Gilwell Reunion – Whats it about?

For one weekend of the year Gilwell Park, the home of the Scout Association becomes a playground for any adult connected with Scouting, that weekend, always the first weekend in September is called Gilwell Reunion.

This year was the 91st year and a small group of Leaders from Petersfield District made an appearance.  There were representatives from Sheet, Liphook and Petersfield along with The District Comissioner and Assistant District Comissioner (Scouts).  It was an excellent weekend with all sorts of training, workshops, seminars and socialising enjoyed by all.

The advance party went up on Thursday afternoon to pick a good site and get the tents up.  That done a chinese takeaway was consumed and washed down with a beer.  It’s an adults only weekend with no Beavers, Cubs, Scouts or Explorers on site so it seemed rude not to!

Friday evening

After some initial problems booking in (I promised I’d mention this) the rest of the team arrived!  A lively night followed on Essex Chase, the not so quiet part of the site and we were joined by many friends from near and far.  It’s not called Gilwell Reunion for nothing.  Frequently a short walk could turn into a 30 minute chat with someone you hadn’t seen in a while, or someone you needed to see.  Sometimes the only thing we had in common was a love of Scouting, but that was enough!

 

Saturday daytime

A late start followed and we took part in many of the activities laid on for us from making our own woggles under the watchful eye of ‘Dave’

 

Pleased with our handiwork we had a rest…  it was that kind of weekend.

There were of course many stands and freebies…  everyone came away with a huge sense of achievement and fully charged.  We listened to Ed Stafford (the Scout Ambassador who walked the length of the Amazon), Met John Hemming-Clark, Scouting’s own author….  chatted to various teams from both the Japan Jamboree and the forthcoming North America Jamboree.

Saturday Evening

Unfortunately the photos from Saturday evening err….didn’t come out very well….  We more than made our Marc at the campfire with well over 200 participants and were a hard act to follow.  I believe in 2018 we will have a bigger part to play.

Lets just say that an excellent time was had by all the infamous ‘Queens Scout Working Party Squiffy Woggle Bar’.  I can neither confirm or deny if we were up into the early hours….  or if we took part in the Karaoke, or if we sort of took over the entrance to the dance floor.  Those who need to know are more than welcome to join us next year….

Sunday morning

It was down to the serious business for 10 minutes or so.  We were asked to join the Scout Leaders of Cornwall in their short service to remember two Scouts from Cornwall who unfortunately lost their lives at Gilwell during a storm in the 70’s.  This service has been held every year since at the Cornwall Gates and they were very grateful for us in joining them.

  

Straight after it was back to the business of serious fun with some of us doing the ‘freefall’ and others doing the Gilwell 3G swing.

 

All in all we had a fantastic time and it was a good chance to let our hair down in a Scout environment but without any of the young people present.  The nine of us who went thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely be back next year.  Why not join us?