N O I N REU ESS 2014 EX PR
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Expressly Digital. Yes, there were a few spelling errors, and yes, sometimes the parapgraphs didn’t link up quite right, but the very small team in the Express office have worked tirelessly and have been proud to serve you with news that was very literally hot off the presses in most cases! We were also happy to ‘go green’ and distribute the paper online for all our digital readers and those that couldn’t make it this year. The paper was read all over the UK, in the USA, Canada, the Czech Republic, France and Spain, and thats just what we can see, it may well have gone further! Plenty of you have tweeted and re-tweeted us, and sent us messages on facebook by email and text, we are sorry we
weren’t able to reply to you all. (We’ve also had an email from Helga who is now a proud grand mother, but is still in need of a tent to borrow!). Like it or not, we are moving into a digital age. Does your Scout Group communicate with parents and other potential volunteers online? Laura Cameron from 4th Chester le Street was recruited entirely online, if the group didn’t have a website, Laura may well have found her way to another organisation. How often do you hear “I don’t know anything about online, or facetube-book!!” This is a prime opportunity to talk to the parents of your young people, or
Going off roading with our little Scouts.
perhaps ask for some support from the local community. Ask around I’m sure you will find someone with the skills you need.
You may have seen the mini Land rover this around the grounds at Reunion this year. It’s been happily taking our younger members for jolly rides about the fields. Speaking to Paul Wilkinson, who is a Land Rover enthusiast, he was able to tell us that this particular vehicle
The first thing any potential volunteer or young person will do is to search for your group online, so have a think about what your website says about you. Is it fresh, exciting and up to date, or is it a bit bland? Which Scout Group would you visit? It is also a great way to involve young people in the programme! Thank you for following us this year, we hope to see you all again next year! David, Sarah, Charlotte, Glen, Clare and John.
The Reunion Express was lucky enough today, to catch up with Matt Hyde and Wayne Bulpitt. We were able to ask our leading duo these questions and they were kind enough to answer.
Wayne: Just amazing! The combination fun, fellowship and chance to chat to other people, let our hair down as well.
Express: Have you enjoyed Reunion 2014?
Wayne: The mixture of all aspects of Reunion including the campfire which was amazing, brilliant new talent.
Matt: I’ve had a fantastic Reunion. It’s the second year I have been and its incredible, so good to talk to different people and to soak up the atmosphere, it has such a positive vibe, fantastic!
Wayne: No one single thing, the weekend itself is such a highlight. What makes Reunion is to learn a new skill, go on high ropes course for the first time...the Express: What was the main highlight for mixture of workshops, activities, parties. you?
Matt: Brilliant to have Bear here mixing in with volunteers, and to see the excitement whenever he wanders around the site; there’s such affection wherever he goes.
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Express: Moving on from 2014, what would you like to see?
Matt leads the way with the onesie
Getting a‘Grylling’ How many leaders succeeded (or failed for that matter!) to get a signature from our Chief Scout? What did bear say to you, and what did he sign???
Final words from Wayne and Matt
(Now on sale from Scout Shops)
New group opened this year still growing.
Good Luck to Mike Preston & Chris Neal, you take away that GSL & AGSL of the make you think 4th Highams Park slightly differently, Scout Group with the it’s our responsibility opening of the new from HQ to put into Cub Pack, later in action, listen to what September. people are saying They were supported and changing as a by the Regional result. This event has Development Service been so important in (RDS) to open a doing that. new Group in an area where were
Wayne: More of the same, the buzz within the movement is amazing at the moment, the challenge is to make more of a difference to more young people. Matt: Conversations
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is a Series 2a with a short wheel base. Its marine blue, which looks green to us here at the Express. This is a ‘ToyLander’ model that you can make yourself! Paul has a fully road worthy and full sized series 2a which was made in 1966 which he drives to work and back from time to time.
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large joining lists had been identified. They now have a brilliant parent committee and thriving Beaver Colony. All parents are invited to help the group in some way as their children join. Jane was ‘just a Mum’ as she said but became so excited that the Leaders ‘actually asked her to help’ that she is now one of the Beaver Leaders. Along with James they are running a wonderfully
varied programme and have already had three sleepovers!!! They meet just 20 minutes from Gilwell and would welcome any new volunteers to help them grow faster and give even more young people and adults the opportunity to join email mpreston89@ icloud.com
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REUNION EXPRESS 2014
Issue 5 | Sunday 7th September Announcements. New to Reunion Welcome to Des Witney the new CC for Dorset to his first Gilwell Reunion with Christchurch JAS and Brownsea Island SAS. Richard KLA.
Happy Birthday Former Field Commissioner Bud Shackleton is celebrating his 80th Birthday and is being sent Birthday Wishes from all on site who know him especially Roger and Gail from 1st Halesowen.
Lost A Bobble filter water bottle 1 litre with a pink filter. If found please return to lost property.
Thanks Thanks to the grils from Cookridge Village - they’ve Welcome enjoyed their first home to Aaron reunion nad we’ve Chamberlain. enjoyed having After 2 months at Birthday Wishes them share our Gilwell as Service also Bud from all ‘subcamp’. Barbara Crew. We dropped your friends and him off at Gilwell former colleagues and Mick - Central 24 and is coming in the Association’s Yorkshire. home after Field Service in its various guises. Reunion. Mark and Helen RESDU Explorers
Quick caption competition. “We definitely left the minibus here lads.” Thanks to Caroline in Archives for the picture!
A frightening delight.
Final update from the editor’s chair.
Ahh dear loyal and faithful reader, we have made it through the weekend togetgher, where did the time go ? The 88th Gilwell Reunion and quite possibly the best yet – your Reunion Organiser Katie Farnish and her band of helpers have managed to provide one of the most packed Reunion Programmes yet. I always thing that
scouting there were in the room (it was a riveting meeting as you can tell) but then we got to wondering what we would all be doing if we had not been given the opporunity to join our local scout group,which in turn led us to talking Sat at a District Meeting the other about what we could do to ensure day we worked that young people out how many of us had been youth in our area would be as lucky as we were members before becoming and adult when someone siad volunteer and then to us “yes you can how many years join next week”. the week after Reunion is almost like Christmas Day unpacking all those programme ideas, hints and tips and working out how to include them in the weekly programme in the months ahead.
The last word...
The Movement has established itself onto a wide and so strong a footing as to show most encouraging promise of what may be possible to it in the coming years. Its aim is to produce healthy, happy, helpful citizens, of both sexes, to eradicate the prevailing narrow selfinterest,
personal, political, sectarian and national, and to substitute for it a broader spirit of self-sacrifice and service in the cause of humanity; and thus to develop mutual goodwill and cooperation not only within our own country but abroad, between all countries. Experience
shows that this consummation is no idle or fantastic dream, but is a practicable possibility if we work for it; and it means, when attained, peace, prosperity and happiness for all. The “encouraging promise” lies in the fact that the hundreds of thousands of boys and girls who are
Reunion Express has been compiled, created and spill chocked by Glenn, Clare, Charlotte, David, Sarah and the whole thing made presentable together with our on line presence, made possible by John “Wae’aye man” McAtominey. We all hope you had the most amazing Reunion ever, if it was your first time we hope you will be back again.
learning our ideals today will be fathers and mothers of millions in the near future, in whom they will in turn inculcate the same
ideals, provided that these are really and unmistakably impressed upon them as the young people of today.
Suggestion for next year...
New for 2014 Scarefest is coming to Gilwell Park on the 1st2nd November. Book now and be prepared to be scared at www.scouts.org.uk/scarefest, we look forward to seeing you there!
Can a beer be brewed using Gilwell hops?!?! They are near the lid!
Another top tip!
Charlotte
Sarah
John
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David
Glen
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International Scouters avoid jet lag by simply catching an earlier flight, thus getting to your destination fully refreshed and on time!
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reunion.express@scouts.org.uk