Day of Celebration – St Georges Day 2020
DATE: 9TH APR 2020 AUTHOR: ADAM WILLIAMS
Introduction
April is always important to us, as Scouters, as we come together to reflect on and renew our Scout Promise. Your promise, which ever one you chose to make, is a simple yet powerful set of words. Alongside the 54 million other Scouts worldwide, we promise – quite simply – to do our best.
It may suit type to let you know I have a battered, well-travelled copy of Scouting for Boys; 1908 edition. Honestly, in places the language hasn’t aged particularly well, but more often it describes Scouting in 2020 perfectly, even from 112 years ago – Part II, Chapter II has a particularly useful guide on how to tell if a gentleman is good-natured or a swaggerer from the angle of his hat if you need help on that.
Part IV, Chapter VII – Chivalry of the Knights; Camp Fire Yarn No. 20 tells a story how St. George was chosen as the patron saint of knights and the cavalry because he was the only one of the saints that could ride a horse (I have not fact checked this, and our B-P has been known for not letting facts get in the way of a rousing story). The chapter then goes on to describe how a Scout may look at the code of chivalry and apply it themselves. In one example, B-P explains that when Knights were not on the battlefield they would “ride about their town” looking for a good deed to do – to do a good turn every day.
We are in peculiar times, where the chivalrous thing to do, create distance and erect barriers, may seem against the grain, but B-P already has a solution for this, another way to look at the world. He provided us an abridged, simplified Code of Chivalry:
- Chivalry to others.
- Discipline to self.
- Self-improvement
But by having self-discipline and following the Government advice, you are protecting others, particularly the NHS. And we’re all learning something about ourselves now we’ve been forced into an unexpected position.
So now we know, as long as you follow the Government advice you can go about your self-isolation / social-distancing with an air of knightly-knowing, sound in the knowledge that you are doing the chivalrous thing – armour and horse optional.
While this year we are unable to come together physically, my teams will be bringing you a couple of activities that will hopefully help you stay feeling part of the Scouting family as you renew your promise.
If you need help delivering Scouting during this period please refer to our Coronavirus page as well as the communications from UKHQ.
As always I am so proud to be County Commissioner for Shropshire, and the work my volunteers are doing to continue to provide Scouting – thank you.
Yours in Scouting
Dexter 🙂
County Commissioner
Shropshire
Live Stream
Saturday 25th April; 12:00; Shropshire Scouts Facebook/YouTube
We will be hosting a Promise renewal via Facebook/YouTube where all members are invited to join in to renew their promise together.
You can join via this link
We are looking for a Beaver, a Cub, a Scout, an Explorer, and a Scout Network Member to lead the promise for their Section. If you have someone who is able to lead the promise for their section please email us at countycommissioner@shropshirescouts.org.uk and we will be in contact with what we need from them.
On the day, we’d love you to share videos and photos of you renewing your promise so please share using #ShropshireScouts
Activities
As well as the Promise renewal, we’d also like to share some activities together. All the activities are to make/produce something and again we’d love you to share your work with us, flooding social media using #ShropshireScouts; or by emailing dayofcelebration@shropshirescouts.org.uk
We like you to:
create something in your chosen format (picture, video, TikTok dance, Boomerang, vlog, written piece) describing what your Scout Promise means to you.
create something in your chosen format (picture, video, TikTok dance, Boomerang, vlog, written piece) describing what the story of St. George means to you
create a St. George Shield and Sword in your chosen format (cardboard model, Roblox model)
create a Dragon in your chosen format (cardboard model, Minecraft model)
For each Section (Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Network), the County Team will then choose the best creation to receive a prize.
Terms and Conditions
Entries must be made before 30th April 2020 to be considered for the prize.
There is no limit on the number of entries per member.
Only entrants who are members of Shropshire Scouts will be eligible to receive the prize.
For entries that wish to be considered for a prize, your parent/carer must identify their first name/the first name of the young person you are entering, and the Group/Unit to which you/they belong, so we can get in contact with you/them to arrange delivery of your prize, should you/they win.
The rules and usage policies of the platform you choose to share your entries on must be adhered to.
The Government’s guidance on social distancing must be adhered to at all times.
The County Commissioner has the final say.
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