An Explorer leader from North Wales will play a lead role at Scout UK’s prestigious Day of Celebration and Achievement at Windsor Castle this Sunday.
Alys Bailey-Wood, an Explorer Leader with DeMon Explorers, and Youth Lead for Eyri a Mon, will be part of the Colour Party at the annual ceremony alongside five other King’s and Queen’s Scouts from across the UK.
Alys, age 23, pictured front row, third from left in the above photo, was chosen from more than 80 applicants to be part of the Team of Ten, 10 young people who perform ceremonial duties at the event which recognises key achievements of Scouting members and volunteers from across the UK.
She will be one of six members of ‘the Colour Party’, who will lead the Queen’s and King’s Scout recipients into the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle where they will be recognised for their achievements. She will then help lead the parade between the Castle and St George’s Chapel where the National Scouts Service will take place. The remaining four members of the Team of Ten will be part of the Service Delivery Team, helping to lead the service.
To apply to be part of the Team of Ten, the young people must have earned their Queen’s Scout Award or King’s Scout Award. This is the highest award for young people in Scouting and can take several years to earn, with only a handful achieved in Wales each year. From the initial 80 applicants, Alys was one of 30 invited to attend a selection weekend at Gilwell Park, Scouts UK’s headquarters, where they took on skills challenges to test their teamwork, to see who would make the final 10.
Alys – pictured centre in the above photo – began her scouting journey in 2014 as an Explorer in Bridgend, before joining the Student Scout and Guide Organisation (SSAGO) at Bangor University. She achieved her King’s Scout Award in the summer of 2023 while leading DeMon Explorers.
Following her selection, she has taken part in monthly training weekends at Victoria Barracks in Windsor to help develop skills such as marching together, complicated commands and swapping of flags, as well as a dress rehearsal for this Sunday’s event. Meanwhile, the Service Delivery Team have been preparing the running order and delivery of the service.
Alys said: “Being part of the Team of Ten has been one of the most fulfilling and exciting experiences of my Scouting so far. I’ve made friends for life and it’s an experience I’ll never forget.”
She said some of her highlights included learning skills that not many get to master, being front and centre at one of the most exciting and important national scouting events of the year, as well as seeing parts of Windsor Castle that the public isn’t allowed to access.
Alys added: “If anyone is going to Windsor and is looking for the Welsh person in the Colour Party, I’ll be carrying the King’s Colour (far left) down the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle. I’m really excited!”
Alys hopes to return to Windsor in coming years as a section leader and wants to continue encouraging her Explorers to start their King’s Scout Award as well as making a difference locally.
She said: “You never know, they might one day be part of the Windsor Team of Ten.”
Alys is also hoping more young people in Wales will put themselves forward to be considered for the Team of Ten, with applications for next year opening later this month. Please follow the ScoutsCymru social media channels for updates.