Scouting Sunrise
1st August 2007
On the 1st August 2007, Cambridgeshire Scouts joined together with 28 million Scouts from around the world in the largest ever worldwide display of peace, tolerance and harmony to celebrate 100 years since Scouting started. Sunrise signifies a new dawn for Scouting, which has grown into the largest co-educational youth movement in the world.
Locally Cambridgeshire Scouts celebrated at Cathedral Square, Peterborough; Castle Hill, Cambridge; Jubilee Gardens, Ely; Farcet Fen, Whittlesey; Tesco at Newmarket; and in St Ives town centre. We were on Anglia News in St Ives, BBC Radio from Peterborough and Cambridge and in all of the County's newspapers from the Wisbech Standard to the Peterborough Evening Telegraph.
CAMBRIDGE
40 Beavers and Cubs from across Cambridge celebrated the start of a new scouting century by attending a special Sunrise Sleepover at St Luke’s Barn in Cambridge. The event, which incorporated the district’s Sunrise Ceremony at Castle Mound, was held to mark the 100th Anniversary since the founding of the scout movement on 1st August 1907.
Starting at 7pm on the Tuesday (31st July) the Beavers and Cubs enjoyed a trip to a local recreation ground, where they were given an hour of freedom to roam around and relieve some of their energy. Many opted for the climbing frames, rope bridges and swings, but a few of the more daring Beavers opted to tackle the small climbing wall that was on site. As a treat, everyone was given a portion of chips before heading back to the barn for a game out in the dark, story and bed.
Early the next morning, the Beavers and Cubs had very little time to eat breakfast, pack away their belongings and get dressed before they were out the door and walking to the Sunrise Ceremony gathering point at St Luke’s Church. On arrival, it became clear that the ceremony would be big, with more than 100 fellow scouts and scouters already gathered. Before long the contingent marched to the foot of Castle Mound where, at 8am, everyone renewed their scout promise and welcomed in the new scouting century as part of a special service, lead by Scout Network member Sarah Scott and District Commissioner, Colin Daniels.
Collecting a bacon roll and a carton of juice before heading back to the barn, the Beavers and Cubs had three hours of activities to look forward to before it was time to go home. As a craft, they decorated international flags and learnt how to say “100” in many different languages. Outdoors was the giant pushball, in which small teams had to navigate it around an assault course before one giant game of push-football. The final base was making chocolate nests, which traditionally symbolises the start of something new.
To finish off, the Beavers and Cubs were challenged to a 40 minute wide game before the closing ceremony, badge presentations and home time.
ST IVES
Well anyone who took part can't surely help but agree that when Cromwell District say they are out to celebrate they certainly do!On Tuesday 31st July around 100 youngsters arrived to take part in a camp, which included The Big Gig at the Burgess Hall. Of those, around a third were friends of Scouts and Explorers out to see why Scouting is going from strength to strength.
Then on Wednesday 1st August those from camp paraded into St Ives Town Centre to be joined by hundreds of other Scouting youngsters and adults past and present plus friends and family. A special Scouting "cry" by the Town Crier led towards the renewal of Promises for all Sections - which began promptly at 8.00am.
Then it was back to Nobles Field for bacon rolls and a morning of fun for all the family, ending with a formal closing ceremony and singing Happy Birthday. You can read the full Cromwell Sunrise Story here
PETERBOROUGH
David “Rusty” Robinson, District Scout Leader for Medehmstede, reports from Peterborough;
“I should think all this press and media coverage is like being in PR heaven, as for our celebrations in Peterborough some of us did the Sunrise 4 times, yes 4!!!! Once at 8am on Cathedral Square along with most people then at around 8:07am for good old BBC Radio Cambridgeshire for Peterborough and the Fens. While this was happening we had the local Peterborough Evening Telegraph camera's there so we hit the presses Wednesday.
Also happening on the Square were some friendship activities, I know what I was doing and that was Friendship Hats, something which I did while at a Jamboree in Denmark in 1996. They look just like pirate hats made from newspapers, stuck with tape, simple good fun.
At around 11am some of us met up with Troop 3 from Derby, Connecticut, who were over doing their tour. Well the background is every other year two scouts go from the UK to the USA and the alternate year two come from the USA to the UK. You may have met the lads at Cam Jam last year. But as the Troop was in town Divisional Commissioner, Martin Hall had arranged a reception at the Town Hall. While there we did two more Sunrise Celebrations, one UK Promise and the other Boy Scouts of America. So it was a fun packed morning here in Peterborough!
If Baden Powell knew just how successful the Movement he founded all those years ago had become in being a promoter of global peace, he would be delighted. Only Scouting can bring together so many young people from such different backgrounds together and we are looking forward to the future and our next 100 years!"
