East Yorkshire Guides

The "Sweden Group"

The girls who formed the party were chosen in the time-honoured way of the "selection camp." Guides over the age of 13 from all around the county were recommended by their unit Guiders and sent for a weekend's assessment at Guideacres, the county campsite. There they were split into mixed patrols and throughout the weekend had to complete a wide variety of tasks, mostly team-building or problem-solving exercises, and make a personal presentation to the whole group. Throughout the weekend the girls (and the Guiders who hoped to be "selected" too) were observed in everything they did by the International Team and copious notes were taken!

There were two international visits being considered - one for the over-15s to Poland and one for the under-15s to Sweden, and in addition, two girls were to be recommended for consideration for the North-East England region visits, the older girls going to Mexico and the younger ones to Sweden (also to Scout 2001, but we didn't know that at the time......) In the event, the 17-year-old Ranger recommended was eventually selected to join the Mexico trip (and had a WONDERFUL time) and a shortlist of girls for the other two visits was drawn up.

A few weeks after the camp, letters were sent out to all the hopeful candidates and eight girls and two leaders were selected to represent East Yorkshire at Scout 2001, Sweden's first International Jamboree! The group soon grew to 12 - two older girls, who were unable to take up their offered places on the Poland trip because of previous commitments, joined us, and the planning started in earnest!

Some of the "Sweden Group" at our "getting-to-know-you" camp in June

A county group is very different from a unit - the girls needed to get to know each other for a start : the ten of them were from seven different units from all corners of the county and most had never met before the selection camp (and even then, weren't in the same patrols.) We organised a couple of meetings for the girls and their parents, plus a social night out - ten-pin-bowling and burgers - which went very well, and a weekend camp, exchanged LOTS of emails, letters and phone calls, and then we set off for Sweden..........

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