Howick and Huntingdon scouts headed to Scotland

Six members from the 1st Howick and 1st Huntingdon Scouts will be travelling to Scotland in mid-July to participate in the 36th international Blair Atholl Jamborette, held at Blair Castle in Perthshire, Scotland. The Scouts will be holding a final fundraiser on June 30, with a spaghetti lunch and supper prepared by Chef Annie in Huntingdon. “We try to go every two years,” says Alma Nall, a leader with the 1st Howick Scouts, who this year decided to extend an invitation to the 1st Huntingdon Scouts for the roughly three-week trip to the picturesque Scottish Highlands. Four members from Howick and two from Hunting-don will participate in the 10-day camp on the grounds of Blair Castle as well as an extended 5-day stay with a Scottish family following the Jamborette. The original idea for the camp was started by Mr. Jack Stewart in 1946, the International Com-missioner for Scotland, who felt a smaller gathering of Scouts from across the globe every two years would have a lasting benefit. The then Duke of Atholl gave permission for the camp to take place, and since then representatives from over 50 countries have been welcomed at the site. This year, around 1,500 Scouts from around the world are expected, from countries including Japan, Iceland, Zambia and China. All of the international visitors to the camp are treated as guests of the Scottish Scouts, where the local patrols are twinned with visitors where they will be treated as a unit and live and work together in subcamps. [caption id="attachment_49824" align="alignnone" width="521"] Blair Castle, in the Scottish Highlands.(Photo blair-castle.co.uk)[/caption] An opportunity not to be missed The chance to be among the scouts coming together to share in this camp and the adven-turous activities and challenges it will certainly include was something too good to turn down for the six members of the local groups. “it’s a great opportunity, and especially for a lot of these kids,” says Nall, whose children have participated in the past. “It’s a chance to see another cul-ture and to build friendships for life,” she suggests, noting her son is still in touch with some of the friends he made years ago in Scotland. “They have fun, there is no judgement, and every-thing is positive,” she continues. “It’s a chance to broaden their horizons while enabling them to develop an interest in future stud-ies in college or university,” adds Jamie Iverson, whose son is among the group participating from the Valley. “We want to help teach them there is more in the world,” he adds. All day spaghetti fundraiser The Valley business community and extended Scouting family have been exceptionally gen-erous in helping to raise funds. Following a successful drive at the Ormstown Fair earlier this month, the Scouts will be holding a final fundraiser to help pay for airfare and their stay in Scot-land. The exceptional Chef Annie will be serving spaghetti at her bistro in Huntingdon from 11 am to 8 pm on Saturday, June 30. The six Scouts, who will be leaving on July 14, are set to return following their adventure on August 1.