70th Gilwell Reunion "Go Global"

Fellow Scouters (and Major Mike)
Last week I asked if anyone from BSA was going to the 70th
Gilwell Reunion at Gilwell Park in Chingford, UK. Well, two thousand
plus souls attended this weekend, over 1,800 of us camping out there.
I never saw so much Taupe and MacLaren in my life. Wood Badge holders
from seventeen nations, including Australia, Austria, Germany,
Nederlands, The Philippines, Pakistan, Ireland, the U.S.A., and oh,
yes, Cymru, Scotland and England.

At 1700, a small gourp of Transatlantic Council (TAC)
Scouters, lead by Assistant Council Executive Jeff Stanley, Channel
District Finance Chairman Ajay Chandra, District Camping Coordinator
Jerry Thompson, Training Chair Doug Meikele and Member at Large Ian
Ford assembled on the Buffalo Lawn behind the White House. There, in
front of the statue of the Buffalo presented by the B.S.A. to the
Unknown Scout, Mrs. Betty Clay, daughter of the Founder and Olave Lady
Baden-Powell, presented Wood Badge Beads to T.A.C. Scouters Robin
McCarty and Mike LaFountaine of Cub Scout Trainers Class NE-CS-??
(Camp Freedom June 1995) and to the undersigned.

Also present was Betty's nephew, Michael Baden-Powell, in from
Australia. My wife and son were present, too. I wonder if someday, I
will be able to pass on those beads to him, as I did my 1962 vintage
First Class Badge.

Anyway, the simple ceremony was witnessed by a number of
Scouters from the nations attending, including some Kilted Scots.
Later, each made it a point to come forward and shake our (left) hands
and welcome us to their ranks.

When Betty Clay placed the simple leather thong with the two
carved pieces of wood around my neck, I had a chance to look into her
eyes. Perhaps this sounds mawkishly sentimental, but I for those few
memorable moments, could see Robert Baden-Powell in her face. Simple
twit that I am, I was embarrassed by the tears welling up in my
forty-six year old eyes and I forgot to reach out and shake Betty's
outstreatched hand. But in those brief moments, I could see my
fourteen year old Boy Scout over her shoulder and remembered what it
was like to be a Boy Scout. I hope that I never forget, never forget
what it was like to be a Boy Scout.

This morning, following Scouts Own, the Annual General meeting
of the 1st Gilwell Scout Group heard Betty Baden-Powell Clay thank us
for "keeping Dad's 'thing' going." No, Ma'am, with all due respect, I
thank you, and your dad.

Yours In Scouting,
Formerly of Troop 902, Brooklyn NY 1960-1963/1968-1970
Pack and Troop 417, Waldorf Maryland 1988-1994
Troop 81, London England 1994-Present
-
Richard J. Sullivan
Chipperfield, HERTS UK
Email: rj.sullivan@ukonline.co.uk

• Messages sorted by: [ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ]
• Next message
• Previous message