The very first overseas school tour I organised was over 17 years ago: Remembrance 2001 started a life changing process which eventually gave birth to the school based project Connecting Spirits. Many changes occurred over that time as we found ways to improve and develop the project. Julie Reece Tours is now home to the Connecting Spirits COMMUNITY Tour with the inaugural group leaving at the end of this year. Mal Jurgs and I will continue to focus on the four key elements of CS:
1. Locate your soldier of significance
2. Research his story
3. Commemorate him at the location of his grave or memorial
4. Record his story through writing, audio-visual, art/design, historical recounts etc.
The community tours are open to all though students wishing to participate need to be 17 or older or have an adult member of their immediate family travel with them. The tours will ALWAYS be held at the end of the year in late November- mid December thus allowing Year 12 and University students to complete final exams before going on tour. The other advantage of this time of year is that the cemeteries and former battlefields are largely empty of the masses of tourist coaches and tourists who tramp over these sacred grounds during the Anzac period. The atmosphere is quiet and allows peaceful reflection in these fields where so many tragic stories unfolded and for CS members to truly empathise with those they have studied and commemorated.
Expressions of Interest for the 2018 Connecting Spirits Community Tour are now open. Contact julie@juliereecetours.com.au for the details.
