I woke at 2, 4 and then at 9:30; grabbed a quick breakfast and then joined the morning’s committee meeting – the cultures may be different, but the issues are the same – how to get better youth participation in decision making; how to reinvigorate training and support of adults; how to tell the story…
Flying into Kathmandu was absolutely amazing. I watched dawn break over Pakistan as we flew through a perfectly clear sky. Far below, I could see small villages. Gradually, the scenery changed and in the distance, right on the horizon, snow covered mountains appeared. They got closer and closer, but we didn’t actually fly over them….
The journey to Kathmandu, where I am going to attend the Asia Pacific Scout Summit Conference, is a long one. I am currently in Doha airport in Qatar. It’s midnight local time and I could really be anywhere. I’ve enjoyed an excellent journey so far, courtesy of Qatar Airways, with the best economy class meal…
Unaccustomed as I am… – Mrs Moneypenny mentions me in the Financial Times “Representing: standing or acting for another, especially through delegated authority. I don’t often represent anyone else and I have never represented my country. Recently, however, I did represent the chairman of a large international bank. No, I was not standing in for…
I have just spent a fascinating morning with Evan Davis of the BBC Today programme and Sir Win Bischoff, recording an item to be broadcast over the Christmas holidays. Win and Evan interviewed a number of Career Academy students at Sir George Monoux College about their experiences of the programme. The young people were superb…
Another milestone for Career Academies UK, as we held our first residential training course for teachers. 40 schools and colleges were represented, making this our biggest Year of Planning group ever. They’re going to be a great group too. Lots of enthusiasm to push the employer engagement agenda forward. A strong commitment to raising young…
The new World Scout Committee held its first meeting over the weekend, (my first, of course) and it was also the first of its kind under the new Committee structure that was established at the recent 38th World Scout Conference in Korea. There are still twelve elected members with voting rights, of which I am…
I have just returned from the European Scout Region’s first Scout Academy, an event held for leaders from all over Europe in Mollina, near Malaga in Spain. It was a resounding success and I was delighted to be able to attend. Sessions were held throughout the week on a whole range of different topics; for…
Terry Leahy must love Hungary. Wherever I looked this weekend, I could see either an enormous Tesco or a billboard telling me where the nearest enormous Tesco could be found. I was in Sümeg, in the westernmost county of the country, about an hour north of lake Balaton, for the annual gathering of the Friends…
Everyone thinks that the first Scout camp was held on Brownsea Island. (Well, those that think about Scouting at all, I guess, think that.) But the first uniformed Scout Camp was actually held in Humshaugh in Northumberland a year later – and the Scout County is understandably very proud of the fact. It was a…