A MONK Bretton man joined nearly 500 UK Scouts on an international adventure in Portugal recently.
Dominic Jones, 24, embarked on the adventure of a lifetime at the 16th World Scout Moot.
It’s an international scouting event that brings together over 7,000 young adults, aged 18 to 25, from every corner of the world for two action-packed weeks tackling challenges, celebrating cultures and forming lifelong friendships.
It began on July 24 at Tejo Park in Lisbon and concluded on August 6 in Madrid.
This year’s theme of the World Scout Moot was ‘engage’, encouraging Scouts to connect with others and their community through cross-cultural exchange, understanding and friendship.
The international Scouting event included a four-day ‘path’, where Dominic was grouped with Scouts from other countries, including Sweden, Germany, Austria, Mexico, Taiwan, Australia, Brazil, Italy, Chile, Peru and Portugal.
He was based in Coimbra, home to Europe’s oldest university, participating in a varied programme of activities encompassing adventure, society, culture, and spirituality, as well as engaging with local scouts from the group that hosted his path.
After the path, Dominic, who joined the Scouts when he was six years old, joined the other participants to experience the remaining days filled with Scouting activities, international cultural learning and skill development at a camp base in Ovar, outside of Porto, before the closing celebration and a UK contingent post-event trip to Madrid, Spain.
Dominic said: “I had a fantastic time representing Barnsley and South Yorkshire at the World Scout Moot in Portugal, experiencing international Scouting at its best.
“Events like this allow me to learn more about the world, spending time with people from all countries and backgrounds and celebrating the power of Scouting to connect people.
“The welcome from our Portuguese hosts was brilliant, and it showed me how much good there is in the world.
“From a simple smile to community action, Scouts are truly helping to make the world a better place.”
Chief Scout, Dwayne Fields, wished Dominic good luck before he departed by saying: “A massive good luck to Dominic and all the UK Scouts who are at the World Scout Moot.
“This is an amazing opportunity to discover yourself and the world around us, while exploring how you can create meaningful change.
“The true international spirit of Scouting will shine through, with so many chances to learn from other Scouts around the world. I know each UK Scout attending will grab the opportunity to create memories, friendships and skills to last a lifetime.
“We know that too many young people today grow up unhappy and worried about their future.
“Scouts aims to change that - we give young people a chance to belong and a place to be themselves.”
To get involved locally in Scouting, please visit https://barnsleyscouts.org.uk/volunteer.
