The Daily Bean – 16Jan
It’s a wrap
On Wednesday night, the Main Arena was filled for the official AJ2025 Closing Ceremony – with Scouts from across Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Romania, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Timor Leste, Austria, Canada, Fiji, and the United Kingdom.
The atmosphere was electric. The faces were happy. The shoes were caked with dried mud. The Leaders? Well, 10 days is a long time to be away from home with someone else’s children. But they were still smiling.
Thank you to everyone who has made AJ2025 a fantastic experience for the 2,600 NSW members who came, who saw, and who conquered the beast that is a Jamboree.
What a great memory for Scouts, Venturer Scouts, and all the NSW adult Leaders and supporters who played a role in this first major Scouts event in six years.
Packing up is just arriving but in reverse order
The end of a holiday or a major event (sometimes it feels like the same thing) can be hard work, especially when it feels like 35 degrees.
The scouts are certainly looking forward to the bus trip home, sleeping in luxurious, airconditioned comfort!
Thanks to Leaders
The NSW HQ hosted two Leaders functions to say ‘thanks’ to the Jamboree Scout Leaders, Quartermasters, Activity Leaders, Health and Wellbeing Leaders, Service Leaders, and Venturer Service Leaders.
What do Leaders enjoy when away from the Scouts? Why, party pies, sausage rolls, footy franks, rice paper rolls and Zooper Doopers, of course.
As a gift, all NSW Leaders were awarded a titanium cutlery set, and Leaders with a Wood Badge received a Gilwell Reunion pin and note of appreciation.
Thought for the Day
“On Wednesday we wear pink.”
Alex Morson, Scouts NSW Deputy Contingent Leader.
A late night bump out
After the closing ceremony, some 2,600 Scouts, Venturer Service Leaders and adult Leaders boarded their coaches.
Between 11:30pm Wednesday 15 January and 2am Thursday 16 January, 60 coaches left the Jamboree site and headed south to New South Wales. All of them were looking forward to enjoying the air conditioned coach following an oppressively hot day.
So long. Farewell. Auf wiedersehen. Goodbye. Have a safe trip home. So long and thanks for all the fish…..
