OVER 900 Girl Guides from across the world have descended on Castle Saunderson International Scout Centre near Newtownbutler, for the Xplore International Camp.
Brownies, Guides, Senior Section, leaders and volunteer staff from Singapore, Denmark, Gibraltar, Australia, Oman, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, and Girlguiding Ulster were on site for the week camp.
Girlguiding Ulster Chief Commissioner, Tempo Guide Leader and recent MBE recipient Carole Graham hosted the event, the first of its kind in Ireland and during a packed week of activities and events the girls were kept busy with activities such as bushcraft and raft-building.
The international visitors also got a taster of what the surrounding area had to offer with off-site excursions to Fermanagh’s most famous landmarks – Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark and Devenish Island Monastic Site, as well as the Lakeland Forum and Enniskillen Town.
In the evenings the action didn’t stop as local girl, former Monea Guide and Collegiate Head Girl Faith Viney was Xplore14 Lead Volunteer and host of evening events, including the opening ceremony and talent contest Xplore Factor, featuring Britain’s Got Talent finalist Jordan O’Keefe as star judge. They also had the resident Xplore14 boy band, to entertain, which featured local boys Andrew Irwin, Andrew Keys and Lewis Swain.
A very wet Saturday may have damped spirits a little, but they were soon lifted by an extremely colourful International day, where the girls learnt about each other’s cultures, combined with a visitors day, where over 300 parents and friends of guiding came to get a taste of camp.
During the camp some of the guides were treated to a reception at Town Hall with council chairman Bert Johnston, followed by a tour and very special international sitting in the recently refurbished Council Chamber. Internationals presented the Chairman with gifts and answered questions in chamber with one Sri Lankan Guider commenting that: “I’m so honoured by the welcome we’ve had from everyone, our girls have had the most wonderful time and will remember this for many years to come.”
At Tuesday night’s closing ceremony, Enniskillen man Tony Smith, Castle Saunderson Camp Chief paid tribute to the girls, and the strong relations between the Scouting and Guiding families.
Carole Graham, Girlguiding Ulster Chief Commissioner conveyed her thanks to Tony, Castle Saunderson and all it’s staff, and added:
“I’m thrilled that Girlguiding Ulster has been able to give so many of our girls a truly international experience. Reading the Xplore 14 memory tree, the most common favourite memory on our Xplore 14 memory tree is by far ‘meeting lots of new people from different countries’ and I’m delighted to be a part of that.”
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