explorers

BE PU R PL E G ro o v y T-shirts

zine The magalo rer p x for E rs Scout Leaduest/ Aug ber 2011 m te p e S

Part of the team

Involving Young Leaders in Young Leader training

Get ready

Ideas for the start of the new Scouting year

D O O G Y D D U M tain r e t n e d n a lenge l a h c t a h t s Event

k

scouts.org.u

EXPLORERSUPP_AUGSEPT2011_FINAL.indd 1

07/07/2011 11:53

d e r a p e r p u o y e r A for ?

2 1 0 2 r e Summ

a Make it extra special with

y! a d i l o H d a o r b Venture A

s include: n io t a in t s e D

oatia and many more...

Cr d, lan Ice d, lan er itz Sw y, Belgium, German 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.

blog.ventureabroad.co.uk Contact us today to find out more about our fantastic summer destinations and what your Troop can experience in 2012.

www.ventureabroad.co.uk 01332 342 050 | tours@ventureabroad.co.uk in partnership with 224 - Scout_Supp.indd 1 EXPLORERSUPP_AUGSEPT2011_FINAL.indd 2

06/07/2011 10:34:46 07/07/2011 11:54

e.

:34:46

Published by: The Programme Team The Scout Association, Gilwell Park, Chingford, London E4 7QW Tel: 0845 300 1818 Contributions to: programme@scouts.org.uk ADVERTISING Richard Ellacott richard.ellacott@thinkpublishing.co.uk Tel: 020 8962 1258 For ease of reading, this supplement refers to all variations of ‘county’ groupings simply as County.

COVERED IN MUD

Our 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

Around and about 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.

Contents 4 News and updates Opportunities to speak up, trek the globe, network socially and involve young people

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

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

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

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

14 Leading by example The Young Leaders’ Scheme in Bolton

16 Outdoor experts Cotswold Outdoor encourages us to hike away

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

scouts.org.uk/pol

EXPLORERSUPP_AUGSEPT2011_FINAL.indd 3

3

11/07/2011 15:06

NEWS

news and updates The latest soundings from the Gilwell team, dates for your diary and chances to get involved. If you’ve got news, spread it via programme@scouts.org.uk

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

4

Explorer

Devon sent Have 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.

A a

C

309.8

We’d love to know what you thought of the resources. Please send your feedback to programme@scouts.org.uk

August/September 2011

EXPLORERSUPP_AUGSEPT2011_FINAL.indd 4

07/07/2011 11:54

404.1

YOUR CONFERENCE CENTRES

t: 0207 590 6909 e: bph.conferences@scouts.org.uk

t: 0208 498 5300 e: gilwell.conferences@scouts.org.uk

www.towntocountry.co.uk The Scout Association Registered Charity Numbers 306101 (England and Wales) and SC038437 (Scotland).

cc ad.indd 1

L A I C I F F THE OT SHOP. SCOU Uniform key

outs/Air r Explorer Sc

elements fo

07/07/2011 12:

ts plorer Scou

and Sea Ex

1. Scout L/S Blouse

£20.00 NEW!

3

1

4 2

3. Scout L/S Shirt 101600 and 101587 Colour: Beige (Explorer), Light Blue (Air and Sea) Sizes: XS to 4XL

£20.00 NEW!

2. Girl’s/Women’s Scout Activity Trousers

4. Youth/Men’s Scout Activity Trousers

101655 Colour: Navy Sizes: 11 -13 years

101654 Colour: Navy Sizes: 11 - 13 years

£16.00

£16.00

101653 Sizes: 8 to 36

101652 Sizes: 30 - 60” waist

£27.00

£27.00

2011 © Copyright The Scout Association Charity no. 306101 (England and Wales) and SCO38437 (Scotland)

101598 and 101504 Colour: Beige (Explorer), Light Blue (Air and Sea) Sizes: XS to XL

tel: 01903 766 921 404.1 - SS Scouting mag and sup ads aug/sep.indd EXPLORERSUPP_AUGSEPT2011_FINAL.indd 5 1

04/07/2011 13:56 11:07 07/07/2011

NEWS

Speak Up at the party conferences 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 sam.mowbray@scouts.org.uk with ‘Party Conferences’ in the subject line.

Spandangulous A 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).

LIKE THIS Do 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 October Black 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)

A ef

6

Explorer

August/September 2011

EXPLORERSUPP_AUGSEPT2011_FINAL.indd 6

Co an

07/07/2011 11:54

309.9

nline o w e n a s i e l p Be Pur otable n e r e h w p o h s charity ers n g i s e d g n i m o and upc ts in n e l a t r i e h t e s showca se. u a c t a e r g a f o support

. y t i t n a u q ‘Limited ’ y t i l a u q d Unlimite le.org.uk. ? Visit BePurp ed lv vo in be to Purple’ Want ok – search ‘Be bo ce Fa on s u Follow

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).

309.9 - MA Shirt off my back full page advert.indd7 1 EXPLORERSUPP_AUGSEPT2011_FINAL.indd

06/07/2011 11:55 13:18 07/07/2011

Take your seat

ober 21 – 23 Oc1t, 201 hire Hertfords

s, Sedan Chair Rally In a cross between Ben Hur and the Wacky Race Network, Rangers and is an enduring event open to Explorer Scouts, petitive at heart Sea Rangers. It’s one for the creative and com

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 is to challenge, usually addressed before the weekend, and Chairs chair. sedan the ate design, build and decor to the prior a criteri of er numb a on d costumes are judge race itself.’ team The essential task is to carry a member of the catch-all a is around the rally course on a sedan chair. This

8

Explorer

simple term for a man-made vehicle which can be as 1. erbird Thund as lex as a stretcher or as comp

It’s all in the chair

: The official guide to building a sedan chair states rted by suppo seat a is frame chair a for design l ‘A typica one and two poles on either side running back to front carry: to e peopl six running side to side. This allows four to back. and front at one person each side and one or two be wide and This combination gives good stability, but can trees.’ the h less manoeuvrable thoug

August/September 2011

EXPLORERSUPP_AUGSEPT2011_FINAL.indd 8

07/07/2011 11:55

SEDAN CHAIR RALLY

romises This gives a hint towards the choices and comp required in the game of sedanchairology. d Before setting off, chairs are inspected and judge a: criteri according to the following carrying • Safety – Must be safe for persons in chair, and anyone else chair • Strength – Must be able to carry person in ng carryi when stable be d Shoul – lity • Stabi (plus • Weight – You have to carry it and a person any decoration) d the course.

• Manoeuvrability – You need to get aroun involving Then there’s the race, run across the campsite, e.’ featur r ‘wate us dubio a and points obstacles, check aments tourn sport other quiz, h devilis a s there’ Beyond that, and the full range of campsite activities. input The event is planned by a committee of 12, with Alex, For . ipants from Network members and past partic is always the highlights are ‘the Friday night quiz, which people. new meet to tunity oppor popular and an excellent is race the during base water the in Watching everyone ully hopef and Pool” ’s “Bert enter teams good fun. The all over the make it out again.’ The rally attracts entries from always are country, usually about 275 in number, but they think you case in on the look-out for new competitors. And rest , event ing this sounds a bit competitive for a Scout ay night. assured there is a fancy dress party on the Saturd

scouts.org.uk/pol

EXPLORERSUPP_AUGSEPT2011_FINAL.indd 9

9

07/07/2011 11:55

Digital champions

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)

10

Explorer

August/September 2011

EXPLORERSUPP_AUGSEPT2011_FINAL.indd 10

07/07/2011 11:56

BEST PRACTICE

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

T

he 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 frontiers Linda 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 opportunity Joining 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.

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

scouts.org.uk/pol

EXPLORERSUPP_AUGSEPT2011_FINAL.indd 11

11

11/07/2011 17:16

Start as you n o o g o t n a e m start of a new Scouting year.

For many, September is seen as the e is there to get your Explorers With that in mind, what better tim achieve over the next thinking about what they want to help?

12 months and how Scouting can

T

he 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 12 Explorer

• 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

August/September 2011

EXPLORERSUPP_AUGSEPT2011_FINAL.indd 12

07/07/2011 11:56

Programme to go

• Enthusiasm • Reliability • Flexibility • Computer literacy.

• The Woodlands Trust – Begin a tree-planting project in your local park • Bat Conservation Trust – Build bat boxes around your local community.

Qualifications

Preparing for the interview

Scouting is a great way to gain nationally recognised qualifications that will look great on any application form.

Some may even help directly with a future job or hobby.

Here are some examples and how to go about finding a course near you: • First Response Course – First Aid is a lifesaving skill and looks great on any job application. Contact your County Training Manager to arrange delivering a course for your Explorers.

• DofE Awards – Many of your Explorers may be undertaking DofE programmes anyway, but emphasise how much they can help with CVs, and what gaining the Award may mean for the future. For more information, visit www.dofe.org

Invite a parent or another Scouting volunteer to conduct an interview with a member of the Unit, as if they were applying for a job or course. Ask them to conduct the interview in front of the Unit. If you have the resources, try and video the interview to review at a later stage.

After the interview ask the guest to highlight some key points. These could include: • The importance of preparation for the interview • The importance of appropriate dress • Demonstrating that you have key skills for the job.

A question and answer session should follow to allow Unit members to cover any outstanding issues.

Working with others In a vast majority of industries, employees will be expected to work as part of, or lead, a team. Support your Explorers in improving these skills by getting the Unit to work with another charity on a project or campaign. Examples may include:

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

scouts.org.uk/pol 13

EXPLORERSUPP_AUGSEPT2011_FINAL.indd 13

07/07/2011 11:56

Leading by example Andrew 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 one Around 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 14

Explorer

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 own A 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

August/September 2011

EXPLORERSUPP_AUGSEPT2011_FINAL.indd 14

12/07/2011 11:14

YOUNG LEADERS

WHAT CIARA SAID

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 norm As 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 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 programme@scouts.org.uk

scouts.org.uk/pol

EXPLORERSUPP_AUGSEPT2011_FINAL.indd 15

15

12/07/2011 11:14

Outdoor experts As 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

T

he 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 Outdoor can give ranges from expert knowledge, planning and navigation right through to what to wear.

DISCOUNT OFFER

Scouts 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.

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

16

Explorer

August/September 2011

EXPLORERSUPP_AUGSEPT2011_FINAL.indd 16

07/07/2011 11:57

00 - 0

6-8 January 2012

www.wintercamp.org.uk 00 - 00 AC Wintercamp supplement advert 2011.indd EXPLORERSUPP_AUGSEPT2011_FINAL.indd 17 1

10/05/2011 07/07/2011 16:14 11:57

Jamboree Dreams

Dream team 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 18

Explorer

‘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.

IST facts 6,899 volunteers from 105 countries.

701 from the UK Jobs 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

August/September 2011

EXPLORERSUPP_AUGSEPT2011_FINAL.indd 18

07/07/2011 11:57

IBC_F

EXPLORERSUPP_AUGSEPT2011_FINAL.indd 19 IBC_FocusSupp_FebMar2011.indd 4

07/07/2011 16:55 11:57 10/01/2011

EXPLORERSUPP_AUGSEPT2011_FINAL.indd 20 OBC_ExplorerSupp_FebMar2011.indd 2

07/07/2011 16:52 11:57 10/01/2011