International Scouting at Naish

International Scouting is a part of our own Scouting experience.  This past year Emily Fisher worked on the camp staff at the Naish Scout Reservation.  In the fall of 2009, Emily sent this email to express her thanks for this experience.   International Scouting provides tremendous benefits for everyone involved.  Our Scouts can also have the same experience in working on a staff at a Scout camp in Europe.  If you are interested visit the Heart of America Council International Scouting webpage, contact your district International Scouting committee member, or contact Tom D. Johnson, Heart of America Council International Scouting Committee Chair at t.johnson@acmeunited.com.   You can be a part of the European Camp Staff exchange program for 2010.  

My name is Emily and I’m a 19 year old Scout from Huddersfield, England. I’ve just started my second year at University in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England. I am studying medicinal chemistry.   This summer I was chosen to come to Camp Naish to work at the camp as a member of staff.

When I found this out I was really excited and also pretty nervous, as I had no idea what to expect. The welcome I received as I stepped off the plane after my 15-hour journey was fantastic and incredibly reassuring that I was going to be well looked after.  

My host families were amazing; it was so nice knowing that if I needed anything or needed somewhere to stay – there was someone around to help. They were also always willing to take me into the city and show me the sights. It was literally a home away from home! (They were also very good at reassuring my mum that I was doing ok!)  

Working on the camp itself was an amazing experience, which I shall definitely treasure forever. The other staff were very friendly and everyone was always willing to help me out if I needed anything. Teaching the Scouts/Webelos at the pool was immense fun, not only teaching about swimming and lifesaving, but also about England and many of the differences between home and America. I made some great friends whilst at camp, who were always happy to take me out on weekends and days off. I hope very much that I shall see them again in the future.  

For the last two weeks at Naish my boyfriend Stuart travelled down from Alaska, where he’d been working all summer. We were very privileged to be invited to visit Bartle Scout  Reservation – a very different camp to Naish. We were lucky enough to enjoy a complimentary peach Ne-Hi float from the Iconium General Store, since being back in England I’ve looked for Ne-Hi but I can’t find it anywhere – not even on the internet, very disappointing! We very much enjoyed seeing the camp and were delighted to be asked to stay for the Mic-O-Say call night ceremony which was nothing like I’ve ever seen before.  

After camp I was very lucky to have the opportunity to travel around the US for a few weeks with Stuart. We travelled to Las Vegas, where we went on a flight over the Grand Canyon before travelling to Hollywood then onto Monterey and finally to San Francisco. I then flew back to Kansas City for a few days before heading back to England.  

The things I’ll miss about Kansas City are; ·        

• The people – some of the kindest and most welcoming people I’ve ever met in my life!
• The Camp Naish pool and the pool staff – I definitely miss not being able to jump into a pool whenever I feel like it, and the pool staff were just like one big happy family. 
• Driving on the wrong side of the road – for anyone who ever went in a car with me will know, it took me forever to stop trying to get into the drivers seat, but now I’m home it’s weird being back on the left side!
• The weather – definitely going to miss the heat (even though everyone said this summer was mild…) but I’ll also miss all those amazing storms – we don’t get lightning like that in England.
• Wal*Mart – it’s just amazing - where else can you buy everything you’ll ever need all under one roof?
• Lucky Charms – best cereal ever!!  

This summer has been the most amazing summer I’ve ever had, I’ll never forget my time spent with all the lovely people in Kansas City!