Back from the Jamboree
And what an experience it was!
By some miracle, I managed to keep meticulous notes about each and every day of the experience, and so in the coming few days I’ll be converting my scribbled notes into full articles and posting them at various websites. For the moment, it will have to suffice when I say that on the whole, this was one of the most amazing experiences, and one of the most incredible journeys, I have ever had or undertaken.
And I’ve got 1726 photos to show for it. Now, admittedly, I won’t be keeping all of those…but still, that number ought to give the reader a decent idea as to the magnitude of the Jamboree. Failing that, there are a few statistics attached to the Jamboree’s Wikipedia entry that may prove enlightening.
I also made many good friends, and I would even venture to say that in working with the people of ICCS — the International Catholic Conference of Scouting — defined for me at long last just what my Scouting career means to me, and demonstrated just how I want to conduct myself as a Scout, and what I want to work toward as a member of that world-wide organization.
I made a number of new friends, met some incredible people, tasted great English bitters and IPAs, attended Mass and Taize prayer with what was, for me, a heightened frequency, and worked with between 50 and 100 kids a day doing little things to help them learn (or learn more) about the Catholic faith. And in the off hours, I had some memorable times with some or all of the members of the 59th Rover Crew that were in attendance at the Jamboree.
I have to say, though, that the best part of the Jamboree was coming through the doors out of the customs area at the Edmonton International Airport and seeing the Dragoness-to-be there. I had missed her so much during the trip, and seeing her smiling face across the arrivals area was the first breath of fresh air for this man when he finally made it home again.
Home. It’s strange, but over the course of the last three weeks, the very meaning of that word seems to have changed so much for me. Home is not, for me, the place where I’m currently living, the place I rest my head at the end of the day, or the place where my family is. Seeing the Dragoness-to-be again, I knew at once that the sneaking suspicion of a feeling I’d been having all Jamboree was true: home is where she is. Home is with her.
And so, O Reader, on that note I will leave, and will tell you only that you ought to keep checking back — I’ve got the feeling that the next update to Aiera will be fairly substantial. There’s one new project I already am aware of, for example.
Welcome Back. Since you left for your trip, something in my life was missing – cause I come around daily to see, if somethig new is on your site. When you mentioned, that you are with the scouts, I remembered the days back then, when I was one of them. I took a chance and spoke with a working mate of mine whom was the leader of the scouts back than and is until today. He was glad to hear, that I was still interested in scouts an told me that – unfortunatly – the scouts group in our town is no longer alive due to a lack of people. Well – he took me on the newsletter-list and I promised to come whenever they get started again and bring my wife, son an daughter along.
However, I’m looking forward to new posts on your site – Greetings from Germany,
Toltec Dragon / Mick
Scouting has been a surprisingly significant part of my life, more so than I could have imagined twenty years ago when I joined the movement for the first time. In Canada, the relevant section is called ‘Beavers.’ I understand, from some of the German Scouts I was working with at the Jamboree, that there is no analogous section in Germany, and that the youngest section of the movement there is analogous to ‘Wolf Cubs’ here in Canada.
Some of the most enduring friendships in my life have come about because of Scouting, in fact. That’s how I know my best man, for example…met him those same twenty years ago.
Glad to hear your interest in the movement has been re-kindled a bit…personally, I feel that Scouting is an immensely worthwhile youth movement that imparts valuable life skills to its participants.
And fortunately, you won’t have to wait for new posts here — I should have one up in a couple of hours.