Kate Hughes
1
World Scout Jamboree
England & Ireland 2007
Below is an extract of a letter received from Kate Hughes – one of our first JHS Alumni Scholarship recipients. Kate was supported through donations and membership fees to attend the 21st World Scout Jamboree in England and Ireland in August 2007.
“Thanks” to the JHS Alumni for assisting my endeavours to attend the 21st World Scout Jamboree. Celebrating 100 years of Scouting at a World Jamboree was memorable.
From the moment I left Sydney Airport the event was exciting. Singapore Airport was an eye opener to another world where you could never be bored. I arrived at Heathrow Airport 5.50am after nearly 30 hours. I settled into my room at Queen Mary University international Student House and then it was sightseeing in London … the London Eye, Topless Bus, Thames River cruise, shopping at Harrods.
On to the Jamboree site - my sub camp was Wadi and camping nearby were troops from Italy, Austria, America, Russia and England.
The Opening Ceremony was held in the middle of the day. It was colourful, loud and inspiring. It was awesome seeing our Australian flag with 106 flags from other participating countries at the WSJ07.
Activities kept us busy - highlights included the Global Development Village, the World Village and visiting Gillwell Park Scout Activity Centre where Baden-Powell’s car and caravan bought for him by the Scouting movement through a penny collection is kept.
Starburst was an activity where we were able to put scouting into practise by helping out in the local community. We dug postholes for a fence to keep cars off a tree plantation in the national park.
On Wednesday 1st August we were woken by an American bugler at 5am before heading to the Arena to renew the Scout Promise on Sunrise Day – bringing everyone from all over the world together “One World, One Promise”.
Nightlife involved discos, sharing culture through performance, challenges and much more. This also gave people the opportunity to trade badges while making new friends.
The jamboree all happened so quickly, the end kept creeping up on us and soon we had to say bye to the friends we had just made. It was a sad moment saying goodbye although these people now become lifelong friends.
We all hiked to where the buses would take us to Heathrow airport to travel to Dublin.
We arrived in Dublin and were taken to Scouting Ireland Headquarters. Here we were split into our host family groups. Myself and three other girls were placed with a family who had three daughters of their own.
While on our stay in Dublin we went on a Viking tour and visited Eddie Rockets, the Spiral, Glendalough and many of the shops.
We met with some of our “HoHo” family’s fellow scouts. We hung out with them nearly every night. They were of similar age to us and we learnt some of the Irish slang.
On August 16th our flight landed in Sydney at 5.50am. After getting back to Newcastle I unpacked and gave my small gifts to my family. I showed all the interesting badges I had traded to my parents. The mess was from one end of the house to the other. I had a shower and got ready to go out and tell everybody about the awesome experience I just had.
By 6.30pm I was falling asleep sitting on the lounge. My mother sent me to bed and I slept until 8.30am. I soon returned to school and have now completed my Year 12 studies and HSC.
I would just like to thank you for the Scholarship you gave, as it made my dream of attending my ‘Destination WSJ2007’ a reality. ……“Thanks” again.
Kate Hughes