If I'm sluggish this morning, it's because my day started early -- taking my oldest son out for a sunrise ceremony at Stonehenge to mark the 100th anniversary of the Scouting movement. One hundred years ago today, Robert Baden-Powell held an experimental camp for boys that led to Scouts being formed. The World Jamboree is now taking place a few hours from us in Essex, but Scouts all over the world are marking the anniversary in various ways. For us, it meant a trip to Stonehenge.

Scouts from our local Salisbury Plain District gathered at around 7:15 in the parking lot outside Stonehenge:

As you can see, the sun was already up for our sunrise ceremony -- but it was still early!

We stormed the Stonehenge entrance:

Marched on the monument:

Where parents were diverted on to the grass in front of the stones. As the grass was wet, I figured I'd stand on one of the fallen stones:

Yeah, I can hear some of you now -- horrors! How can you stand on the precious Stonehenge stones. Easy. I walked right on it. It's a big rock. It's been there for 6,000 years. During the solstice, the entire place is opened up to thousands, and they pretty much give up on trying to police the stones (see my Stonehenge category for past posts about the solstice and visiting Stonehenge). Standing on that stone (it has a name -- I can't remember it right now -- was no big deal).

Well, it was to the Stonehenge security guard. He moved me and several others off it. Small children not part of the Scouts later tried to walk on it, causing parents to shoo them off. Meanwhile, the Scouts themselves couldn't go inside the circle because the ground was too damp to bear their weight. Heh. English Heritage is notorious for being way to overprotective of the stones. I think they'd have survived.

No matter -- the Scouts came around:

Got assembled:

Then after a countdown to 8am, a kudu horn was sounded as Baden-Powell did all those years before. You can hear it in the video below, which is about all you can hear of the ceremony!

We got a Scout salute at the end:

Then it was marching back time:

One of them is mine. If you know my taste for Californian footwear, look close for the Old Skools to spot him:

He's a Cub now, but two years ago, I went with him when he was a Beaver to historic Brownsea Island, where that first camp was held. Here's the group at the camp marker:

Here's a closer look at the marker. Sorry about those two Beavers in the way!

By the way, I was a Cub Scout very briefly -- a Webelos Cub Scout, for about half of fourth grade. I tried to find a nice page at the Boy Scouts Of America site to explain the various type of scout levels like this one from the UK association (being the first association, they're simply called The Scouts Association). Sadly, no such simply guide was easily found.

All in all, a nice morning -- ended by a trip to Reeves The Baker. My son went for a pasty for breakfast. Mmm -- good choice!

On Monday, big decision. Should I take the day off and go out to the World Jamboree with him? Maybe -- how cool to see some of the 20th gathering. Plus, a semi-Orange County connection. Jamboree Blvd, which runs down to Newport? Named after the Boy Scouts Of America's third jamboree held where Fashion Island now sits, back in 1953. There's even a historical marker at Fashion Island commemorating it. A little more low-key than the one on Brownsea Island. Less a stone monument and more a small brass plaque.

Next Post: Tree House: Day 7-9, Walls & The Second Floor
Previous Post: Tree House: Day 6, Adding Second Floor Frame
All Posts: Daggle Archives
Posts By Category: Daggle Categories
Return To: Daggle Home Page

Comments

Want to comment? If you are signed into TypeKey, you'll see a form below. No form? Click on the sign-in link below, and you can sign-in or sign-up for a free account. Sorry you have to use TypeKey, but I use it to avoid comment spam. All comments currently appear automatically after posting.

Leave a comment

Name

Email Address

URL

Remember personal info?

Comments (You may use HTML tags for style)