On the 9th October our Scout Group turned 90 years old and we wanted to go all out for the milestone. Throughout the year we have been counting down and celebrating our past, present and future. Most of the events below were from our Group party and open day on the 5th, but they all contribute to a very special year. Here are our top 10…
Top 10:
1. 90th Birthday Countdown
Since January we have run a series of special meetings, counting down to the birthday. We explored our Group’s history and what Scouting was like through the decades. Activities included playing past games, reading the log books, breaking war codes, acting Gang Show sketches, cooking for our 70s party and a game with past badges.
2. Annual Quiz 2019
For the third year running we hosted our Scouts and Guides Annual Quiz, and for the first time we had joint winners! Well done to ‘The Winners’ (Saz, Tanya, Ben, Avi and Roni) and ‘The Gallerias’ (Karen, Charlie, Sabrina, Daniel, Margarita and Emmanuel).
3. Birthday stalls
Before the summer, a group of volunteers met and formed a Birthday Committee, with the goal to make the 5th October a fun and memorable day. After many hours and hard work, we managed to pull it off. Along with our Quiz, AGM and film night, the afternoon was a bit like a fair. Lunch was provided whilst families went round and enjoyed the stalls. Their was a big craft project, a photo booth, a memory box, the history room, a bar, games, a merchandise stall, a food stall and of course…
4. Sponge the leader!
Probably the most popular stall. Roni, Josh and Sami were each put in the stocks to face a long queue of Scouts eager to get their back on their leaders. Leader attempts of bribery with points and promotions failed, and they were soaked.
5. The History Room
Open on the 5th, we had a special display of the Group’s history open. Everything from early letters and stories, through the war and coming of age right up to recent photos, banners and trophies. It was great to hear the feedback from so many members past and present – and a lot of “look at that hair!”
6. 90th Birthday Videos
For our 90th Birthday I produced a set of special videos celebrating 2nd Edgware today. We interviewed our Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Leaders about their favourite memories, the skills they’ve learnt and what makes 2E special. Here are the finished videos…
You can also watch our history montage – 90 years in 5 minutes…
7. Cake!
No birthday would be complete without a cake (or in our case, several). Debi made a fantastic cake for the whole Group on the 5th, beautifully decorated and very scout-y. The following week Rama baked a delicious cake for the Cubs whilst the Scouts enjoyed a lot of muffins.
8. Our 90th Birthday Time Capsule
To end the big day we buried our first ever time capsule, due to be opened in 2034 (when our lease is up). Inside there are badges, photos, newspapers, a video and other items for the future Group to dig up and discover.
And before burying the time capsule, we invested our newest Scout Balthazar in the hole. Here’s the evidence:
9. Members past and present
The big day was even more special with our past members there. Former Scout Leader Geoff Green made a speech, before cutting the cake, about how influential 2nd Edgware had been in his life. He was accompanied by a group of former Venture Scouts who have remained friends ever since, showing the true power of scouting!
10. 90th Birthday Parties
The official date of our birthday is the 9th October, so the week after the Group event, the sections had their own parties. A huge birthday treasure hunt was organised around the HQ, and of course dodgeball, beanbag-on-a-rope and cake. All in all, a well celebrated birthday.
Thanks!
None of this would have been possible without the incredible team of volunteers. Thanks must be given to our GSL Sami, the 90th Birthday Committee (Saz, Sam, Avi and myself), all those parents and volunteers who helped run stalls on the day and all the Leaders.