SCOUTS ON PARADE FOR ST GEORGE

SCOUTS from across Wokingham borough gathered together on Sunday for their annual St George’s Parade.

The event had been curtailed over the past couple of years due to the ongoing regeneration works, but as Market Place is open again the Scouts assembled outside the town hall for 2pm.

Accompanied by the Saint Sebastian Wokingham Band, the Scouts and Cubs then paraded down Rose Street to All Saints Church for their annual church service.

The parade was headed by

Harry McBain from the Berkshire Blue Bears unit, and is currently fundraising to attend the World Scout Jamboree in West Virginia in the US later this summer.

One of the biggest parades in a number of years, the Wiltshire Road church so busy with Beavers, Cubs and Scouts that organisers ran out of order of services.

As the standards from the different troops were processed in, the service opened with the hymn Think Of A World Without Any Flowers and I Danced In The Morning.

Canon David Hodgson was leading the service and introduced prayers of praise and thanksgiving as well as giving a short address to the Scouts. The Bible reading for the service was Psalm 27:1-3.

After singing the song Our God Is A Great Big God, during which a collection was taken, the Scouts renewed their promises, before awards were made on behalf of the Chief Scout, Bear Grylls.

The service ended with the standards being collected as the congregation sung Lord, The Light of Your Love Is Shining. After a blessing from Canon Hodgson, the Scouts paraded back to Market Place.