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Scouting Centenary Ringing

As you may already know, this year is the centenary of the first Scout camp run by Baden Powell at Brownsea Island - the event which led to the founding of the Scout movement that has now spread around the world.

This Anniversary will be celebrated by the Scouts throughout the year with many and varied events. However the main focus is on the Scouting's Sunrise celebrations at 8am on 1st August. At this time Scouts around the world will be renewing their promise and publicising what Scouting has to offer in the next 100 years.

We would like to ensure that Bellringing plays a prominent part of these celebrations. We would also like to take this opportunity to recruit new Bellringers from the Scouts.

As mentioned in my recent articles in The Ringing World we would like to do the following:

  1. Arrange celebration ringing at as many local churches as possible. This will need to be coordinated with the local Scouts and should include as many current and former Scouts/Guides as possible.
  2. Arrange special ringing at churches close to the sites of the Jamborees and Brownsea Island.
  3. Encourage as many ex-ringers as possible to join us for the celebrations - especially those who hold Scout Bellringing badges.
  4. Arrange ringing displays and mini-rings at the 21st Jamboree in Hylands Park, Chelmsford, Essex on July 27th - 8th August.
  5. Invite the local Scouts to the tower and teach them so that they can join in with the celebrations.

The Scouting authorities are now notifying all Scout leaders about our plans and they are expecting to be contacted. At the same time we need to ask Tower Captains to contact their local Scouts and invite them to the tower. We hope that many Scouts will be willing to learn to ring so that they may join in the celebrations. This is an excellent chance for recruitment and publicity which should not be missed.

Please get involved: contact your local Scouts; help with the teaching; arrange some ringing; and talk to your Guild/Association about how you can help.

For further information please see:

Peter Robson
Public Relations Committee, Central Council of Church Bell Ringers
email