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This weekend we had both units come to spend the weekend with each other at the Parkwood campsite near Hickstead. We also had the IST (International Service team) with us helping us – these are the people who do all the hard work behind the scenes to make the jamboree happen!

On arrival at the campgrounds the leaders split the two units up so there wasn’t too much rivalry. After waiting for our tent buddies and setting our tent up it was time to break the flag.

The sea scouts gave us a warm welcome of how they do their flag, which was a new and interesting experience for most of us!

After this we finished setting up our tents and we started by playing capture the flag. The Wasps (Unit 73) won by a mile! After half an hour of draining our energy it was time for cake time.

After some delicious cake we got put into our patrols and split up to do some activities. To do most of the sessions, we were working with a Unit 74 patrol as well to get to know them better too. My patrol’s first activity was to prepare for tonight’s dinner which was bibimbap. This is a dish of rice with many different toppings. After cutting the meat and veg we then started to cook kimchi for the side of our dinner.

After this it was lunch time – we had brought our own lunch to eat. Most of us had also brought camping chairs so as it was sunny, we set up in groups on the field next to the hut to eat our lunch in the sun! After eating lunch we got split back into our patrols and did some more activities, for example washing clothes, whittling and first aid.

After another cake break, we raced against a different patrol from unit 74 in an assault course. This included all sorts of obstacles including a tunnel we all had to crawl through! After this we had a bit more cake and some free time until we started to cook our dinner for us, a leader and an IST member.

After trying these delicious Korean style foods it was time to have our campfire. With help from Leo and Harry in 73 and Josh in 74 there were a lot of songs to sing around the campfire. This was really enjoyable, spending time with both full units, and it really built up the camaraderie between the units. After losing our voice we had some hot chocolate and went to bed.

On Sunday morning, we got up and started the day by shaking off the ice from our tents – it had been a very cold night! So cold in fact that our washing from the previous day had literally frozen into sheets! Soon after most of us were awake, we moved everything out of the hall into the sun where we got into pairs of patrols and made our breakfast. We had beans, sausages, bacon, eggs and veggie sausages in a wrap for breakfast; it was exactly what we needed to warm up!

After eating our fill, and washing up, we packed down our tents before we got set an orienteering challenge in our patrols. We had to go to the many different sites around the campsite and take a funny picture or video on a theme. For example, the Lion King, and Dirty Dancing! We ended this challenge with having to create the word Chingu (our UK Contingent mascot) from letters of signs around camp, although Dan and Charlie brilliantly took this to the next level and spelled it out using themselves!

After finishing this, and all the leftover cake, we finally split into our units again and had some time for reflection. We talked through what we liked and what we didn’t – mostly the cold! We then finished packing up and went home, tired but on a high from having had a great weekend!

We would like to say thank you to all leaders in both units and the IST for all their hard work to help us in our jamboree journey!

As our journey is well under way, it’s time for me to hand over the Blog duties to our awesome young people, Daisy, Emily & Leo.

Nigel

1st Shipley

This weekend we had our second camp at 1st Shipley Scout ground near Horsham.

Prior to this camp we have been told to buddy up with a fellow scout who we had to share a tent with. One of us had to bring a tent whilst the other had to bring a cake to share with the Wasps (our unit ).  

 

 

On arrival at camp we had to pitch our tents. After 30 min of trying and us all helping each other we eventually got them all up.

Then it was cake time!

With tummies full of cake the next adventure was to work out the walking route from the Scout ground to South Water Co-op. We also had to plan our food for a 2 course dinner. 

Whilst we were all busy planning Jacky decided that she would break a fence post by taking a well earned rest!! 

Lunch which was wraps with a variety of fillings of our choice. After lunch was finished we got our new UK scarfs. 

Then it was time for the hike – during our hike we met up with every leader to take a snazzy photo with them  to prove we didn’t get lost.

Once we arrived at the Co-op we brought our ingredients and started on our route back. 

When we got back to the Scout hut we had to cook our dinner and pudding to share with one of our leaders. Every patrol cooked something different and it was amazing to see everyones food creations. After cleaning and washing up it was time to start the campfire.

One of the participants brought their ukulele and we sang along to a variety of songs.

Soon it was time to go to bed but not one of us got any sleep as it was freezing cold and we had a unit DJ with us. 

On the 2nd day of camp we woke up and had a choice of pancakes or bacon for breakfast.

After a delicious breakfast it was time to pack up and do activities which included a discussion about what we liked and disliked about the camp and what we would like to do in future camps.

After a lovely few days with our new friends it was time to say goodbye and leave.

We would like to say a massive thank you to the leaders for the camp that they organised and we do appreciate all their hard work.

Our first official Unit 73 camp! Team Building was the main focus and the Young People certainly did!

A-Frame Building, and racing then converted into a trip-pod (you can see it break on our TikTok link), badge and identity ideas, Korean BBQ stir fry for dinner, followed by a camp fire – with questionable cuckoo sounds!

Day 2 of the camp began with an early hike to get “a breakfast ingredient” which was a teaspoon of salt, they then continued with some knots and more identity ideas.

Such a talented group of young people, not only did we vote on the new unit name, but we also had a completed logo ready to get permission to use the design!

So we are now to be known as The West Sussex Wasps.

All in all, as Leaders, we are so proud to call this group of people our second family and cannot wait to spend more time with them!

Also a big thank you to West Sussex Scouts for letting us borrow the S.E.A.T (Scout Event and Activity Team). Their activities were the main part of this camp and we are ever grateful for the fantastic ideas and activities that they brought to the camp. Every single participant, including the leaders loved every activity.

West Sussex Jamboree Leaders

The Jamboree journey officially began this weekend the 72 West Sussex Scouts, and 8 Leaders selected for the 25th World Scout Jamboree in Korea in 2023. The two Leader teams from Unit 73 & Unit 74 welcomed the Young People to 2nd Horsham Scout Hut as one entity.

Starting the session off, they were shown this video of what to expect at the Jamboree which definitely built the excitement!

They then had a variety of activities to help them get to know each other, and they were then split up into groups and asked to perform a tableau as they entered the hall through the “Golden Curtain”.

Each team’s entrance was set to a different tiger based music piece, and what they didn’t know was these signified the Units they had been allocated.

Introducing Unit 73, led by Jacky, Nigel, Harry & Kayleigh!

Unit 73

Now that each person knew whether they were Unit 73 or 74, they then had a round of “Speed Dating”, including the leaders. We also managed to include the Young People that couldn’t join us in person due to Covid via Video Calls.

To continue with the Korea theme, dinner was a Korean Army Stew (Budae Jjigae), a bit of something for everyone! Each Unit cooked in patrols, and some were more daring with the chilli than others, but each patrol did an amazing job and it was tasty.

After dinner, Unit 73 bade farewell to Unit 74 and headed off on a 4km hike to 1st St Leonards Forest Scouts for their overnight stay, and evening of unit activities including the start of choosing the new unit identity. As you would expect, lots of excited people meant very little sleep a 5km hike to Tanbridge House School for the final part of the weekend ahead, a very early rise. An hours hike through Horsham, and we met some of Unit 74 heading to the school, all ready to meet their parents, and some of the West Sussex Scouts leadership team for a presentation by Jacky and Gary, followed by QA with the parents. In a separate hall, Harry introduced the YP to previous jamboree participants where they heard of their experience and had the opportunity to ask their own questions around the experience.

A fantastic weekend, made better by the amazing young people that are in the unit. We are all looking forward to our next camps, and the journey to Korea!

 

Today we held our joint kick off meeting with Unit 74.  This was the first time we had all got together since the two Leader selection weekend camps.

The days purpose was to plan all the dates we will be looking to fill leading up to the Jamboree itself but also to have a briefing from Robert Sawyer, West Sussex Scouts County Commissioner. The briefing included us finding out for the first time the scale of fund raising we will all need to be doing, £4,000! This applies to all participants, both leaders and young people.

Obviously, it’s very early days on the Jamboree and there will be a lot of questions you will all have, but don’t be surprised if we don’t have the answers yet. Quite simply for a long time to come, you will probably hear us saying “We don’t know”. It goes without saying, we will communicate details out as and when we find out ourselves.

We do however know the actual dates of the Jamboree itself, 1st August 2023 to 12th August 2023 but we don’t know what date we will be flying, or whether we will be going direct or doing anything before or after.

The unit leaders are due to attend a camp with all other leaders attending the Jamboree and we are hopeful that we will have information to share after this.

But back to the planning!

Our joint planning sessions for the day started off with a blank canvas, or in our case, table. Below is the first combined team ‘selfie’!

Unit 73 & 74 Leadership Teams
Our key aim of our camps is for us to build our new Units and establishing them as our new Jamboree family. But we also want to ensure we work together with our sister units so have agreed we will hold both Unit Day trips and camps, but also joint camps.

The resulting session has given us a clear view of the dates we will be looking to hold camps and trips, both individual and joint and the dates are now available on the site Calendar and will be refined as we book camps and trips, but the initial kick off camp will be held at Tambridge House School on 22nd and 23rd of January 2022.

See you then!

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