The Kingston Scout Museum has many items in our collections that have been touched by former and present Scouts from all walks of life. Knowing that these items have at one time, been an important part of someone’s life, adds a whole new layer to the significance of these items. There is a deep human connection that we can make between ourselves and the Scouters whose artifacts we preserve.
One such collection of artifacts comes from Jean Gillespie. Jean was a beloved and renowned Scouter and community member who over the years, photographed and scrapbooked many of the Scouting events, celebrations, and special occasions in Kingston. Our curator at the time, Kat, had the privilege to speak with Jean’s granddaughter Jennifer to learn more about Jean’s contributions to the Scouting and Kingston community.
There was no place I could go, where someone didn’t know who Jeanie was.
-Jennifer
Scouting always had a special place in Jeanie’s heart. She became involved with the Scouting community in Kingston as a way to connect and spend quality time with her sons. Even as her sons grew older and eventually left Scouting, Jeanie stayed involved as she loved the community. Over her years in Scouting Jeanie was awarded several Scouting awards including the Silver Pineapple, the Silver Acorn, & the Silver Wolf. She was also named Kingston Citizen of the Year 1998.
Jennifer told our curator that in Jeanie’s house, one of the bedrooms was solely dedicated to Scouting memorabilia- including the scrapbooks featured in this exhibit. It was clear in the conversation with Jennifer, that Jeanie loved Scouting and the Kingston community and that she was beloved by the Scouting and Kingston community.
Through the digitization of these scrapbooks, we are able to gleam a new understanding of the importance of Scouting here in Kingston and the surrounding area. The love, care, and effort taken to preserve these memories showcase to the world how deeply intertwined this history is with the local Kingston community. Additionally, this project allows us to humanize this history by showing the passion, love, and sense of community that has been and continues to be fostered.
We wanted to honour the hard work and dedication that Jeanie put into preserving these memories by digitally recreating them for visitors to view. She had a lot of love to give the Scouting and Kingston community and it’s our turn to reciprocate that love and honour her profound legacy.
To replicate the experience of opening and flipping through pages of memories, we recreated the scrapbooks so that you, the viewer, can flip through them and take a walk down memory lane!
We have listed all the scrapbooks below with a small blurb to describe each. Click on the scrapbook you are interested in viewing and you will be taken to a digitized version of the scrapbook to browse.
As we continue to preserve the history of Scouting in Kingston, we still need your help! When browsing a scrapbook, if you recognize any individuals or are able to provide more context to what’s happening in a photo, leave a comment underneath the scrapbook.
Meet the Family Gillespie
A podcast featuring a conversation with Jean’s son, Alan, and granddaughter, Jennifer, and their memories .
Read tribute article from 2001.
Scrapbook #1: Before 1954
Scrapbook #2: 1954 – 1964
Jean Gillespie’s Scrapbook, June to July
1954 – 1964
Scrapbook #3: 1964 – 1969
September 1964 to March 1969
Scrapbook #4: 1972 – 1973
December 1972 to December 1973
Scrapbook #5: 1973 – 1975
Jamaica sticker & Beavers Canada sticker –
December 1973 to April 1975.
Scrapbook #6: Mid 1970s
Oct 1976 to July 1977
Scrapbook #7: 1979
Dalajamb sticker – Jan 1979 to Dec 1979
Scrapbook #8: 1979 – early 1980s
Scrapbook #9: 1980 – 1981
January 1980 to July 1981
Scrapbook #10: Early 1980s-Mid 1980s
Scrapbook #11: 1983 – 1984
January 1983 to July 1984
Scrapbook #12: 1984 – 1985
Scrapbook #13: 1985 – 1987
July 1985 – May 1987
Scrapbook #14: 1987 – 1988
“World Jamboree Mondial” Australia 1987 – 88 sticker – May 1987 – December 1988
Scrapbook #15: 1987 – 1990
CJ’89 sticker – Jan 1989 – Dec 1990
Scrapbook #16: 1993 – 1996
September 1993 – December 1996
Scrapbook #17: 1997 – 1999
Jan 1997 – Jan 1999
Scrapbook #18: Unknown Dates
Scrapbook #19: 1990 – 1995
1st Fort Henry Beavers
1990 – 1991 – 1992 – 1993
1994 – 1995
Acknowledgements – Curator, Kat MacDonald
Thank you to Jeanie, for your years of dedication to Scouting in Kingston. You continue to inspire so many in the community. It has been a privilege to walk down this lane of memories as I digitized these scrapbooks and learn more about the impact of your legacy on the community.
A special thank you to Jennifer, Jeanie’s granddaughter, for providing insight into Jeanie’s life and sharing her own fond memories of her grandmother.