On a morning in early December, in bright sunshine, a group of people gathered in Elmhurst Park, Woodbridge, around a hole in the grass and a potted oak sapling.

They were there to plant a tree to mark one hundred years of Scouting. It was in 1907 that Lord Baden Powell held his first Scout Camp on Brownsea Island. In 1957 a tree had been planted in Elmhurst Park commemorating the 50th anniversary.

Among those now gathered in the park was Councillor Russell Geen, three times mayor of Woodbridge, whose father had been at the 1957 ceremony, With him were Beaver and Cub Scouts, Scouts, parents, Leaders and officials from both the 1st and 5th Woodbridge Scout Groups. They were representing the Deben District Scouting Association led by Mr Julian Dean, District Commissioner, who had donated the sapling and Mr Tony Smith, Chairman of the District Executive Committee.

A very warm welcome was also extended to Mr John Mabb the Suffolk County Commissioner and Mrs Tina Vickers Assistant County Commissioner. Their guest of honour was the present Mayor of Woodbridge, Mr Nigel Barratt, who had been invited to perform the tree planting.

The project was helped to fruition by much appreciated help from the Town Council, park gardeners, and the sale to Scouts and Leaders in the District, of neckerchief woggles turned from native woods.

Julian started the proceedings by telling those assembled that this was the last major event of the Centenary Year in the Deben District and went on to recall the preceding events including Sunrise Services on 1st August, the World Jamboree and the three Suffolk patrol leaders who took part in the 2007 Brownsea Island camp. He then invited the Mayor to plant the young oak tree.

Having completed a professional job, Mayor Nigel Barratt expressed his pleasure at seeing another Scouting Anniversary Tree in Elmhurst Park.

John Mabb then added that with the planting of the tree in Woodbridge, there were two centenary trees in Suffolk, as another had been planted at Bury St Edmunds. He was sure that this oak tree would still be there in a hundred years time and he hoped that some of the children present would come to the tree and remember this event at the 150th anniversary.

Everyone moved to the park's Scouts' Corner where John Mabb planted the first of six rose bushes called 'One Promise', bred especially by Thompson and Morgan for the Centenary Year, with flowers whose colour matches the Scout World Badge. Mr Russell Geen's interesting collection of old photographs was also much appreciated, while the group enjoyed refreshments in the nearby scout headquarters, thus bringing the ceremony to a conclusion.