Monday 9 May 2011

Meeting Bear Grylls

You could actually feel the excitement build as we waited for Bear to arrive, ears strained for the sound the helicopter… and that was just the adults never mind the hundreds of children!

As a volunteer Media Development Manager for the Jersey Scouts Association I was lucky to be part of the Island Activity Day for 395 Beavers, Cubs Scouts and Explorers and Bear Grylls was the guest of honour. He is currently trying to see as many Scout Groups in the UK as possible as part of his Chief Scout duties and this weekend it was the turn of the South West and Islands of Jersey and Guernsey.

Known for eating snakes and being trapped in caves, on desert islands or volcanoes, Bear was also the youngest Brit, in 1998 to summit Everest ('Facing Up' is his brilliant book about the expedition- mine is now sporting it’s very own Bear ‘print’ J )

Many of his shelter building and campfire making skills used in Born Survivor, he learnt the basics of when he was a Scout and his love of the outdoors, the unknown and adventure made him the ideal candidate for the Chief Scout role.

He’s obviously a great role model and respected by the Scouts, with many of them extremely shy around him, although others had no problem asking for autographs and photos! Only having 30 minutes with us in Jersey meant it was a quick tour of each of the activities, yet he still took time to speak to a little girl who had her arm in a sling after an assault course accident as well as cooking marshmallows joining in a game of tug of war and Zorbing with his son Marmaduke.




His 30 minutes stretched to 45 as he tried to meet as many young (and not so young!) people as possible but it was soon time for him to be whisked away to another Scout Group in the South West of England.

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