Issue 1
Saturday 5th September 2020
History makers make Gilwell Reunion digital
Welcome to the 94th Gilwell Reunion. You’ll find things a little different this year but we hope you have found your perfect spot to join in with the activities this weekend, be that your favourite arm chair, home office, or perhaps you are entering into the spirit by camping out and will join us from your tent! This is our very first digital reunion and we welcome Scouting volunteers from all around the world to our unique weekend. Over the weekend you will recognise many of the famous and favourite areas of Gilwell Park in the zones
of the programmes that you can take part in, in a way it will be almost like being there. Take a look through the programme on the website and be sure to settle in with a cuppa and a biscuit in time for the sessions you want to take part in. There really is something for everyone. By taking part in this years digital reunion you aren’t just making history but also acting as a change maker as Scouting continues to adapt to a changing world brought on by this years pandemic. The opening ceremony wasn’t held in a crowded
Lid on Friday night but as a time lapse tour of Gilwell Park on Saturday. There were special messages from Chief Scout Bear Grylls, Scout Ambassadors Dwayne Fields and Ed Stafford along with the traditional welcome message from UK Commissioner Tim Kidd and Chief Operating Officer, Ross Maloney in his capacity as Camp Chief. Tim took the opportunity to thank volunteers up and down the country who have continued to provide Scouting in a variety of ways since the 16th of March when UK Scouting closed face to face
meetings, “But it’s you, our volunteers that have raised your game time and time again. I’ve said it before, but you’ve pulled out more than all the stops. We couldn’t meet face to face, so you switched to online meetings. You’ve run virtual camps, campfires and activities for young people in the UK and worldwide.” “We’ve hiked to the moon and we got together at the Great Indoors Weekender. You’ve inspired us every step of the way.” The pandemic has made “us do things differently and this makes us all history makers”.
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A digital adventure awaits Although different from normal, there’s plenty to get your fingers on this weekend – with tapping, clicking and swiping your way from activity to activity taking the place of a leisurely wander along the lawns and woodlands of Gilwell Park. Loads of zones on the site have been replicated for your weekend; a virtual stroll under the boughs of the Gilwell Oak on the Training Ground will bring you Programme focussed activities, a stroll down the virtual Promise Path will look at Investing in People,
and the dappled shade of virtual Essex Chase will revolve around Growth. That’s not to mention the Heritage, World Scouting, Community Impact, Inclusion, Safety and Digital bases too, all of which have a wide range of sessions on offer throughout the day. Why not check out what activities there are and make a plan for the day? As always, great sessions on training, recruitment, inclusion and many other perennial topics are on offer just like any other year, but also
with a generous handful of timeslots given over to things like learning about getting to know our tone of voice, the early years of Scouts, and how Explorer Scouts can support refugees. Why not try to mimic the great social networking that we see on camp every year with the Reunion speed-meeting session, with break-out video calls to meet friends old and new! Tying this all together will be the ‘main stage’ on Saturday, though this year your desk chair or
1st You Tube Scout Group
Many of us have been working hard to keep Scouting alive for our young people during this difficult period, but Mark Yates, GSL at 8th Ealing, has made a national impact. Along with his helpers, Mark runs 1st YouTube Scout Group; full Scout meetings, broadcast to thousands of viewers around the country (and beyond). Like a regular
Scout meeting, there are games, crafts, badge work and even flag ceremonies. Like many of us, Mark has faced technical difficulties and risen to the challenge each time. “We had every single problem you can imagine, my internet provider crashed, webcams went haywire, laptops randomly rebooting. But the main thing that got us through was resilience”! The experience for Mark
has been fun, but also important work. “Scouting isn’t just about turning up at the hut. It’s about making friendships and memories. I’ve certainly made new lifelong friends from doing these”. Mark has been recognised for his efforts with a Commissioners Commendation for promoting and enhancing Scouting during the pandemic.
sofa might be a bit more comfortable than sitting on the ground! A virtual tour of Gilwell Park at 13:00 is followed by an unique Opening Ceremony at 13:30. After the first sessions, a thank you message at 16:00 will be followed by the Q&A sessions at 17:00. Also, and as importantly as ever, a campfire at 19:00 (bring your own marshmallows…), topped off with a Quiz, bingo and disco extravaganza at 20:00. Let’s get stuck in!
Tune into Scout Radio online
Scout radio will offer the sound track to your Reunion. Tune in from 1200 on Saturday for coverage, interviews as well as your messages and shout outs. Coverage on Saturday will end with a disco finishing at midnight and wake up again at 0900 on Sunday until the Closing Ceremony. You can listen along live at www.scout.radio or ask your smart speaker to “Launch Scout Radio”
Reunion Express
Oggys Great Gilwell Getaway
This small colourful hedgehog is about to take you on a tour of Gilwell Park like no other! Through the wonders of Google Maps he will help you explore over 50 locations with some amazing photos and some cool fun facts from Scout Heritage. There are also 15 hedgehog hunt locations to identify around ths site. If you want to take part, look out for the link which will be published around 1300 today. Sign up and then scroll along to the map to start exploring. Mike of Scoutadelic hopes that there will be something for everyone, from those who have never been to Gilwell before as well as those where Gilwell is an old friend. This month Scoutadelicic is aiming for 5,000 subscribers. They have been providing daily videos and weekly events throughout lockdown to help Scouters all over the world with ideas and inspiration. You can take part in Oggy’s Hunt here: https://youtu.be/ DfA0AzFHJck
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Saturday 5th September 2020
Gilwell without us We’ve all seen the photos: clear waters in the canals of Venice, deer roaming central London, and the Himalayas becoming visible from northern India. These changes are by no means unique - and whilst many of us have been quizzing, Zooming, and working from home, Gilwell Park itself has been gradually re-wilding too. Speaking with some of those who’ve still been on site at Gilwell Park, it’s been over five months since the last groups were here camping, and in that time there have been some interesting developments.
The woodpeckers are boldly chipping away at the trees, the quiet calm of the campgrounds mean that the deer are wandering more freely, and even the most stubborn mud patches are green and lush with grass, having not been trampled under foot or tent. In many ways, it has been really encouraging to see the ways that nature has ‘healed’ whilst we’ve been locked down. It is surely a thinking point for us all and for our young people, encouraging us to be more conscious of our impact on the environment and consider how we can
minimise our footprint. Though perhaps this wake-up lesson isn’t that unfamiliar to many of us, from those times when we’re able to reconnect with nature in the course of our adventures. The beauty of the dawn chorus from behind our thin tent walls. The invigorating and exhausting feeling of fresh countryside air. The animals we’ve seen in the fields and forests when we take to the hills. At the end of the day, we can’t wait to get back to Gilwell Park, and share it in all its glory with the newly emboldened residents!
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Messages from far & Wide
Big hello to Callum Stott, Colwyn Bay. 2020 would have been his first visit to Gilwell Park. We hope he can visit Reunion 2021 From all of us at Reunion Express if you are celebrating today we wish you a very Happy Birthday! Cathy Mill, W Leeds, Central Yorks. UK ~ Ro Brett, Abergele, North Wales, UK ~
2nd March Cambridgeshire are remembering Graham Stribley - Gone but not forgotten
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Try it at home Challenge Corner Want something to keep you entertained between virtual sessions, or perhaps a quick distraction whilst making a cup of tea this weekend? Why not try one of the challenges below? There will be more in tomorrow’s issue too! Share your attempts on the social channels
Challenge 1: Throw a teabag into a mug from the furthest distance. Challenge 2: Make the longest line of things beginning with the first letter of your first name Challenge 3: Decorate one of your knees to look like a famous person
Whispers from the Web
Your tweets, pictures and comments Rhian M (Via Twitter)
Helen Shone (Via Facebook)
I’ve got my tshirt and hoodie and I’m ready to join Team UK, @ScoutsCymru and volunteers from around the world at @UKScouting Gilwell Reunion this weekend :) Hands up if you’ll be there too �� #Reunion2020
@GilwellReunion
Had our fish and chips, now fire and beer! Happy Reunion!! Fiona Chestnutt (Via Facebook Album)
David Liddle (Via Facebook)
Terry Longhurst (Via Facebook)
Have a great weekend folks - we’ve all had many great weekends at Gilwell and I’m sure we will have many more in the future.
Ready to go (if only... check out our fire lighting challenge on Sundays programme #bushscoutuk #keepdoingit
/GilwellReunion
@GilwellReunion
Reunion Express 2020 was brought to you by members of the Scout Content ASU. Team Leader; Sarah Paget Production by James Hage & Daniel Haigh Reporting by George Wormald-Kelly, James Traynor & Holly Sloan Online Edition