The combination of the four friends happen to be one of the living proof of our scout spirit.
This picture was taken here at the Summit. However, it dates way back to four years prior in Japan!
Just like some of us, the four did not meet in the most ideal circumstances. They “saved each others lives” back in Japan. Four years later, you can tell that they succeeded in figuring things out… They meet again as if they where never apart. The bond and friendship between the four leaders seems almost miraculous, you’d say they might even be siblings!
In fact, they actually happen to be quite proud of each other and their achievements. One in particular would be Jo (World Scout Committee Member – no biggy)
I was lucky enough to negotiate the secrets to such a strong bond. (Yeah we’re friends now – no biggy)
Jo told me about his first international scouting experience with his local unit when he was 14 years old (can’t really mention what year that was
). What he grasped from his experience is very much similar to what scouts like us happened to grasp from the Jamboree itself. He specifically used the words “I realized that the way we do scouting back in Belgium was not ‘the way to do scouting’ but ‘a way to do scouting’.” And that was the base of the mountain. He then explained how alike yet different the different aspects of scouting are by drawing out how the World Scout Committee works (you can find that on the WOSM website). He then agreed that it is very much our own responsibility to make the best out of jamboree, “get out of the jamboree what you can’t get out from elsewhere” you might come from a place where adventure activities are highly accessible, focus on group activities (I don’t think you’ll find such groups elsewhere) and to the ones not attending, you’re already doing something right because he highly recommends keeping up with the connected experience media platforms in order to keep updated (and here you are reading my blog well done!!).
Long story short, I learned that such amazing bonds have no secrets to be made, it is will power, mindset, and some scouting magic that create them.