Jamboree Update for BBC Radio 2

I have been extraordinarily busy making sure that everyone here is having a good time. You’ll be pleased to hear that they are! The atmosphere here is extraordinary.Over the course of Wednesday, throughout the different time zones, Scouts from around the world have been renewing their Scout Promise at exactly 8am to mark the centenary of the opening camp on Brownsea Island.Meanwhile, here at the World Scout Jamboree in Hylands Park, our scouts were treated to a fantastic sunrise ceremony. They said it couldn’t be done (and for a while I believed them!) Persuade 40,000 young people to get up at about 5:00am and make their way to the arena in the middle of the site. If you know any teenagers, you’ll know that’s quite a feat! Then involve them in a ceremony that encourages them to think about building world peace and get them to renew their Scout Promise. And do all that with good grace and good humour, with as little adult intervention as possible. Well, they did it.We had a live link up with Brownsea Island, where a special camp is being held with some of our Jamboree participants as our Chief Scout, Peter Duncan, led the renewal of the Scout Promise.We then watched as doves were released on stage, and thousands of coloured balloons were launched into clear blue skies over Chelmsford. Then, to the sound of music and dancing, the young people began collecting signatures on their yellow ‘sunrise’ scarfs from those around them – another opportunity to meet new friends and share a common aim.Some people say that teenagers today are a lost cause. I think all of us here at the Jamboree would beg to differ!