Sunday 16 September 2012

Emlyn Trophy Presenting Officer speech

Good afternoon everyone, it is a real pleasure to have been here this year and also to be the presenting officer. I took part myself in the Emlyn trophy ten years ago, which does make me feel old when I realise that I am 14 years older than some of you here!

I wanted to say how proud I am of you all. You have all been here and taken part in a county competition, and whilst there are trophies, for me the participation is the most important part of the weekend.

As I have been walking around and chatting to some of you, I have gotten a feel for what you have been up to, and what have been the highlights of the weekend.

Some of the answers I got were as simple as being allowed to cut the chicken for the curry, because they don't do it at home. Someone else said they liked using the axe because their Patrol Leader trusted them to do it. Another told me they enjoyed doing the challenge and seeing the whole campsite.

One of the best things about this competition is that you develop new skills, experience leadership and teamwork, and learn to look after yourselves. For me, this is an incredible achievement which you should all be proud of.


Something I love about Emlyn is that you always get to try new things, this weekend I had lemon and cheese popcorn, saw a magic blanket, watched our county commissioner be an undertaker, and danced to someone playing anarchy on an accordion. Even when you get to being as old as me, and I am sure your leaders will agree, you still are surprised by the things that young people come up with. It amazes me, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for being so energetic, fun, and friendly.

One of the things that has impressed me this weekend is your commitment to scouting, and commitment to achieving - as I have walked around, I've had chats with some of you about what you can do next, some of you are excited about joining explorers, some of you want to do your chief scout award, and some of you are thinking about the Japan jamboree in 2015. This is a credit to yourself and to your leaders who have supported and inspired you and I hope will continue to do so.

For me it doesn't matter where you come in the competition, it only matters that you came. You took part, you learnt new skills, you made friends, and you had fun. That is the most important part of scouting, and that is what I want you to tell all your friends when you go back to school tomorrow. Tell them what you did, and be proud to be a scout.

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