Scouts Australia sponsored National Youth Week this year, participating in its 14 April launch. However what really stole the show was the circus extravaganza at the Scouts Australia promotional booth. Led by Mitchell Hodgson, the 1st Ermington Venturer Scouts, part of the GWSR Venturer Program, performed awe inspiring feats which included juggling with balls, clubs, fire, knives and rings; poi performances; acrobatics; fire breathing; human blockheads; pseudo weapons like fire, swords and axes, whips and much more!
Mitchell Hodgson led his Unit, including youth between the ages of 14 and a half to 18, to develop their own circus, inspired by the Scout Motto to ‘Be Prepared for New Adventure’. Mitchell began his pursuit of this adventure two years ago, which grew from an idea of starting a circus during Dragonskin 2010 when he was just 14 years old. After watching some fire performances by the Rovers from Sydney North Region, he was so inspired that on returning home he made a makeshift set of poi out of tennis balls and rope and began to practice. It was only after almost a solid year of practice, once he perfected his basic technique, that he started practicing with lit up a fire props.
As he began to practice in public, more and more Scouting friends became interested in learning poi. The Group slowly expanded to the level today of approximately 62 members from Venturers and Rovers, as well as supervising Leaders, participating in what grew into the GWSR Venturer Circus Program.
Prior to the first fire meeting, the GWSR Venture Commissioner, Aaron Wardle and Mitchell developed a Risk Management Plan, called the GWS Policy for acceptable use of fire props within the Region by Venturers. This document was stringent and completely focussed on safe use of fire props, including age restrictions on activities, safety procedures for performers and audiences and other safe practice policies.
The success of the GWSR Venturer Program has resulted in Mitchell and other Venturers running workshops, perform at the 2010 Parramatta Short Film Festival and in other Community and Scouting events. In fact the success of these young performers resulted them being awarded a prestigious $10,000 Grant by Parramatta City Council on 13 June.
When Mitch was asked about how he persevered with this Group in spite of obstacles faced, he said, "I think it is best summarised in a quote that one of my friends recently sent me ‘I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious’ – Albert Einstein. I have no exceptional natural ability; I actually started off with a solid disadvantage. When I was younger I needed professional assistance to help develop my fine and gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination as it was so poor. As well as having to persevere within my own limitations to develop skills, also I had to persevere with the safety stigma that is associated with fire performance. Fire manipulation of any sort is intrinsically dangerous, as we are 'playing with fire'. However, if proper precautions are put into place and fire always respected, it is a very safe hobby. I could even say safer than team sport in most respects. We take the proper precautions to minimise the potential of being harmed. We provide the fiery spectacle, but are always mindful of the need for responsible risk taking".
Mitchell added, "Something that highlights Circus as a plausible pursuit for anyone in Scouting is the fact that one of our members who fire twirls, whip cracks, unicycles and juggles, suffers from rod-cone dystrophy, which classes him legally as visually impaired".
"My absolute favourite thing about performing is the people I do it with. Everything about our group is Community; more correctly, everything within Circus is about Community. Something that is a close second is the crowd response; there are a set few moves that stun every crowd. I love it when someone in the group does one of their finishing moves and I hear the crowd take a breath in sheer amazement".
"Most of the GWSR Venturer Circus group are using their development of Circus Skills to earn their Pursuits tape in their Venturer, Queen’s Scout and Endeavour Awards. GWSR Venturer Circus provides plenty of opportunities for all Venturers to pursue their interests. Some Venturers are spending their time with the Circus in developing their photographic skills, some in designing artwork & posters, some are working on choreography of routines, some are working on the management side, some work with music, some are looking at risk management, some work with fire and some don’t. There is something for every Venturer, who wants to be involved in the Circus. All you need is perseverance".
To hear the gasp of the crowd, to see the wide eyed amazement of the younger children when you hammer a nail into your head and remove it again with no ill effects; to levitate that silvery wand dancing in and around your body and hands with the audience fixated to the shimmering holographic shaft suspended mid air; to make beautiful fiery patterns for scores of photographers with their time lapse Nikons at work in the dark, on a beach, with the flames casting light and shadow across the rippling water; to hear the roar of the sea and the roar of the flames on a hot, summer night, is just the ultimate performance high for any Venturer."
Mitchell Hodgson, the 1st Ermington Venturer Scout Unit and the GWSR Venturer Circus Program are excellent examples about how Scouting promotes leadership, independence and responsible risk taking through adventure. These young members through pursuing and achieving their goals have also developed unshakable self confidence. Scouting allows young people the creative freedom to pursue their own endeavours. Adventure at Scouts is not just about juggling and acrobatics; camping and canoeing; abseiling and hiking; sailing and flying; but learning how to manage the risk involved, in a responsible fashion.