The District kicked off its Centenary Celebrations with a Sunrise Ceremony at Terra Nova School on 17/18th September 2011. These are the words that District Commissioner shared with the District at 6.42am on the Sunday Morning:
Address given to the Scouts and Leaders of Alderley District Scout Council at the Sunrise Ceremony on Sunday the 18th September 2011 by the District Commissioner, Stephen Buckley.
Brother and Sister Scouts, Welcome to the start of our Centenary Year ! – A hundred years of scouting in Alderley!!
A Centenary is a really just an excuse for big birthday celebration. So yes, we will have a cake, we will have a party, we will sing songs and have a great deal of fun ! But what else do you do when you have a birthday party with your family ?
You start sharing memories and stories. You start laughing and enjoying the things that you have shared together. The old people say “Well, if your Gran was here, she would have really enjoyed that” and the youngsters say “What was it like to watch black and white television, dad ?”
Well, I have brought along three things to show you from my Scouting Memories:
· First thing is my camp fire blanket. Its one of my most valued possessions. Why ? Well it has memories of all my Scout camps and trips, Badges I swapped and collected in my 45 years of scouting.
· The second thing is my Queen Scouts Award. I can remember the Expedition and what a long way it was. More importantly I can remember going to Windsor Castle to the QSA Parade. It was a glorious Summers Day and I was very lucky, I got to take my own band because just like our Band my local Band had won the National Competition and were there playing alongside the Guards Band
· My third is a jacket I got given when I worked on the Boy Scouts of America summer camp when I was 21. What a fantastic time I had that summer. It was glorious, sunny and we got to spend three months swimming and messing about on the water. When I got home I was a bronzed god, apart from my feet and middle where I was English pearly white !
Why am telling you these things ? Well, being a Scout gives you fantastic opportunities and I want you to go for them, big time ! I want every single one of you to achieve the QSA and the Gold DoE, I want you to go camping and on expeditions, I want you to go to the Jamborees and understand how you can just walk up to Scouts you don’t know and say hello, I want you to experience the Explorer Belt – anyone done that ?
And, if you enjoy your time in Scouts, I want you to get your Wood Badge and to invest your first young person…….
I am challenging each one of you. I want you to work towards achieving your CSA this year. I want every single one of to achieve it or make real progress. I want you all to earn it, I don’t want you to take the easy option, I want you to really challenge yourself. I want us to break the record books.
Leaders, if you haven’t got your Wood Badge, this is the year !
Now, I have set you a challenge, I am going to make it more interesting. This jacket, I am going to give to boy or girl working towards their CSA this year and who most impresses their leaders with their determination and commitment. It could be a Beaver, Cub, Scout or Explorer. I will award it at the Sunset ceremony a year from now.
So I thank you all for coming, and hope you have enjoyed yourself. I look forward to seeing you all next year for the sun set ceremony.
Address given to the Scouts and Leaders of Alderley District Scout Council at the Sunrise Ceremony on Sunday the 18th September 2011 by the District Commissioner, Stephen Buckley.
Brother and Sister Scouts, Welcome to the start of our Centenary Year ! – A hundred years of scouting in Alderley!!
A Centenary is a really just an excuse for big birthday celebration. So yes, we will have a cake, we will have a party, we will sing songs and have a great deal of fun ! But what else do you do when you have a birthday party with your family ?
You start sharing memories and stories. You start laughing and enjoying the things that you have shared together. The old people say “Well, if your Gran was here, she would have really enjoyed that” and the youngsters say “What was it like to watch black and white television, dad ?”
Well, I have brought along three things to show you from my Scouting Memories:
· First thing is my camp fire blanket. Its one of my most valued possessions. Why ? Well it has memories of all my Scout camps and trips, Badges I swapped and collected in my 45 years of scouting.
· The second thing is my Queen Scouts Award. I can remember the Expedition and what a long way it was. More importantly I can remember going to Windsor Castle to the QSA Parade. It was a glorious Summers Day and I was very lucky, I got to take my own band because just like our Band my local Band had won the National Competition and were there playing alongside the Guards Band
· My third is a jacket I got given when I worked on the Boy Scouts of America summer camp when I was 21. What a fantastic time I had that summer. It was glorious, sunny and we got to spend three months swimming and messing about on the water. When I got home I was a bronzed god, apart from my feet and middle where I was English pearly white !
Why am telling you these things ? Well, being a Scout gives you fantastic opportunities and I want you to go for them, big time ! I want every single one of you to achieve the QSA and the Gold DoE, I want you to go camping and on expeditions, I want you to go to the Jamborees and understand how you can just walk up to Scouts you don’t know and say hello, I want you to experience the Explorer Belt – anyone done that ?
And, if you enjoy your time in Scouts, I want you to get your Wood Badge and to invest your first young person…….
I am challenging each one of you. I want you to work towards achieving your CSA this year. I want every single one of to achieve it or make real progress. I want you all to earn it, I don’t want you to take the easy option, I want you to really challenge yourself. I want us to break the record books.
Leaders, if you haven’t got your Wood Badge, this is the year !
Now, I have set you a challenge, I am going to make it more interesting. This jacket, I am going to give to boy or girl working towards their CSA this year and who most impresses their leaders with their determination and commitment. It could be a Beaver, Cub, Scout or Explorer. I will award it at the Sunset ceremony a year from now.
So I thank you all for coming, and hope you have enjoyed yourself. I look forward to seeing you all next year for the sun set ceremony.
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