|
A look back at the World Scout Jamboree in Sweden
Senator Sutham Phanthusak,
International Commissioner of Thai Scouting, enjoying the camp.
Chaiyakrit “Kevin”
Aamlid
On July 29, 2011, I made my way to Sweden for the World
Scout Jamboree. I was a bit late for this due to the fact I had to finish my
military service in Thailand but glad that I could participate in this
event.
The world Scout Jamboree is an event that has been taking
place every four years since 1920 with scouts participating from all around
the world. In this World Scout Jamboree 40,000 scouts had found their way to
Rynkeby in Sweden.
I was an IST during the camp despite the fact that I was
too young as it requires that you are 18 years old. IST stands for the
International Service Team. I became an IST due to the fact that I had
already been to a world scout jamboree as a participant in the UK in 2007
and I then understood what it is like to be a participant so then I wanted
to know how it is being an IST.
My mother Mio and father Jan
slept one night in the camp. For my mother this was her first night in a
tent.
The World Scout Jamboree took place near the town of
Kristianstad which is a very small town in the south of Sweden. The main aim
of the World Scout Jamboree was to bring people from different countries
together so they can have new friends from around the world and learn from
each other. Therefore, people understand the benefit of a multi cultured
world. But me being a student at Regents in Pattaya, this was not so hard to
adapt to since Regents is a very international school. Many of the others at
the jamboree only speak and spend time with those from their own country and
they might have learned new things about different cultures.
During my time at the camp I was with the Thai contingent
since I have been working with them for a long time now and so has my dad.
Thailand had about 140 scouts in which 6 of them were blind. Thailand was
the only country to have brought blind scouts along with them. The blind
scouts came from a school between Pattaya and Naklua which is particularly
for the blind and the Thai scouting association have under the leadership of
Senator Sutham Phanthusak, International Commissioner of Thai Scouting, been
working with them for a long time. We believe that blind people can achieve
a lot and have a lot to offer for the world and for scouting. The King of
Sweden even paid them a visit in the camp due to the fact that the King of
Sweden had opened one of their facilities in their blind school in Pattaya
and has also contributed a lot of money for them and also wanted them to
come to the camp. The King himself is the Honorary President of the World
Scout Foundation and has been a scout from his childhood.
The blind scouts from
Thailand once again had the pleasure of meeting Their Majesties the King and
Queen of Sweden.
In the camp I mainly worked with the Thai contingent,
every country has their own contingent tents and each one gives information
about their country. A lot of the time in the contingent tents I was
informing other scouts and visitors about Thai culture and life, played some
games, had some quizzes and in the tents we had Thai massage which was very
popular. I was also assigned other jobs as a volunteer; this included
cleaning and washing dishes in the canteen, in which only IST’s and camp
visitors could eat. We even had HM King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden eating in
the canteen.
HM King Carl XVI Gustaf of
Sweden.
I had learned a lot from the camp and about different
cultures. I met scouts from more than 150 countries and made many new
friends. I spent about two weeks at the camp and it was very enjoyable. It
is going to be a while until I sleep in a tent again, that’s for sure.
As it seemed like everything was coming to an end there
was one more thing to enjoy and that was the closing ceremony. It was like a
massive concert with fireworks and some very famous bands from around Europe
including the band from Sweden called “Europe” who has sung “The Final
Countdown”. The next World Scout Jamboree will be in Japan and I hope to be
an IST in that again, or maybe even a troop leader.
Some of the Thai scouts and
myself.
Senator Sutham Phanthusak,
International Commissioner of Thai Scouting, with the blind scouts.
HM the King of Sweden during
the presentation ceremony. I am seated near the front with my brother
Mathew.
|
|
 |
Magnificent Music Afternoon at Regent’s
Josh Year 4 and Amber Year 5
playing recorders.
Jill Thomas, Head of
Primary Music
The Globe Theatre was host to a wonderful Primary Music
Afternoon on November 30th. It was a brilliant opportunity for our primary
instrumentalists and vocalists to showcase what they have been learning this
term to a wider audience.
Before the doors opened to the Globe, the audience had a
chance to purchase some beautiful Christmas cards. These cards were designed
by 10 students, whose designs had been selected from a school wide project,
and had been professionally printed. This was an amazing initiative led by
the Primary Music and the Secondary Art teams in order to raise funds for
our community partner projects. The printing costs were sponsored by the
company MBMG.
Key Stage 1 Choir performing
beautiful Christmas carols.
Once all the students had taken their places in the
Globe, the doors opened and the audience walked in to the wonderful sounds
of Chopin’s piano music. Once the audience was seated, the Music Afternoon
began with Reese from Year 5 playing the King’s Anthem beautifully on the
violin. This was followed by Sung Eun Choi in Year 5 playing an excellent
piano solo, a difficult piano sonata by Monteverdi. ‘Craze’, one of our
Primary pop groups, followed with an original music piece. This amazing
group consisted of several violinists, guitarists, Mickey from Year 5 on
dijembe drum, Ken from Year 5 on the keyboard and Josh from Year 4 on full
drum kit!
William James in Year 4 then wowed the audience with a
beautiful classical guitar rendition of Elvis Presley’s ‘Can’t Help Falling
in Love’. Jin Soo Kim from Year 4 followed with an entertaining drum solo
and the Primary brass, with a little help from two secondary students, Chloe
and Ellis, got everyone in to the Christmas spirit with ‘Jingle Bells!’
The “Craze” guitarists playing
an original music piece.
Isla from Year 4 sang a charming solo entitled ‘Castle on
a Cloud’ from the musical Les Miserable. Then Double Rock, a Year 5 Primary
pop band, played another original piece brilliantly. The Primary ensemble
group followed with a beautiful, peaceful version of Silent Night. Tyler
followed with an amazing and energetic drum solo!
Then our special secondary guests MISCAST played a
fantastic rendition of a ‘Muse’ song. This really inspired our Primary
students who were wowed by the amazing skill of these older musicians!
The Key Stage 2 recorder group followed with a brilliant
duet and a fabulous jazz piece.
Our final item was the Key Stage 1 choir, thirty eight 5
- 7 year olds, who come to choir practice every Friday lunch time! They were
truly magical to watch, with their enthusiastic singing and brilliant dance
moves!
The whole event was eloquently introduced by Sarah and
Josh from Year 4, and Amber and Bua from Year 5. They did an excellent job
of clearly introducing each item.
Congratulations to all students involved - you were
amazing!
|
|
Students from St Andrews find out how doctors can help us
Students get
to find out if they are healthy or not.
Marsha Foster, Year
4 teacher at St Andrews International School
As part of their unit on the human body systems,
students in Year 4 visited Bangkok-Rayong Hospital. The students were
learning about what happens when our bodies aren’t working properly and
what doctors can do to help us. We visited the physical therapy room,
where students got to try out some of the equipment which doctors use to
help people regain strength and movement in their arms and legs. We then
visited the x-ray room and were able to see what bones look like when
they’ve been damaged or broken.
One of the highlights of the trip was getting to
watch doctors perform brain scans and ultrasounds on patients. It was
amazing to see and hear the human heart beating. At the end of the trip,
students got to climb into an ambulance and learn about emergency care.
This educational trip provided a wonderful end to our unit and helped
the children to expand their knowledge on the human body systems.
The highlight of the trip
was getting inside the ambulance.
Year 4 at the Bangkok
Hospital in Rayong.
|
|
Krungthai-AXA Life -
Setting a good example
It was worth the two years of
hard work.
Derek Franklin
For the past five years Krungthai-AXA Life has been
the fastest growing Life Insurance Company in Thailand and currently has
over one million customers.
In November 2011 the company’s CEO, Mike Plaxton,
accepted an award on behalf of the company from Santi Prompat, Minister
of Social Development & Human Security, for their contribution towards
people with disabilities.
On accepting the award, Mike said he did so on behalf
of the almost two million people who are living with a disability in
Thailand.
Eight young people with varying disabilities are now
working at the company’s Bangkapi headquarters, the majority of whom are
graduates of the Redemptorist Vocational School for People with
Disabilities in Pattaya.
A graduating student
thanks the teaching staff at the school.
The graduates are employed, not because of their
disabilities, there is little pressure to employ a person with a
disability, but because the company wanted to open their application to
all sectors of society.
Most people living with a disability do not want
charity. Nor do they want to be pitied or employed just because the
company wants to be seen to be ‘doing the right thing’.
A graduate with a qualification does not want to be
employed in work that no one else wants to do. Instead they want to be
treated fairly, as individuals, and be allowed to prove to a new
employer that they are just as worthy of a position as the person
sitting at the desk next to them.
A person with a disability wants to show that the
skills and abilities they have gained are beneficial to a company, and
their disability should not be a barrier which bars them from gaining
suitable employment.
Joining the workforce as
equals.
Each year the first Saturday in December sees the
graduation ceremony for the successful students at the Vocational School
in Pattaya.
For two years the students have studied a variety of
courses, electronic repair, English and computers, and they gained not
just new skills but the confidence to go into the workforce as equals.
If a large multi-national company such as
Krungthai-AXA Life has benefited from such an initiative, then other
companies could also gain valuable human assets by opening their
recruitment processes to all sectors of society in its appointment of
new employees.
For more information on the Job Placement Agency for
People with Disabilities contact [email protected]
|
|
A good night’s sleep
The Australian visitors
present new sheets to the children.
Derek Franklin
The residents of the Father Ray Children’s Home will
now be having a more comfortable night’s sleep, thanks to several groups
of donors from three different countries.
Most bedding currently in use at the Home was
purchased when construction on the final dormitory block was completed
in 2004. For a long time the children have been sleeping on old
mattresses and wrapping themselves in threadbare sheets. The pillows
they have been using have seen better days and are now flat after being
used for so many years.
Niamh presents one hundred
and thirty pillows to the Children’s Home.
In October twenty four students from Sacred Heart
School in South London paid a visit and agreed to purchase one hundred
and thirty brand new mattresses.
New pillows were purchased with funds donated by
friends of the Kenny family in Dublin Ireland. Niamh Kenny has
volunteered at the Children’s Home several times and her family and
friends got together to raise money.
Making their first trip to Pattaya, students and
teachers from Girton Grammar School in Bendigo Australia visited the
Home and donated enough funds to ensure every child received a new set
of sheets.
From now on the youngsters will not complain of bugs
on their mattresses. The teenagers will no longer moan that the sheets
do not keep them warm and their teachers will be happy knowing the
children are getting a good night’s sleep.
Thai and English students
working together.
|
|
|
