13th January 2004
Professor Jane Lewis has two passions in life - marine biology and Scouting! Now with the University of Westminster's support, she is all set to serve Scouting as a Chief Commissioner of England.
The prospect excites her. She said: "Being a Commissioner is not something I'd thought about. But when the letter came, I thought it was a wonderful opportunity to do something worthwhile with young people. This has always been a driving force for me, one that's close to my heart. And the University agreed too and has been good enough to allow me to go part-time, so it's full steam ahead!
"In my opinion, without the University's support I couldn't undertake the Scouting job."
With a father who was a Scout Leader himself, Scouting is clearly in her blood. Her Scouting career kicked off at the age of 16 in Wokingham, Berkshire, where she became a Cub Scout Instructor.
"I was a Queen's Guide and we had a local arrangement where Scouts and Guides worked and played together - terrific fun! I wanted to be a Venture Scout, but at that time the Unit wasn't set to be a mixed one - unlike today's Movement. Working with young people was an interest, so I offered to help with Cubs. I did a lot of canoeing, and then went into sub aqua."
As a marine scientist, she studies single celled plants, with her research tending to be done remotely off ships rather than in the water itself, though she admits she's always keen to check out the underwater scenery whenever there's a chance!
She was delighted to be on The Scout Association's Programme Review Implementation (PRI) panel, which undertook a fundamental revamping of its activity programme for young people. And she was equally proud to be among those who worked on the Young Leaders' Scheme for Explorer Scouts aged 14 to 18, who choose to devote much of their time to assisting other Scouting sections.
"Scouting wise, I've worked in England, Wales and Scotland, I started off with Cubs, then also ran the service part of a Scout and Guide Club. In Scotland and London, I moved on to the Scout section. When I found myself in Slough I rang up the DC and became a Leader Trainer and also supported Beavers who were just getting off the ground then.
"I returned to Scotland and I was asked to set up Rainbows on the Isle of Cumbrae. When I headed back to Slough I became Assistant District Commissioner for Scouts, then Assistant County Commissioner for Scouts in Berkshire and became a regional representative on the National Scout Team. More recently I have been a member of the Slough Scout Fellowship."
In 2003, she turned her hand to assisting on the WINGS (Windsor InterNational Guide and Scout ) Camp which is staged every five years. The aim of WINGS is to provide an exciting and complete International experience for the 10+ age group of Guides and Scouts. More than 30 countries were represented at the 2003 event, with contingents from 30 counties around the UK, adding up to around 4,000 participants and staff. Participants came from as far afield as Japan, Israel, Grenada, Tunisia, Thailand, Lebanon, Canada, Nigeria, India and Ghana.
Jane has two daughters aged nine and six and is a parent helper at her younger daughter's Rainbow meetings in Slough. Her husband, George Rowing, shares her love for sub-aqua and is a dive instructor.
