- Campfire, fireplace, or candle
- Something small that is safe to burn to serve as your memory of this event
- Ashes from previous campouts, if you have them readily available (dont drive anywhere to get them :))
- A copy of this document to read
Typically this ceremony is performed at the end of a campfire by someone who is in physical possession of the ashes. The legend goes that in 1907 Baden-Powell hosted a campfire. During the campfire, each Scout would add something (safe) to burn. This item served as a physical representation of their memory of the day.
At the end of the campfire he'd secured a small portion of the ashes and use them for use in a future campfires. By adding unburned material to future campfires, the campfire symbolically has never been extinguished.
A tradition in larger outings is for Units to bring their own ashes, each telling their own story, to be added to a large community campfire. At the end of the campfire the ashes are redistributed back and the 'pedigrees' are merged.
As part of this presentation, you'll add something to your campfire. Most of you will not have physical ashes that have been passed down over time - this isn't a problem because we have a solution. We're all part of one Virtual Campfire; one event. We happened to have our Packs ashes in our home and have a solution for merging and folding ashes that you'll create tonight!
It's most likely that you do not have physical possession (yet!) of the ashes. We'll operate within the spirit of what Baden-Powell intended - and because documented ashes were used as part of this event - just present as though you do have the ashes. If you'd like to modify the script to fit your Scouts, please feel free!
Some of you may have 'real' ashes with a documented pedigree. If you do, please click the link so we can fold our ashes together. If you do not have ashes, please collect your ashes such that you can join them with your Units at the next campfire.
If we do this right, we can keep within the spirit of this tradition - which will make for one truly interesting entry to the pedigree!
...so in short, explain to your Scout how this works and when reading the below script, add something to your fire that is memorable to you
- Create a campfire - if you cant leave the house, turn off the lights and (safely) light a candle
- Ask your Scouts to find something small and memorable to be added to their campfire, pinecombs are common, a piece of paper with a private note would be just as good (be safe!)
- Enjoy the time with your family - "do your own thing"; when the time is right, read this script and burn your items
- Take a picture and if it's permitted, share the picture to the 2020 Virtual Camporee Facebook Page
- Collect the ashes and store them securely
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If you're a Scout Master / Cub Master / Unit Leader (one sample per unit) CLICK HERE to Join the email list to receive ashes once the camporee concludes
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If your not a Scout Mater / Cub Master / Unit leader - keep your ashes, your leader will want them to fold into the first campout once we're back to normal
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This presentation is heavily 'borrowed' from others. Much like the ashes being discussed the presentation is passed among Scouts. Feel free to use it 'as-is', but also modify it to fit your needs. Much of the interesting history can be found on
- Wikipedia Brownsea https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brownsea_Island_Scout_camp
- Pack 24 (http://www.pack24marlborough.com
We'll begin with a summary of some interesting information taken from the Brownsea Island Scout Camp wikipedia page.
Around 1907 Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, was interested in locating a large campsite, suitable for hosting an experimental prototype for what would become the Scouting movement. At the time, he was finalizing the first editions of Scouting For Boys - what would become our first Handbook. Among his options for camps, one stuck out - Brownsea Island, outside Poole Harbour in Southern England. He had visited Brownsea Island as a boy with his brothers. It covers 560 acres (2.3 km2) of woodland and open areas, and features two lakes. The island perfectly suited his needs for the camp as it was isolated from the mainland, yet was only a short ferry trip from the town of Poole, making for easy logistics.
Between August 1->9'th in 1907, Baden-Powell invited boys from different social backgrounds to the camp where they were arranged into four patrols, designated as the Wolves, Ravens, Bulls and Curlews. It is uncertain if 20 or 21 boys attended the camp but they were organized into five patrols with Baden-Powell's nephew Donald as camp orderly. � As this was the first Boy Scouting event, the boys did not have uniform shirts, but they did wear khaki scarves and were presented with brass fleur-de-lis badges, the first use of the Scout emblem. They also wore a coloured knot on their shoulder indicating their patrol: green for Bulls, blue for Wolves, yellow for Curlews, and red for Ravens. The patrol leader carried a staff with a flag depicting the patrol animal. After passing tests on knots, tracking, and the national flag, they were given another brass badge; a scroll with the words Be Prepared, to wear below the fleur-de-lis.
Each patrol camped in an army bell tent. The camp began each day with a blast from a kudu horn. The day began at 6:00 a.m., with cocoa, exercises, flag break and prayers, followed by breakfast at 8:00 a.m. Then followed the morning exercises, as well as bathing, if deemed necessary. After lunch there was a strict siesta (no talking allowed), followed by the afternoon activity based on the subject of the day. At 5:00 p.m. the day ended with games, supper, campfire yarns and prayers.
After this first campfire, in 1907, the ashes were collected and safely stored.
There exists, in Scouting circles, a legend that Baden-Powell would take ashes from a ceremonial campfire and spread them into the next campfire. This was done, symbolically, to recall memories of past campfires and to highlight to all Scouts and Scouters the bonds that connect us with our fellow Scouts and Scouters around the world.
Often this ceremony will be performed at special campouts, Jamborees, large training events, or significant events like this - a nation wide campout that is happening at home.
[Addressing your family] - *please add one small item to the fire that serves as your memory of tonight. We will collect the ashes and add them as our personal entries into the
If you do not have physical ashes Tonight we're not spreading actual ashes within our home tonight, but because our campfire is symbolically joined an actual campfire that did have ashes, we'll speak as though we using physical ashes - our Cubmaster/Scoutmaster will be mailed ashes that were used in Washington State as part of this ceremony. We'll then add our ashes to those ashes in order to complete the union.
The ashes we spread tonight into this campfire carry memories of past campfires dating back to the founding of Scouting in 1907. They have been carried around the world to well over 1000 Scouting campfires in 50 countries where Scouting fellowship has been shared.
By adding these ashes to our campfire tonight, we symbolically send greetings to our brother and sister Scouts around the world. And, as these ashes mingle with tonight’s campfire, we join the memories of our own past campfire experiences and those of Scouts that have come before us with tonight’s program.
The original fire for these ashes were at Baden-Powells first campsite, at Brownsea Island in 1907. They were collected, and added to another campfire - where they were then collected, and passed down generation to generation. I have a document that outlines the pedigree of these ashes that will be available for download
This campfire is the 1077'th campfire, on record.
These ashes have a 'pedigree' that spans over: • 1000 campfires, in over 50 countries • They have been in 4 US flag retirement ceremonies • 35 National Jamborees in USA, Scotland, Hungary, Canada, Wales, New Zealand, and England, 4 in Denmark, 4 in Mexico, and 1 in Jordan • 21 Conclaves • 200 Wood Badge
If these ashes could talk - we would hear stories from the campfires of Camp Russell as the world celebrated the end of WWI. Throughout the 1930's these ashes were in El Dora Iowa where year over year we'd first hear of the amplifying struggles as the Great Depression begins, and then of the continued relief and optimism as the Great Depression came to an end. They remained in continued use within campfires in El Dora Iowa when the US entered WWII in 1941 and remained in Iowa we celebrated the end of the war.
By 1950 these ashes were present in Valley Forge, and were added to the 2ed National Jamboree. By 1952 they were in Philmont New Mexico, and from there traveled all over the world.
In the late 80's these ashes were in my old stomping grounds of Tennessee. They were present at several adult training courses, and although coincidentally, likely burned in front of the leaders of both my Pack and Troop.
In 1992 they made their way back to Philmont and then off to a leadership course in New Zealand in 1993. By 1994 they had just missed the celebration of the first Tyrannosaurus Rex track being found at Philmont boundary a few years earlier because they were in South Africa before again returning to Philmont for a Woodbadge Pilot course in 2000. Interestingly they attended 13 future woodbadge courses using material from this Pilot, before attending the 2018 Pilot Woodbadge course at camp Pigott near Seattle
In May of 2019 these ashes burnt in Washington State as we celebrated the first year of Pack 428's girl Dens.
Tonight we are joined together virtually because of a worldwide "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" program designed to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. During this time we're being asked to distance in order to help reduce strain on our healthcare system as we learn to overcome this challenge together. While this can be frustrating, it also has created the opportunity for even larger congregations of Scouts to meet now with new technologies to be together safely.
These ashes have burnt before Scouts almost every year since 1907. They've burnt before Scouts who were coping with the anxieties of going into both World Wars, the Great Depression, and every conflict and war since. They were also there to celebrating the ending of these wars, the improving of the economy, when Eagle Scout Neil Armstrong landed on the moon, and soon enough they'll be there celebrating another National Jamboree.
In good times, these ashes remind us of overcoming harder times. In comparison to the stresses of going to war, our daily problems don’t seem so bad. In times like these, when the future isn't as clear, they serve to remind us that we always overcome.
It'll happen fast, but soon enough these ashes will be burning in front of the children of the Scouts here tonight. The Scouts will be parents, and the parents will be grandparents. They'll be telling the stories of the big Virtual Camporee of 2020 that was put together in record time by loyal Scouters who didn’t know one another. What we're overcoming will become a source of pride to those Scouts, and will serve as motivation for them to achieve.
We will let this fire burn to its natural conclusion and then we'll collect samples of the ash to be distributed to the Troops and Packs participating here tonight.
Before the campfire concludes, please take a moment of silence to think about those who watched these ashes that burn before you