Jean Gillespie devoted more than fifty years to Scouting in Kingston and Eastern Ontario, working with an estimated 2,400 young people along the way. She was a Cub leader, a camp organizer, a traveller, and a founding force behind events like the International Brotherhood Camporee.
But Jean was also a historian at heart. Through decades of careful notetaking, scrapbooks, and binders—now digitized—she preserved the story of Scouting in Kingston so it wouldn’t be forgotten.
On this episode of The Kingstonian Podcast, we’re joined by Jean’s son, Alan Gillespie, and her granddaughter, Jennifer Morgan, to reflect on her life and legacy—twenty-five years after her passing. We talk about how she first became involved in Scouting, the joy she found working with youth, her love of travel and adventure, the recognition she received, and the impact her dedication had on her family.
This is a conversation about service, community, and the quiet power of showing up—year after year—for something you believe in.
Here is the link to the Museum: https://kingstonscoutmuseum.ca
Our theme music is “Stasis Oasis”, by Tim Aylesworth
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