Lord Baden-Powell Society

Jacob’s Story

I would like to thank the Lord Baden-Powell Society for supporting me to go to AV2018, because without them, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity of such a great experience.

AV2018 was for me, the greatest thing I could have possibly done that I can’t even put it into words. I made so many new friends and that just made the experience even better.

Some of the best things that we did as a Group was when we went snorkelling. It was so nice, and there were so many fish everywhere.   The water at Moreton Island was really nice. Whilst we were there we also did sand-tobogganing, which was fun going down the hills at a fast speed but in the end you looked like a cinnamon donut from the amount of sand all over you. One of my favourite things we did was to ride on the brand new roller coaster at Movie World and the DC Rivals Hypercoaster. It was so fast that it just made you feel so alive.

The temperature and humidity in Queensland compared to South Australia is crazy. For example, when I stepped off the plane, the heat just hit me in the face and, the amount of people there compared to my little town where I come from, it’s just insane. I’ve never seen so many people in one place in my life. I had to adjust my sleep as well because of daylight saving. So at 5 o’clock in the morning, the sun is as bright as it is in the middle of the day, and then at night, the sun goes down at 7pm most nights.

The night time entertainment was very good. All the bands were excellent and the themes for the nights were also great. My favourite night was the ‘Aussie Rock’ night because all the music played was what everyone knew, just some classic old songs which we could all rock to.

So again, I would like to say a big ‘thank you’ to the Lord Baden-Powell Society for making all this possible for me. Thank you!

Mark’s Adventure

AV2018 was an awesome experience for me that would not have been possible without the help of the Lord Baden-Powell Society’s grant. Being the only Venturer attending from my Scout Group meant that I was fundraising alone, which was a struggle, but between the funds I raised, the Lord Baden-Powell Society’s grant and a small council grant, I was lucky to be part of AV2018. There were challenges, including not knowing anyone that was going, but the challenges helped me learn more about myself and meet new friends.

I went on the “Get Daring” expedition, which involved lots of hiking, exploring the Tambourine Mountains in Queensland, canoeing through valleys to the CBD, abseiling and high ropes. Although I am quite fit, as I spend a lot of time playing sports and outdoors, I overcame the challenge of blistered feet and long days in humid conditions that I am not used to with support of my Leaders and new friends. I saw spectacular scenery, experienced new adventures in locations I have not been before, and learnt I am stronger mentally than I thought.

Once the expeditions were finished, the different experiences back onsite allowed me to consider decisions each day that were best for me, for example: Stay at AV2018 base camp and relax playing cards with South Australia’s contingent members, have some time out and read by myself, play some basketball with my expedition mates, explore the site, or go on to some offsite activities.

The Lord Baden-Powell Society grant allowed me to overcome family financial restraints to attend AV2018, which in turn has given me the confidence from being the only Venturer Scout from my unit to attend the Australian Venture, knowing no one else, to now apply to attend World Scout Jamboree 2019, again not knowing anyone. I was apprehensive about attending a world event alone, but the Australian Venture taught me that as a Scouting Member you are never alone. It is my dream to attend WSJ2019, as it has a huge sustainability and leadership focus, which I am really passionate about.