Thirty-six Explorer Scouts from the east of Scotland have embarked upon a trip of a lifetime to South Korea.
The contingent of 14 to 17 year-olds from Unit 4 East Scotland are mixing with 50,000 Scouts from across the globe at the 25th World Scout Jamboree (25WSJ).
The once-in-four-years event is taking place from August 1 to August 12 at a newly built campground in Saemangeum, Jeollabuk-do, encompassing 8.8 square km beside a national park.
What are the Explorers doing?
Participants are camping for 12 nights at the mass gathering after five days of sight-seeing in and around the capital city Seoul.
A rigorous selection weekend for the East of Scotland contingent took place at the Jock Neish Scouting Centre near Forfar in November 2021, whittling numbers down from 136 applicants.
Youngsters then had to raise £4,000 each to cover their costs.
What though is the most exciting aspect of being involved, and how do young people think the experience will change their lives?
The Courier spoke to two Dundee Explorer Scouts who were selected and who have both been members of the 5th Dundee (Downfield) Scout Group since joining as Beavers aged six.
15-year-old Lilly Hosie
Fifteen-year-old Lilly Hosie, who’s going into fifth year at St Paul’s RC Academy in Dundee, is “really excited” about her involvement.
Fundraising efforts included organisation of a quiz night and a Halloween party.
But it’ll also be a trip to remember as she’ll turn 16 on August 2 – the day of the opening ceremony.
Like so many Scottish teenagers – including many of the Explorers in attendance – she’ll receive her exam results by text message on August 8 while away.
“That will be when we are in the jamboree activities,” she laughed.
“Obviously we’ve no clue when we get our results so it could be anytime.
“We’ll be eight hours ahead of the UK.
“But at the jamboree we’ll typically be up at 4am and won’t go to bed until 12 o’clock at night.
“We’ve got a wide window to receive them!”
How did Lilly get selected for World Scout Jamboree?
Lilly has been involved with Scouting since joining Beavers aged seven.
When she attended the assessment in November 2021, she remembers it was a “very cold and wet camp”.
However, she “burst into tears” when the phone call came to say she’d been successful.
“I actually know our leader personally – she was my cub leader as well,” she said.
“It was her that phoned my mum and my mum knew what the phone call was right away.
“She just gave me the phone, and Stacey just said to me ‘I’ve got a Christmas present for you come early’ and told me I was going to the jamboree!”
Taking advice from her sister
Lilly has been on holidays across Europe and to the USA.
However, she’s never been to Asia and has very much been looking forward to experiencing different cultures.
She’s also been able to seek advice from her older sister Abbey, now 23, who went to the 23rd World Scout Jamboree in Japan in 2015.
Abbey, who’s now a support for learning teacher at St Fergus RC Primary School in Dundee, has assured her the experience will be life changing.
“Abbey always said it makes you think about people differently,” said Lilly, who has ambitions to become a high school modern studies teacher.
“You’ve no idea what walk of life somebody comes from, so just approach anyone the way you would approach anyone.”
Inspiring younger Scouts
When the Explorers return to Scotland, a major part of their follow-up tasks will be to share their stories with younger members of Scouting, from Squirrels right up to Scouts and Explorers.
“It’s just giving them awareness of what the jamboree is and to encourage them to want to go and see it and apply in future years,” she said, adding that the 26th World Scout Jamboree is scheduled for Poland in 2027.
“After the jamboree, in future years, we’re allowed to apply to be a part of the international support team or leader or anything. I would like that.”
16-year-old Cadeyrn Harris
Sixteen-year-old Cadeyrn Harris, of Craigowl, near Bridgefoot, has just left school after finishing fifth year and studying for his Highers at Dundee’s Baldragon Academy.
Like Lilly, he’ll be receiving his results when he’s away.
He was “buzzing” when he found out he had made it through the jamboree selection process.
“I think it was August 2021 when I first heard about the chance to apply for the jamboree,” said Cadeyrn, who joined Scouting as a Beaver 10 years ago.
“I thought ‘yeah that’s where I want to be’. November came for the selection camp.
“I think there was almost 140 people trying out for East Scotland region.
“A few weeks later I got a phone call saying we’d love to have you as part of the team.
“I was buzzing at that point!”
Gelling as a group
Cadeyrn explained there have been casual meet ups with the rest of the unit and the other Scottish units.
This helped to “build the chemistry” between the groups before they headed out.
Lilly and he worked together on some of their fundraising activities, including a quiz night which raised about £800.
He also made some special Scouting woggles which raised about £80.
Money came from other sources and he was amazed how “everyone was really quick to lend a hand”.
Learning about different cultures
Cadeyrn said he’d travelled a lot around the UK and had been on holidays to the likes of Cyprus, Egypt and Greece.
However, he’d never been this far before and was looking forward to the cultural experience of mixing with Scouts from around the globe, as well as experiencing South Korean and other cultures.
“A lot of it is just generally spending time with each other,” he said.
“Building friendships and relationships with everyone. It’s really good.
“Some of the stuff that might be absolutely normal here is just not seen the same out there”.
Opportunity to sight-see
Cadeyrn explained they were flying out to South Korea on July 25.
During the five days they were spending in Seoul before the start of the jamboree, they were embarking upon activities including a trip to a theme park, a river cruise, an underground ghost tour of Seoul, and, in the interests of global peace, a poignant trip to the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea.
Cadeyrn is in no doubt that the experiences will change his life.
“It’s going to be the story of my lifetime,” he said.
“It’ll definitely be stuff to go straight on CVs.
“It’s going to influence the next chapter of my life and it’s going to be at the forefront of my personality really.
“It’s good to make connections with people from other places.”
Ambitions to become a Scout leader
Cadeyrn said it will also cement his commitment to the Scouting movement.
“It’s the best decision of my life and I stand by that,” he said when asked about joining Beavers and moving up through Cubs, Scouts and now Explorers.
“It’s not all about going to Korea. It is a big commitment.
“But just the outdoors life. Being with the people and stuff. I just love it to be honest.
“It’s just been my life for the past 10 years. It’s been everything.
“I can see myself coming back as a Scout leader whether it be to Dundee or somewhere else I end up.”
A leader’s perspective
Stacey McPherson-Kennedy is the unit leader for East Region Jamboree Unit.
She said the successful candidates had shown “superb team work skills and communication skills” during the assessment, showing they would be ideal candidates for the unit.
“As you can imagine it was a very tough selection process with 136 amazing young people from across the East of Scotland to select from,” she said.
“Along with the 36 young people we have four unit leaders.
“We have Ryan who is from Stornoway but has links with Dundee as he attended university here, Nathan from Airdrie, Connor from Kirkcaldy and myself from Dundee.
“Over the last year and a half the young people have taken part in training camps, fundraising events and fun get together to prepare them for this once in a lifetime adventure.”
How many UK participants are there?
Ninety units from across the UK are involved with 3,240 UK Scouts supported by 360 volunteer leaders from the UK.
The UK is also providing over 900 volunteers to join the international team of volunteers supporting the event.
The World Scout Jamboree (WSJ) is a World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) event, which happens every four years.
Each time it is hosted by a different country.
A major aim of the UK contingent is for young voices to become “trailblazers” when it comes to tackling global issues.
The jamboree has gathered Scouts from around the world since 1920.
The Courier has reported on a number of teenagers from Tayside and Fife who are taking part, including Beth Harvie and Zoe Nimmo from Cupar Explorers, Jamie Brown, younger sister Kirsten and Jay Leitch from Angus and Cameron Anderson from Perth.
To find out more about Scouting, go to www.scouts.scot/
