First Wangaratta Venturers Aten and Tristan are selling kindling to help raise money needed to get to the 2027 World Scout Jamboree in Poland.
Photo by
Ian Johnson
First Wangaratta Venturers Aten Dennehy and Tristan Davis are working hard to raise money that will help send them to the 26th World Scout Jamboree in Poland next year, and Rutherglen Men’s Shed is jumping onboard to give them a hand.
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The two are the only members from their troupe going to next year’s jamboree and were last Thursday working hard packing kindling donated and split by the Men’s Shed into bundles, which they will sell.
They have worked their way through the scouting ranks, from Joeys through Cubs and Scouts to Venturers, which is for 15-18-year-olds, and now have the chance to travel overseas for an international jamboree.
Aten said she loved being involved in the scouting program and was looking forward to next year’s adventure.
“I love the people and the things I get to do,” she said.
“I get to do all this amazing stuff, like abseiling; it's something I would never have done if I wasn't scouting.
“I’m excited to meet people from different countries and learn how their scouting works, and the difference in their uniforms.”
Tristan enjoys the socialisation scouting brings, as well as the activities and working for the community.
“I’m looking forward to meeting new people at the Jamboree,” he said.
So far, the two Venturers have already spent a year planning for the jamboree, with much more still to be done before they’re ready to go.
With the cost of attending expected to be more than $4,000 per scout, the bulk of the work needed is in fundraising, however they also need to plan activities and other items before they depart.
“We need to figure out what we're going to do at the Jamboree,” Aten said.
“We need to decide which activities we’re going to do, figure out all the people that we're going to be there with, which group we're staying in, and where our tents are going to be.
“So there’s a lot to do.”
The Rutherglen Men’s Shed are helping Tristan and Aten with fundraising, splitting their firewood into kindling for them to sell.
Photo by
Ian Johnson
Aten and Tristan started working with the Men’s Shed about three months ago and have nine months left to raise the funds they need and prepare for the jamboree that starts next July.
Rutherglen Men’s Shed president Ern Walder said Aten and Tristan first started splitting their firewood into kindling by hand before he and the other men stepped in and offered to do it for them.
“XLAM donate all our timber for firewood, so to say thank you for that we offered to split it for them,” Ern said.
“It helps us and helps everybody else out; one community organization helping another.
“It's the end of our firewood season, so we said we'll split it for them, all they have to do is come and bag it.”
The 2027 World Scout Jamboree runs from July 30 to August 8 in Gdansk, Poland.
