Julia Crider Heads to World Scout Jamboree
One of the things Doug loved was a good story. He was in his element when he was in front of a crowd telling of some adventure he had been on and all of the things he learned from it. We had some great trips together and all of them were packed with fun, learning, and sometimes a bit of difficulty. The most wonderful part of them was meeting new friends and discovering new cultures.
Julia Crider is about to embark on an amazing adventure - the 25th World Scout Jamboree. She has been selected as a US Scout Ambassador, and she will travel to South Korea this summer to represent our country.
To say that this would have excited Doug is an understatement - to say that Julia is our grand-daughter is something we are both proud of! We all can’t wait to hear her stand up like her Grandpa and tell her tale of adventure and new found friendships.
When Doug said, “Are we having fun yet?” Julia heard him loud and clear!
~ Deb Harford
Here is a little bit from Julia about her adventure:
Am I Having Fun Yet??? Yes, Yes I am!
I am preparing for and in the middle of a complete brain shock. What I am about to do is ridiculous.
Every once in a while an opportunity pops up in your life when you least expect it. Usually, it's something no one else sees or notices. Some people notice the opportunity, but it feels unobtainable so it is dismissed immediately, no matter how bad one may want it. But sometimes, it just feels right, especially when you are already open to the idea. The idea presents itself as a perfect opportunity and then you take a leap of faith.
This opportunity felt right at the moment. My parents started their life together in South Korea, and we had recently talked about traveling to this place as a family. When I learned about this possibility to travel to South Korea for the 25th World Scout Jamboree, I was ready to take an adventure on my own. My parents had shared stories of living abroad, and instilled the excitement and love of experiencing other cultures within me, and I have always enjoyed traveling outside of my home town and country. My travels leading up to the Jamboree made me interested in experiencing other parts of the world and yearn for new adventures. Representing the USA at the World Jamboree felt both obtainable and inconceivable at the same time.
This journey started one and a quarter years ago. I was placed in a merit badge class called “Citizenship in the World”, which was a course I had already completed, but was accidentally enrolled in again. At the end of the class, the instructor told us that she was going to play a video, specifically because it goes along with the theme of “Citizenship in the World”. This short video of the opportunity to travel to South Korea and represent the United States of America at the World Scout Jamboree immediately impacted my life greatly, because I knew that not only did I want to experience this Jamboree, I could figure out a way to make it happen.
I could have never imagined the events that would happen in my life that are leading me to catching a flight to South Korea in less than 40 days. Even more so than that, I could never imagine the path my scouting career and life would take after signing up to become a scout as just something to fill my time and find new friendships. Since 2019, I have been a member of Troop 3410G of Bella Vista, and I have grown and learned so much with my troop.
After I decided to go to WSJ, I first made a commitment to my family that I would raise the funds to cover the full cost of my trip. Then, I made a plan to accomplish that promise. Throughout this process, I have done so many new things. I partnered with my uncle and my Grandpa to drive to Illinois, load a truckload of sweet corn and drove it back home to sell. People purchased the corn on a pre-order google form that I made and I even had a facebook live event to advertise my fundraiser! I was able to raise over $2000 in 3 days of sales! I also was able to use my earnings from two summers of staffing at BSA summer camps in Arkansas and Oklahoma, which was a super fun experience. I wrapped hundreds of water bottles for my parent’s business, as they donate water to the summer ball programs in our area for advertising. Finally, I took advantage of a generous offer by my grandparents to open an IRA and receive an additional cash bonus that I applied to my trip funds. I even had to submit my first tax return as part of this process!
As much as I can’t believe everything that has happened in my life to prepare for this trip, I know the experiences and people I will meet in South Korea will be even more impactful. My troop is Troop 13 from the USA, one of 18 troops our country is sending to the 25th World Scout Jamboree. My troop is composed of 18 female scouts and 2 leaders from 13 different states. Our troop logo is “Lucky 13” and features a Rosy the Riveter type character representing the first all female troops attending the World Scout Jamboree this year. Troop 13 will be matched with a troop of scouts from Israel to experience the Jamboree this summer. Thank you for your support in my dream of travel and adventure!
~Julia Crider
