As Scouts of Australia, we acknowledge Australia's First Nations people; the Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander peoples, as the traditional custodians of this land.
We pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging.
My name is Ruby and I am the Deputy National Commissioner for International.
I would like to welcome you to JOTA / JOTI 2021.
The world's largest Scouting event held each year.
Get ready for a fun packed weekend of activities and challenges.
It's important you register for JOTA / JOTI.
By registering you'll gain access to an enormous volume of activities and challenges.
There are two ways to register.
As a group, use this if you re participating with other Scouts over the weekend, such as
a camp.
Only one person needs to register.
Individually, if like many of us you are not able to join with your fellow Scouts in person,
you can still participate from home by registering as an individual.
Additionally, if you are running a JOTA station, hop on to vkjotajoti.com to register your
station.
Once you have registered, explore our campsite map and join the series of dialogues, games,
live shows, challenges and talent shows while connecting with other Scouts from around the
world.
There is an enormous range of activities to explore.
Challenge Valley offers 10 challenges to complete around the campsite, by engaging in offline
activities, attending webinars, participating in games or watching the JOTA / JOTI live shows.
You can find them all in the challenge valley.
Remember the golden rules of online safety: be nice to people; keep your information private;
be mindful of what you share; if it makes you upset, tell someone; check your privacy
settings; know how to report posts and people.
Get your Being Online Safe certificate at https://www.scout.org.elearning_beingsafeonline.
The Last Great First is one of the most audacious polar expeditions ever undertaken.
Former Scouts Dr Gareth Andrews and Dr Richard Stevenson are preparing to embark on a 110
day, 2600km unsupported full coast to coast ski crossing of Antarctica.
Join us to hear and ask questions about their preparation, journey and important scientific
research that they will be completing on their journey.
And now, I would like to welcome His Excellency General The Honorable David Hurley AC DSC,
Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia, Chief Scout of Australia and Patron of Girl
Guides Australia to give his opening address.
Hello, Scouts!
Welcome to JOTA-JOTI 2021, the world's largest digital Scout event.
What a weekend it promises to be.
A weekend of Scouting and friendship, and an opportunity for you to come together, challenge
yourself, learn, have fun and help create a better world.
There's five good reasons just for starters!
I note it's the 64th JOTA and 25th JOTI.
I'm not going to give away my age, but I'm just old enough to have known what Scouts
were and know how to use a radio when the first JOTA was held.
What a fabulous event it has grown into; a highlight on the Scouting calendar.
This year's theme, Scouts for SDGs - keep moving is particularly apt.
Congratulations to the organisers on choosing such an important, engaging and timely theme.
The four Sustainable Development Goals that will inform this year's event are:
Environment and Sustainability Peace and Community Engagement
Skills for Life Health and Wellbeing
All four goals are important, but I am particularly pleased to see that Health and Wellbeing is
a key element of the program.
All of us have been impacted by the pandemic and it's really important that we look after
each other.
Let's make a pact to continue to check-in with our friends by whatever means, virtually
as it is for many at the moment to ensure that they are okay.
Your program looks terrific.
There's great variety including webinars, global campfires, talent shows, live shows,
fun challenges and more through an interactive 3D campsite.
Congratulations also to the organisers on creating a safe online environment for JOTA-JOTI,
to keep young people Safe from harm . That said, keep your wits about you when engaging
online.
Well, now, it's over to you.
I wish you well for the weekend and I know it will be memorable.
I look forward to seeing some of your photos and videos.
Finally, Linda and I send our best wishes to you and your families.
Enjoy JOTA-JOTI 2021 and stay safe.
Go Scouts!