Southern Region Jamboree Weblog

Happy 100th Birthday To Us!!!!!!!!!

Whew……even a few hours of sleep helps when you are pooped. I unzipped my bag a few minutes before 5 AM and when I crawled out of the tent there was already a lot of activity in Volcano subcamp and all around the jamboree site. The thermometer on the gateway at Troop 217 read 44 deg F but the sky is very clear and soon the temperature is already rising with the sun. Heavy dew soaks my shoes and socks on my walk around camp to see if our other troops are up and about and I find them all stirring. Volcano subcamp has a mobilization time of 645 AM to head to the arena for our 800AM ceremony. The surrounding camps have times on either side of this. The Scouts who decided to stay up all night are probably regretting their decision this morning but soon all will be well.

As Scouts begin to fill the streets and paths that lead to the arena, it is fabulous site to see the variety of uniforms and, by request, the lack of nationalistic flags. Only flags bearing the world crest of Scouting are allowed in the arena for our Centenary Birthday Celebration. I watched the four of our subcamps from the Mountain Hub parade by before joining them in the arena which is now almost filled to capacity with over 40,000 of us. Most are wearing a special issue yellow “SCOUTING SUNRISE” neckerchief that was issued with the morning food draw.

Finally the ceremony begins and we are treated to a live satellite feed from Brownsea Island – site of the first Scout camp in 1907 – where at that moment two Scouts representing each of the 157 countries participating in the jamboree have assembled to lead us in our rededication ceremony. The Chief Scout of the United Kingdom greets us and raises the same kudu horn used by B-P in 1907 to blow three blasts to call us to attention. In unison and each in our own language we repeat the Scout Oath of our organization with the Brownsea Scouts. Afterwards, a huge cheer fills the arena as we begin the Second Century of the Scouting Movement. As the saying goes…..it just don’t get no better than this!!!

For the next hour or so we are entertained with a fantastic program including a greeting from Chairman of the World Scout Bureau Herman Hui of Hong Kong who introduces Robert Baden-Powell who reads to us a portion of his grandfather’s final message to Scouts before his death in 1941. A beautiful song of fellowship written especially for the occasion interspersed with messages from each of the world’s major religions, the releasing of dozens of white doves who circle the arena swooping and diving, and the sight of the flags of the world now brought into the arena by Scouts of every attending country…..each of these is enthusiastically greeted by all of us. And truly that is the main point of this day…..because on this day, of all days, we are not US Scouts or UK Scouts or French Scouts, or Egyptian Scouts…….we are simply Brother and Sister Scouts.

As the closing moment of the ceremony, each of us is asked to see if we can get 100 of our fellow scouts to sign our special sunrise neckerchiefs. Immediately the scouts are on their feet and of course many start this task by asking the buddies in their unit to sign. But within a few minutes, the boundaries of “unit” are broken and scouts from everywhere are mingling and smiling and signing each other’s neckerchiefs in every direction. This activity continues throughout the day and it proves to be a great idea by the organizing committee.

After the Sunrise Ceremony, there are worship opportunities for all faiths before lunch. I wish that I could comment on this activity, but our Contingent Staff spent this time fulfilling a special commitment to the UK to assist in the cleaning of the toilets in the IST (International Service Team) area. Even Jack Furst of Dallas, our Volunteer Jamboree Chairman, was in there cleaning toilets and scrapping mud off the shower area floors with the rest of us.

The afternoon was dedicated to a jamboree wide celebration of food and fellowship. Most units presented some type of special food from their culture and many also dressed up in their native costumes. Some presented dances or games. As we walked about our subcamps, we were constantly greeted by smiling faces and welcoming arms literally begging us to make a visit, enjoy some food or drink, or join in an activity. We saw hundreds of our scouts eating, drinking, dancing, playing, and just generally having a great time. At this point in their jamboree experience, whatever lingering inhibitions that may have remained are evaporated like the morning dew.

We are truly now ONE WORLD with ONE PROMISE.

It is now 1150 PM and on that splendid thought above I will close my account for this day of days. Perhaps a bit more tomorrow on today….but who knows…..