consecutive order in the 30’s with myself being the odd one out as number 84. We completed more activities including tunnelling, a giant tower of Hanoi made from old tyres, suspension bridge and charades. My favourite activity this day was the suspension bridge.

After we completed all of the activities we split off for lunch. I joined the queue with Potato and collected my lunch, no queue jumping this time.  I ate with Backpack and Twinkle Toes until it was time to pack up my tent.

After my tent was all packed, I walked back to the campfire circle where we were all debriefed. We were told that they would email us shortly if got into the Gloucestershire unit.

That was all I could do, it was time for them to decide who would participate in the WSJ2019.

I had an awesome time and I am still in contact with all of my friends.