The Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor has joined around 40,000 Scouts at Hylands Park in Chelmsford for the 21st World Scout Jamboree which began last Friday.
This year’s jamboree marks 100 years of the Scout movement since the first Scout camp was opened at Brownsea Island on 1 August 1907 when founder Robert Baden-Powell blew his Kudu horn three times at 8am.
In a similar fashion, UK Chief Scout, Peter Duncan, blew his Kudu horn three times at 8am on Wednesday morning, announcing the start of the Worldwide Scouting Sunrise, when Scouts around the world renewed their Scout Promise at exactly 8am across different time zones to mark the centenary.
Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor joined around 15,000 Catholic Scouts taking part in the event when he presided at a special Centenary Mass on Wednesday morning to commemorate the centenary.
The Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, meanwhile, sent a message from Pope Benedict XVI to Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor expressing his warmest greetings to all those taking part in the centenary celebrations.
“At a time when so many young people are confused and disorientated, the Holy Father urges Scout leaders to continue offering this invaluable service that has enabled millions to become free, responsible and generous adults, making good use of their God-given talents and placing them at the service of their brothers and sisters,” read the greetings.
Fr Jonathan How of the Jamboree Organising Team and Director of Studies at St John’s Seminary, Wonersh, said Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor’s presence at the event was a “welcome expression of solidarity with the Church here in the UK, and throughout the world”.
Prince William and CBBC have also joined this year’s Jamboree. CBBC presenters Sam and Mark spent the day filming Cubs and Scouts taking part in Jamboree events including food tasting in the Arabian Tea rooms in the Global Development Village. The footage was taken for the ‘Do Something Different’ show, a programme encouraging children across the UK to try something different.
Hylands Park has become a temporary village for the 12 days of the Jamboree, with banks, shops and restaurants all on site.
Do Something Different’s Executive Producer Kez Margrie said: "What I really like about the Scouting movement is that it encourages and celebrates children doing something different. It pushes children to their limits. That's why we're here, because we know everyone here is doing something different."
